Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
Grilled Huli Huli Chicken will transport your taste buds to the tropical islands! Chicken thighs are marinated with pineapple, soy sauce, and brown sugar then grilled to perfection.
One of the reasons I love traveling to the islands of Hawaii is to roam around and look for the local cuisine. I love a good shaved ice or pulled pork from a native luau, but I think the most inspiring things can be found in street food. I stumbled across a little cart selling chicken right off the grill, and when I got back home to the Lofthouse I had to come up with my own version of the recipe. My Grilled Huli Huli Chicken is an homage to one of my favorite food memories of Hawaii. Whenever I travel back to my favorite island I go in search of this chicken. This recipe comes in handy on those hot Southern Utah days when I am craving the cool tropical breezes.
GRILLED HULI HULI CHICKEN
This is a great recipe to make during the summer months when the grill is in prime condition. By now you probably have your routine of burgers and hot dogs rotating across the hot grate. It’s time for something a little more fun and festive for those warm months!
This recipe calls for chicken thighs instead of breasts. It’s a traditional cut of meat that brings a whole other layer of tenderness and flavor to the dish. The chicken thighs are mixed together with a marinade consisting of pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy, ketchup, garlic, and chicken broth for a fully complete and balanced flavor profile. After the thighs are marinated, they are cooked on the hot grill. Serve with rice, veggies, and freshly grilled pineapple for the fully aloha experience.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup pineapple juice; this brings a bright note to each piece of chicken. The citrus also helps break down the meat while it’s marinating and will ensure that each bite is tender. Canned pineapple juice will work just fine, or if you have a juicer, juice a freshly sliced pineapple for that layer of freshness.
1 cup packed light brown sugar; this sweetness will balance everything out.
3/4 cup ketchup; this slight acidity of the ketchup will cut through the sweet and salty components of the dish. It is for balance and will not overwhelm the entire flavor of the dish.
3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce; this is to help keep the sodium levels lower in the dish. If you want to use regular soy sauce, that will work just fine as well.
1/2 cup chicken broth; what’s the best way to enhance any chicken flavored dish? Use chicken broth, or a bullion will deepen the flavor so much. If you want to use vegetable stock as a substitute, that will work here.
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger; if you’ve never worked with fresh ginger root, you’ll love what it will do to this dish. Just peel the skin off, and mince till it’s finely diced. If you would prefer to use ginger from a jar, that will also work. Avoid using ginger powder, or seasoning, as it won’t give the dish the best flavor.
3 teaspoons minced garlic; garlic makes everything better! I love to mince my own garlic, as the aroma brings everything to life. A pre-minced garlic that you can find in a small jar or tube can work, if you don’t want to mince your own.
24 boneless skinless chicken thighs; this is about 4 pounds of meat. This recipe is meant to be shared! Thighs are the way to get that full authentic experience of the chicken. If you have a picky eater in your family, you can substitute for chicken breasts, but I highly recommend using thighs.
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium bowl, whisk together juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, broth, ginger, and garlic until combined. Reserve 1 cup of marinade for basting. Cover and refrigerate. Divide remaining marinade between two large resealable plastic bags. Add 12 chicken thighs to each; seal bags and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.; baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes.
PINEAPPLE
Grilled slices of pineapple for a couple of minutes on either side, so that they get those beautiful marks, and the flavor comes to life! A side of rice, either white or brown, is great on the side. If you are looking for a little pasta side, give my Asian Pasta Salad a try and you’ll love it with the flavorful dark meat of the chicken.
MARINATING TIME
For the most flavorful dish, make sure to marinate for no less than 6 hours. I marinate mine overnight so that the next day everything is ready to go! If you are in a pinch with time, the very least amount of time I would recommend marinating the chicken is 4 hours before grilling.
ENJOY THIS RECIPE? HERE ARE A FEW MORE GRILLED FAVORITES!
