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Huli Huli Chicken (+Video)

This Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken recipe is marinated in a delicious soy sauce marinade with fresh ginger and garlic. Grilled for the best taste!

A FAVORITE HAWAIIAN CHICKEN RECIPE

This amazing recipe for Huli Huli Chicken comes from my friend Patricia. She originally shared her family recipe on the blog here about 8 years ago. Her recipe has since become one of my favorites so I figured this recipe post needed an update!

pieces of HULI HULI chicken on a metal platter with slices of lemon scattered about.

WHAT IS HULI HULI CHICKEN?

  • Huli Huli is Hawaiian for “Turn, Turn.” It is basically a Hawaiian version of teriyaki chicken. Patricia remembers this being sold in Hawaii often for school fundraisers. The chicken is on a rotisserie skewer and is turned over a fire and basted regularly with a sweet sauce which is similar to a sweet Teriyaki sauce.
  • I think it is best served with some sticky rice or HAWAIIAN MACARONI SALAD. I always make extra sauce so I can baste the chicken as it cooks. So delicious!
close up photo of grilled HULI HULI chicken on a metal platter.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • soy sauce
  • white wine (or chicken broth)
  • sugar (I like Sugar in the Raw)
  • freshly grated ginger
  • garlic
  • chicken

HOW TO MAKE HULI HULI CHICKEN:

Combine all ingredients except the chicken parts. Mix thoroughly until the sugar is well-dissolved.

soy sauce, white wine (or chicken broth), sugar in the raw, freshly grated ginger, garlic whisked together in a bowl.

Marinate the chicken parts in a zip-top bag for at least 2 hours. Overnight is best.

chicken parts marinating in Huli Huli chicken sauce in a ziploc bag.

To grill: Grill the chicken over low heat for 45-60 minutes turning the pieces halfway through cooking time, marinating occasionally.

chicken on a grill.

To oven bake: Bake the chicken at 350F for 1 hour, marinating occasionally. You can then sear the chicken on a hot grill for 5-8 minutes 

Huli Huli chicken shown after it has been grilled on a metal platter with sliced lemons.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

Huli Huli Chicken (+Video)

This Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken recipe is marinated in a delicious soy sauce marinade with fresh ginger and garlic then grilled!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (I like Sugar in the Raw)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated ginger
  • 1 clove fresh garlic minced
  • 3 pounds of chicken parts: breasts, leg quarters, wings (whatever your preference)

Instructions

  • Combine all marinade ingredients. Mix thoroughly until the sugar is well-dissolved. Add the chicken then marinate in a zip-top bag for at least 2 hours. Overnight is best.
  • Grill the chicken over low heat for 45-60 minutes turning the pieces halfway through cooking time, basting occasionally.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • To make in the oven: Bake the chicken at 350F for 1 hour, basting occasionally.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 16g | Sodium: 1696mg | Sugar: 4g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Originally published: June 2011
Updated & republished: June 2019

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22 Comments

  1. Hi Brandy,
    This recipe looks wonderful! I was just wondering how you keep the temp low enough on a gas grill to be able to cook the chicken for an hour and not get over done? I will be using chicken breast (pounded so they will all be about the same thickness) – do you not close the grill cover so that it doesn’t get too hot inside the grill?
    Any tips would be greatly appreciated so I can make this!
    Thank you!
    Laurie P

  2. 5 stars
    I saw this recipe and cracked up. This is almost exactly the recipe that my family has been using for teriyaki for the past 50 + years! It isvery good, far superior to what is sold today. We got it from my hanai uncle, a Japanese master chef. If you use it for thinly sliced beef, don’t marinate for more than 4 hours. Also– for the alcohol, you can sub out any white or rice wine; I have also successfully subbed rum with great results.

  3. I made this and substituted a little pineapple juice and brown sugar for the regular sugar. Marinating it several hours gave it such good flavor! Delicious and will make again.

    I baked and finished on the grill, but next time will try only grilling. (After boiling/reducing the marinade for safety so that I can baste with it. 🙂

  4. Love this recipe. Huli is one of those wonderful smoky-sweet foods that take me back to 'small-kid time' in Hawaii. Wrapped in newspaper, or later, in the plastic bag 🙂

    Thanks to major mom for posting.

  5. Hi Patricia, your post made me smile! I knew I liked you when you mentioned Oahu (I've got family in Kailua)and the Fiesta sugar pot sealed the deal! But the chicken is finger lickin'! Thank you for sharing this recipe and serving up a side of life. Nice to meet you!

  6. This chicken recipe looks and sounds wonderful. I must try it. I am getting a new grill tomorrow and this will be a great recipe to try. Thanks for sharing. It's always nice to meet a new blogger, too.

  7. I guess if I can't go to the Islands this summer the Island flavors can come to me. I printed this one for next weeks menu. Thanks for reminding me of my awesome vacations!

  8. Thanks for the intro to Major Mom (anyone who's blog name is a David Bowie reference is a winner in my book!) I've made huli huli chicken before and while it was good it was way complicated. This recipe looks much simpler while just as delicious!

  9. Brandie, thanks for sharing another magnificent blogger with us all!

    Patricia, this chicken looks fabulous…and I may save it for company we're having in a couple weeks. YUM!

  10. Having grown up in Hawaii, I have always loved huli huli chicken. Yours looks super good. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  11. This chicken looks amazing! I love new recipes like this, and I know my guys would love it. It is SO nice to meet you Patricia, and thank you for all you've done for our Country!

    Thanks for introducing us to your friend Brandie!! Awesome post!

  12. Thanks everyone for the kind comments! It's truly been an honor to be featured on The Country Cook!

  13. Any recipe for grilling I'm all about right now. We're about to hit the 100 degree mark here in Houston and I'm not excited about putting anything in the oven. The marinade for the chicken sounds amazing and it looks even better. What a yummy looking meal Patricia. Thank you!

  14. I met Patricia when she lived in Apex, NC. Great to see her guest post and this wonderful recipe!

  15. Nice to meet you Patrica. I am from Norfolk Va also. I still live here.I have all the ingredients in my pantry I will make it this weekend. Brandie, the tater salad was so yummy! I finished it off for lunch today.

  16. This looks amazingly delicious!!!! Nice to meet you Patricia, great recipe!!! Brandy one more amazing guest post!!!!Thank you for sharing it with us!!!!

  17. I am printing this recipe as soon as Im done commenting!! lol This sounds heavenly! And so great to meet one of your friends Bran! : )