Huli Huli Chicken

A traditional Hawaiian chicken recipe with brown sugar, ginger and soy sauce, this Huli Huli Chicken is an easy and delicious grilling recipe.

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If you love Hawaiian chicken, also try my Shoyu Chicken recipe!

This Hawaiian Huli Huli chicken has become increasingly popular at our house! If you’re looking to find the BEST marinated chicken recipe, this is it.

I’m always looking for ways to make chicken more exciting, when I found this Hawaiian chicken recipe I knew that it would become a huge hit in our family. We are big fans of a local Hawaiian restaurant here in Utah that serves Huli Huli chicken, and this recipe is a perfect copy-cat.

One thing I love about chicken is how well it stores, so most of the time I find myself making a double or even triple batch of whatever chicken recipe I’m using. This grilled Huli Huli chicken definitely falls into the triple batch category!

This is a recipe that you will need to plan ahead for, since it calls for the chicken to marinate for at least 8 hours before cooking. I prefer to let it marinate overnight, it’s much tastier this way.

Ingredients

• Brown Sugar: I use light brown sugar.
• Soy Sauce: I always like to use low sodium soy sauce so that it is not overly salty.
• Ketchup: This might seem like a weird ingredient, but it really brings in the flavor that you want fo this chicken recipe.
• Chicken Broth: I also suggest low sodium for the chicken broth.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is my favorite here, but you could also use rice vinegar. Just make sure it is unseasoned.
• Fresh Ginger: You won’t get the same flavor if you substitute ground ginger, so I definitely suggest using fresh!
• Fresh Garlic: Again, I suggest fresh garlic over granulated garlic.
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: For the best results, chicken thighs are best. If you don’t want to use chicken thighs, you could use chicken breasts or chicken drumsticks.

How to Make Huli Huli Chicken

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, ginger and garlic.
2. Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish large enough that they can be laid in a single layer. (You can also place them in a ziplock bag.)
3. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade, and add the rest to the dish with the chicken thighs. Turn to coat the chicken in the sauce.
4. Cover the dish and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.
5. When ready to make the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat a grill to medium heat.
7. Grill the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 170ºF, about 12-16 minutes, turning a few times during the cook time. Baste the chicken with the reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes of cook time.

Tips & Tricks

• If possible, turn the chicken a time or two during the marinating time.
• For the most flavor, marinate overnight.
• If you are unable to grill the chicken, a cast iron skillet will work also.
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be substituted for the chicken thighs.
• While ginger can be foreign to some, be sure not to skip out on this ingredient, it adds so much to the overall flavor!
• Check the chicken for doneness with a meat thermometer. If you don’t have one, you’ll want to make sure the juices run clear when cut.

What to Serve with Huli Huli Chicken

I have a few favorites that I like to serve with this Huli Huli chicken. We typically do a side of rice alongside the chicken, as well as fresh or grilled pineapple. That mixture of salty and sweet is the perfect combination! This Hawaiian macaroni salad is also so yummy, I would recommend this recipe as a side dish for sure!

How to Store any Leftovers

Since you’re going to want to make extra of this Huli Huli chicken, you will want to store it for later. I prefer to use an air-tight container that keeps the chicken fresh for 3-4 days. You can also wrap the Huli Huli chicken tightly in tinfoil, but because it is a bit sticky from the sauce, an airtight container works best.

I prefer to reheat leftovers in the microwave so that it doesn’t dry out, but you could also throw it in the oven, or back on the grill for a few minutes.

More Grilled Chicken Recipes:

Rosemary Ranch Chicken
Honey Soy Chicken
Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers
Grilled Brown Sugar Mustard Chicken
Grilled Chicken Seasoning

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Huli Huli Chicken

4.93 from 13 votes

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 16 minutes minutes

Marinating Time: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 8 hours hours 31 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Hawaiian

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A traditional Hawaiian chicken recipe with brown sugar, ginger and soy sauce, this Huli Huli Chicken is an easy and delicious grilling recipe.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• ▢ 6 tablespoons ketchup
• ▢ 6 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• ▢ 3 tablespoons chicken broth
• ▢ 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger root
• ▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, ginger and garlic.
• Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish large enough that they can be laid in a single layer. (You can also place them in a ziplock bag.)
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade, and add the rest to the dish with the chicken thighs. Turn to coat the chicken in the sauce.
• Cover the dish and refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.
• When ready to make the chicken, remove it from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat a grill to medium heat.
• Grill the chicken until it reaches 170ºF, about 12-16 minutes, turning a few times during the cook time. Baste the chicken with the reserved marinade during the last 5 minutes of cook time.

Recipe Notes:

*If possible, turn the chicken a time or two during the marinating time.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline. Nutrition information is calculated making 12 buns from the recipe.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/6 of recipe, Calories: 350kcal (18%), Carbohydrates: 22g (7%), Protein: 39g (78%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 2g (13%), Cholesterol: 190mg (63%), Sodium: 1256mg (55%), Sugar: 20g (22%)

Keywords: grilled huli huli chicken, hawaiian chicken, huli huli chicken