Huli Huli Chicken is the most amazing grilled Hawaiian chicken recipe. Marinated in a sweet and spicy sauce with pineapple juice, ginger, and soy sauce, these grilled chicken thighs are tender, juicy, and flavorful.
You can marinate this recipe for just 30 minutes and have it on the table in an hour, or you can leave the chicken in the marinade for up to a day, so this recipe is make-ahead friendly!
If you’re looking for a new way to give your grilled BBQ chicken a bit of a makeover, THIS is the recipe you’ve been waiting for!
Huli Huli grilled chicken is packed with Hawaiian-inspired flavors, grilled until it’s gorgeously caramelized and slightly charred.
In the Hawaiian language, “huli” means “turn”. The name comes from the fact that the chicken is turned over several times while it’s on the grill so that it is thoroughly covered in this delicious sweet and spicy sauce.
Grilled pineapple is the perfect side dish for Huli Huli Chicken, but if you’d like to try some other Hawaiian inspired dishes too, I suggest my Hawaiian Macaroni Salad and Hawaiian Banana Bread!
Grilled Huli Huli Chicken Recipe Highlights
- The Perfect Marinade – This soy and pineapple marinade is delicious on chicken thighs, and it would be amazing with chicken breasts or pork too. The flavors are perfectly balanced and hard to resist.
- Simple Cooking Method – The best way to cook Huli Huli chicken is on an outdoor grill. This way you’ll get the smoky flavor from the flames and beautiful char marks on the meat as it cooks with the Huli Huli sauce.
- Can Be Prepped Ahead – Add the chicken to the marinade for up to 24 hours before you plan to grill it. I love this when I’m entertaining, because I can just grab the marinated meat from the fridge and get to work!
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make the best Huli Huli chicken recipe:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken: I’m using boneless, skinless chicken thighs here because I love how easy they are to grill. You can also use this marinade with chicken breast cutlets or chicken tenderloins.
- Pineapple Juice: Use canned pineapple juice to make this Hawaiian chicken marinade. Freshly juiced pineapple will be too acidic and break down the muscle fibers of the chicken too much.
- Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, and Sesame Oil: These common Asian flavors are used a lot in Hawaiian cooking, and they add tons of flavor and character.
- Brown Sugar and Ketchup: To add two different sweet elements to the sauce. Honey can be used in place of brown sugar as well.
- Garlic and Ginger: Use 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic and about a tablespoon of freshly grated ginger.
- Hot Sauce: Give your huli huli chicken a kick! Sriracha hot sauce is perfect in this recipe.
How To Make Huli Huli Chicken
Tip!
It can be less messy to marinate chicken in a zip top bag. But be sure to put a plate underneath it in the fridge just in case of any leaks or spills!
Recipe Tips
- Remember to split up the marinade. Half of the pineapple juice mixture is for marinating the chicken, and the other half is for adding while you’re grilling. To avoid cross-contamination, reserve half of the mixture before adding the chicken.
- Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C. Chicken thighs cook fairly quickly on a hot grill, so be sure to keep an eye on them.
- Keep turning! The key to deliciously caramelized chicken is to baste it with the marinade several times, turning it over after each application.
- Let it rest: For juicy chicken, allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into it. This gives all of the juices a chance to reabsorb into the meat.
- Grill some pineapple: Pineapple slices or spears only take a few minutes on the grill, so you can grill them after the chicken comes off the grill while it’s resting. You can also try serving this with my easy Pineapple Salsa.
Storing Tips
If you have leftovers, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
You can reheat the chicken in the microwave or keep it cold and add it to salads for lunch the next day.
What To Serve With Huli Huli Chicken
Aside from the obvious Grilled Pineapple and Hawaiian Mac Salad, you can serve this grilled chicken with whatever sides you enjoy!
The Asian flavors in the dish mean that this chicken is delicious with rice and steamed vegetables too.
Or try some of my other easy salads: Broccoli Slaw, Classic Broccoli Salad, and Instant Pot Potato Salad will all be perfect.
Recipe FAQs
How long should I marinate Huli huli chicken?
You should try to let the chicken marinate in the sauce for at least a few hours. Minimally, it needs 30 minutes to soak up the flavor. You can let the chicken marinate for up to 24 hours, but not longer. Too long in this acidic pineapple juice mixture will cause the chicken to break down.
Can I bake this recipe instead of grilling it?
You can! You won’t get the pretty grill marks, but the chicken will still taste amazing. Bake in a preheated 375°F/190°C oven for 30-35 minutes or until fully cooked. Baste with the reserved marinade, then broil for 2-3 minutes to get some color on the meat.
Why can’t I use fresh pineapple juice?
Fresh pineapple has an enzyme that will make the chicken too tender too quickly. Canned or bottled pineapple juice has been processed, so that won’t be an issue.
Can I use bone-in chicken?
Yes! The cooking time will be a bit longer if you use bone-in chicken pieces, but the rest of the recipe remains the same.
More Meals to Make on the Grill!
All Grilling Recipes→
This Hawaiian Grilled Huli Huli Chicken recipe is going to be a regular addition to your summer grilling menu. Don’t forget to share and Pin the recipe so you can find it over and over again!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Huli Huli Chicken
Recipe Video
Equipment
- Outdoor grill or grill pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup (12 ml) pineapple juice not fresh
- ½ cup (115 g) tomato ketchup
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) sesame oil not toasted sesame oil
- 1-2 teaspoons Sriracha adjust to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 pounds (900 g) boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- In a large bowl or jug, combine all of the marinade ingredients (pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, garlic, and ginger).
- Give the marinade a whisk then pour HALF of it over the chicken thighs, and mix so the chicken thighs are thoroughly coated. Cover, and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes but preferably longer, and up to 24 hours. Alternatively, this can be done in a ziptop bag.
- Peheat the grill to medium high heat, then clean and oil the grill grates.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, and place on the grill and cook for 3 minutes, then flip and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Baste with the reserved marinade with a brush, cook for a minute, then flip and baste again. Repeat 2 more times. Grill until the until the chicken is cooked through, and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing, and garnish with green onions if desired. Serve with grilled pineapple, or pineapple salsa on the side, and fresh lime wedges.
Notes:
- Remember to split up the marinade. Half of the pineapple juice mixture is for marinating the chicken, and the other half will be for adding while you’re grilling. To avoid cross-contamination reserve half of the mixture before adding the chicken to it.
- Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C. Chicken thighs cook fairly quickly on a hot grill, so be sure to keep an eye on them.
- Keep turning! The key to deliciously caramelized chicken is to baste the chicken with the marinade several times, turning over after each application.
- Let it rest: For juicy chicken, allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into it. This gives all of the juices a chance to reabsorb into the meat.
- Grill some pineapple: Pineapple slices or spears only take a few minutes on the grill, so you can grill them after the chicken comes off the grill, while it’s resting.
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored for up to four days in the fridge or frozen for up to three months.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Brittany says
My family loved this recipe (and we have some picky eaters!). We will be adding this to the rotation. The marinade was so good, I’m going to add some to the rice we made for it next time we make this! Delicious!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I think the marinade would be tasty with the rice! Just be sure to set some aside before you add the chicken to it. Enjoy!
Tanya says
Just grilled breasts and thighs and both came out great! Everyone loved the
sauce! I marinated both thighs and breasts in a zip loc bag for 24 hours. Once
you remove the item from the foil (after grilling), the sauce left in the foil is a
wonderful dip which my guest dipped her bread into!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Sounds amazing! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for the awesome feedback.