Huli Huli Chicken- Grilled or Baked Hawaiian Chicken Drumsticks marinated in a sweet pineapple, ginger, garlic sauce . Sweet Sticky and Sweet.
You know what protein I love to cook with the most? You guessed right- Chicken. Just a quick around here would suffice.
It’s essentially a tender and juicy blank slate capable of taking on a plethora of flavors whether bold or understated. A prime example of this is Huli Huli chicken.
The dish would be nothing without the chicken but this recipe is all about the sauce and ensuring that the sauce infuses every inch of the protein.
For this recipe, dark meat best -succulent part of the bird. The meat is moist and very affordable – hey am cheap.
You put the chicken on a hot grill which helps develops smoky char and then towards the end you baste on it to create layers upon layers of mouthwatering flavor.
The direct translation is turn-turn chicken, which explains the turning, and basting required during cook time. If you are not use to basting on the grill. Simple grill or bake and drench the chicken in the sauce. How is easy is that?
All this talk about flavor probably has you wondering what is in the sauce. There is ginger for kick, garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice for acidity, pineapple juice, brown sugar and a few other additions to add complexity. Because of the sugar content, the sauce thickens as it cooks to create this beautiful glaze and the flavors intensify.
Take a bite of Huli Huli chicken and your taste buds will first be greeted with fruity sweetness from the pineapple along with the deep, almost caramel like flavor of brown sugar.
The garlic and spice from the ginger come soon after as well as the savory elements of the sauce to create a well-balanced bite.
Oh, you can do the Hula dance too! After you are done making it . Am not watching …
Enjoy!!!
Huli Huli Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 1/2- 4 pounds chicken drumsticks
- 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- ½ Tablsespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1- teaspoon cumin spice
- 1- teaspoon Sriracha adjust to taste
- 1/2 -1 Lemon juice
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- Green onions sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Season Chicken legs with pepper according to preference. Set aside
- In a medium bowl, mix the pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha, ketchup, ginger, cumin, lemon juice and garlic.
- Pour marinade into a large bowl or a zip loc bag and add chicken. Thoroughly mix so chicken is covered with marinade.
- Cover with saran wrap or if using Ziploc seal and place in the fridge to marinade. For at least 3 hours or overnight for best flavor.
- When ready to cook- remove chicken from the fridge, and careful drain. Set marinade aside.
- In a small saucepan simmer the remaining Huli Huli marinade- for about 5 minutes. Adjust taste with chicken broth, pepper and/or ketcup. If you want a thicker sauce then add more ketchup.
Grilling
- Oil bbq grill then add chicken. Grill for about 10-15 minutes each side. You may baste with cooked marinade towards the last 5 minutes of grilling.
Baking
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking pan with foil; top with a wire rack. Arrange chicken legs out in a single layer. While the chicken legs are baking oil will slowly drip to the bottom of the baking pan.
- Bake chicken legs until cooked through and skin is crispy, about 45-50 minutes-rotate chicken half way through-roughly 20 minutes.Drench in sauce or serve sauce on the side with grilled pineapple and rice.
Nutrition Information:
Krisna says
Flavor wise good , clearer instructions for baking needed. The sauce was a very liquid gravy 5 minutes in stove still left it liquid and 45 minutes in oven still liquid and not saucy. Maybe less liquid instructions needed for baking instructions
Imma says
Thank you for pointing that out. You don’t actually bake the marinated chicken in the marinade. You make a sauce with it, then add it when the chicken comes out of the oven. You can adjust the texture of the sauce to your preference by adding more ketchup or simmering in the saucepan a little longer. Hope that clarifies it. Thank you for commenting.
seekyum says
Chicken is my favorite, Love it
Imma says
Thank you for sharing precious feedback. Much Love!!
seekyum says
I love chicken a lot ,thank you for your recipe
Imma says
Good Good, Chicken is also my favorite 🙂
Diane Russo says
I don’t have a grill can I place it in the oven and what temp
ImmaculateBites says
You sure can. In fact, the instructions are included with the recipe. Preheat the oven to 400℉ and bake for about 45-50 minutes. Turn the chicken at about 25 minutes so it cooks evenly.
Kamilia says
Thanks for the recipe. Beautiful flavours. I put these in an Airfryer for 30 mins at 200 degrees C (around 400 degrees F), but it turns to burn the chicken skin. What temperature would you use for an airfryer?
ImmaculateBites says
Chicken thighs takes about 20 minutes to cook in an air fryer. Maybe you are cooking it too long.. . For safety purpose use an instant-read thermometer It should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) when inserted into the center.
Sharon says
Hi Imma! I found your site a few weeks back and have been browsing it whenever I get the chance. I tried your Huli-Huli Chicken the other day and my family really enjoyed it! I will definitely make it again. I love your site and look forward to trying many more of your recipes!
Brittney says
Absolutely love this recipe and every other one on this site! You are a life saver seriously! My husband is Nigerian and I was worried at first that I only knew American dishes but you have saved my life! I don’t have to depend on the entire family to show me! lol I make different ones every other night and they are always amazing!!
Thank you for the detailed pics! And exact meaasurements lol
ImmaculateBites says
Aww… glad I could be of help. You are too sweet!!! Happy Cooking!!!
baltisraul says
Last time I checked, Huli-Huli chicken was an American dish! Hawaii is one of our 50 States. I have been grilling Huli-Huli for years and Imma, you are one of the very few to get it just right. So many of the recipes you see omit the pineapple juice. It’s Hawaii, so it has to be in there. Love your site and will be coming back often.
jade bridge says
Wow , I love Chicken Meat!
Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry says
That sauce looks perfect, sweet, sticky moorish. I bet it adds spomething special to the dish
Anne Murphy says
Soy sauce, spices – and pineapple juice! sound amazing together.
And thanks for the suggestion for baking it – I feel as if I spend the summer looking at interesting recipes and saying “But I don’t have a grill!”
Cindy Gordon (Vegetarian Mamma) says
That sauce sounds and LOOKS amazing! SO delicious, so tangy! YUMMMO
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
That is some perfectly cooked chicken and that sauce sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try it!
Marilyn says
This chicken looks delicious!! I love the rice as a side!!