Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken
This delicious and flavor-packed Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken is perfect for a fun summer cookout. It's marinated for hours and grilled to perfection. You can even bake it, if you prefer!
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 826kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless chicken thighs or bone-in
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar packed
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 cup canned pineapple juice do not use fresh pineapple juice
- ½ cup light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Fresh pineapple slices to serve as a side
- Vegetable oil for the grill
- Sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the marinade: In a large resealable bag, mix brown sugar, ketchup, canned pineapple juice, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, ginger, garlic, smoked paprika, and ground black pepper until evenly combined.
- Reserve ½ cup of the marinade and store in the fridge for later. It will be used to baste the chicken.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the chicken thighs into the marinade in the resealable bag, making sure it’s all coated evenly. Seal the bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours or preferably overnight.
- Before grilling: Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, get a grill pre-heated and brush the grill grates with oil.
- Cook the chicken: Grill chicken for 6 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for about 3 minutes. Baste the chicken with the reserved ½ cup of the marinade, then flip again and cook for another 1-2 minutes on each side at a time. Repeat until fully cooked through in the center. They should cook for about 15-16 minutes total, depending on the size (use a thermometer to be sure). Remove from grill and let it rest for 10 minutes. Note: Avoid cross-contamination by only use the reserved marinade to brush the chicken.
- Grill the pineapple slices on both sides until you get beautiful grill marks. Tip: Let them grill undisturbed per side, once they develop grill marks, they should release easily.
- Serve the huli huli chicken with the grilled pineapple and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
- Marinating time: At least 4-6 hours for best flavor, but preferably overnight. Not longer than 24 hours (will get too salty).
- Don't forget to reserve the marinade for basting before you add the raw chicken. Keep refrigerated until ready to used.
- If you forgot to save some marinade before adding raw chicken, you can bring it to a boil and simmer for about 2-3 minutes, and you'll be good to go!
- To prevent the chicken or pineapple rings from sticking to the grill, make sure you grill the grates well and that it's preheated before using.
- Target temperature: Chicken thighs and drumsticks are ready at 175-185°F for tender texture. Chicken breasts are best at 165°F.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze raw chicken and marinade together in a sealed bag for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then cook as directed.
- Mesquite wood: Traditionally, huli huli chicken is cooked with kiawe wood. To get a similar smoky flavor at home, use mesquite wood chips if your grill is designed for that.
- Gluten-free option. Use tamari instead of soy sauce to make the recipe gluten-free.
- You can use any cut of chicken, but the cooking time will vary. Use an instant read thermometer to be sure.
Nutrition
Calories: 826kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 296mg | Sodium: 1575mg | Potassium: 917mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 552IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg