We’ve tried just about every way to prepare chicken, but this Huli Huli Chicken recipe is the only one that’s ever left us craving more. The Huli Huli Sauce is so good, we spoon it over everything on our plates. We even put it on our rice and pineapple, and we’ve even drizzled some on our mac salad! Switch up plain, boring chicken nights with this recipe and your family will thank you!
Ingredients in Huli Huli Chicken
Chicken Thighs – Like Shoyu Chicken, you definitely want to go with chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for this recipe. They will just turn out better, I promise. Huli Huli Sauce – The sauce is made with simple ingredients including fresh pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, cider vinegar, garlic, and ginger. It is a delicious combination of flavors that create the perfect Hawaiian chicken glaze. Green Onions – optional for garnish
Origin of Huli Huli Chicken
This is the best huli huli chicken recipe and it comes with a cool back story! Ernest Morgando, a naval intelligence officer in World War II, and Mike Asagi, a chicken farmer, founded the Pacific Poultry Company in Hawaii in the late fifties. The next year, the pair first barbecued chicken in a teriyaki-like sauce. It then became a popular dish at various school and business fundraisers and has since raised millions of dollars. You can now find the sauce in several stores, restaurants, road-side stands and drive-ins on the Hawaiian islands.
Where did Huli Huli Chicken get its Name?
“Huli” means to “turn” or “reverse” in Hawaiian, so “huli huli chicken” refers to the chicken being turned over in a rotisserie roaster. Since we don’t have a rotisserie roaster, we opt for the grilled version (which still applies in my opinion because the chicken is being turned over on the grill several times). Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken’s sweet and savory sauce is made from the marinade that mainly contains pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup and brown sugar. The result is a mouthwatering combination of flavors that’s hard to beat!
Method to Marinating
Tips for this Chicken Dish
Don’t throw out that marinade! Simmer the sauce on the stove top and make a delicious glaze to pour over the top or use to glaze the chicken on the grill. If you simmer the sauce in a big enough pot you can just throw the grilled chicken in while it is still simmering. This is something I learned in Hawaii and it makes the chicken SO GOOD. Grill up the pineapple slices and serve along with the chicken on a charcoal or gas grill over medium-high heat. You won’t be sorry about adding grilled pineapple! Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. This keeps your chicken nice and juicy. If you cut it open to check for pink, the juices will run out and your chicken will be dry. If you don’t have an outdoor grill, you can use a cast iron grill on the stovetop. Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving. Wrap it in foil after grilling and just let it sit. The chicken will relax and become more tender and the juices will stay put.
Five-Star Reviews for Huli Huli Chicken
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What to Serve with Huli Huli Chicken
Because this is a traditional Hawaiian dish, you can’t go wrong with plain, white rice, coconut rice, sticky rice (Calrose rice). You can also serve with pineapple slices. We use the juice from the pineapple slices in the recipe and then grill the pineapple up with the chicken (SO good).
How to Make Huli Huli Chicken
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