Grilled Huli Huli Chicken is made for the summer! This Hawaiian inspired dish has a marinade with pineapple juice, soy sauce and fresh ginger which infuses such a wonderful flavor within the chicken thighs. You can easily double this if you are planning on having a crowd for an Hawaiian-themed dinner. Just think of all the possible sides that could accompany these juicy bites: Grilled Pineapple, Hawaiian Pasta Salad, Sticky Rice, Baked Pineapple, Mac and Cheese, Fresh Pineapple Salsa. Perhaps you could even use portioned chicken breasts instead of thighs, or even marinate chunks of chicken and turn them into kabobs with fresh pineapple and your favorite veggies. Now, I’m going to have to make this again to try out those ideas. That’s not really a bad thing; it’s just that good!
Whisk the marinade ingredients together and reserve 1/2-2/3 of a cup for basting. Trim the boneless, skinless chicken thighs of any excess fat and place in a large Ziploc bag. Pour the remaining marinade over the chicken, seal the bag and refrigerate for 4-6 hours. Rotate and massage the bag a few times while marinating.
Remove the chicken and dispose of the marinade. These can be made in the oven if the weather is not cooperating. But, if it’s a perfect day for grilling, your day is complete! Grill these for about 6 minutes per side. Brush on the marinade before turning the first time and again once flipped. When done, their internal temperature should be 165 degrees, at least. (*These were cooked on a grill mat.)
Look at these straight off the grill. Hopefully everything else is prepped to serve alongside because the aroma of this Grilled Huli Huli Chicken is just that enticing!
Grilled Huli Huli Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/2 c Pineapple juice
- 1/2 c Dark brown sugar
- 1/3 c ketchup
- 1/3 c low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 T rice vinegar or sherry
- 1 1/2 t grated fresh peeled ginger root
- 1/2 t pressed garlic
Chicken
- 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or 10 portioned boneless skinless chicken breasts ( about 3 pounds)
Instructions
- Whisk marinade ingredients together and reserve about 1/2-2/3 cup for basting.
- Trim thighs of excess fat and place in a Ziploc bag with the remaining marinade. Seal and refrigerate for 4-6 hours, turning frequently.
- Grill approximately 6 minutes per side, basting before turning the first time and again after turning. Remove once an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees has been reached.
