Huli-Huli Chicken

Huli-Huli Chicken is Hawaii's beloved roadside BBQ, born in 1955 when Ernest Morgado grilled teriyaki-style chicken on a revolving spit — "huli" means "turn" in Hawaiian. The caramelized sweet-savory glaze and smoky char make it a fixture at fundraisers and plate lunch counters across the islands.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg (3 lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 120ml (½ cup) soy sauce
• 120ml (½ cup) pineapple juice
• 60ml (¼ cup) ketchup
• 60ml (¼ cup) brown sugar, packed
• 2 tbsp (30ml) rice vinegar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp (15g) fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 green onions, sliced, for garnish

Instructions

1. Whisk together soy sauce, pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil to make the huli-huli sauce.
2. Reserve 120ml (½ cup) of sauce in a small saucepan. Pour the remainder into a zip-lock bag with the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, or overnight.
3. Simmer the reserved sauce over medium heat 5–8 minutes until slightly thickened. Set aside for basting and serving.
4. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to medium heat (about 180°C/350°F). Remove chicken from marinade; discard used marinade.
5. Grill chicken skin-side down 8–10 minutes until char marks form. Flip — "huli!" — and grill another 8–10 minutes. Continue turning every 5 minutes, basting with reserved sauce each turn, until an instant-read thermometer reads 74°C (165°F), about 35–40 minutes total.
6. Rest 5 minutes, then garnish with sliced green onions. Serve with steamed rice and macaroni salad.

Cook's Notes: For extra smokiness, add soaked kiawe (mesquite) wood chips to the coals. The sauce doubles well and keeps refrigerated for two weeks.