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Huli Huli Chicken…not only is it fun to say but it’s pretty darn good eating. Huli means “to turn” and that’s what makes this chicken so tender and juicy. It’s one of those must-haves when you visit Hawaii.
We’ve got a Huli Huli Chicken recipe that echoes all of the beautiful flavors condensed into a process that is ideal for casual at-home cooking. Huli Huli Chicken’s main characteristics are the marinade, grill marks, and slow roasting to ensure tender and juicy chicken. Chef Dom walks us through the process in our Hawaii at Home Online Cooking Class.
A huli huli marinade is marked by a combination of sweet, savory, and spicy. Citrusy pineapple juice merges with umami soy sauce and peppery ginger to make a sauce that is aromatic and flavorful. The chicken sits in the marinade, taking on all of that beautiful flavor, and continues to be basted with the marinade as a way to ensure that the chicken is juicy and tender.
Grill marks are part of the huli-huli chicken aesthetic. Grilling serves two purposes: it sears the outside of the chicken to lock in flavor while also leaving those distinctive grill marks, which look pretty but also brings a hit of smokiness.
This recipe is featured in our online cooking class, Hawii at Home.
Click the link above to watch the step-by-step video of how to make this recipe!
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Huli Huli Chicken
Yield(s): Serves 6
10m prep time
25m cook time
30m inactive
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
- 1/4 cup cilantro sprigs
- Vegetable oil, for grilling
For marinade:
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup sriracha
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled & grated
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
Preparation
- Combine all ingredients for marinade in a bowl.
- Add chicken pieces to marinade and refrigerate for minimum 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F convection heat, if possible.
- Preheat a grill pan or grill for 3 - 5 minutes on high heat. Brush grates with oil.
- Remove chicken pieces from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, then place seasoned side down on a hot grill pan.
- Sear chicken for 3 - 4 minutes each side, and remove to a parchment lined sheet tray with a wire rack.
- Baste both sides of grilled chicken with leftover marinade and place chicken in the oven. Cook for 15 minutes in the oven, basting every 5 minutes with sauce.
- Remove chicken from the oven once cooked and the skin has nice bark development. Use broil features if necessary. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes.
- Garnish chicken with cilantro and green onion. Enjoy!