Baked Huli Huli Chicken Recipe | Hawaii Travel with Kids (2024)

Are you looking for a super easy, but delicious baked Hawaiian chicken recipe? Try this Huli Huli Chicken recipe. It’s sure to delight your whole family! Scroll down for the full recipe!
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Baked Hawaiian Chicken: Huli Huli Chicken Recipe

This baked Hawaiian chicken smothered with homemade BBQ sauce is a dream come true! Super juicy on the inside and with a crunchy, crackly skin this is the most flavorful piece of chicken you’ll ever have. Best of all? You can grill it or bake it, both options are just as delicious.

Huli huli chicken is one of those things that really represent Hawaii and that’s honestly so delicious I just can’t believe it’s not any more popular everywhere else.

If you’ve never heard about it before, it’s chicken that’s marinated in Hawaiian BBQ sauce (which is just a mix between teriyaki sauce and traditional BBQ sauce) and then grilled turning it every so often so it’s evenly cooked and evenly crispy and delicious.

Actually, huli means turn in Hawaiian, so it’s turn turn chicken!

However, I’m not a huge fan of grilling, I honestly don’t feel that confident about my grilling skills just yet, so I’ve been looking for a way to make it using the oven and let me tell you it’s totally possible and just as delicious.

So, let’s take a look at my Hawaiian style oven baked chicken recipe!

Baked Huli Huli Chicken Recipe | Hawaii Travel with Kids (1)

How to Make Hawaiian BBQ Sauce

The most important about this recipe and the thing that makes it so flavorful and juicy and that makes the chicken skin so crispy is this huli huli sauce.

It’s also incredibly easy to make sauce and it goes amazing with any other thing you would normally use BBQ sauce for. I actually love to make a large batch and keep it refrigerated for around 3 weeks so you can have it on hand at all times.

Baked Huli Huli Chicken Recipe | Hawaii Travel with Kids (2)

To make it you need:

  • Ketchup
  • Soy sauce
  • Pineapple juice
  • Lemon juice
  • Garlic powder
  • Brown sugar
  • Ginger

You can also add some chili flakes if you like to make things a little bit more spicy.

Once you have all those ingredients on hand just simmer for a bit until reduced and thickened and you are all set. Your sauce it’s ready to make any meal better.

Baked Huli Huli Chicken Recipe | Hawaii Travel with Kids (3)

Baked Hawaiian Chicken Recipe: Huli Huli Chicken

Ingredients for your Huli Huli Chicken Recipe:

For the Hawaiian BBQ sauce:

  • ½ Cup ketchup
  • ½ Cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ Cup soy sauce
  • ⅓ Cup pineapple juice
  • 2 Tsps garlic powder
  • 1 Tsp ginger
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice

For the chicken:

  • 2 Pounds skin on chicken pieces
  • 4 Tbsp vegetable oil or sesame oil
Baked Huli Huli Chicken Recipe | Hawaii Travel with Kids (4)

How to Make Baked Huli Huli Chicken

In a small saucepan over medium heat mix all the sauce ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for around 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and it has thickened a bit. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place the chicken pieces into a bowl and cover with ½ the BBQ sauce. Massage and toss so everything is well coated and let it marinate for 30 minutes for up to 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Grease a baking pan with vegetable oil or sesame oil and transfer the chicken pieces to it.

Take to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken, brush with more Hawaiian BBQ sauce and bake for 10 more minutes. Turn it once more and brush with more sauce and bake for 15 more minutes or until done.

Yield: 4 Servings

Baked Hawaiian Chicken Recipe - Huli Huli Chicken

Baked Huli Huli Chicken Recipe | Hawaii Travel with Kids (5)

This baked Hawaiian chicken smothered with homemade BBQ sauce is a dream come true! Super juicy on the inside and with a crunchy, crackly skin this is the most flavorful piece of chicken you’ll ever have. Best of all? You can grill it or bake it, both options are just as delicious.

Prep Time1 hour

Cook Time40 minutes

Total Time1 hour 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Hawaiian BBQ sauce:
  • ½ Cup ketchup
  • ½ Cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ Cup soy sauce
  • ⅓ Cup pineapple juice
  • 2 Tsps garlic powder
  • 1 Tsp ginger
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • For the chicken:
  • 2 Pounds skin on chicken pieces
  • 4 Tbsp vegetable oil or sesame oil

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat mix all the sauce ingredients and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for around 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and it has thickened a bit. Remove from heat and let cool.
  2. Place the chicken pieces into a bowl and cover with ½ the BBQ sauce. Massage and toss so everything is well coated nad let it marinate for 30 minutes for up to 12 hours.
  3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  4. Grease a baking pan with vegetable oil or sesame oil and transfer the chicken pieces to it.
  5. Take to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken, brush with more Hawaiian BBQ sauce and bake for 10 more minutes. Turn it once more and brush with more sauce and bake for 15 more minutes or until done.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 841Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 286mgSodium: 2056mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 40gProtein: 70g

I told you this Huli Huli Chicken recipe was super easy and tasty!

