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

Where did Huli Huli chicken come from? ›

'Huli Huli Chicken' (turn, turn) was invented by Ernest Morgado when he cooked teriyaki chicken for a group of farmers in 1955. This has been a Hawaiian staple with sticky rice ever since. This is my family's version of Huli Huli Chicken. Use aji mirin (sweet rice wine) in place of sherry if desired.

How many calories are in a huli huli chicken? ›

What are Nutritionix Track app users eating from Hawaiian Bros?
Popularity
1Huli Huli Chicken, Classic Low Carb410 cal
2Spam Musubi330 cal
3Huli Huli Chicken, Small860 cal
4Honolulu Chicken, Classic1420 cal
6 more rows

Is Huli Huli the same as teriyaki? ›

Huli huli sauce and teriyaki sauce have similar flavor profiles, with savory, sweet and salty notes. Also, both can be used as a marinade or a sticky glaze. However, teriyaki sauce is a Japanese sauce typically made with soy sauce, sugar, ginger and rice wine (usually sake or mirin).

What do Hawaiians call chicken? ›

It is the chicken that the Polynesian voyagers carried with them. In Hawaiian the bird is called moa, which is similar to the word for cooked, moa, hinting at a relationship with the imu, the underground oven.

What is a Huli used for in Hawaii? ›

“Huli” means “turn” in Hawaiian, and refers to the traditional method of cooking this with a grilling basket, turning it over hot coals. Platter of Huli Huli Hawaiian chicken pictured with macaroni salad.

How many carbs are in Huli Huli sauce? ›

Hawaii's Famous Huli-huli Sauce (15 ml) contains 5g total carbs, 5g net carbs, 0g fat, 0g protein, and 20 calories.

What is Hawaiian Bros. Dole Whip made of? ›

The dairy-free dessert is made from a pineapple-flavored dry mix (dried pineapple juice and the key to all silky smooth soft serve: stabilizers) that's combined with water and pumped out of a soft-serve machine.

How many calories should I eat a day? ›

On average, women need about 1,600 to 2,400 calories each day, and men need 2,000 to 3,000 calories a day -- based on age and activity level. If you figure out that you need 2,000 calories per day, then you need to keep your calorie intake about equal with that number.

What does Aloha sauce taste like? ›

Some prefer the Japan-based Kikkoman, which is salty and tangy. Others are committed to the local Aloha shoyu, which is sweet and mild. And it makes a difference on how the shoyu is most often used.

What does Polynesian sauce have in it? ›

Polynesian Sauce

Sugar, soybean oil, water, corn syrup, corn-cider vinegar, distilled vinegar, tomato paste, salt, paprika, mustard seed, modified cornstarch, beet juice, onion*, garlic*, xanthan gum, propylene glycol alginate, natural flavor *dehydrated.

What is Hawaiian wing sauce made of? ›

In a medium bowl, whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, light brown sugar, chicken stock, ginger, garlic, and sriracha. Pour half of sauce into bag of chicken, seal bag, and toss to coat. Cover remaining sauce in bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Where is Aloha soy sauce made? ›

In 1946, a small shoyu (soy sauce) manufacturing plant was established in Kalihi, Hawaii by five local Japanese families amidst post World War II. Aloha Shoyu™ Company has survived through competition to become one of today's market leaders in Soy Sauce sales in Hawaii.

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