Grilled Huli Huli Chicken Thighs with Charred Pineapple & Jalapeño
Sticky, smoky, sweet and just spicy enough—with fresh pineapple getting its own turn on the grill.
There are certain recipes that almost seem made for summer grilling, and Huli Huli chicken is one of them.
Sweet pineapple, salty soy, ginger, garlic and a sticky glaze hitting a hot grill? I'm already interested. Add juicy chicken thighs, fresh pineapple rounds and a couple of jalapeños straight from the garden, and now we're talking.
Huli Huli chicken is Hawaiian-style grilled chicken marinated and glazed with a sweet-savory mixture of pineapple, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. My version uses boneless chicken thighs, fresh grilled pineapple and garden jalapeños for a little extra heat.
Huli Huli chicken originated in Hawai‘i in the 1950s, when Ernest Morgado began grilling his teriyaki-style chicken for gatherings and fundraisers. Huli means “turn”—a reference to turning the chicken over the fire as it cooked. That repeated turning and glazing is still part of what makes Huli Huli chicken so good.
For my version, I wanted to keep that character intact but make fresh pineapple an important part of the dish instead of simply another ingredient in the sauce.
So we're grilling it.
And while we're at it, we're throwing a jalapeño or two on the grill as well.
The result is exactly the kind of summer cooking I love: straightforward ingredients, a hot grill and enough technique to make something simple taste like much more.
Can You Marinate Chicken in Fresh Pineapple Juice?
Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. That's useful in moderation, but leave chicken in fresh pineapple juice too long and the exterior can become unpleasantly soft. Mushy soft.
The easy fix?
Cook the marinade first.
A short simmer deactivates the enzyme while also giving the ginger, garlic and jalapeño a chance to flavor the sauce. Once it's completely cooled, we can safely use it as both our marinade and the base for our glaze.
It's one little extra step that's absolutely worth doing.
Grilled Huli Huli Chicken Thighs
👉 Recipe Download
Serves 4
For the Huli Huli Marinade & Glaze
6 ounces fresh pineapple juice
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
3 large garlic cloves, finely grated
1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Several grinds black pepper
For the Chicken
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Avocado oil, for the grill
For the Grilled Pineapple
1 fresh ripe pineapple
Avocado oil
To Finish
1 additional jalapeño
2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
Small handful fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime, cut in half
Steamed jasmine rice, for serving
Make the Marinade
Combine the pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, jalapeño, sesame oil and black pepper in a small saucepan.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Reserve about 1/2 cup of the sauce before adding the chicken. We'll use this later for glazing.
Place the chicken thighs in a shallow dish or zip-top bag and pour the remaining cooled marinade over them.
Refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours.
How to Grill Fresh Pineapple
Cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple, then stand it upright and slice away the peel.
Cut the pineapple crosswise into rounds about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
Use a small round cutter or paring knife to remove the tough center core from each slice.
Here's the important part:
Pat the pineapple dry.
Wet pineapple steams before it chars. Dry pineapple caramelizes.
Brush each round very lightly with avocado oil just before it hits the grill.
There's no need for brown sugar, honey or anything else. A ripe pineapple already brings plenty of natural sugar to the party.
Fire Up the Grill
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, roughly 425–450°F, and clean and lightly oil the grates.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and allow the excess to drip away.
Discard the used marinade.
Grill the thighs for about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side.
Turn and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, then begin brushing with the reserved Huli Huli glaze.
From here, start doing what the name tells you to do: huli—turn.
Brush, turn and glaze the chicken every minute or so until it develops a deep mahogany color, caramelized edges and a glossy finish.
Cook the thighs to about 175°F internal temperature.
Chicken thighs love that extra bit of heat. Unlike breasts, they become more tender and flavorful as they move past 165°F.
One Last Glaze
Pour any remaining unused reserved sauce into a small saucepan and simmer for several minutes until slightly thickened and glossy.
As soon as the chicken comes off the grill, brush it with one last thin coat.
This is what gives you that deep mahogany, almost lacquered finish without leaving the chicken over the fire longer than necessary.
Grill the Pineapple—and the Jalapeño
While the chicken rests, place the pineapple rounds directly over the hot grill.
Leave them alone for 2 to 3 minutes so they have time to develop good grill marks.
Turn and grill the second side another 2 to 3 minutes.
During the final 30 seconds, you can lightly brush the pineapple with a little reserved glaze.
Lightly is the important word here. Between the natural pineapple sugars and the brown sugar in the glaze, things can go from beautifully caramelized to burnt fairly quickly.
At the same time, toss the whole jalapeño onto the grill and cook until blistered and slightly softened, turning occasionally.
Let it cool slightly, remove the stem, pith and seeds if desired, then slice into thin rings.
Bring It All Together
Spoon jasmine rice onto a platter or individual plates.
Arrange the grilled pineapple rounds first, then set the Huli Huli chicken over the top.
Add the charred lime to the side and scatter the chicken with sliced jalapeño, scallions cut on the bias and fresh cilantro.
Finish everything with a squeeze of lime.
That's it.
Chef's Notes
Control the heat. Jalapeños are wildly inconsistent. One can taste like a bell pepper and the next can light you up. If yours are particularly hot, use half in the marinade and save the rest for grilling.
Core the before grilling. Use a
Don't glaze too early. Sugar burns. Get the chicken mostly cooked before you begin brushing on the Huli Huli glaze.
Use thighs if you can. Chicken breasts will work, but thighs are much more forgiving over high heat and stand up beautifully to repeated turning and glazing.
Fresh pineapple is worth it. Canned rings would technically work, but fresh pineapple takes on a completely different character when grilled—the sugars concentrate, the edges caramelize and some of that sharp acidity softens.
Keep the sides simple. This is one of those dishes that doesn't need much help. Jasmine rice catches the sauce, grilled pineapple supplies the sweet element, and lime keeps everything balanced.
When Pineapple Meets Fire
Maybe that's what I like most about this recipe. Nothing particularly complicated is happening.
We're taking a handful of bold ingredients, putting them over a hot grill and letting heat do what heat does best—brown, caramelize, concentrate and transform.
And if you've got a few fresh jalapeños coming out of the garden right now, all the better.
Sticky Huli Huli chicken, smoky grilled pineapple, a little chile heat and a cold drink somewhere within reach.
That's a pretty good summer dinner in my book.
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