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Grilled Huli Huli Chicken is a five star recipe! The marinade is quick and easy and full of such amazing flavor! You will make this again and again!
Grilling season is coming and I could not be more excited! Grilling can bring out the best in foods, try these favorites, Chicken, Asparagus, and Shrimp!
Huli Huli Chicken Recipe
This Huli Huli Chicken has been on my list of things to make for years now. I am kicking myself for not making it until now. We loved it so much we grilled it three nights in a row. Huli Huli originated in Hawaii and has quickly become a restaurant staple. Now you can make this at home. When my hubby took his first bite of this chicken he said it tastes exactly like our favorite restaurant. It is honestly one of the best things that we have grilled to date.
The marinade is quick and easy with a few ingredients and the flavor will blow your mind. I marinaded the chicken overnight so that it could soak up all that delicious flavor. You reserve some of the sauce to baste the chicken with while it grills. The sauce is thick and delicious and coats the chicken perfectly as it grills. We love to grill at our house and this recipe needs to be at the top of your list! It was incredibly grilled with our favorite grilled pineapple recipe. This recipe is easily a five-star recipe that you will make again and again. We already can’t wait to make it again!
What You Need for Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
Everything can be found at your local grocery store, look for fresh ginger in the produce section.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: You can use chicken breasts but they can dry out and not be as flavorful.
- Unsweetened Pineapple Juice: You can find this in the canned fruit section sometimes as well as the juice section of your grocery store.
- Soy sauce: Low Sodium soy sauce will work here too.
- Brown Sugar: The sugar will caramelize the chicken and gives it a beautiful flavor.
- Ketchup: This will add flavor and richness.
- Chicken Broth: Adds flavor to the marinate, look for low sodium if you desire.
- Fresh Ginger Root Grated: I can often find the ginger in the produce section of my grocery store.
- Minced Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is best but you can used jarred to save a bit of time.
- Green Onions: Sliced for garnish.
Let’s Make Some Grilled Chicken!
Super simple and easy, but big on flavor, this is going to become a staple in your grilling rotations.
- Marinate: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, chicken broth, ginger, and garlic. Reserve 1 cup sauce for basting. Add the chicken thighs and sauce to a ziplock bag and marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Grill It: Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes. Garnish with green onions if desired
The Best Huli Huli Chicken Tips
With all grilled foods there are some do’s and don’ts to make sure it is the best tasting chicken you have ever had.
- Chicken: What kind of chicken you use matters. When you are grilling the possibility of losing moisture is more likely. You want to cook your chicken to 165 degrees without drying it out. It is best to use chicken thighs because they have dark meat which is naturally moister and has a bit more fat. You can use breasts but you want to pound them out the same thickness so they cook evenly and pull them off the grill when they are about 162, they will continue to cook while resting.
- Rest Your Chicken: To help the chicken retain its moisture and flavor you want to let your chicken rest after it is done cooking. This gives the chicken time to redistribute the juices, leaving more inside than on your plate. This is true for any meat you grill. Let it rest covered with foil for about 10 minutes.
- Marinade: Make sure you reserve marinade to baste the chicken once on the grill. Do not use the marinade the raw chicken sat in. It will spread bacteria and possible food poisoning.
- Do Not Have A Grill? No worries, you can still enjoy this incredible dish by cooking the chicken in the oven at 400 for 20 min or in a pan on the stovetop.
Popular Sides For Huli Huli Chicken
Grilled main dishes are a great spring and summer staple. Add sides that compliment your dish and highlight the season. Here are some tried and true recipes to try when serving your Huli Huli Chicken.
- One of our favorites is to simply serve this with grilled pineapple, rice, and stir-fried vegetables.
- Make a large batch and serve at a potluck with Summer Corn Salad, Bacon Ranch Pasta or Tuscan Pasta Salads.
- Keep it fresh by serving fresh fruit and vegetables with dip.
- Have a few fun appetizers or side dishes to liven the party. We love Vegetable Egg Rolls, Easy Cream Cheese Wontons, and Fried Rice.
