Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

Averie Sunshine
5 from 3 votes
Published: Jul 14, 2025
JUMP to RECIPE ▼

This post may contain affiliate links.

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken 🍗🌺🍍 with pineapple is marinated in a sweet-and-savory sauce and then grilled to perfection! This classic Hawaiian chicken recipe creates chicken that’s lightly caramelized on the exterior with a tender, juicy exterior and has so much FLAVOR! It reminds me of a fancy dinner in a Hawaiian restaurant but yet so EASY to recreate at home!

Grilled glazed chicken thighs served on top of pineapple slices, garnished with chopped herbs, on a white plate with rice and fresh cilantro nearby.

Easy Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

  • Huli means “turn” or “flip” in Hawaiian which is how this easy chicken recipe gets its name. The chicken develops an even caramelization and light char this way, while maintaining a juicy interior.
  • Half of the sweet-and-sour marinade is reserved and cooked down for a sticky, sweet sauce to serve with the boneless chicken thighs. And if you’re like me, I love extra sauce over rice.
  • If you don’t have an outdoor (gas) grill you can use an indoor grill pan or bake it in the oven. Although this is one of those recipes that is at its peak if you grill it.
Grilled chicken thighs glazed with sauce, garnished with chopped herbs, served on pineapple slices on a white plate; a bowl of sauce is visible in the background.
Grilled chicken with glaze served on white rice, garnished with cilantro and grilled pineapple slices, with a small bowl of sauce and honey dipper in the background.

Grill Purchasing Tips

I know it can be daunting to purchase a grill. So many types, price ranges, sizes, and it can be overwhelming! But you don’t have to be. I have a post dedicated to my Top 5 Grills along with other recommendations and ensure there’s a grill for every person and budget in my list.

Grilled chicken thighs glazed with sauce, served on pineapple slices, garnished with herbs. A honey dipper, sauce, rice, and fresh cilantro are arranged nearby.
A close-up of a grilled piece of chicken being held by a fork, garnished with herbs and glazed with sauce.

Key Ingredients in Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Recipe

For the Delicious Marinade: Pineapple juice, reduced sodium soy sauce, ketchup, honey, brown sugar, olive oil, rice vinegar, sriracha, garlic cloves, ginger, paprika, salt, black pepper.

Chicken : Boneless skinless chicken thighs are the cut of chicken I use for maximum flavor and juiciness because dark meat is just that way! You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts (white meat), or bone-in chicken thighs, but the cooking time will likely increase and you’ll need to really watch the chicken so it doesn’t burn.

Pineapple: I use a 20-ounce can of pineapple rings which works perfectly because the juice is used in the marinade. You can use fresh pineapple and/or fresh pineapple juice but I find it’s simpler easier, faster, and more cost effective to use a can of pineapple rings in juice.

A variety of ingredients in small bowls surround raw chicken thighs on a white plate; items include pineapple, sauces, spices, and brown sugar on a white surface.
Grilled chicken thighs with glaze are arranged on a platter next to sliced grilled pineapple and fresh cilantro, with a small bowl of sauce and honey dipper nearby.

How To Make Huli Huli Grilled Chicken

  1. To a large bowl or large resealable plastic bag, combine pineapple juice and all the marinade ingredients, stir to combine, and remove and reserve about half the marinade and set the remaining marinade aside in a small saucepan.
  2. Add the chicken to the marinade, seal bag or cover the bowl, and marinate it for at least 30-60 minutes, but not more than 4 hours. Tip – The acid in the pineapple juice will cause the protein to break down and the chicken will become mushy if you over-marinate it.
  3. Preheat your gas grill ( or charcoal grill, or grill pan on the stove or your oven) and cook the chicken for about 3 minutes on the first side to sear it, flip, baste with the leftover marinade, cook for another 3 minutes. Continue basting, and flipping, until the chicken is done which is 165 degrees F internal temperature on an instant read thermometer. Allow it to rest before slicing and serving.
  4. In the last 3-5 minutes of cooking the chicken, grill the pineapple over indirect heat.
  5. At the same time as the pineapple, cook the reserved sauce (reserved marinade) in the saucepan over medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until it’s bubbly and thickened and serve with the chicken.

Grilling Tips to Prevent Burning

This marinade has a fair amount of natural sugars in it from the pineapple juice, honey, and ketchup. Therefore, the chicken will be prone to burning if you’re not careful.

