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Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken with a sweet-savory Hawaiian glaze that turns caramelized, charred, and sticky on the grill. Teriyaki-style marinade plus frequent flipping (huli) creates a glossy finish with deep brown edges.
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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: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 3 lb chicken thighs or legs
Huli Huli marinade
  • 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 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Reserved basting
  • 0.5 cup huli huli marinade (reserved)

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.
  2. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade for basting so you have glaze ready for the grill.
Marinate the chicken
  1. Add chicken thighs or legs to the remaining marinade and turn to coat thoroughly.
  2. Cover and marinate for 2-8 hours to let the flavors penetrate.
Grill and caramelize (huli)
  1. Preheat the grill to medium heat and place the marinated chicken on the grates.
  2. Cook for about 25-30 minutes, turning frequently (huli) to encourage caramelization and char.
  3. Baste with the reserved marinade during grilling so the chicken develops a sweet-savory sticky glaze.
  4. Grill until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the chicken is caramelized.

Notes

For the stickiest finish, keep basting during the last third of grilling and flip often (huli) so the glaze doesn’t burn. Refrigerate leftover grilled chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days; freeze for up to 2 months (thaw in the fridge). For a lower-sugar option, reduce the brown sugar to 1/3 cup while keeping the rest of the marinade the same.