This Huli Huli sauce recipe is always a winner in our house. The sweet, sticky, and slightly tangy sauce has a way of taking any meal to the next level.
The sauce was originally invented in Honolulu and used as a marinade for a whole chicken that was cooked over an open flame, rotisserie style. Now, it can be used on virtually any food from ribs or wings to any other dish that will benefit from a BBQ sauce upgrade.
What is Hawaiian Huli Huli Sauce?
Hawaiian Huli Huli sauce is essentially a classic Hawaiian BBQ sauce. It is similar to teriyaki sauce, but it incorporates fruity and sweet flavors, too.
Huli Huli sauce incorporates sweet ingredients like sugar and pineapple juice as well as acidic elements like sherry and ketchup. It also has a warm flavor from ginger and umami from soy sauce. It’s often used as a marinade for meats but you can use it on seafood, veggies, sandwiches, and salads.
Ingredients
With just a few easy-to-find ingredients you can make this sauce that’s sure to jazz up any meal.
- Light Brown Sugar – Brown sugar gives the sauce its rich sweetness. You can use dark brown sugar, too, if that’s what you have handy.
- Pineapple Juice – Pineapple juice gives this sauce its signature fruity undertones.
- Ketchup – Ketchup helps contribute to the sauce’s thicker consistency and adds sweet flavor and a bit of acidity, too.
- Light Soy Sauce – Soy sauce adds umami flavor and imparts a little bit of saltiness, too. I prefer to use a light variety so that the sauce is lower in sodium and isn’t overly salty.
- Sherry – Sherry adds a little bit of acidity and helps to build layers of flavor.
- Fresh Ginger – Ginger gives the sauce a warm flavor and aroma. Be sure to grate it finely so that it mixes well in the sauce.
- Garlic – Use a microplane or cheese grater to ensure that the garlic is grated into fine pieces.
- Cornstarch or Arrowroot – Either of these will help to thicken the sauce. Be sure to mix the cornstarch or arrowroot with water before adding it to the sauce so that it doesn’t form lumps in the sauce.
What To Serve Hawaiian Huli Huli Sauce With
While this sweet and savory sauce is often used as a marinade for chicken and pork, it’s also an amazing way to dress up steamed or roasted veggies like broccolini or root vegetables. I also love to use it to add flavor to plain white rice or brown rice.
You can also use huli huli sauce to add pizzazz to other dishes. Try it as a spread on sliders or other sandwiches, as a dressing for kale salad, or drizzled over homemade French bread pizza.
How to Make Hawaiian Huli Huli Sauce
It only takes a few steps and less than 10 minutes to whip up this flavorful sauce.
- Add ingredients to pan. Add the brown sugar, pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, sherry, ginger, and garlic to a medium saucepan and heat until warm. Allow the sauce to simmer briefly, but do not boil.
- Make slurry. Make the slurry in a small mixing bowl by combining the cornstarch and water.
- Add slurry to sauce. Once the slurry is completely smooth, add it to the brown sugar mixture and stir until it is completely combined and the sauce has become both thick and glossy.
- Enjoy! Serve immediately or allow it to cool before serving.
Variations
There are several ways you can make this huli huli sauce recipe your own.
- Sweeteners – Instead of light brown sugar, you can use honey, maple syrup, or even coconut sugar.
- Juice – While pineapple juice is traditional, you can experiment with other fruit juices like orange juice, mango juice, or even a blend of juices to add complexity and nuanced flavor to the sauce.
- Soy Sauce Substitutes – If you’re looking for a different flavor profile or are looking for a gluten-free alternative, you can try using tamari sauce or coconut aminos. You can also look for a gluten-free variety of soy sauce.
- Smokiness – To impart the smoky flavor that authentic Huli Huli chicken would have from being cooked over a fire you can add Liquid Smoke or smoked paprika to taste.
- Alcohol Alternatives – Swap out sherry for mirin, rice wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Spice – For a little heat, try adding crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper powder, or sriracha.
- Thickeners – In place of cornstarch or arrowroot, you can use tapioca starch or potato starch.
- Herbs – Consider adding herbs like cilantro or basil for a fresh, herbaceous flavor.
- Citrus Zest – Adding zest from citrus fruits like lime, lemon, or orange can brighten up the flavor of the sauce.
Storage and Freezing
Since this sauce stays fresh in the fridge for a couple of weeks it’s easy to store it and keep it handy for when you want to add a pop of flavor to your proteins or veggies.
Save time on busy weeknights by making this ahead of time and refrigerating it until you are ready to use it.
How to Store Huli Huli Sauce
Once the sauce has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container or mason jar and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks.
Can I Freeze Huli Huli Sauce?
Freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container or resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Common Questions About Huli Huli Sauce
Huli Huli sauce is a blend of sweet ingredients like pineapple juice and brown sugar with soy sauce, ketchup, and sherry. It’s seasoned with garlic and ginger and thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot.
Huli in Hawaiian means “to turn” — the term Huli Huli means to turn multiple times. It’s relevant to this sauce because the chicken that it’s often used on is turned throughout the process of grilling the meat.
You can find Huli Huli chicken where it originated, on Hawaii’s island of Oahu.
More Savory Sauces
A simple sauce is a great way to elevate any meal. Here are a few of our favorites that you will love too.
Homemade Worcestershire Sauce Recipe
Beer BBQ Sauce Recipe
Homemade Szechuan Sauce Recipe
Hawaiian Huli Huli Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce
- 1/3 cup sherry
- 2 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the brown sugar, pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, sherry, ginger and garlic over medium heat. Allow to heat for 5 minutes.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. Add to the sauce and continue to heat and whisk until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
Nutrition
This was so good!! We served it over some grilled chicken and everyone loved it!!
I am loving the flavors in this incredible sauce. I want to use it on everything. I’m adding it to my condiment list right now. Yum!
This stuff is awesome! I made grilled pork chops this weekend and put it on them. Delicious!
This sauce was so simple to make and I liked it because it is different than most sauces we usually use. It goes wonderfully with chicken and makes you feel a bit like you are enjoying a meal in Hawaii!
This has taken my grilled chicken to the next level! Thank you!