Huli Huli Chicken (Sweet, Smoky and Grilled)
By Emily Carter ·
Published
Quick answer
Whisk pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic and ginger into a marinade and soak chicken thighs for at least 2 hours. Grill over medium high heat, turning often and brushing with the reserved sauce, until charred and cooked through. Rest 5 minutes, slice and serve with rice.
Huli Huli Chicken is the Hawaiian grilled chicken that smells like a beach barbecue. Chicken thighs marinated in pineapple, soy and ginger, grilled until charred at the edges and brushed with a sweet sticky glaze. It takes 15 minutes of hands on work, plus a 2 hour marinade, and it feeds four easily.
Why you’ll love it
- A sweet, smoky glaze that caramelizes on the grill.
- Juicy chicken thighs that stay tender over high heat.
- A pantry marinade, mixed in five minutes.
- Feeds four, with leftovers that slice cold over salads.
- Grills in 20 minutes, so dinner is fast once the marinade is done.
Ingredient notes
Pineapple juice: the marinade base. It brings sweetness and acidity, and it tenderizes the chicken, so do not marinate longer than 12 hours.
Soy sauce: the salty backbone. It seasons the chicken all the way through and balances the sweet pineapple and brown sugar.
Brown sugar: the glaze maker. It caramelizes on the grill into a sticky, glossy coat, so watch the heat closely or it burns.
Ginger and garlic: the aromatics. Fresh ginger gives a warm bite, and garlic rounds out the sauce so it tastes savory, not just sweet.
Chicken thighs: boneless thighs are the right cut here. They stay juicy over high heat, while breasts dry out before the glaze sets.
The turn often and baste late rule that makes or breaks it
Two rules decide whether huli huli chicken is glossy and charred or burned and dry, and both are about the grill. First, turn the chicken often, every few minutes, brushing with the reserved sauce each time you turn. The sugar in the sauce caramelizes fast, so a thigh left in one spot burns on one side and stays pale on the other. Second, reserve the basting sauce before the chicken ever touches the marinade. Sauce that touched raw chicken is not safe to brush on at the end, and the reserved sauce is what builds the final glossy coat. The third rule is the marinade clock. Two hours is enough for the flavor to soak in, and 12 hours is the limit before the pineapple juice turns the meat soft.
Variations
- Huli huli wings: use chicken wings instead of thighs, grilled the same way, for a party version.
- Pineapple skewers: thread the marinated chicken onto skewers with pineapple chunks and grill for a colorful plate.
- Huli huli pork chops: swap the chicken for thick pork chops, marinated the same way, for a richer grill.
- Spicy huli huli: add 1 tablespoon of sriracha to the marinade for a sweet and spicy glaze.
What we learned testing it
- Marinating 2 hours beat 30 minutes clearly in the side by side test. The 2 hour chicken tasted sweet and gingery all the way through, while the 30 minute chicken only tasted seasoned on the surface.
- Turning often beat flipping once. The often turned chicken cooked evenly with a deep glaze, while the once flipped chicken burned on one side and stayed pale on the other.
- Thighs beat breasts clearly. The thighs stayed juicy and charred beautifully, while the breasts dried out before the glaze set.
Read how we test recipes.
Huli Huli Chicken (Sweet, Smoky and Grilled)
Makes 4 servings · 2 hr 35 min total · Easy
Ingredients
Equipment
Large mixing bowl · Whisk · Grill or grill pan · Tongs · Basting brush · Instant read thermometer
Instructions
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Whisk the huli huli marinade
Whisk the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside half a cup of the marinade in a separate bowl for basting, so it never touches the raw chicken.
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Marinate the chicken thighs
Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and turn them until fully coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight for the deepest flavor. The pineapple juice tenderizes the chicken, so do not marinate longer than 12 hours or the meat turns soft.
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Grill, turning and basting often
Heat the grill to medium high and oil the grates. Grill the thighs 5 minutes per side, turning often and brushing with the reserved sauce each time you turn. The sugar in the sauce caramelizes fast, so move the chicken to a cooler spot if the edges start to burn.
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Rest, slice and serve
Check the thickest thigh with a thermometer, it should read 165 degrees F. Rest the chicken 5 minutes, then slice it across the grain. Serve with steamed rice, spooning any leftover basting sauce over the top, and scatter green onions and sesame seeds over everything.
Notes
- Reserve the basting sauce before the chicken goes in. Sauce that touched raw chicken is not safe to brush on at the end.
- Do not marinate longer than 12 hours. Pineapple juice is acidic and tenderizes fast, so an overnight soak past 12 hours turns the chicken mushy.
- Watch the grill closely. The brown sugar caramelizes quickly, so the edges char fast. Move the chicken to a cooler spot if it darkens too soon.
- Chicken thighs beat breasts here. Thighs stay juicy over high heat, while breasts dry out before the sauce caramelizes.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition information is being calculated.
Substitutions
- Chicken thighs
- Use bone in chicken thighs instead, and add 5 minutes to the grill time. They taste even juicier, but take longer to cook through.
- Pineapple juice
- Use orange juice instead, in the same amount. The marinade tastes less tropical and a little sweeter.
- Brown sugar
- Use honey instead, in the same amount. The glaze gets stickier and browns faster, so watch the grill closely.
Storage and make-ahead
Store leftover huli huli chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet with a spoonful of reserved sauce, or slice it cold over salads and rice bowls. Freeze cooked chicken for up to 2 months and thaw in the fridge overnight.
Frequently asked questions
What is huli huli chicken?
A Hawaiian grilled chicken marinated in pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger. Huli means turn in Hawaiian, because the chicken is turned often on the grill while it is basted.
How long should I marinate huli huli chicken?
At least 2 hours, and no longer than 12 hours. The pineapple juice tenderizes the chicken, so a very long soak turns the meat soft and mushy.
Can I make huli huli chicken without a grill?
Yes. Cook the thighs in a hot grill pan or under the broiler, turning and basting the same way. You lose a little smoke flavor, but the glaze still caramelizes.
Why is my huli huli chicken burning?
The brown sugar in the marinade caramelizes fast over high heat. Turn the chicken often, move it to a cooler part of the grill, and brush the sauce on in the last few minutes.
What do you serve with huli huli chicken?
Steamed rice and Hawaiian mac salad, the classic plate lunch pair. The rice soaks up the extra sauce, and the cool mac salad balances the sweet glaze.