But no worries here! To prevent over-charring, grill your chicken over mostly indirect heat. With this cooking method, you’ll have half the burners on your grill set to medium heat and the others either off (or very low). Cook the chicken on the indirect heat side.

Really get into that huli spirit and FLIP your chicken often!

Grilled salmon fillets glazed with a red sauce, garnished with chopped herbs, served over white rice on a plate.
Grilled Huli Huli chicken pieces on a plate with pineapple slices, garnished with herbs, served with rice.
Grilled Huli Huli chicken thighs and pineapple slices arranged on a white plate, garnished with chopped herbs.
Plates of grilled Huli Huli chicken with pineapple slices, garnished with herbs, served over white rice. Text overlay reads "Grilled Huli Huli Chicken & Pineapple.

The Best 35 Grilling Recipes Cookbook 📖🔥 – Unlock the full potential of your grill with my ebook! From juicy steaks to flavorful veggies, this cookbook is your guide to mastering outdoor cooking. With expert tips and mouthwatering recipes, elevate your grilling game and create unforgettable meals every time.

A collage with grilled shrimp, steak tacos, chicken breasts, and a salad. The text reads "The Best 35 Grilling Recipes - Averie Cooks.
Grilled Huli Huli chicken thighs served on pineapple slices, garnished with parsley, shown on a plate and held with chopsticks. Text: "Grilled Huli Huli Chicken & Pineapple.
Grilled Huli Huli chicken thighs and pineapple slices arranged on a platter, with sauce being drizzled over the chicken in a close-up shot.
Grilled Huli Huli chicken thighs served with pineapple slices, garnished with herbs, shown on a plate and over rice.
Grilled glazed chicken thighs served on top of pineapple slices, garnished with chopped herbs, on a white plate with rice and fresh cilantro nearby.
Remove Ads Review Print
5 from 3 votes

Grilled Huli Huli Chicken

Hawaiian Huli Huli Grilled Chicken with Pineapple 🍗🌺🍍 is marinated in a sweet-and-savory sauce and then grilled to perfection! The grilled chicken thighs lightly caramelized on the exterior with a tender, juicy exterior and so much FLAVOR! Reminiscent of a fancy Hawaiian restaurant but very EASY to recreate at home – provided that you multitask and read ahead in the recipe so you start the pineapple in the final minutes of grilling the chicken, and reduce the serving sauce while the chicken rests.
You can halve the recipe if desired – but the leftovers are great to have on hand during the week and/or plan to freeze half the recipe for a later date.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8

Equipment

Ingredients 

Marinade + Sauce for Serving

  • ¾ cup pineapple juice, reserved from the canned pineapple below
  • ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha, or to taste (reduce to 1-2 teaspoons, or omit, if sensitive to spicy food)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, or to taste (or about 1 heaping teaspoon fresh ginger)
  • ¾ teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika if preferred
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced

Chicken + Pineapple

  • 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, boneless skinless chicken breasts may be used, making sure they’ve been pounded to even thickness; or bone-in chicken thighs
  • 20 ounce can pineapple rings, packed in juice
  • Fresh cilantro, optional for garnishing (or other fresh herbs if desired)

