Description
Experience the authentic taste of Hawai’i at home with this Grilled Huli Huli Chicken recipe, featuring juicy, spatchcocked chicken marinated in a sweet pineapple brine and grilled to perfection with a flavorful homemade huli huli sauce. Perfect for a weekend cookout or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
For the 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
- 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
- 2 teaspoons shoyu or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ground black pepper, to season
Instructions
- Spatchcock and halve the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place breast-side down and carefully cut along each side of the backbone with sharp kitchen shears to remove it. Stretch open the rib cage and snap the wishbone by pressing on it with the heel of a knife. Flip the chicken breast-side up and flatten. Slice between the breasts to create two halves. Tuck wing tips behind the breasts to prevent burning during grilling.
- Brine the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup (if using), and kosher salt. Reserve 1 cup of the brine in a small airtight container for basting. Submerge the halved chicken in the remaining brine, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, up to 48 hours.
- Prepare the grill and chicken: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator at least 60 minutes before grilling to bring to room temperature. Remove chicken from brine, discard excess, and pat dry. Preheat grill for indirect cooking with one side at high direct heat and the other at indirect heat.
- Make the huli huli sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Season with kosher salt and whisk well. When boiling, 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 on the indirect heat side of the grill, breast side up, close to direct heat but not over it. Close the lid and cook, rotating the chicken 180 degrees every 15 minutes. Each rotation, baste generously with reserved pineapple brine. Grill until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees F, about 1 hour.
- Rest the chicken: Remove chicken from grill and let rest on a plate for 5-10 minutes. Temperature will continue to rise to 165 degrees F during resting.
- Serve: Carve the chicken and serve immediately with the prepared huli huli sauce. Pair with white rice and Hawaiian mac salad for a traditional plate lunch experience.
Notes
- Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat gently in the microwave.
- Save the cooked chicken carcass to make homemade chicken stock or broth.
- Other chicken cuts can be used, adjusting grill temperatures and times accordingly: bone-in skin-on parts, boneless skinless breasts or thighs, or wings.
- Oven roasting alternative: roast at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, basting and rotating every 20 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Smoked variant: preheat smoker to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 35-40 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, until done.
- For quicker prep, make the huli huli sauce in advance (up to 1 week refrigerated) and/or spatchcock and brine the chicken up to 2 days ahead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 whole chicken with sauce
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 42 g
- Cholesterol: 125 mg
