Huli Huli Chicken
Large Group Huli Huli Chicken
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
 

Like all my chicken grilling recipes, this recipe calls for basting at the end of grilling. That's especially important in this case because the sugar in the glaze will burn easily if you apply it any sooner.  Also, don't increase the chili-garlic sauce amount.  It is very potent.

Course: Main Course
Servings: 25 people
Author: Betsy Edwards
Ingredients
For the Chicken Brine
  • 4 quarts water
  • 4 cups soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup minced garlic (from a jar)
  • 2 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (from a jar)
  • 25 chicken thighs
For the Chicken Glaze
  • 1 (46 ounce can) + 1 (6 ounce can) pineapple juice
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 3/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/3 cup minced garlic (from a jar)
  • 4 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce
Instructions
To Brine the Chicken
  1. In a large bowl, combine water and soy sauce in large bowl. Set aside.  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir into water/soy sauce mixture. Add chicken and refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.  Go for the full 8 hours if at all possible, but no more than that or the chicken will get too salty.

To Make the Glaze
  1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the pineapple juice, sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and chili-garlic sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until glaze is thick and syrupy about 20 to 25 minutes. This should result in about 3 cups of glaze.

To Grill the Chicken
  1. For a kettle grill: open bottom vents on grill. Light about 75 coals. When coals are covered with fine gray ash, spread evenly over bottom of grill. Set cooking grate in place and heat, about 5 minutes. For a gas grill: heat all burners to medium-low. Scrape and oil cooking grate.
  2. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange chicken skin-side up on grill. Grill, covered, until chicken is well browned on bottom and meat registers 120 degrees, about 25 to 30 minutes. Flip chicken skin-side down and continue to grill, covered, until skin is well browned and crisp and meat registers 170 to 175 degrees, 20 to 25 minutes longer.  Apply glaze several minutes before removing chicken from grill.

MAKE AHEAD NOTE:
  1. You can make the chicken to this point up to 2 hours before serving.  Transfer to a large disposable aluminum serving tray, cover with foil and hold in a 200 degree (warm) oven.

Recipe Notes

NOTE: Do not exceed approximately 36 - 40 thighs on a standard size gas grill.  Many more than that and they will render so much fat that you can easily have a grill fire.  Not good.