Huli Huli Chicken Recipe – Easy Dinner Idea

Some recipes get made once and forgotten. Huli huli chicken is not one of them. That is the whole idea behind our kitchen, simple food that earns its place on a busy table.

Huli Huli Chicken is a flavorful Hawaiian dish known for its sweet and smoky flavor. The chicken is marinated in a ginger-spiked sauce and grilled to perfection, resulting in a juicy, tender, and slightly caramelized piece of chicken. This recipe comes together in about 20 minutes from start to finish, which is exactly why it keeps showing up on our table. Below you will find the full ingredient list, the exact method we use, and the small details that make this dish work every single time.

Save

Huli Huli Chicken is a flavorful Hawaiian dish known for its sweet and smoky flavor. Simple ingredients, big flavor, and it is ready when you are.

Why You Will Love Huli Huli Chicken

There are plenty of weeknight dinners out there. Here is why the recipe keeps winning in our kitchen.

• Protein where you need it. This dish is rich in protein, making it a satisfying meal.
• The flavor does the work. The marinade adds a delightful combination of sweet and savory flavors.
• The texture is the whole point. Grilling helps to lock in the chicken’s moisture, resulting in a tender texture.
• Dinner in about 20 minutes. Start to plate, including the prep.
• About 27 g of protein per serving. Enough to hold you until morning, not just until nine.

Ingredients You Will Need for Huli Huli Chicken

Everything here is an everyday ingredient. This is the exact list we use for this one, measured the way we actually cook it.

Protein

• 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Base

• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

Produce

• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Seasoning

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Pantry

• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• Vegetable oil, for greasing the grill or pan

A quick word on the parts that matter most in it:

• Grated fresh ginger. It is an everyday ingredient doing quiet, useful work here.
• Large garlic cloves. Let it soften slowly rather than rushing it. Burnt garlic turns bitter and there is no fixing it.
• Low-sodium soy sauce or tamari. It is an everyday ingredient doing quiet, useful work here.

Prefer metric? The recipe card below switches every amount over for you.

Save

Huli Huli Chicken is a flavorful Hawaiian dish known for its sweet and smoky flavor. Simple ingredients, big flavor, and it is ready when you are.

How to Make Huli Huli Chicken

Here is exactly how we make the dish: about 5 minutes of prep and roughly 15 minutes of cooking.

What you need: Large Skillet, Grill, Mixing Bowl.

1. Heat sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add ginger and garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and smoked paprika.
4. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup cool water to make a slurry.
5. Add the slurry to the saucepan, stir well, and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 3 to 4 minutes, then remove from heat.
7. Reserve 1/2 cup of the sauce for basting. Let the remaining sauce cool for 5 minutes.
8. Add the chicken to the cooled sauce, toss to coat, and marinate in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours.
9. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and brush the grates with vegetable oil.
10. Grill the chicken for 4 to 6 minutes per side.
11. Brush with half of the reserved sauce, flip, and cook for 2 to 4 more minutes.
12. Flip again, baste with the remaining sauce, and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
13. Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve with your favorite sides.

That is the whole method. Nothing here needs special technique, just a little attention at the right moments.

Tips for the Best Huli Huli Chicken

None of this is complicated, but these are the small habits that separate a good plate of this recipe from a great one.

• Get the grates hot and clean before the food goes on. That is what gives you real grill marks.
• Let the meat rest a few minutes after it comes off the heat so the juices settle. Let the meat rest a few minutes after it comes off the heat so the juices settle.
• Keep one cooler zone on the grill so you can move things off direct heat if they color too fast. Keep one cooler zone on the grill so you can move things off direct heat if they color too fast.
• Read the steps once before you start. Knowing what is coming makes the whole thing calmer.
• Have everything measured and within reach before the heat goes on. Have everything measured and within reach before the heat goes on.

Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning at the end rather than the beginning. This dish rewards a little attention right at the finish.

Save

Huli Huli Chicken is a flavorful Hawaiian dish known for its sweet and smoky flavor. Simple ingredients, big flavor, and it is ready when you are.

Variations and Add Ins

Huli huli chicken takes changes well, so treat the recipe above as a starting point rather than a set of rules. These are the swaps we come back to most often.

• Swap the cut. Boneless thighs stay juicier than breasts and work here with no other changes.
• Make it spicier. A pinch of red pepper flakes or a spoonful of your favorite hot sauce lifts the whole dish.
• Add vegetables. Spinach, peppers or mushrooms stir in easily and stretch it further.
• Change the cheese. Anything that melts well will work, so use what is already in the refrigerator.
• Change the herbs. Fresh parsley, basil or dill at the end each send it somewhere slightly different for no extra effort.
• Make it a bigger meal. Serve it over rice or with warm bread and it stretches to feed another person or two.

Change one thing at a time rather than three. That way you find out what you actually like in the recipe instead of guessing at the end.

How to Store and Reheat Huli Huli Chicken

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat gently in a skillet or in the microwave at half power, adding a splash of broth so the chicken stays tender rather than drying out.

If you are cooking ahead on purpose, prep the components and keep them separate until you are ready. It takes a few minutes off a busy evening and this one holds its texture far better that way.

Save

Huli Huli Chicken is a flavorful Hawaiian dish known for its sweet and smoky flavor. Simple ingredients, big flavor, and it is ready when you are.

What to Serve With Huli Huli Chicken

It carries a plate on its own, but a few simple things turn it into a proper dinner.

• Rice or buttered noodles. Simple, and it soaks up everything on the plate.
• A simple green salad. A little contrast keeps the whole plate from feeling heavy.
• Roasted vegetables. Easy to put together while the main event finishes.
• Warm bread for the sauce. The kind of small addition that makes dinner feel finished.

Huli Huli Chicken FAQ

Can I make Huli Huli Chicken ahead of time?

Yes. You can prep the components a day ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator, then finish the dish when you are ready to eat. It saves real time on a busy evening.

Can I use something other than grated fresh ginger?

You can. Use what you have and keep the quantity about the same. The cooking time may shift slightly, so go by how this recipe looks rather than the clock.

How long does Huli Huli Chicken take?

About 20 minutes from start to finish, including roughly 5 minutes of hands on prep. The first time through may run a little longer.

Can I double the recipe?

Yes. Doubling works well here. Use a larger pan so nothing crowds, and expect this dish to need a little more time in the heat.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Can I freeze Huli Huli Chicken?

It is better fresh. Freezing changes the texture more than it is worth here, so plan to eat it within a couple of days.

One Recipe, Many Good Nights

If you make huli huli chicken, we hope it turns into one of those recipes you stop measuring after a while, the one you can put together on a Tuesday without thinking too hard about it. That is the best thing a recipe can become, not a special occasion dish but a reliable one.

If something worked especially well for you, or you found a swap worth passing on, we would genuinely like to hear about it. Most of the small improvements in our recipes started as somebody else’s idea.

Simple ingredients, an honest method, and a plate worth sitting down for. That is all we are ever after.