
One of the best things to do on O’ahu in Hawaii is to visit the east coast. We hired a car and drove from Honolulu right up to Turtle Bay and down through the Pali Lookout.
Food trucks in O’ahu
There are so many different food trucks along the main highway here but we had our focus on one in particular. Mike’s Truck, the bright yellow truck is well known in these parts for his chicken, cooked over the coals. When we arrived, there were trailers out the back, all loaded up with charcoal, slowly roasting the chickens over the top.
There is a general eating area here, with chickens regularly running around under your feet. Not the safest place for a chicken I would imagine! It’s all very low key and casual. If you’re lucky, you’ll see Mike in his truck serving customers just like us. If you do, ask him for his photo. He’ll gladly oblige.

Having enjoyed such a wonderful lunch at Mike’s truck on the Kamehameha Highway, I took inspiration from Mike’s Huli Chicken and gave it a try myself.
It is a very easy Hawaiian chicken recipe to make and is absolutely delicious, with moist chicken on the inside and a glazed, crispy outside. You could serve this with vegetables or salad, and it’s great for leftovers the next day.
If you have left over sauce, you can also freeze this for another time.
INGREDIENTS HULI HULI CHICKEN
BRINE
- Enough water to cover the chicken
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/4 cup sugar (you can use white or raw sugar here)
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- Whole chicken – around 2 kg (4.4 pounds)
HULI HULI SAUCE
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
- 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp malt vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
HULI HULI CHICKEN DRY RUB
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp salt (or less if preferred)
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp onion powder or onion flakes
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
The rub and the sauce can be made a day ahead and any leftover sauce can also be frozen. I tend to be heavy handed with the sauce when serving as the chicken really soaks it up.
Instructions for making Huli Huli Chicken
Brine the chicken
To make sure we have enough water in the brine, we put the chicken into the pot we are going to make the brine in, cover it with water, then remove the chicken.
Cook the brine ingredients until the sugar is dissolved and leave to cool down.
When it is cool, place the chicken back into the pot with the brine and allow to sit until it is ready to be rubbed. The longer the brining, the more moist the chicken will be.
If possible do this at least a few hours before. We leave ours for a minimum of four hours.
Make the Huli Huli rub
Mix all of the dry ingredients for the rub together in a bowl.

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat with paper towel until it is completely dry.
Before rubbing, the chicken needs to be butterflied.

Cover the chicken with the rub mix, getting it covered inside and into the cavity.

Make the Huli Huli sauce
Combine the pineapple juice, tomato sauce, soy sauce and vinegar in a pot and put on the stove over low heat.
Once simmering, add the sugar and ginger. Allow the sauce to thicken, ensuring it does not boil. Remove it from the heat and leave to cool.

Cook the chicken
Cook over a hot BBQ. Cook on one side for around 10 minutes and then on the other for a similar time.

Squeeze some lemon juice over the chicken as you are cooking it. Glaze the chicken several times, including just before you are ready to take it off the heat. We love to give the chicken a good char.

The chicken is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of around 74°Celsius / 165° F.

Remove and allow it to rest. Serve with the remaining sauce.


Mike's Huli Huli Chicken
Having enjoyed such a wonderful lunch at Mike’s truck on the Kamehameha Highway, I took inspiration from Mike’s Huli Chicken and gave it a try myself. Mike's Huli Huli chicken is legendary in O'ahu and simple to make at home.
Ingredients
Brine
- Enough water to cover the chicken
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- Whole chicken - around 2 kg (4.4 lb)
Huli Huli Sauce
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce (ketchup)
- 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp malt vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
Huli Huli chicken dry rub
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp salt (or less if preferred)
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp onion powder or onion flakes
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Butterfly the chicken by opening up the breast bone and flattening it out.
Brine the chicken
To make sure we have enough water in the brine, we put the chicken into the pot we are going to make the brine in, cover it with water, then remove the chicken.
When it is cool, place the chicken back in the pot with the brine and allow to sit until ready to be rubbed. The longer the brining, the more moist the chicken will be.
If possible do this at least a few hours before. We try to brine ours for at least four hours.
Make the sauce
Combine the pineapple juice, tomato sauce, soy sauce and vinegar in a pot and put on the stove over low heat.
Once simmering, add the sugar and ginger. Allow the sauce to thicken, ensuring it does not boil. Remove it from the heat and leave to cool.
Rub the chicken
Mix all of the dry ingredients for the rub together in a bowl.
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat with paper towel until it is completely dry.
Butterfly the chicken by opening up the breast bone and flattening it out.
Cover the chicken with the rub mix, getting it covered inside and into the cavity.
Cook the chicken
Cook over a hot BBQ. Cook on one side for around 10 minutes and then on the other for a similar time.
Squeeze some lemon juice over the chicken as you are cooking it.
Squeeze some lemon juice over the chicken as you are cooking it. Glaze the chicken several times, including just before you are ready to take it off the heat.
Keep some of the sauce to serve with.
The chicken is cooked with an internal temperature of around 74 Celsius/165 F.
Remove and allow it to rest.
Serve with some of the remaining sauce.
Notes
The Huli Huli sauce may be made a day ahead.
The Huli Huli sauce may be frozen.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 200gAmount Per Serving: Calories: 584Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 7304mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 57g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
Looking for more chicken recipes?
Kandapur Chicken Curry

Baked Chicken Cacciatore

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken


About the author
Kerri McConnel
Kerri left her corporate career to pursue a different lifestyle, establishing the successful travel website, Beer and Croissants.
Kerri and her husband Stirling now regularly travel the world, where eating great food, sampling local beverages and cooking international foods are integral to their adventures.
You also won’t find them too far away from an epic road trip either, with motorhomes their speciality.

Recipe inspiration from Guy Fieri.
Bridget
How much water do you use to make the brine? Also do you let the chicken marinate with the dry rub? thank you.
Kerri McConnel
Hi Just enough water to cover the chicken. Yes, as per the recipe instructions, the rub needs to stay on the chicken for at least a few hours. It can stay on as long as you like but definitely needs a few hours.
Iain
This is awesome. Had Mike’s Huli Huli chicken and it was amazing. Can’t wait to try this. However you didn’t have the amount of water needed to make the brine?
Kerri McConnel
Sorry Iain, yes I need to add that in. It’s just enough to cover the chicken.
Iain
Thanks for the reply Kerri. Should have read your reply to Bridget’s question before asking. I made it and OH MY GOD … it’s amazing. I don’t know how you managed to work out Mike’s Huli Huli recipe but i’m glad you did. Made it according to your recipe in my smoker and my wife requested for it again. Simple the most amazing chicken ever.