I might have been itching to finish off writing this post so I can pack up all our stuff and fly to Hawaii. : Aloha!!!! This, my friends, is a spin off of my popular chicken recipe baked Huli-Huli Chicken which is said to originate in the beautiful state of Hawaii.
Since it’s summer season, I decided to make this Hawaiian Grilled Chicken Thighs as a grilled version of that huli-huli chicken post just so you can add another wonderful recipe to your summer grilling. And you’d be thankful later! 😉
This grilled chicken thighs boast a plethora of flavors that permeates every inch of this protein. I highly recommend that you marinate the chicken overnight to allow the flavors to meld in beautifully into the chicken meat. It’s a marinade that would transport you to the blue beaches of tropical Hawaii! You’ll be amazed on how such wonderful marinade could come beautifully from simple and easy to find ingredients like pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha, ketchup, ginger, cumin, lemon juice and garlic.
There’s no need for you to scour for specialty shops to find your winning ingredient for this recipe. All of this are within your hands reach!
Perhaps, the waiting part of this dish is the hardest one. But if you’re pressed with time, an hour or two of marinating would work fine. If you aren’t into chicken thighs, you sure can use your favorite chicken part, but just remember to adjust the grilling time. Or you can even use this marinade for pork cuts. How does that sound to you?
You’ll be greeted with the juiciness and sweetness of the pineapple juice on your first bite, then you’ll enjoy the vibrant, savory, spicy flavors as you go deeper. Such complexity of flavors is a delight to your taste buds.
Pair it with warm white rice and my easy cucumber tomato salad as a side. Don’t forget your favorite ice cold drinks to get you going. 😉 Enjoy! Tips and Notes:
Season Chicken thighs with salt and pepper according to preference. You might have to go easy with the salt – since it has soy sauce. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the passion fruit or pineapple juice , soy sauce, brown sugar, sriracha, ketchup, ginger, cumin, lemon juice and garlic.
Pour marinade into the bowl of chicken or ziploc bag. Thoroughly mix so chicken is covered with marinade.
Cover with saran wrap or if using Ziploc seal and place in the fridge to marinade. For at least 3 hours or overnight for best flavor. When ready to cook- remove chicken from the fridge, and thoroughly drain. Set marinade aside. n a small saucepan simmer the remaining Huli Huli marinade- for about 5 minutes. Adjust taste with chicken broth, pepper and/or ketchup. If you want a thicker sauce then add more ketchup. Lightly brush grill with oil or cooking spray. Then place drained chicken thighs on grill, skin side down. Grill for 4-5 minutes or until chicken has grill marks or brown . FLip chicken and grill the other side ., flipping every 3-4 minutes so it doesn’t burn until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. (about 25-30 minutes). You may baste with cooked marinade towards the last 5 minutes of grilling. Garnish with sliced green onions
