Huli Huli Chicken is a Hawaiian-inspired BBQ Chicken. It’s sweet and savory and smoky and ABSOLUTELY delicious. Kids can even help whip the marinade and it’s something my family all loves. For a great meal with Hawaiian vibes, we love to serve it with a classic island combo of white rice and macaroni salad! It’s also great in any type of grain bowl, with your favorite roasted vegetable, and leftovers are just as great (hot or cold!)
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Thighs – You’ll want to use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work here.
- Ketchup – Any ketchup will do. This adds both flavor and viscosity to the marinade.
- Soy Sauce – You can use regular or light soy sauce. I especially like the flavor of Aloha brand. If you’d like to make this gluten free, coconut aminos are a great substitution for soy sauce.
- Pineapple Juice – You can use the juice from canned pineapple, juice made from frozen concentrate, or fresh pineapple juice if you have it.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar both acidifies and provides flavor to the marinade.
- Ginger – I like to use fresh ginger. I always keep a piece or two in my freezer to pull out for recipes like this. You could also substitute 1/2 teaspoon of dry ginger if needed.
- Garlic – Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
How To Make Huli Huli Chicken
- For the marinade, whisk together brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and garlic. I like to set aside a little marinade (about 1/3 cup or so) to use for basting at the end.
- If desired, trim the excessive fat off the chicken thighs. You do not need to remove all of the fat, it adds flavor and will melt off during the cooking process. Just use a clean pair of kitchen shears to snip off and large pieces that might fall off on the grill.
- Place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 6-8 hours, or up to overnight.
- When ready to grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, lightly oil the grate, and then place the chicken on the hot grill and close the lid. Cook around 5 minutes per side, until an instant read thermometer reads 165℉.
- Once chicken is to temperature, if you saved some marinade, reduce heat to low and baste each side with reserved glaze for an additional 1 minute or so. Because this marinade contains sugar, you’ll want to keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn!
- Remove chicken from grill. Cover with foil and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Storing and Other Tips
- Leftover Huli Huli chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within 3-4 days of cooking.
- Leftovers are great served cold in a salad or reheated.
- Huli Huli marinade contains sugar which can leave it prone to burning quickly on the grill. Be sure to watch your heat and turn it down if you see the outside of your chicken getting charred too quickly. You can move your chicken to indirect heat for a bit to cook through if needed, and then move back over the flame to get crispy at the end of cooking. This is also why we wait until the very end to baste with extra marinade- we want to avoid burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can definitely whip up your marinade and let your chicken marinate ahead of time. This chicken can marinate for 6-24 hours before cooking.
The great thing about chicken thighs is that they are very forgiving! While they need to be cooked to at least 165°F, they do not dry out and higher temperatures like chicken breasts do. You don’t want to burn them, but if they get left on the grill for a few extra minutes, they will still taste great.
Generally speaking, yes. Closing the lid traps the heat and helps the meat cook through. It’s helpful to turn the heat down a touch before you close the lid so it doesn’t get too hot and burn the outside. If cooking on an open grill without a lid, it may just take longer to come to temperature and you may need to move the chicken away from the direct heat so it cooks through without burning.
If you or someone you are serving needs to avoid gluten (most soy sauces contain gluten) you can substitute coconut aminos instead.
I absolutely recommend chicken thighs for this recipe. The flavor and texture are preferable, and it’s authentic to the traditional Hawaiian dish. That being said, if you’d like to substitute a different cut of meat, you may. If using chicken breasts, I would choose thinner pieces, or butterfly your chicken in order to absorb flavor, and cook faster.
Huli Huli Chicken pairs well with:
Huli Huli Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ¾ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4-5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- For the marinade, whisk together brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Optional step: Set aside about 1/3 cup marinade in an airtight container in the fridge for basting at the end. Set remaining marinade aside while you prep your meat.
- If desired, trim the excessive fat off the chicken thighs. You do not need to remove all of the fat, it adds flavor and will melt off during the cooking process. Just use a clean pair of kitchen shears to snip off and large pieces that might fall off on the grill.
- Place the chicken in a large Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.
- When ready to grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, lightly oil the grate, and then place the chicken on the hot grill and close the lid. Cook around 5 minutes per side, until an instant read thermometer reads 165℉.
- Once chicken is to temperature, reduce heat to low and baste each side with reserved glaze for an additional 1 minute or so.
- Remove chicken from grill. Cover with foil and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Questions & Reviews
I made a Huli Huli chicken recipe from another site. It was very good, but I knew there must be a better recipe out there. Here it is! I used chicken breasts and grilled pineapple rings to go with it. Delicious! My family loved it. Can’t wait to make it again.
I’ve been wanting to make this recipe for so long. We finally had a BBQ this weekend with close friends. A-MA-ZING! Everyone asked for the recipe! This is going to be a regular at our house. Now I just need to make it with the coconut rice.
Great recipe! We paired it with the coconut rice from this site, grilled pineapple, and a green salad. My husband served his mission in Hawaii and LOVED this meal!
This recipe is a keeper! Next time, and there will be a next time, I might add some red pepper flakes just to jazz it up a bit. Sides were sweet potatoes & broccoli, although with more forethought, I would have been more creative.
I am so excited to make this recipe! The marinade is so much like the cooking liquid for your baby-back ribs recipe—the best ribs I’ve ever had and the only ribs recipe I’ll ever make. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
If the family won’t eat dark meat (my favorite) can u make with tenders?
Could you compromise and use Breasts? I think tenders would get list here. Or maybe a Pork tenderloin?
I don’t have a grill. Do you think it would work in the oven? If yes, what temp and estimated cooking time? Thanks.
I’m sure you could—probably low broil (around 450) for about the same amount of time.
Looks delicious!! What sides would you recommend serving with this? I was thinking rice and maybe grilled pineapple 🙂
Yes and yes ????????
This week I made Huli Huli chicken and served it with the coconut rice recipe in this site. It was a delicious combination!