Description
Grilled Huli Huli Chicken brings the authentic taste of Hawai’i right to your backyard. This recipe features a spatchcocked whole chicken marinated overnight in a flavorful pineapple juice brine, then grilled to juicy, caramelized perfection. Served with homemade huli huli sauce, it offers a delightful balance of sweet, savory, and smoky flavors, perfect for a family meal or tropical-themed gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Brine
- 1 whole 4-5 pound chicken, spatchcocked and halved
- 3 cups pineapple juice, canned or jarred (NOT fresh)
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (can substitute regular brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup (optional, for color)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt (for brine)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Mom’s Huli Huli Sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (can substitute regular brown sugar)
- 2 teaspoons shoyu or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Healthy pinch cayenne pepper
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Spatchcock and halve the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place breast-side down on a clean cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears, carefully cut along each side of the backbone to remove it completely. Stretch the chicken to open the rib cavity, then use the heel of a knife to snap the wishbone and crack the breastplate. Flip the chicken breast side up and lay flat. Slice between the breasts to create two halves. Tuck wing tips behind breasts to prevent burning during cooking.
- Prepare and apply the pineapple brine. In a large bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup (if using), and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Reserve 1 cup of this brine in a small airtight container for basting later. Submerge the halved chicken in the remaining brine, cover or seal, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours and up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the grill and bring chicken to room temperature. About 60 minutes before grilling, remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard excess brine. Prepare your grill for indirect cooking with a direct high heat zone and an indirect heat zone. Preheat gas grill for 15 minutes or charcoal grill for 30 minutes.
- Make the huli huli sauce. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine pineapple juice, dark brown sugar, shoyu or soy sauce, ketchup, cornstarch, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Grill the chicken. Place chicken halves breast side up on the indirect heat zone of the grill, as close to direct heat as possible without touching it. Close the grill lid and cook for about 60 minutes, rotating the chicken 180 degrees every 15 minutes. At each rotation, baste generously with reserved pineapple brine. Check doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast (without hitting bone); it should read 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Rest the chicken. Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer to a plate. Let rest for 5-10 minutes to allow carryover cooking to raise the internal temperature to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Serve and enjoy. Carve the chicken and serve immediately, drenched with huli huli sauce. This pairs beautifully with white rice and Hawaiian mac salad for a classic plate lunch experience.
Notes
- Store leftover grilled huli huli chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave.
- The chicken carcass can be saved for making homemade chicken stock or broth.
- You can use other chicken cuts such as bone-in skin-on parts, boneless skinless breasts or thighs, or wings; adjust grilling times accordingly.
- Alternative cooking methods include oven roasting at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, or smoking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes, both times basting regularly with reserved brine.
- Make the sauce and spatchcock the chicken up to 2 days in advance to save prep time on the day of grilling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/5 whole chicken with sauce
- Calories: 430 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 48 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg
