Description
Authentic Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken featuring tender grilled chicken with a sticky, sweet-and-tangy pineapple-soy glaze. The name comes from the Hawaiian word ‘huli’ meaning ‘turn’ – as you turn the chicken frequently while grilling!
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Chicken:
- 3–4 lbs (1.4–1.8 kg) chicken thighs and drumsticks (bone-in, skin-on)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- For the Huli Huli Sauce:
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Make Sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients in saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Reserve half for serving.
- Marinate: Place chicken in large ziplock bag with half the cooled sauce. Marinate 4-12 hours.
- Grill: Preheat grill to medium (350°F/175°C). Remove chicken from marinade (discard used marinade).
- Cook: Grill chicken skin-side down first, turning every 5 minutes and basting with fresh sauce. Cook 25-30 minutes until internal temp reaches 175°F (80°C).
- Rest: Let rest 5 minutes before serving with reserved sauce.
Notes
- Traditional method: Use a rotisserie setup for constant turning.
- No grill? Broil in oven, turning and basting every 5 minutes.
- For extra flavor: Add 1 tbsp smoked paprika to dry rub.
- Storage: Leftover sauce keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks.
- Prep Time: 20 mins (+ marinating)
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Grilling
- Cuisine: Hawaiian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 pieces
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 1500mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 165mg