Huli Huli Chicken with Amazing Huli Huli Sauce

An easy and flavorful Huli Huli Chicken recipe with homemade pineapple-ginger Huli Huli Sauce and same Hawaiian grilled Huli Huli chicken flavor.  Huli Huli Chicken is a Hawaiian grilled chicken dish marinated in signature Huli Huli sauce. It is prepared by barbecuing chicken over wood, continuously turned (huli-ed) and basted with Huli Huli Sauce for moisture and flavor. 

My Huli Huli sauce recipe is versatile, lite, and delicious pineapple ginger sauce. Recipe needs only 15 minutes prep because same sauce works triple-duty: 1) As marinade for Huli Huli chicken 2) As mop sauce to baste chicken when grilling, and 3) As sauce to serve on side or drizzle over rice. Huli Huli Sauce is also perfect for stir-fry and as dipping sauce for pot stickers.  Special favorite among kids, sauce is Gluten Free. Stays good for up-to 2 weeks, and freeze up-to 6 months.  

Also sharing a simple trick to make huli huli chicken taste just like sold in Maui's rotisserie chicken shops. 

So, why wait? Let's grill some Huli Huli Chicken today!

HULI-HULI CHICKEN:

Huli Huli chicken is Hawaiian grilled chicken dish which is prepared on outdoor wood-fired grills. Chicken is grilled rotisserie style, turned (huli-ed) frequently for extra-crispy charred grilled chicken flavor and basted with huli huli sauce for juicy and moist grilled chicken. 

Huli Huli means "turn turn". To capture the true flavor and texture of Huli Huli chicken, I like to grill chicken skewers instead of whole chicken breast/thigh. "Chicken Skewers" is my secret weapon to make the perfect Hawaiian Huli Huli chicken at home. The same texture, same flavor with the same mouth-watering aromatic grilled chicken aroma. Yumm!

Here is why chicken skewers are a better choice:

1. Chicken Skewers are easy to turn multiple times to make perfect huli-ed chicken.
2. These cook quickly and pick up nice char from the grill.
3. Diced chicken marinates faster and has more surface area to absorb extra flavor from the amazing huli huli sauce.

That said, you can cook whole chicken breast, thigh or even a whole chicken if you prefer. Just don't forget to turn chicken a few times and baste generously with huli huli sauce for the delicious charred, sweet and umami huli chicken flavor.

Huli Huli!!! :-)

HULI HULI SAUCE:

This recipe for Huli Huli Sauce is so amazingly flavorful, you will fall in love. Even the aroma of chicken grilled with sauce is outstanding. I clearly remember the day I made Huli Huli chicken on the grill.. My next door neighbors came knocking on our door to know what are we grilling. It is THAT good!

My husband's and I both felt like transported to Hawaiian BBQ Chicken stand of local count fair! 

Huli Huli sauce is like lightened-up pineapple flavored Teriyaki Sauce. It is not thick or too sweet sauce but has right balance of sweet, sour and heat. The thin consistency and pineapple flavor make this the perfect stir-fry sauce and marinade. I also love to use it for yakisoba noodles stir-fry, and as sauce over rice. For all these useful ways to use sauce, I always make a big batch of Huli Huli marinade. Make once, use many times!! Sauce is good in refrigerator for up-to 2 weeks.

The ingredients for Huli Huli Sauce are easy to find pantry-ingredients. Pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, mustard, sherry vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and sriracha. It is amazing how much depth of flavor these simple ingredients add to marinating chicken. I bet if you try once, you will not prefer to buy the store bought Huli Huli sauce ever again. Make at home, guys! It is easy and also budget-friendly. 

To make Hawaiian Huli Huli sauce, I mix together pineapple juice, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, mustard, sherry vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and sriracha. For more bold flavor, it is important to use grated ginger and garlic instead of crushed. I also use low-sodium gluten free Tamari Soy Sauce instead of regular soy sauce. Tamari is my personal preference. You can, by all means, use regular soy sauce. Only note that regular soy sauce may not be gluten free and adjust additional salt in sauce as per taste.

Tip: Huli-Huli Sauce is also a perfect Stir-Fry Sauce. I often use it for Yakisoba Noodles Stir-Fry, or Rice Stir-fry.

Thick Glistening Dipping Sauce: You can also transform extra reserved sauce to a glistening thick dipping sauce. Also works great drizzled over rice, or fries.

1. In sauce pan, add reserved huli huli sauce and simmer on low. 
2. When sauce is warm, take out 2 tbsp in a small bowl, add 1 tsp corn starch. Mix well so there are no lumps. Add back to simmering sauce and mix well. 
3. Heat until sauce is thick enough to coat back of a spoon. Let cool down before serving.

HOW LONG TO MARINATE HULI HULI CHICKEN?

1. Whole Chicken Breast - I recommend to marinate whole chicken breasts or thighs for at-least 4 hours, up-to 8 hours (overnight).
2. Skewer Chicken - Bit size chicken kabobs have more surface area to absorb marinade faster. So, I recommend to marinate for at-least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Whole Chicken - If you planning to grill a whole rotisserie chicken marinated in huli huli sauce. I recommend marinating a day before for more flavor throughout.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH HULI HULI CHICKEN?

I love to serve Huli Huli Chicken with:

1. Seasoned White Rice
2. Grilled pineapple
3. Coleslaw
4. Grilled vegetables such as bell pepper, red onion, zucchini.
   

Note:You also serve Huli Huli Chicken with Sesame Chili Garlic Noodles and Fried Rice. (replace protein featured in the recipes with skewers of Huli Huli Chicken.)

MAKE-AHEAD HULI HULI CHICKEN:

Huli Huli sauce can be made 2 weeks in advance. A day before grilling, slice and marinate chicken (whole breast). For other cuts of chicken check the marinating time above in how long to marinate huli huli chicken section. 

This Huli Huli chicken recipe can also be frozen. When the chicken marinade is done, put the chicken and marinade together in a freezer-safe bag. Mix the two together. Freeze. When ready to grill, let defrost for at least an hour to let the marinade soak in. Grill/cook as normal.

Note: Huli Huli Chicken is great potluck dish. Prepare marinade, dice chicken. Add to a food-safe container with lid. Leave to marinate in a cooler. Grill fresh chicken when guest arrive. You can also grill whole chicken breasts instead of kabobs.  

More Grilled Chicken Recipe ideas to flavor your next Summer Barbecue:

1. Pollo Asado Chicken
2. Blackened Chicken
3. Za'atar Chicken
4. Chicken Fajita
5. Chicken Souvlaki
6. Tequila Lime Chicken
7. Chimichurri Chicken

Friends, nothing says Summer like Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken grilling on an outdoor grill. In my humble opinion, the flavor of broiled or grilled Huli Huli Chicken with pineapple (grilled) and extra huli-huli sauce drizzled on the rice makes a tasty meal, any season of the year.

Even if you not planning to cook chicken tonight? I recommend making the sauce. Serve with snacks as dipping sauce. Don't forget to save some to make huli-huli chicken later.

Tip:Oh, when grilling chicken, don't forget to turn (huli huli) and baste chicken with sauce as much as possible.

Enjoy!