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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
Can I grill the day before and reheat? I am doing a rehearsal dinner and will be doing this chicken but need to do it a head of time and then reheat the night of. Is this possible? Suggestions on how to do this?
You can definitely do this! However, it is always best to eat fresh. You can store the cooked chicken in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can reheat it on the grill until the chicken is warmed through when you are ready to go.
AMAZING recipes thank you so much..
Made this recipe as is for a luau party. It was a hit. Easy, flavorful, and tasty. Not a single piece was left at the end of the night.
Made this tonight for the first time and it was a huge hit with my family! I used boneless, skinless chicken legs for my family, and shrimp for myself (I am pescatarian). Even my very picky daughter ate every bite! Husband loved the chicken, and the shrimp skewers were amazing. I am going to try this marinade on fish next! I served it with grilled pineapple, rice pilaf and roasted summer squash.
One of our favorite recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent recipe! To the marinade, I added 2 allspice berries (whole) and 1 whole flower of dried star anise. This gives the missing Chinese flavour that traditionally influences Polynesian cooking. You’re never quite sure what the “it’s missing something” element is from Polynesian food… it’s usually allspice and star anise but not in large quantities. After removing the chicken from the marinade I soak raw pineapple spears/rings in the marinade while the bbq heats. I grill the pineapple off first, then grill the chicken. While the chicken cooks, I cook the leftover marinade in a pot until boiling and thickened (keep your eye on that as it will burn if the heat is too high). Brush over the cooked chicken just before serving. Excellent. Brought me right back to Maui and during the pandemic, that says a lot. Good job on the recipe!
4 months later & im still saying WOW!!!
As well as the rest of the fam & now the neighborhood…have now done chkn thighs, drumsticks, kabobs all on the bbq & oven…tastes amazing every time!!!
Last night tried the now famous Huli Huli Chkn recipe on some wings for the neighborhood wing ding night & was the best tasting wings all night…well proven recipe that everyone enjoys…my last comment I had said I added Maggie’s sauce I also add a bit of sriracha & molasses…❤️
Made this last week. Husband said it was one of his new favorites! Absolutely delish! Served with grilled pineapple and grilled zucchini. Thanks for another great recipe!
Can I substitute orange juice for pineapple?
Yes, that will work too.
This is so good! I had been making Huli Huli Chicken for a few years but I was using a different recipe that has more steps and is more work than this one. Because of that I decided to use this recipe but didn’t expect to like it as much. I was so wrong! This recipe is delicious! It is now one of my all time favorite recipes. I used chicken breast and thighs. The thighs were tastier but I like to add more lean protein to our meals. I replaced the brown sugar with Splenda Brown Sugar to cut down on some of the sugar. My family likes spicy food so I added 2 teaspoons of sriracha to the marinade.
WOW!!! & AMAZING!!! Super simple recipe w/ HUGE flavours for the taste buds & the longer the marinade the better the flavours come out…I used Maggie’s sauce instead of regular Soy sauce & the taste was incredible…BIG hit @ Sunday dinner !!!Mmmmmmm paired it w/ the Parmesan garlic potato foil pks & was an instant hit & now a fam fav❤️
I love this recipe. However, I cooked mine in the oven. Saw the note saying -no grill not a problem. Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Mine took 25 minutes but they were fantastic. Last 5 minutes I basted. So great.
Haven’t tried this one yet, and literally have the Grilled Hawaiian BBQ Chicken foil packets cooking in my oven as I type this! Would you willing to update this recipe for a foil packet? Our family LOVES foil packet meals! Keep up the great work!!
Here is a foil packet that is similar: https://therecipecritic.com/grilled-hawaiian-barbecue-chicken-foil/. I will see about getting the foil packet up in the recipes for you! So glad that you like it!
Although I love the flavors of your recipe this is not truly Huli Huli chicken. Huli Huli means turn turn in Hawaiian. The name Huli Huli chicken comes from the chicken is cooked over a Spicket that turns. Original recipe is a secret but in Hawaii you can find very close recipes.
Would this work ok with none in skin on thighs?
Yes, the chicken will just need to be adjusted for cooking time.
Can this just be baked in the oven?