- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Marinade Time: 3 hours to Overnight
- Cooking Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
“Huli” is the Hawaiian word for “Turn”…so let’s get this argument out of the way up front. Unless you have a super cool rotisserie grill or a huge rotating (Huli) grill…….. you will resigned to “grilling” your Huli Huli Chicken…like me. And that is ok.
The funny thing is…..if you don’t cook your Huli Huli on a rotating cooker….it is really just a version of Teriyaki Chicken. I know what you are saying here……why even bother with all of this? Well, I guess this all goes back to my time spent on Lanai and Maui. Some of our friends would grill their version of Huli Huli Chicken at beach parties or on overnight fishing trips. And well, I just kind of grew accustomed to the recipe and the name.
While Teriyaki Chicken can be made with a simpler sauce, my take on Huli Huli Chicken has a few changes to the traditional Teriyaki sauce.
The key here is to marinade your chicken for at least 3 hours. Grilling on Mesquite is the closest I have been able to replicate to the taste of Hawaiian Kiawe wood…so get yourself some Mesquite chips and fire up that grill.
What you need:
4 lbs. Chicken (I go with “bone in, skin on, chicken thighs” or chicken quarters…as you see in the pictures……you can use anything you like…just know that skin and bones add a whole lot of flavor…..just saying…
1 cup Pineapple Juice
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Ketchup
3/4 cup Soy Sauce….or Shoyu….low sodium if you can…..no need to up your salt here…
1/2 cup Chicken Stock (broth)
2 1/2 teaspoons of minced fresh ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons of minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon each of salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and cumin
Here we go:
Mix the pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, chicken stock, ginger, and garlic together in a glass bowl. Once you get all the ingredients mixed really well, reserve about 1 cup for later (basting and dipping)…..and pour the rest into a large zip-lock freezer bag.
Add your chicken to the marinade, place the bag in a bowl or Tupperware and back in the fridge for 3 hours to overnight.
When you are ready to cook, make sure your grill is hot…like really hot…. getting a good “char” on your Huli Huli chicken is totally ok….the sugars in the marinade will caramelize and make a huge difference in the final flavor. Take your chicken out of the marinade, season with your dry ingredients from above (salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, paprika, and cumin), and now just grill your chicken and baste it with your remaining sauce every 15-20 minutes……go for a final temp of 165 degrees. I use a digital thermometer and pull my chicken off the grill at 160….your chicken will cook by itself after you take it off (just throw some foil over it and give it about 10 minutes). This will leave you with perfect, juicy chicken every time.
Take the last of your Huli Huli sauce, heat it to a boil (it will help reduce and thicken), and serve it with the chicken for dipping. Ok…..this is where you can tune me out…or go off on your own……IT IS NOT A CRIME to squeeze a bit of lemon, add a bit of Sriracha, or sprinkle some green onions on your Huli Huli Chicken when serving…in fact…….you should…..all up to you.
I serve my chicken with some Macaroni Salad (see recipe here), some white rice (cold rice is great with this), or some Kimchi (sorry no recipe yet……I will learn to make this…I will…..). And lastly…if you want to be super cool….grill up some slices of pineapple…..you will be surprised at how easy and awesome a little grilled fruit can up your game….
Alright, thanks for reading, leave a comment and let us know how it all turned out….visit us on facebook, Insta, Twitter, and or Flipboard.
~C
