Description

Huli Huli Chicken is a flavorful Hawaiian BBQ chicken dish known for its sweet, tangy, and smoky teriyaki-like sauce made with pineapple juice, soy sauce, and spices. Perfect for grilling, this recipe uses boneless skinless chicken thighs marinated for hours, then grilled to juicy perfection and served with grilled pineapple rings and green onions for a tropical twist.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

4–5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

Marinade/Sauce

½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup ketchup
½ cup light soy sauce
½ cup canned pineapple juice
1 tablespoon ginger paste (or minced fresh ginger)
1 tablespoon garlic paste (or minced garlic)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
½ teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika

Additional Ingredients

1 pineapple or 1 can of pineapple rings slices, drained for grilling
½ cup sliced green onions for garnish
Vegetable oil for brushing grill grates

Instructions

Prepare Chicken: Rinse the chicken thighs under cold water and pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels to ensure proper marination and grilling.
Make Marinade: In a large bowl or gallon-size Ziploc bag, combine light brown sugar, ketchup, light soy sauce, canned pineapple juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, apple cider vinegar, cumin, coarse black pepper, and paprika. Mix all ingredients well until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
Reserve Sauce: Remove ½ cup of the marinade and set it aside for serving and finishing the chicken later.
Marinate Chicken: Add the chicken thighs to the remaining marinade, making sure all pieces are fully submerged. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight for maximum flavor and tenderness.
Preheat Grill: About 30 minutes before cooking, preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 400°F). Lightly brush vegetable oil on the grill grates to prevent sticking.
Grill Chicken: Place the marinated chicken thighs directly on the grill grates. Cook for about 10 minutes without moving or flipping them to develop good grill marks and caramelization.
Flip and Finish Cooking: Flip the chicken pieces and continue grilling until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about another 10 minutes. Discard any leftover marinade used with raw chicken.
Grill Pineapple Rings: When the chicken is about halfway done, place the pineapple rings on the grill. Grill them until golden on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side.
Finish Sauce: Remove the grilled chicken and pineapple from the grill. Brush the reserved marinade over the chicken for extra flavor. Optionally, place the chicken under the broiler for a few minutes to thicken the sauce or simmer the reserved sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop until slightly reduced, then brush it over the chicken.
Serve: Garnish the chicken with sliced green onions. Serve alongside the grilled pineapple and your choice of side dishes such as white rice or fresh vegetables.

Notes

Store leftover grilled Huli Huli Chicken covered in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.
You can freeze leftovers for up to 1 month unless the chicken was previously frozen, in which case do not refreeze.
Adjust seasoning of the reserved sauce before brushing on the cooked chicken; add more brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter BBQ flavor.
Clean under the grill grates before cooking and allow excess marinade to drip off the chicken before placing it on the grill to prevent flare-ups and burning.
Any cut of chicken can be used, but bone-in pieces require longer cooking times.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Grilling
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Huli Huli Chicken, Hawaiian BBQ Chicken, Grilled Chicken, Pineapple Chicken, Sweet and Tangy Chicken