Huli-Huli Chicken

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Huli-Huli Chicken is a traditional Hawaiian chicken dish that can cooked outdoors on a barbecue grill or inside on a grill pan. The tropical marinade made with fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and pineapple creates a sweet-savory flavor that makes a great marinade and a delicious glaze for the chicken.

Huli Huli chicken with pineapple and rice on white platter.

The unique marinade and cooking technique is what gives huli-huli chicken its exceptional flavor. The natural sugars in the marinade caramelize when the chicken is grilled, or seared on a grill pan.

I used boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe, because the dark meat has more overall flavor and lends itself better to the high heat of grilling. But you can also use boneless skinless chicken breasts to make huli-huli chicken if you prefer.

*You can also split a whole chicken or use chicken pieces to make this delicious chicken recipe.

If you love easy-to-make chicken dishes, check out my Honey Garlic Chicken and One Pot Chicken and Rice recipes.

Table of Contents:

Ingredients to make Huli Huli Chicken

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

*Don’t be tempted to use fresh pineapple juice to make the marinade, it contains a natural tenderizer that will make the chicken soft and mushy.

How to make Huli Huli Chicken

Pat dry the chicken with paper towels.

Add the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, minced fresh ginger, minced fresh garlic, black pepper, chili powder, and sweet paprika to a large bowl.
Whisk to combine.
*Remove ½ cup of the marinade and set aside until needed.
Pour the marinade into a large ziplock bag.
Add the raw chicken to the bag and move it around in the bag so it’s well-coated. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
*Seal the bag and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. Overnight is best but no longer than 24 hours.

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat and lightly brush it with oil. Then, place the chicken on the hot grill pan and let it cook for 5-6 minutes without turning or moving.
*Discard the marinade.
Turn the chicken over and continue cooking until its internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
*Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a platter. Tent it with aluminum foil to keep it warm.
Place the pineapple slices on the grill pan and let them cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they start to show good color.
While the pineapple is cooking, heat the remaining marinade over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. After boiling for one minute, remove the pan from the heat. This will thicken the rest of the marinade into a huli-huli sauce.

*Brush the thickened sauce over the chicken and pineapple slices.

Serve the huli-huli chicken with the grilled pineapple and white rice (jasmine rice or coconut rice), and garnish it with sliced green onions. Or serve it with our homemade macaroni salad for the perfect summertime meal.

Store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container (or well-covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap) for 2-3 days.

Recipe FAQ’s

What is Huli Huli Chicken?

Huli-huli chicken is a Hawaiian dish made with chicken thighs and pineapple. It is typically grilled and served with a sweet and savory sauce. The name comes from the Hawaiian word huli, which means “to turn” because the recipe was originally made on a rotisserie.
The dish can also be made using a grill pan, sauteed, or oven-roasted, with the sauce made separately.

Is huli huli the same as teriyaki?

No, it isn’t. Both marinades use soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger as a base, but teriyaki sauce includes rice wine, while huli huli sauce includes pineapple juice, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, garlic, and other seasonings.

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