Grilled Steak Kebabs – Tender, marinated pieces of steak skewered with freshly diced veggies and grilled.
Grilled Apricot Chicken – The perfect way to sweeten things up this summer! Juicy pieces of chicken thighs grilled with apricot preserves and ready in 30 minutes!
Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps – Too many burgers this summer? There’s no such thing! Try this recipe to switch things up, and still enjoy a juicy burger with all the fixings.
Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken – Lean chicken breasts grilled with fresh lime juice and cilantro.
Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 3/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 24 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 4 pounds) OR 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, broth, ginger and garlic until combined. *Reserve 1 cup of marinade for basting. Cover and refrigerate.
- Divide remaining marinade between two large resealable plastic bags. Add 12 chicken thighs to each; seal bags and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- Drain and discard marinade from chicken. Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack.
- Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.; baste occasionally with reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes.
Notes
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I made this last night for dinner and OMGEE so good!! I didn’t have 6 hrs to marinade it so it only got about 3 hrs but it was still very good. Everyone loved it! Thanks!
Hi Holly,
It makes me sad that people use social media as a weapon. I don’t know what happened to being Godly and kind to one another. If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. Anyway, this is the first time I’ve ever looked at your blog and I’m excited! This recipe looks delicious. Can’t wait for the weather to get a little warmer so we can try it. I’m sure it will be a big hit with my family. Looking forward to seeing more of your recipes!
Thank you!
Can’t wait to try this , looks amazing- I’m always looking for tasty options that are low sodium!
I think it would be great with a side of coconut rice.
I made this last night and it was amazing!!! We will definitely be making this again and I share the recipe with a few friends.
YUMMIE. My daughter doesn’t ask me to Panda Express (her fav) anymore. Instead, she asks me to make “THAAAAT” chicken. Thanks for the awesome yummy recipe.
Wow…just, wow! Why, on EARTH would someone act like a rude low-life over a r-e-c-i-p-e! Yikes! My mother always told me to ‘Consider the source’!
I am so glad I found this recipe! Soooo beautiful! I go in KNOWING my finished dish will look AND taste NOTHING like the picture & recipe! Hey…as long as it tastes good, I’m ok with it! No one to blame but little, ol’ me if it doesn’t turn out!
My husband & I spent a month on Oahu in ’04 & the little town of Haleiwa(haw-lay-EVA)had THE best Huli-Huli Chicken! We went back several times, and, we were sad they only did this on weekends! After the first time sharing, we each got our own! Sorry…not gonna share, it’s too freakin’ yummy to share! We’re going back in 2 years with our granddaughter, who will be 12, & introduce her to this amazing treat! Believe me!…it WILL be better than ANYTHING I can make! Thanks for this recipe! Making it soon!
I just added to the Weight Watchers website and gave credit to your blog. If you substitute the chicken thighs for breasts, it is only 4 point dinner and that includes ALL of the marinade on the chicken. Because you discard the most of the marinade before grilling, it is likely closer to 2 points! Nice recipe and good luck with your blog.
Just a quick note. I love your recipes, comments and experiences! Please keep them coming and ignore the idiots. Lol easier said than done I know
You are never going to get away from mean people.Especially with the internet.Just know that their are many of us who appreciate you posting your recipes.Thank you.
There are many of us that appreciate your posting.Thank you
Simply amazing chicken!!! Had a party of about 50 people and make skewers with this marinade. Rave reviews. Don’t listen to the haters!!
Yesss! I was raised in Waimea, Big Island and miss the huge huli huli fundraisers at church. (Smell it for miles around!) I want to thank you for a perfect recration of my child hood favorite. I grilled and used a re-dip method i learned from my Chamoru Army buddy. Had some thickened sauce on the side to coat final batch. Added a lot pinapple juice to get carmalization and sweeter taste. Much apprechiated! Ono grindz!
