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Grilled Huli Huli chicken is the juiciest and most delicious Hawaiian chicken you’ll ever try! Serve it alone or on rice or noodles!!
We love grilling all kinds of things in the summertime, but especially meat! Steak, burgers, and best of all—chicken! Besides our classic go-to Chicken Marinade, we LOVE this Huli Huli chicken!
what is Huli Huli Chicken?
Huli Huli chicken was created back in the 1950s in Hawaii. Originally this chicken was cooked over a pit, thus inheriting the name Huli Huli or “turn turn” chicken.
I first had it at one of our neighbor’s houses in Texas. They had lived in Hawaii for several years and the husband was an avid BBQ enthusiast. One of the meats he had cooked up for us was this Hawaiian Huli Huli chicken, and I totally fell in love with the dish and knew I needed the recipe!
With lots of research and digging, I was able to find a recipe that I think tastes just like it! Perfectly juicy, mostly savory, with a little bit of sweet. We love grilling in the summertime, especially chicken! You’ll love this tasty main dish!
Just Marinade and Grill!
This Huli Huli sauce only requires a handful of easy ingredients and all you do is mix them together! Grilling this Huli Huli chicken recipe is just as simple.
MARINADE. Mix brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, broth, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl. Take out 1 cup and reserve for basting (and refrigerate).
Place the rest of the marinade into a large Ziploc bag with the thighs. Refrigerate overnight.
GRILL. Discard marinade from chicken and grill thighs until no longer pink (about 8 minutes per side), basting with the extra marinade as you grill. Serve warm. ENJOY!
Be sure you have plenty of sauce reserved because it’s even better when it’s still juicy.
Variations
Add some flavor to this Huli Huli with any of these suggestions.
Grill up some pineapple. If you have a pineapple, peel the skin off and cut it into 1-inch thick slices. Whisk a bit of olive oil, honey, and lime juice together and brush it on the pineapple slices. Grill over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes per side. Serve with the Huli Huli chicken.
Garnish the chicken with green onions.
Add a little heat by sprinkling on red pepper flakes or sriracha.
Chicken Tips
This yummy Huli Huli chicken can be made with various cuts of meat!
Chicken. I prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs because they stay moist when cooked on the grill better than breasts and without the bone they are easier to eat. However, you can use the Huli Huli sauce to marinate any cut of chicken to grill.
- Boneless chicken thighs. Grill at 400°F for about 8 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Bone-in chicken thighs. Grill at 450°F for about 10-13 minutes. Flipping halfway. Check the internal temperature. If it needs more time, move the thigh to indirect heat and cook until done.
- Boneless chicken breast. Preheat grill to 400°F. Grill over direct heat for 8-10 minutes. Flip and grill for another 3-5 minutes before moving the chicken to indirect heat (don’t flip). Allow the chicken to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Bone in chicken breast. Preheat grill to 450°F. Grill over direct heat for 9-10 minutes. Flip and grill for another 9-10 minutes before moving the chicken to indirect heat. Allow the chicken to cook for an additional 10-20 minutes
- Drumsticks. Grill chicken at 350-400°F for about 25 minutes. Rotate them every 5 minutes.
Chicken is done when the internal temp is 165°F. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, a good indicator is that the juices run clear and the center is no longer pink. Take chicken off the grill at 160°F and allow it to rest. The temperature will rise another 5-10 degrees bringing it to a safe 165°F.
Serving Ideas
I think I need to cook this recipe for Huli Huli chicken up again and serve it in a salad with almonds, fried wontons, and an Asian vinaigrette. I think it would be amazing!!
You could also try serving it with:
- Crock Pot Rice
- Cauliflower Rice
- Coconut Rice
- Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Easy Fruit Salad
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Macaroni Salad
Store for Later!
Make a freezer meal. Make a delicious freezer meal by freezing the chicken in the marinade!
Use a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and remove as much air as possible before sealing. Lay flat and freeze for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw the bag overnight in the fridge. The chicken will continue to marinate as it thaws and be ready to throw on the grill.
STORE. Leftover authentic Huli Huli chicken recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
FREEZE in a freezer-safe airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Reheat in the microwave or oven.
Recipe FAQ
Absolutely! Not only can you grill other parts of the chicken like breasts and legs, but you can use the sauce to make Huli Huli pork chops.
When cooking chicken thighs I like to heat the grill to 400-425°F and grill each side for about 8 minutes. See above for more grilling info.
If for some reason you can’t grill this chicken, use your oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sear the outside of the chicken in a skillet with a bit of olive oil, then place the chicken on a baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the juices run clear and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
For More Favorite Chicken Recipes, Check Out:
Huli Huli Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ¾ cup ketchup
- ¾ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 12 boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Mix brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, broth, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl. Take out 1 cup and reserve for basting (and refrigerate).
- Place the rest of the marinade into a large Ziploc bag with the thighs. Refrigerate overnight.
- Discard marinade from chicken and grill thighs until no longer pink (about 8 minutes per side), basting with the extra marinade as you grill. Serve warm. ENJOY!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
This is the most amazing chicken. The flavor and smell is the BEST! Making this again SOON!
THis Chicken is amazing!! Can’t wait to make it again!
This chicken was amazing!! I loved the flavor & can’t wait to use it in other recipes! Super easy!
This would be amazing on a bed of fresh salad leaves. A slight twist on a Caesar’s?!
Totally!! Thank for sharing that idea!
This was a great recipe! I NEVER leave replies on recipes; however, I couldn’t not sing the praises of this chicken. I am a decent cook, kids have traveled the globe and sampled many recipes. Tonight’s quote from my 13yo foodie: “Mom, this is the best chicken ever!”. Not the best I have made; the best he has eaten. This will be on our menu often! Grilled to perfection, tastes great hot or cold, will be great cooked in large batches and served multiple was as leftovers.
Also gotta give a shout out for your Cheesy Beef Goulash recipe. I have two competitive swimmers who are teen boys. They get hangry during swim season often. This is great to make for them. I love it also. But easy, filling, and versatile. I can use any pasta, tomato product, and cheese and it always turns out great.
You are so sweet!! I am so glad that these recipes pass 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know!!
We made this dish last week and it was amazing! Made it with thighs, rather than breasts, and it was very moist. I would hesitate to use breasts because they would be drier. The thighs were very flavorful. Instead of basting the chicken, I drizzled the extra marinade over the cooked chicken for extra flavor. Leftovers were equally good!!
Sounds great!! I am glad you liked it! Thank you so much!
So the ginger is ground and the garlic is fresh? On the menu for the week!
Yes – or minced garlic works too!
Is the ginger ground or fresh?
I just used ground ginger. I’m sure fresh ginger would be great, too. Hope that helps!! Enjoy!
So does this really need to be made with thighs? Have you tried it with breast?
I have not, but I don’t see why not?! I’d love to know what you think, if you try it. Thank you!
I live in Hawaii and the smell of this cooking from big food trucks near the beach is incredible!
Oh, I bet! That seems wonderful!