Chicken
Huli Huli Chicken
Hulli hulli chicken may be Hawaii’s most significant contribution to American barbecue. A world without this mahogany-colored bird—lacquered with a sweet-salty glaze of soy sauce, ketchup, and honey or brown sugar—would be a sad place to contemplate. Hulli hulli chicken takes its name from the Hawaiian word for turn, or turn often, and herein lies the secret. The chicken is turned frequently as you baste and grill it, which crisps the skin, sizzles the sauce, and keeps the bird from burning. You’ll find three variations on the hulli hulli chicken theme here. This first first recipe was inspired by a Hawaiian pit master who cooks chickens over high heat in a ceramic kamado-style cooker. I prefer the control that a more moderate heat provides and suggest you grill the birds over a medium fire. So light your tiki torches and let the party begin!
Huli Huli Chicken Recipe
Huli Huli Chicken
Recipe Notes
- Yield: Serves 4 to 8
- Method: Direct grilling
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 chickens (each 3-1/2 to 4 pounds), quartered
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
- Coarse salt (preferably Hawaiian pink) and freshly ground black pepper
For the Huli Huli Sauce:
- 1/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup sherry
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 slices (each 1/4 inch thick) peeled fresh ginger, gently crushed with the side of a cleaver
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and gently crushed with the side of a cleaver
- 1 scallion, trimmed, white part gently crushed with the side of a cleaver, green part finely chopped
Recipe Steps
1: Rinse the chicken quarters under cold running water, then blot dry with paper towels. Brush each piece with sesame oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
2: MAKE THE HULI HULI SAUCE:
Place the brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, sherry, vinegar, pepper, ginger, garlic, and scallion white in a heavy nonreactive saucepan and whisk to mix. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then let simmer gently until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes, whisking to prevent scorching. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more water (the sauce should be pourable). Strain the sauce into a clean nonreactive saucepan and set aside.
3: Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium.
4: When ready to grill, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the chicken pieces on the hot grate and grill until crisp, brown, and cooked through, 8 to 12 minutes per side, turning several times. To test for doneness, use an instant-read meat thermometer: Insert it into the thickest part of a thigh but not so that it touches the bone. The internal temperature should be about 180°F. During the last 2 minutes on each side, brush the chicken with some of the huli hull sauce.
5: Transfer the grilled chickens to a platter or plates and drizzle the remaining huli huli sauce over them. Let the chickens rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle the scallion greens over them and serve at once.
Recipe Tips
Tip: Hawaiian salt has a pinkish tinge and an aromatic flavor, due to the presence of traces of clay. Look for it at gourmet shops or use coarse sea or kosher salt.
Variation: For worry-free and burn-proof chicken pieces, grill them using the indirect method for 30 to 40 minutes.
