Looking for a new way to prepare chicken for the grill? Huli huli chicken is a marinated chicken recipe that has sweet and savory flavors. Infused with ginger and garlic, this recipe’s marinade doubles as a basting sauce that’s brushed onto the chicken as it lightly chars on the grill. The sauce turns into a smoky, sticky glaze and gives the chicken a finger-licking finish.
The huli huli chicken recipe is attributed to Honolulu businessman Ernest Morgado. In 1955, Morgado used a secret family recipe to marinate grilled chicken. He called the dish “huli huli” chicken. Huli is the Hawaiian word for “turn,” referencing the many times the chicken is turned while grilling.
Huli Huli Chicken Ingredients
- Boneless chicken thighs: Chicken thighs are one of our top choices for grilled chicken recipes. They have a higher fat content than chicken breasts, which helps them stay juicy and moist with high-heat cooking methods like the grill.
- Huli huli sauce: This sauce is used as a marinade and for basting. It contains a combination of brown sugar and ketchup for sweetness, sherry for acidity, ginger and garlic for flavor, and soy sauce for a salty, savory essence. If you don’t have sherry, you can substitute chicken broth.
Directions
Step 1: Make the marinade
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, sherry, ginger and garlic. Reserve 1-1/3 cups for basting. Cover and refrigerate the reserved marinade.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken
Divide the remaining marinade between two large shallow dishes. Add 12 chicken thighs to each dish, and turn the chicken thighs to coat.
Cover the marinating chicken, and refrigerate for eight hours or overnight.
Editor’s Tip:Â If you’re running short on time, you can reduce the marinating time. The chicken won’t be as deeply flavored, but even letting the chicken marinate while you preheat the grill is better than no marinating at all! Just don’t let the chicken thighs marinate longer than overnight or they will become mushy.
Step 3: Grill the chicken
Drain the chicken, and discard the marinade.
Grill the chicken, covered, on an oiled rack over medium heat for six to eight minutes on each side or until a thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 170°F. During the last five minutes, baste the chicken occasionally with the reserved marinade.
Editor’s Tip: If you’re new to grilling, check out our grilling tips and tricks in this guide for how to grill chicken.
Recipe Variations
- Add pineapple: Huli huli sauce always includes an acidic component, but it doesn’t have to be sherry. For added flavor, try substituting unsweetened pineapple juice for the sherry. Use canned instead of fresh pineapple juice, which contains an enzyme that can make meat mushy.
- Substitute another cut of chicken: You can substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts or bone-in chicken thighs. You can even use the marinade to make huli huli chicken wings! Just make sure to adjust the cooking time so the chicken reaches a safe internal temperature of 165° for white meat or 170° for dark meat.
- Make huli huli pork chops: This marinade would taste fantastic on pork, especially grilled pork chops.
- Use the oven or broiler: If you don’t feel like firing up the grill, sear the chicken in a touch of oil in a skillet or grill pan. Then, transfer the chicken to a 375° oven for basting and baking. Or, use another way to cook chicken, like the broiler.
How to Store Huli Huli Chicken
Store leftovers of this huli huli chicken recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Reheat the chicken in a 350° oven until warmed through.
Huli Huli Chicken Tips
Is huli huli sauce the same as teriyaki sauce?
Huli huli sauce and teriyaki sauce have similar flavor profiles, with savory, sweet and salty notes. Also, both can be used as a marinade or a sticky glaze. However, teriyaki sauce is a Japanese sauce typically made with soy sauce, sugar, ginger and rice wine (usually sake or mirin). Huli huli sauce is a Hawaiian sauce containing soy sauce, sugar and ginger, but instead of rice wine, huli huli sauce recipes usually contain vinegar or pineapple juice (and most include ketchup too).
How do you serve huli huli chicken?
For a classic preparation, serve this grilled huli huli chicken recipe with side dishes like rice, Hawaiian macaroni salad and coleslaw. Huli huli chicken also tastes fantastic as a grilled chicken sandwich, especially when topped with grilled pineapple and barbecue sauce. For a fun twist, slice or chop the meat and add it to salads, wraps, tacos or lettuce cups.
