Go Back

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

Grilled Huli Huli chicken with a sweet-savory Hawaiian glaze that caramelizes into a charred, sticky finish. Marinated in a teriyaki-style sauce and basted frequently for island BBQ flavor.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
marinating 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Hawaiian
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs or legs
  • 3 lb chicken thighs or legs Use thighs for best caramelization and juiciness.
Huli Huli marinade and glaze
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup ketchup
  • 0.25 cup pineapple juice
  • 3 tbsp sherry or chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Equipment

  • 1 grill

Method
 

Make the marinade
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, pineapple juice, sherry or chicken broth, grated ginger, minced garlic, and sesame oil until smooth and glossy.
  2. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade for basting and set aside.
Marinate the chicken
  1. Marinate the chicken for 2-8 hours in the refrigerator, turning once if possible for even coating.
Grill and baste (huli)
  1. Preheat a grill to medium heat and place the marinated chicken on the grates.
  2. Grill over medium heat, turning (huli) frequently and basting with the reserved marinade to build caramelized color.
  3. Continue grilling for 25-30 minutes total until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the chicken is caramelized, charred, and sticky. (If it browns too fast, reduce to medium-low heat.)

Notes

For the stickiest, caramelized glaze, keep turning (huli) and baste often so the sugars set without burning. Refrigerate leftover chicken in a sealed container for 3-4 days; freeze cooked chicken up to 2-3 months. To make it less sweet, reduce brown sugar by 2 tablespoons while keeping the rest of the sauce the same.