Go Back
–+ servings

Huli-huli Chicken

Hawaiian classic
Print Recipe Pin
Prep Time: 1 day
Cook Time: 1 hour
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • 1 Charcoal grill

Ingredients
 

  • 3-4 lbs Chicken thighs - bone-in or on, skinless
  • 3 stalks Green onion - thin sliced (garnish)
  • 4-6 whole fresh pineapple slices - not canned!

Marinade/Sauce

  • 6 oz Pineapple juice - Canned!
  • 6-8 cloves Garlic - microplaned
  • 1 Tbsp fresh ginger - microplaned
  • 3/4 cup Ketchup
  • 3/4 cup Soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup Shaoxing cooking wine - or Sherry
  • 2 Tbsp Sambal Oelek - chili paste
  • 3 Tbsp Rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp Hot honey
  • 1 Tbsp Black pepper - coarse
  • 2/3 cup Brown sugar

Instructions

Marinating

  • Combine all marinade ingredients into a bowl and whisk until combined fully.
  • Reserve 1.5C of sauce in mason jar, refrigerate. 
  • Place rest of marinade in Gallon ziplock with chicken thighs. Marinate in refrigerator overnight, 24 hours is best!

Grilling

  • Strongly recommend cooking over a charcoal fire. The flavor on a gas grill isn't comparable! You definitely need a grill with a lid as you will cover the grill when chicken cooks on indirect heat side. If you have some mesquite wood chunks, soak them in water for 30 min. and place against coals on edge of cool zone. This will mimic how they cook this originally in Hawaii over mesquite fire.
  • Start a two-zone fire, one hot side, leaving another equal size space without direct heat. Remove chicken from fridge when you start this process. Remove reserved marinade and grab a basting brush.
  • When fire is ready, remove chicken from fridge and place in colander, rinsing marinade off. Paper towel dry the chicken.
  • Sear chicken over direct heat a few minutes on each side to get a nice slightly charred surface. Move chicken to non-heat side and baste with marinade. Cover the grill. Let cook 5-6 minutes and flip, basting the other side. Cover the grill! This is always done on the non-direct heat side as the marinade will burn if over direct heat!
  • Continue to turn and baste every 5 minutes until you reach 170F with probe thermometer in thickest piece of thigh. In final minutes of cooking, place fresh pineapple slices over direct heat and sear for a few minutes on each side.
  • Remove chicken and pineapple from heat, tent with foil and allow to rest 5 minutes. Garnish with sliced green onion and serve with Coconut Cilantro rice or in Hawaiian tradition with cold macaroni salad!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!