Huli Huli chicken wings are a fun alternative to this traditional Hawaiian-style favorite. These wings are marinated, grilled, then basted with a flavorful pineapple BBQ sauce.

What is Huli Huli Chicken?

Huli Huli Chicken is a popular Hawaiian dish known for its sweet and savory flavor. The term “Huli Huli” means “turn” in Hawaiian, which refers to the method of grilling the chicken while turning it over. This can be done on a rotisserie spit or simply flipped over after brushing it with sauce. The chicken is first marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and spices, then grilled. As it cooks, the chicken is basted with a flavorful teriyaki-style sauce made of pineapple juice, soy sauce, and ketchup. The result is a tender, caramelized chicken. You’ll find this dish served at luaus and cookouts.

Ingredients

Please refer the recipe card below for exact measurements.

• 2 pounds of chicken wings (drumettes and flats)
• Fresh chives or 2 green onions
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Low-sodium soy sauce
• Sweet soy sauce
• Pineapple juice
• Brown sugar
• Fresh garlic
• Fresh ginger
• Ketchup
• Sriracha sauce
• Rice wine vinegar
• Sesame oil
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Black pepper
• Butter

How to Make Huli Huli Chicken Wings

• Prepare the wings: Trim off any loose pieces of skin from the chicken wing pieces. Next, pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, and score them 2-3 times across the skin portion. Place the wings into a food-safe zip-top plastic bag.
• Make the marinade: Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust to your liking.
• Marinate the wings: Pour the marinade over the chicken wings, making sure that all of them are submerged in the liquid. Seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
• Make the BBQ sauce: Stir together the ketchup, pineapple juice, brown sugar, sriracha sauce, sweet soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat as needed. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the butter. Cover and keep warm.

Grilling and Saucing

• Preheat grill: Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking by banking the coals to one side of your grill. If you are using a 3-burner gas grill, switch on the two burners on either side, and leave the middle burner off. For pellet smokers, set your target temperature to 350 degrees F. If there is room, set an aluminum pan underneath where the wings will go to catch the BBQ sauce and prevent burning.
• Cook the chicken wings: Place the marinated chicken wings on the indirect (cooler) side of the grill and cook them for 10 minutes per side.
• Sauce the wings: Apply the pineapple BBQ sauce to the wings, then turn them and apply some more. Repeat the process every 5 minutes until the wings reach an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F.

Serving Huli Huli Chicken Wings

Transfer the cooked wings to a large serving platter and garnish them with chopped chives or green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with grilled pineapple, cooked rice, potato salad, or macaroni salad.

Storing Leftovers

Store the leftover huli huli chicken wings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 4 weeks. They are delicious when reheated in an air fryer at 375 degrees F for 12 minutes. Air fry for 5 minutes longer if frozen.

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Print

Huli Huli Chicken Wings

Huli Huli chicken wings are a fun alternative to this traditional Hawaiian-style favorite. These wings are marinated, grilled, then basted with a flavorful pineapple teriyaki BBQ sauce.

Course Appetizer, Main Dish

Cuisine Hawaiian

Keyword huli huli chicken

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 359kcal

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken wings (drumettes and flats)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh chives or 2 green onions, chopped (garnish)
• 2 teaspoons Toasted sesame seeds
• For marinade:
• 3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sweet soy sauce
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• For BBQ sauce:
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
• 2 teaspoons sweet soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

• Trim off any loose pieces of skin from the chicken wing pieces. Next, pat them dry with paper towels and score them 2-3 times across the skin portion. Place the wings into a food-safe zip-top plastic bag.
• Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust to your liking.
• Pour the marinade over the chicken wings, ensuring all of them are submerged in the liquid. Seal bag and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
• Stir together the ketchup, pineapple juice, brown sugar, sriracha sauce, sweet soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat as needed. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir in the butter. Cover and keep warm.
• Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking by banking the coals to one side of your grill.

  If you are using a 3-burner gas grill, switch on the two burners on either side, and leave the middle burner off.

  For pellet smokers, set your target temperature to 350 degrees F.

  If there is room, set an aluminum pan underneath where the wings will go to catch the BBQ sauce and prevent burning.
• Place the marinated chicken wings on the indirect (cooler) side of the grill and cook them for 10 minutes per side.
• Apply the BBQ sauce to the wings, turn them over and apply more sauce. Repeat the process every 5 minutes until the wings reach an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F.
• Transfer the cooked wings to a large serving platter and garnish them with chopped chives or green onions, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!
• Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 4 weeks. Reheat in an air fryer or oven at 375 degrees F for 12 minutes. Heat longer if frozen.

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 1743mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg

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