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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
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs chicken breasts also work
- 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger root grated
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- green onions sliced for garnish
Instructions
- 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 at least 3 hours or overnight.
- 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
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
Made this for a summer potluck. It was a hit. Delicious.
Love the Huli Huli chicken. I have mad it twice now.
The next time I am adding some dried diced chili peppers to the marinade. I am also going to smoke it instead of cooking it on the grill. Has anyone tried the smoking method?
Thanks, Jeff
Girlfriend! This was TO DIE FOR!!! The sauce…mmmm. THE BEST ‘awesome sauce” for sure!! I seriously could have drank the sauce it was that good! The thighs are the way to go as they add more flavor to the overall dish. Will make again. My family loved it too! Thanks for an amazing recipe!!
I am wondering what side dishes would go well with this…any help?
Most macaroni salads will go great or corn on the cob. Hope that helps! XOXO
This sauce is really thin the picture shows it thick but it’s good.
Amazing. This has become one of my family’s favorite summer meals. Especially good with fresh grilled pineapple.
Could this be baked in the oven or would it not work?
Delicious
When you say grill covered, do you mean cover with tin foil?
Looks good though.
Well here goes, I did not have brown sugar and did not want to get out to the market so I used spicy honey. Hopefully it all goes well. will let you know
Good luck!! I hope it turns out well!! It still sounds delicious and interesting!
I seriously make this every week or two for me and the hub. The only ingredient I sub out is soy sauce for coconut aminos (we’re watching our salt intake), but it takes amazing every time. Thank you so much for posting!
That is AWESOME!!! I appreciate that a lot!! Thank you so much for sharing!! XOXO
While I’m sure this is tasty, this is not Huli Huli chicken. Huli Huli chicken is actually just spatchcocked, brined, and rubbed rotisserie chicken cooked over kiawe wood or mesquite which is normally served with a sauce (never a glaze) made with soy, ketchup, garlic chili sauce, ginger, and pineapple – served on the side.
I apologized if this question was already asked BUT what are the cooking instructions for baking it in the oven instead of grilling??
It is similar to my baked teriyaki chicken recipe here https://therecipecritic.com/baked-teriyaki-chicken/ I would bake it at 425 for about 30 minutes.
Delicious!! We grilled it on charcoal and it was amazing! We can’t wait to grill for our family on Memorial Day weekend
This is a delicious recipe. I showed the video to my husband, “Instead of ketchup, use Sriracha!” I like the way he thinks:)
I made. This last night. It was delicious. My husband said it was the best chicken he’s ever had.