Huli huli chicken does most of its work in the fridge. The night before, bone-in quarters go into a sealed bag with pineapple juice, soy, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. At the lot it's a grill, tongs and a lot of turning, which is the whole idea: huli means "turn" in Hawaiian. The sugar that gives it the dark, sticky glaze also burns fast, so the chicken cooks most of the way on the cool side and only gets basted at the end. Split the sauce before any chicken touches it. Half is the marinade, half is the baste.
At the lot: Marinate at home in a sealed bag, ride it at the bottom of the cooler, and grill two-zone; plan on about an hour before you eat. Cook ahead: Grill at home, carry the chicken hot in a towel-lined cooler, and glaze it on the lot grill for the last few minutes.
350°F
Lid temp, cool side
5 min
Between turns
175°F+
Thigh, for tender dark meat
6
People
Ingredients
Chicken
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters, about 6 lb
Sauce (half marinade, half baste)
- 1½ cups pineapple juice
- 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 6 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tbsp sriracha, optional
To serve
- 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into spears
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
Steps
At home
- The night before, whisk the sauce ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Before any chicken is near it, pour half (about 2 cups) into a saucepan. That half is the baste.
- Simmer the baste over medium heat, stirring, 10 to 15 minutes, until it coats a spoon. Cool it, jar it and refrigerate it.
- Pat the quarters dry and put them in two gallon zip-top bags with the other half of the sauce. Press out the air, seal them, set them in a pan and refrigerate 4 hours to overnight, turning the bags once.
- Cut the pineapple into spears and pack them in a lidded container. The chicken rides double-bagged at the bottom of the cooler at 40°F or below, below the baste, pineapple and anything else ready to eat.
At the lot
- Set up the grill for two zones: coals or burners on one side, nothing on the other. Aim for about 350°F under the lid on the cool side. Lift the quarters out of the bags and let the extra drip off. Throw out the bags and the marinade.
- Set the quarters skin side up on the cool side, close the lid and cook 20 minutes. Then turn them every 5 minutes, lid down between turns, for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the thigh reads about 155°F.
- Pour some baste into a small cup and brush from the cup, not the jar. Move the quarters to the hot side, brush, turn and brush again every 2 to 3 minutes for about 10 minutes, until the glaze is sticky and charred at the edges. Throw out what's left in the cup.
- Check that the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, reads at least 165°F; for tender dark meat, take it to 175°F to 185°F. Rest 5 minutes.
- Grill the pineapple spears over the hot side, 2 to 3 minutes a side, until marked. Pile them with the chicken, scatter with sesame and scallions, and warm the rest of the clean baste for the table. Chicken sits out no more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Cook ahead
- Grill at home through step 6, then glaze and check the temp as in steps 7 and 8. Preheat a cooler with hot water, pour it out, line it with a towel, set the chicken in a foil pan and cover it with a second towel. Nothing cold goes in it. Check that it still reads 140°F or above at the lot.
- At the lot, brush it with clean baste and set the glaze over the hot side, 1 to 2 minutes a side.
- Or grill the chicken the night before, cool it and chill it within 2 hours. At the lot, heat it on the cool side with the lid down until it reads 165°F, then baste and glaze over the hot side.
Pack for the lot
What does huli huli mean?
Huli means "turn" in Hawaiian, for how often the chicken gets flipped on the grill. The dish traces to Ernest Morgado in Hawaii in the 1950s. This version is leg quarters on a backyard grill.
Can you use the marinade to baste huli huli chicken?
Not once it has touched raw chicken, unless you boil it first. Split the sauce before the chicken goes in: half for the marinade, half simmered for the baste.
What temperature is huli huli chicken done?
Chicken is safe at 165°F. Leg quarters are dark meat, which is most tender at about 175°F to 185°F in the thickest part of the thigh.
Why does huli huli chicken burn?
The brown sugar, ketchup and pineapple in the sauce burn over direct heat. Cook the chicken on the cool side first and baste only for the last 10 minutes over the hot side.
Can you use thighs or drumsticks instead of quarters?
Yes. Bone-in thighs and drumsticks take about the same time. Go by the thermometer: at least 165°F, and 175°F to 185°F for tender meat.
More off the grill: smoked chicken quarters, grilled tri-tip and kielbasa and peppers. Pour big-batch margaritas or sweet tea lemonade, and set out Texas caviar. Carrying it hot? See how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
Gear for this cook
