This Easy Huli Huli Chicken recipe is marinated in a sweet and tangy mixture of soy sauce, ketchup, ginger, and brown sugar, then grilled to juicy perfection. It’s easy to make and packed with flavor, great for summer cookouts. Serve it with grilled pineapple slices to really send it over the top!
What’s in This Easy Huli Huli Chicken Recipe?
Whip up a flavorful marinade for chicken thighs or breasts (or both!), and grill up this Hawaiian-inspired dish!
- Chicken: You can use thighs or breasts for this recipe. We like a mix of both.
- Sugar: Brown sugar adds a rich, deep flavor to the marinade.
- Ketchup: This adds a sweet and tangy flavor to marinade.
- Soy Sauce: Regular or low-sodium soy sauce both work fine. Or you can use tamari or coconut aminos if preferred.
- Vinegar: Rice vinegar adds acidity to the marinade, to help penetrate the chicken.
- Ginger: Use fresh ginger for the most flavor. Ground ginger won’t add nearly as much kick.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best.
Variations on Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
In the wintertime when it’s too cold to grill but we’re craving some sunshine, we like to make this huli huli chicken in the oven! Preheat your oven to 350°F. It’s best to sear the chicken on the stovetop over medium-high heat with a little bit of olive oil. Sear each piece of chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. Then, line a baking dish with foil and place the seared chicken in the dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Brush the chicken with your reserved sauce and then bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.
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How to Store and Reheat
Leftover huli huli chicken will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Store it in an airtight container. You can reheat your leftovers in the microwave or oven.
How to Freeze
Let huli huli chicken cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
Grilled pineapples perfectly complement the sweet and sour flavors of the Hawaiian chicken marinade! Serve it over a bed of white rice, along with more veggies.
Easy Huli Huli Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup ketchup
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 1 small knob fresh ginger minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- Chopped fresh cilantro optional, for serving
- Chopped green onions optional, for serving
Equipment
- Grill or Indoor Grill Pan
Instructions
- To make the marinade, whisk together the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and garlic together in a sealable plastic bag or large dish. Reserve ½ cup of the marinade for cooking.½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup ketchup, ½ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup rice vinegar, 1 small knob fresh ginger, 3 cloves garlic
- Place the chicken in the marinade and let it marinate overnight for the best flavor or at least 2 hours.4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Oil the racks of the grill. Heat the grill to medium. Place the chicken on the grill, cooking for 20-25 minutes. Every 5 minutes, flip the chicken and baste with the reserved marinade. The chicken is finished once the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh or breast reaches 165°F.
- Finish with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and green onions. Serve with grilled pineapple if desired.Chopped fresh cilantro, Chopped green onions
Notes
- Rub a little oil onto the (clean and preheated) grates right before cooking so the chicken doesn’t stick.
- To make this a gluten-free chicken recipe, you just need to use GF soy sauce.
- Huli huli chicken can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven. If you use the microwave, be sure to not overheat it.
How to Make Easy Huli Huli Chicken Step by Step
Make the Marinade: Whisk together ½ cup of brown sugar, ½ cup of ketchup, ½ cup of soy sauce, ⅓ cup of rice vinegar, 1 grated small knob of fresh ginger, and 3 minced cloves of garlic together in a sealable plastic bag or large dish. Reserve ½ cup of the marinade for cooking.
Marinate the Chicken: Place 4 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts in the marinade and let it marinate overnight for the best flavor or at least 2 hours.
Grill the Chicken: Oil the racks of the grill. Heat the grill to medium. Place the chicken on the grill, cooking for 20-25 minutes. Every 5 minutes, flip the chicken and baste with the reserved marinade. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and green onions. Serve with grilled pineapple if desired.
Your recipe says “1/3 rice vinegar”. 1/3 what? Cup I assume?
Yes it should be cup!
We made this the first time with bone in, skin on chicken thighs. Took longer to grill, of course…But…Holy cow it was incredible! The skin crisped up well and held so much flavor in it. We have made it again with chicken breasts and boneless skinless chicken thighs, and it’s nearly just as good! Served with grilled pineapple (a must), macaroni salad, Hawaiian style white rice, and a little teriyaki bbq sauce for a full Hawaiian plate dinner. This has become one of our favorite meals. Thanks!
Thanks for sharing, Amber!
9/10 Goed zo. En bedankt.
I like this chicken recipe
Thanks for stopping by and sharing, Suzhen!
Hi Pam!
The measurements are listed at the bottom of the page where the recipe card is. At the top of the page, you can see a button that says “Recipe ⬇”, click that and it will take you straight to the recipe card!
I had some chicken thighs and grilled them on our outside charcoal grill along with a handful of wood pellets for some serious smoke. I don’t even like thighs but my boyfriend does. I must confess that these were awesome. I couldn’t believe how good they tasted. They were so juicy and full of flavor. The Huli marinade is wonderful. I also basted my pineapples with it. I make a similar marinade for pork chops that has a little heat from a chopped jalapeño. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I love hearing that, Gayle!