Huli Huli Chicken FAQs

What does “huli huli” mean?

The term “huli huli” means “to turn” in the Hawaiian language. Traditionally, huli huli chicken is turned on a spit over a fire or barbecue.

Where is huli huli chicken from?

Huli huli chicken originated in Hawaii. You’ll find it on many roadside stands, at Hawaiian festivals, and served in many local restaurants.

How do you pronounce Huli Huli Chicken?

It’s pronounced HOO-lee HOO-lee CHIK-en.

Hope you enjoyed this Baked Hawaiian BBQ Chicken recipe! Click here for more of our DELICIOUS Hawaiian recipes!
Baked Huli Huli Chicken Recipe | Hawaii Travel with Kids (2024)

FAQs

What to serve with Huli Huli chicken? ›

The best side dishes to serve with Huli Huli chicken are Mexican rice, crispy green beans, charro beans, lentil salad, brown rice and vegetables, quinoa salad, feta pasta, pizza pasta, rosemary bread, onion rings, spinach salad, creamy apple slaw, pineapple salsa, Hawaiian rolls, potato mac and salad, and grilled ...

What is Huli Huli chicken made of? ›

The Huli Huli Marinade

The main ingredients in the original marinade are soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, pineapple juice, ginger, and garlic. In addition to that, my recipe also calls for Worcestershire sauce and apple cider vinegar, which add extra flavor and help tenderize the chicken even more.

Who invented Huli Huli chicken? ›

Ernest Morgado

Is Huli Huli the same as teriyaki? ›

Teriyaki sauce typically consists of soy sauce, sugar, mirin (rice wine), and sake. It has a well-balanced, sweet, and salty taste. On the other hand, huli huli sauce features pineapple juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, offering a sweeter, fruitier, and more aromatic flavor.

What is the difference between teriyaki chicken and Huli Huli chicken? ›

What is the difference between huli huli chicken and teriyaki chicken? Both marinades make use of soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger. However, teriyaki sauce includes rice wine, while huli huli sauce includes pineapple juice, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and garlic.

Why is it called Huli Huli chicken? ›

It's called “huli huli” because huli is the Hawaiian word for “turn” and huli huli chicken is turned constantly as it is cooked. Our recipe just calls for frequently turning the huli huli chicken pieces as you grill them, and is a way to add major flavor to our basic grilled chicken thighs.

What are chickens called in Hawaiian? ›

The Hawaiian word for “chicken” is moa, pronounced moh-ah.

What island is Huli Huli chicken on? ›

Huli Huli Chicken is a trademark and made with Huli Huli Sauce, it's available only on Oahu.

What breed is a Hawaiian chicken? ›

The feral chickens that roam most of Hawaii are descended from the red jungle fowl (moa) that Polynesian settlers brought to the islands as a food resource. Naturally, some escaped into the jungle and thrived.

What does Huli mean? ›

Huli in Hawaiian means “turn.”

Who ate the first fried chicken? ›

Historians say the English preferred to boil or bake their chickens, while Scots were the first to pan-fry them in fat. And that tradition traveled with them across the Atlantic to the 13 Colonies and beyond.

What can you eat with Southern fried chicken? ›

Vegetable Dishes
  • Mexican Street Corn (Torchy's Copycat) Cooks in 20 minutes. ...
  • Southern Collard Greens Recipe. Cooks in 195 minutes. ...
  • Fried Red Tomatoes. Fried Green Tomatoes got nothin' on Fried Red Tomatoes! ...
  • Fried Okra. ...
  • Southern Green Beans. ...
  • Sauteed green peppers. ...
  • Roasted Sweet Potatoes. ...
  • Summer Sweet Corn Saute.
Sep 5, 2023

What do you serve with chicken tacos? ›

The best side dishes to serve with chicken tacos are guacamole, pineapple salsa, refried beans, pico de gallo, Spanish rice, lazy enchiladas, churros, tostilocos, chicken tortilla soup, homemade salsa, sweet corn salad, black bean salad, cilantro lime rice, chili con queso, fried plantains, shrimp ceviche, and avocado ...

What else to eat with chicken fried rice? ›

The best side dishes to serve with chicken fried rice are bok choy, Ling Ling Potstickers, steamed dumplings, egg rolls, balsamic chicken, pizza pasta, beef stew, BBQ chicken wings, shredded pork, tomato basil soup, fried egg, honey stir fry vegetables, Maple Hoisin tofu, prawn curry, kimchi soup, Kung Pao Brussels ...

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