Instructions 

  • Marinade + Sauce – To a large bowl, add all the ingredients from pineapple juice through garlic, whisk to combine, and remove about HALF of the mixture and place it in a small saucepan. This is going to become the serving sauce for later. Set this aside and don't let it come into contact with the raw chicken.
    To the mixture that remains in the bowl, add the chicken, toss and flip to coat evenly and submerge, cover, and place the bowl in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour, but not more than 3-4 hours. About 2 hours is ideal. Tip – The acid from the pineapple juice will degrade the protein structure and the chicken will be mushy if you allow it to go longer than 3-4 hours.
    Raw chicken pieces marinating in a bowl with a reddish marinade on a white surface.
  • Grilling – Preheat your grill to medium-high on one side and keep the other side either on very low or off, which is called indirect heat. Lightly oil the grates. When ready to grill, place the chicken on the side where the burners are on to sear it on the first side for about 3-4 minutes, flip, baste with the marinade in the bowl, and sear the second side. Tip – Take the chicken out of the fridge while the grill is preheating. Proteins always turn out better when they're not fridge-cold.
    Raw pieces of seasoned chicken arranged on a grill grate over open flames, ready to be cooked.
  • After the chicken has been seared on both sides, move it to the side of the grill that's off (indirect heat) baste it again with the marinade (and now discard that marinade). Allow the chicken to cook over indirect heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until done which is 165F on a digital thermometer, and flipping the chicken frequently and managing the heat output of your grill properly. Also start the pineapple, step 4 below.
    Tips – Huli Huli means "to flip" and so flip it plenty. The flipping will help to prevent over-charring or burning, which is more likely with this particular recipe due to the higher sugar content in the pineapple juice, ketchup, and honey. Keep flipping and moving it around, and keep control of the heat your grill is putting out, turning down the burners that are on, as much as necessary. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5-10 minutes before slicing, while it rests, reduce the serving sauce, step 5 below.
    Chicken thighs cooking on a grill with visible grill marks and flames underneath.
  • Pineapple – During the last 5 minutes or so that the chicken is cooking, add the pineapple to the direct heat, and cook it until as charred as desired. Be careful, it will likely cook quite fast and you don't want it to burn.
    Chicken pieces and pineapple rings are being grilled on a barbecue, with the chicken on the top half and the pineapple on the lower half of the grill.
  • Serving Sauce – Heat the sauce that's in the saucepan over medium-high heat until lightly bubbling, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes and thickened and reduced to your liking.
    A saucepan filled with a thick, dark reddish-brown sauce containing visible seasonings and small bits of ingredients.
  • Garnishing + Serving – Optionally, garnish the chicken with fresh cilantro or your favorite herbs, serve with the reduced serving sauce, and enjoy.
    A honey dipper drizzles glaze over grilled chicken pieces, garnished with chopped herbs and cilantro.

Notes

Grill Pan: Preheat your grill pan over medium-high to high heat over your stove burners. Make sure you open your windows or ventilate your area. Indoor grilling is smoky business! When the grill pan is preheated properly, grill the chicken for about 5 minutes on the first side, flip, and grill for about 5 minutes on the second side, basting with the marinade. Because your stovetop will never get as hot as an actual grill, indoor cooking time on a grill pan may likely be longer. Always cook chicken until it’s done, which means 160-162F; and then rest it for 5-10 minutes off the heat so the internal temp rises to 165F, which is the safe temperature to consume chicken. Grill the pineapple and reduce the sauce as indicated in the recipe above.
Oven Baking: Preheat your oven to 375F, place the marinated chicken pieces in a 9×13-inch baking dish or casserole dish, discard the marinade, and bake uncovered for about 17-20 minutes, or until chicken is done. Flip once midway through baking for more even cooking. Chicken is done when the internal temp has reached 165F. Baking time will vary based on how hot your oven runs, how thick the pieces of chicken are, etc. so make sure to cook it as long as necessary in your oven. I suggest not trying to bake the pineapple since it will just release a lot of juice and perhaps better to just eat it as-is from the can.
Storage: Chicken and serving sauce, stored separately, will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in gently in microwave as desired, or eat chilled.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 380cal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 162mg, Sodium: 940mg, Potassium: 626mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 29g, Vitamin A: 213IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

↓ Click the Stars to Rate This Recipe ↓

Tried this recipe? Leave a review!

Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!

The Best 35 Grilling Recipes Cookbook 📖🔥 – Unlock the full potential of your grill with my ebook! From juicy steaks to flavorful veggies, this cookbook is your guide to mastering outdoor cooking. With expert tips and mouthwatering recipes, elevate your grilling game and create unforgettable meals every time.

A collage with grilled shrimp, steak tacos, chicken breasts, and a salad. The text reads "The Best 35 Grilling Recipes - Averie Cooks.

more easy hawaiian inspired chicken recipes

Go Ad-Free!

A woman with long blonde hair smiles at the camera while standing on a waterfront sidewalk with boats and parked cars in the background.

✅ Faster load times, a cleaner look, NO ADS to interrupt you, and your membership supports Averie Cooks’ work and the recipes you’ve come to trust and enjoy!

Go Ad Free for only about $4 dollars a month when you pay annually!

5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment

Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 5 MB. You can upload: image, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here


Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is absolutely DELICIOUS! Lick the plate clean good. The depth of flavor with the smokiness of the grill a little sweet a little savory… perfect balance! LOVED

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, April, and I’m glad to hear this was perfect for you and struck just the right balance! I love a little bit of sweet in savory dishes and glad to hear this was perfect for you and plate lickin’ good!

      Reply