Danielle: I agree, people on these post and at the work place the same way. IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING GOOD TO SAY NOTHING AT ALL. They do that for attention!!
Holly, you just hang in there, when I see a comment I try to destroy it.. You know what I mean.. Keep up the great work and as I don’t use this language just “F” them.. They probably don’t know how to cook any how. I am 80 yrs young and I have been cooking for one hell of a long time for my family and now myself and my SERVICE DOGGIE.. I AM A VETERAN AND I TALK STRAIGHT TALK!!! Just don’t pay no shit what negatives say they are in another world. “IT IS THE PUNK WORLD”!! Excuse my language. “LOVE YOU BLOGGER”..
love your recipes, your stories, your positive attitude. while reading your stories, it makes me smile and remember when I a kid, watching my mom cook. She would make the best cookies and cakes, my brother and I would argue over who would get the bowl and who would get the spoon when she was done… thank you for being you.
Thank you so much for such a sweet comment:)
If I reduce the amount of chicken by half, should I reduce the marinade ingredients by half too?
Btw I’ve saved this recipe a while ago and it was the first thing I cooked on my grill this summer after knocking the dust off! This is by far may favorite way to celebrate summer. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Stephen! Yes, I would cut the marinade in half if you’re not using all the chicken. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi
Someone may already have asked this question, but….
This recipe looks AWESOME, and I’m wondering if raw chicken can be mixed with marinade, portioned, and frozen.
Thanks!
I’m sure that would work just fine!
thank you so much for this delicious rendition of Huli Huli. I have made different versions of this several times and have decided that I like the version without the ketchup. not sure if ketchup makes it more authentic but we all do that don’t we, tweak it just a little bit to our specific taste.
This chicken is simply amazing! A friend made it and I loved it. Made it at home and everyone loved it and I am a cook and make it at work and it’s a hit! It’s so tender and flavorful! If you double the marinade recipe you can use it to make the rice. I can’t rave enough about this chicken!
So sorry to read that some people never developed kindness or manners. The chicken was delicious. Thank you for posting.
Excellent! A can of pineapple has almost 1 cup of juice–so I used that and grilled up the pineapple to serve with the chicken. I only marinated it for one hour and it was good. For a side, I made coconut jasmine Rice (1c. Jasmine rice, one can coconut milk–add water to reach 2c. liquid, 1 tsp salt, 1 tbs. grated ginger). Everyone loved the chicken!!
Great recipe, followed marinade as is – delicious and authentic. Used 2.5 lbs of frozen chicken breasts, dethawed in the marinade over 4 hours. While the grill was warming up I drained the marinade and reduced over the stove, separated that Into two portions, one to baste on the grill and the other to baste the end result and drizzle over rice. Grill ran a little hot, around 500*, forced to flip frequently and basted at every turn. Think THIs actually resulted in a little bit better end result, and the marinade caramelized beautifully. Turned the left overs into frozen meal preps, turned out great as well. Thanks for the recipe, definitely a keeper!
Wow! So sorry to read how people have abused you for simply sharing your recipes! You certainly dont deserve Such behavior. However, i hope you dont let it deter you from doing what you love to do, allow me to thank you on behalf of all of us out here searching for new, delicous meals!
Remember what they say opinions are like…
Holly,
Please don’t let people get you down. I have found so many great recipes from your site and have recommended it to many of my friends and family. There will always be people who don’t like something or have nothing better to do than complain. Life isn’t perfect. There might be some recipes that don’t interest you. That’s OK. Find one that does. so many recipes that I have tried from what you have posted are phenomenal and have become some of our favorites! Please continue to share your recipes with us. I am always looking for the next new favorite. I can’t wait to try the huli huli chicken!
Thank you for all your recipes! I’m always shocked by how rude people can be hiding behind their keyboards. Please ignore them and keep sharing. Some of the recipes you have shared have become our favorites, Your Monday meal plans have changed my meal planning (for the good XOXO) Thanks again!