Storing and Using Your Huli Huli Leftovers
I love this recipe, because you make a lot and they make the best leftovers! It is like it tastes better the next day.
- Store leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze the chicken in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Use leftovers to top some of your favorite salads, like Broccoli Ramen Salad, or add to a Buddha Bowl.
More Grilling Fun
Even if you do not have a grill, these recipes can be made in the oven or in a pan on the stove top. These are full of flavor, and grilling brings out the best in them. Grilling keeps the heat out of the kitchen too, which is nice on those warm summer nights. Grilling is great for big gatherings and potlucks. Grab one these recipes for your next BBQ.
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Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
- sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk together 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup ketchup, ¼ cup chicken broth, 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, and 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic in a medium bowl.
- Reserve 1 cup of the sauce for basting later, and add the remaining sauce and 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs to a ziplock bag and marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- After the chicken has marinated, preheat the grill to medium heat. Grill the chicken with the lid closed for 6-8 minutes on either side or until no longer pink and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onions if desired
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A Reader’s Review
“Absolutely delicious! Easy and many ways to eat it. Last evening we skewered the chicken!” -Tricia
Can you cook it in the oven,if u don’t have a grill
Hi Barbara, thank you for your question! Yes you can bake it in the oven. Set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and cook for 30-35 min. We will actually be updating this recipe on July 11th! You should come back and check that out for any changes, tips, or tricks!
Hello There,
I want to try this yummy recipe, do you think I can cook in the oven??? PLEASE..LOL
You can cook it in a crockpot! Here is the recipe: Crockpot Huli Huli Chicken
Since early Spring we have grilled this recipe at least 1/2 dozen times. So glad you include pineapple juice in yours. It’s a must. Next time I will make with bone-in thighs and grill indirect. I always add 1 tbl Sambal Oelek (chili paste) for just a slight kick.
This was fabulous! I cooked it in the air fryer and threw sliced pineapple on top during the last 5 minutes. Amazing flavor! I did marinate for about 4 hours and cooked the reserved sauce down a bit to thicken and baste with. Served with veggies and rice (drizzled some of the sauce on the rice) OMG, yum! This was a hit with everyone and will be in our rotation from now on. Thanks for such an amazing recipe and a website where I find so many delicious recipes!
Was great when I tried this recipe but it was hard trying to favourite it or find it again on the site. None of the recipes that I have favourited have been saved so it’ll be hard keeping track
Hi! If you hover your mouse over the little heart in the right-hand corner on any recipe on the side, a little flag looking sticker pops out on the left. If you click on that, it will show you all the recipes you saved on your device. Or, you can create a login and have them save them so no matter which device you are on, you can see your saved recipes. If you need more help, send me a quick email, and I will send you more specific instructions!
Could you make this in an air fryer?
I haven’t tried this in the air fryer but that’s a great idea!
Can you substitute ground ginger instead of fresh ginger? If so how much?
Yes, you can use 1/2 tsp ground ginger instead.
Love the hul I chicken receipe
Would this work on a Blackstone grill (more like a griddle)? What adjustments would I need to make?
I haven’t tried that before but I’m sure it would work fine.
I love this recipe it’s so tasty, has anyone tried it in the crockpot?
Made a similar recipe in crock pot. Throw all ingredients in crock in am and cook on low for 6-8 hrs. Have also done on high for just a couple hours. No need to premarinade. Super tender, flavorful, and easy.
This recipe looks GREAT! I just bought chicken thighs today. I would like to make it today but don’t have three hours to marinate the chicken. What do you think…would it work after an hour in the marinade?
YES you can…a 1hr marinade is better than no hour marinade…you can also use the marinade w/ a little corn starch to thicken the marinade into a nice sauce which will add more the of those delicious flavours you want & dip or drizzle over top
I am in the Philippines (lived in the US long before that), and this reminds me of Chicken Inasal – replace pineapple with calamansi (a citrus I had never heard of before here – like a small, bite-sized lime), and this looks much like the same thing.