Huli Huli Chicken (Tropical Hawaiian chicken)
Course: Dinner, Main DishCuisine: HawaiianDifficulty: Easy
Servings
4
servingsPrep time
10
minutesCooking time
11
minutesMarination time
24
hoursTotal time
24
hours21
minutesIngredients
3 pounds chicken thighs
1 tbsp vegetable oil
- Marinade
3/4 cup pineapple juice, canned or bottled (NOT FRESH!) , unsweetened
1 1/2 tbsp ginger , freshly grated
1 1/2 tbsp garlic , freshly grated
1/2 cup tomato ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry or Chinese cooking wine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp Sriracha
2 tbsp rice vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1 tbsp sesame oil , toasted
- Garnishes, optional
Sliced green onion
Pineapple slices , grilled for 3 minutes on each side for lines
Directions
- Marinade
- Mix marinade, set aside 3/4 cup (185 ml) for basting.
- Pour the rest over the chicken in a glass or ceramic container (not metal or plastic), coat chicken then marinade 24 – 48 hours.
- Cooking
- Brush BBQ grills with oil then preheat to medium high, or heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Drain excess marinade from chicken, place on BBQ/skillet.
- Cook the first side for 2 – 3 minutes until golden (adjust heat if browning too fast), then flip and cook for 2 minutes.
- Baste (dab) generously with reserved marinade, then flip and cook for 1 minute.
- Repeat this every minute or so for a total cook time of 10 minutes, or until internal temp in the thickest part registers 75°C/167°F (for thigh) or 65°C / 150°F (for breast).
- Transfer chicken to a plate, loosely cover with foil and rest for 3 minutes before serving, garnished with green onion if desired.
Notes
- Chicken – boneless thigh is best for lovely caramelisation when cooked, but breast is very good too.
- Pineapple juice – must use canned or bottled/vac packed from aisle, not the fridge. DO NOT use real, fresh pineapple juice (ie fridge bottle, unsweetened) or puree fresh pineapple – pineapple contains a very strong tenderiser which will over tenderise the chicken (the tenderising agent gets killed when canned or bottled with long shelf life).
- Ginger/garlic grating tip – if you have a microplane, use that with unpeeled ginger and garlic. As you grate, the skin just kind of naturally peels to the side, leaving you with just the flesh grated.
- Sherry or Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) – the secret ingredient that makes this extra good. I’ve tried it with and without – and the difference is noticeable.
