Behind the Seasoning: Huli Huli Chicken

Take a trip to the tropics without leaving the comfort of your kitchen, thanks to our Huli Huli Chicken Spice & Easy Meal Starter Spice Mix marinade. So fire up the grill (and your tiki torches) and read on to learn all the details of the sweet, flavorful sauce and how to have the tasty dish on your plate in no time. 

What is Huli Huli Chicken?

Huli Huli is a sticky-sweet glaze that comes from Hawaii, but it might not be as old or as traditional as you expect. In 1955, businessman Ernest Morgado served a glazed chicken that would become known as Huli Huli Chicken. Morgado used his mother’s teriyaki-style marinade to feed a group of farmers, and quickly took off from there. The name comes from the technique used to cook the chicken, as huli means “turn” in Hawaiian. The chicken is turned halfway through the cooking process, hence the name. 

Where and How to Buy Huli Huli Chicken Seasoning Mix 

Sure, you could go to the grocery store and find everything you need to make huli huli chicken marinade from scratch. But why do that when you can buy the Huli Huli Chicken Spice & Easy Meal Starter Spice Mix from Savory Spice? The Huli Huli Spice & Easy is available online in single servings or in packs of 3. You can even use our store locator feature if you want to check out the product in person.  

What spices and seasonings are in Huli Huli Chicken?

While the original recipe from Morgado was kept secret, many copycat recipes come pretty close to the actual thing. Huli Huli Chicken is typically a sweet-sticky glaze that was inspired by teriyaki and contains some variation of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, honey, and pineapple juice. It’s easily customizable so sometimes maple syrup or brown sugar is used in place of honey, and something tangy like vinegar or lime juice is substituted for the pineapple juice.

Our Huli Huli Chicken Spice & Easy Meal Starter Spice Mix sticks to the true flavors of the traditional dish. Our mix uses brown sugar, tomato, pineapple powder, ginger, sesame seeds, coriander, garlic, and citric acid. Mix the dry ingredients with water, honey, and soy sauce to complete the marinade. It covers all the essential flavor notes to get that signature Huli Huli Chicken taste.  

What Does Huli Huli Chicken Taste Like?

Huli Huli Chicken definitely leans to the sweet side when it comes to its flavor profile. However, it’s complex and balanced with more than just sweetness going on. Hints of tangy citrus, warming notes from the ginger, nutty flavors from sesame seeds, and salty soy sauce add to the flavor and balance the sweetness of the dish. The irresistible flavor profile of traditional Huli Huli Chicken is sweet, tangy, and warming. 

What does Huli Huli mean?

No, it doesn’t have anything to do with hula (although you may be dancing by the time you finish your plate.) The direct translation for "huli" in Hawaiian is “turn”. So Huli Huli Chicken literally means “turn turn chicken.” This catchy name references the chicken's cooking process, which involves turning it several times on the grill to create a perfectly glazed surface.

Is Huli Huli Chicken the same as teriyaki? 

If you read the ingredients and thought to yourself, “isn’t this basically teriyaki chicken?”, you’re not far off! Teriyaki and huli huli are essentially culinary cousins. With the influence of Japanese cuisine on the Hawaiian culinary landscape, it isn’t surprising that the two share similarities. Teriyaki sauce is a Japanese sauce made with soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and rice wine. While huli huli uses soy sauce, some variety of sweetener, and ginger, it strays from teriyaki when it includes pineapple juice and other types of acid like vinegar. 

What can be substituted for Huli Huli Chicken?

If you are craving Huli Huli Chicken and find yourself without a Spice & Easy Mix, there is no need to panic! (Do yourself a favor next time and buy the 3-pack!) You can find many recipes for Huli Huli Chicken that can be made from scratch using a combination of soy sauce, honey, water, ginger, ketchup, garlic, coriander, sesame seeds, and pineapple juice. It might take a little more effort but the flavor will be very similar to your favorite Spice & Easy Meal Starter Spice Mix. You can also use teriyaki sauce in a pinch and add pineapple or lime juice and a squeeze of ketchup. It might not be spot on, but you’ll be able to enjoy a similar flavor. 

How To Make Huli Huli Chicken

So, what do you need to make Huli Huli Chicken? Well, with our Spice & Easy Meal Starter Spice Mix, all you need to add is water, soy sauce, and honey. The rest is right in the pack! Simply season the chicken with some salt, mix everything else together in a saucepot, let it boil, and then simmer. 

Then, it’s grilling time! Grill the chicken until it is slightly brown, and brush the huli huli glaze right on top. Turn the chicken pieces every 30 to 60 seconds until the sauce begins to stick and the chicken is cooked all the way through. There will be a bit of char as the sugars in the glaze caramelize. When it is done, brush the pieces with the remaining glaze and enjoy! 

What To Serve With Huli Huli Chicken

Huli Huli Chicken may be the star of the dinner show, but that doesn’t mean it can’t have some side dishes pumping it up. Here are some of our favorite dishes to serve alongside the tropical chicken dish. 

• Caribbean Coconut Rice - Stick with the tropical flavors and serve the sticky-sweet chicken right on top of this subtly spiced rice. 
• Salted Grilled Pineapple - Play up the pineapple flavor with this salted grilled pineapple as a side. The layers of flavor will surprise you. 
• Roasted Pear & Pineapple Summer Salsa - Lean into flavor fusion and make a fruity salsa to go with your sweet, glazed chicken. 
• Coconut Cream Pie - This dessert might be traditionally southern, but with a double dose of coconut it can also be a great finish to an island-inspired meal.

Share your Huli Huli Chicken or your best BBQ dish and tag us on Instagram (@savoryspiceshop). For even more internationally inspired seasonings, shop our World Flavors selections.