Huli Huli Chicken Skewers

 

   

   Have you ever heard of Huli Huli sauce? I must admit that until recently I was not familiar. It's kind of like a Hawaiian BBQ sauce, and it's AMAZING. 

 The first time I made it, I brushed it on chicken and pineapple skewers, (which were FABULOUS, btw) but then I thought "I need to make a giant batch and then can it!" CLEARLY it needs to be included on my wall o' jars. (Don't you just love it when you're in the middle of a meal and already deciding when to make it again? No? Just me?)

 Anyway, I found several recipes.. all very similar, but just slightly different. From what I can see, they all seem to start with your base ingredients like ketchup, soy sauce, pineapple juice, and brown sugar. Most add garlic and ginger too. Some add dry mustard, some add sherry or apple cider vinegar. It's basically like any other BBQ sauce where no two are the same. I did what I always do.. I read several versions, and then pieced them together using all of my favorite components. And it turned out great! 

 Btw, if you're wondering about the name, the word "huli" means "to turn", named after the traditional way roadside chicken is grilled on open-fire spits and flipped while being basted.

 So there you have it. The next time you're looking for a fabulous sauce to brush on your grilled chicken or pork, try this one. Simply stated, it's absolutely delicious! Boom. 

 

 

 For the sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1 cup soy sauce

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup brown sugar 

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 or 3 tbs lemon juice

Small pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Freshly ground black pepper 

 

In a large pot, stir together all ingredients until well combined. I like to simmer it for about 10-15 minutes over a low heat, just to let the flavors come together. 

That's literally all there is to it!

For the skewers:

I recommend boneless skinless chicken thighs, bell peppers, and fresh pineapple.

Cut chicken into bit sized pieces. I usually get about 4 pieces from each thigh.

Marinate the chicken in the Huli Huli sauce for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, cut up your pineapple and peppers to the same size.

 To assemble skewers, just alternate pieces of chicken, pineapple, and peppers in whichever order you prefer. Place on a hot grill, and cook for about 15-20 minutes, turning frequently.  

 

 

 

 

Tips:

This sauce goes amazingly well on pork, so feel free to make your next batch of ribs with it.  

If you don't have a grill, just bake in the oven at 350º for about 20 minutes. Broil for the last 5 minutes.  

Some recipes use a little less soy sauce and brown sugar. Make it the way you like it!

Want it to be spicy? Add more crushed red pepper flakes. 

Sweeter? Add a little more brown sugar. I bet honey would also be a great addition. 

If you don't have fresh garlic or ginger, feel free to use garlic or ginger powder.  

If you want to can it, ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Process pints in a water bath canner for 20 minutes.