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    Home / Dinner / Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

    Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

    Hawaiian huli huli chicken recipe: sweet, sticky grilled chicken glazed with pineapple, soy and ginger. The sweet, smoky backyard taste of Hawaii on a plate.

    ⏱ 15 minPrep time
    🔥 30 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
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    Huli huli chicken was born in 1955 when Hawaiian businessman Ernest Morgado grilled teriyaki-glazed chicken and turned it ‘huli huli’ — ‘turn turn’ — over kiawe wood coals. It became a legendary fundraiser dish, sold roadside across Oahu by the plate.

    The sauce is the star: ketchup, soy, brown sugar, pineapple juice and ginger, lacquered onto the chicken in layers as it grills. Sticky, smoky and sweet, it’s summer in Hawaii on a plate.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Whisk the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple juice, ginger, garlic and sesame oil into a sauce.
    2. Reserve 1 cup of sauce for basting; pour the rest over the chicken in a bowl and marinate for 2-4 hours.
    3. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium. Grill the chicken skin-side down for 8-10 minutes.
    4. Turn and grill for 8-10 minutes more, basting with the reserved sauce and turning every few minutes, until cooked through and lacquered.
    5. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with rice and grilled pineapple.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Brush on the basting sauce only after the chicken has cooked a few minutes per side so the sugars don't burn. For the classic flavour, grill over smoky coals or add a few soaked wood chips.

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    Recipe details

    Prep15 min
    Cook30 min
    Servings4
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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