Claire Thompson
Huli huli chicken is a popular Hawaiian dish, created in 1954 by Ernest Morgado and Mike Asagi. The dish is made by barbecuing chicken over mesquite wood and basting it with a sweet huli-huli sauce. If you're looking for huli huli chicken on the Big Island, Randy's Huli Chicken and Ribs in Kealakekua is a popular option, along with GJ's roadside stand, which sets up in different locations across the island from Thursday to Sunday.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Days of the week | Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday |
| Locations | Hawi Welcome Center parking lot, Blue Dragon parking lot, Kamuela Liquor parking lot, Gas station on Mamalahoa Highway, Randy's Huli Chicken and Ribs, GJ's roadside stand |
| Preparation | Grilled chicken basted with sweet huli-huli sauce, cooked on a grill or rotisserie |
| Service | Friendly, good value for money |
| Taste | Juicy, tasty, moist, flavorful |
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What You'll Learn
GJ's Huli Huli Chicken stand locations
GJ's Huli Huli Chicken is a popular roadside stand on the Big Island of Hawaii. It operates on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with Sunday offerings at a gas station on Mamalahoa Highway.
On Thursdays, GJ's sets up shop at the Hawi Welcome Center parking lot on the east side of Waimea. The aroma of grilled chicken wafts over the Mamalahoa Highway, attracting hungry passersby.
Fridays find GJ's in the parking lot of the Blue Dragon, opposite Kawaihea Harbor. This location is about a 20-minute drive north of Mauna Lani on the Akoni Pule Highway.
On Saturdays, the stand is in the Kamuela Liquor parking lot in Waimea. Gil Tabafunda, the owner, has converted an old truck bed into a trailer, using coals to heat a large rotisserie grill for chicken and ribs.
For Sunday chicken, GJ's sets up at a gas station on Mamalahoa Highway (Hawaii Belt Road), east of Pakalana Street. They are open until 2-3 pm or until they sell out.
GJ's Huli Huli Chicken is a beloved fixture on the Big Island, known for its mouthwatering aromas and delectable offerings.
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Randy's Huli Chicken and Ribs
Randy's serves up delicious huli chicken and ribs, brisket, and pulled pork, with sides of rice, corn, mac and cheese, and cornbread. Their huli chicken is cooked to perfection, with moist and juicy meat—a stand-out feature according to many diners. The pork ribs are also a popular choice, with meat that tugs on the bone rather than falling off, allowing for the natural juices of the meat to be savoured. Randy's also offers a variety of sweet treats, including lilikoi cheesecake, sweet and sour treats, and banana bread.
The huli chicken at Randy's is prepared in the traditional Hawaiian style, with the chicken cooked between two grills or on a large rotisserie. The grills are flipped over repeatedly to ensure even cooking on all sides, with the Hawaiian word for "turn" being "huli". Randy's huli chicken is also marinated for at least an hour, adding to the depth of flavour.
So, if you're on the Big Island and craving some mouth-watering huli chicken and ribs, be sure to check out Randy's! The aroma of their BBQ grill and the flavourful dishes will surely satisfy your taste buds.
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Gina's chicken wagon in Hilo
Gina's Chicken Wagon, a food truck in Hilo, Hawaii, served Huli Huli Chicken, a quintessential Hawaiian dish created in 1955 by Ernest Morgado of Pacific Poultry. Gina's Lunch Wagon was previously parked daily at the Banyan Drive golf course, and at the E Komo Mai Lounge parking lot on 340 Kuawa St in Hilo. However, recent reviews indicate that the food truck is now closed.
Huli Huli Chicken is typically cooked between two grills or on a large rotisserie, with the grills flipped over repeatedly to allow the chicken to cook evenly on all sides. The Hawaiian word "huli", meaning "turn", inspired the dish's name.
For those seeking Huli Huli Chicken on the Big Island, GJ's Huli Huli Chicken stand is a popular option. On Thursdays, GJ's sets up at the Hawi Welcome Center parking lot on the east side of Waimea. On Fridays, they can be found in the parking lot of the Blue Dragon, opposite Kawaihea Harbor, and on Saturdays, they are in the Kamuela Liquor parking lot in Waimea. GJ's Huli Huli Chicken is known for its deep, smoky flavour, and the aroma often attracts customers before they even see the stand.
In addition to GJ's, Randy's is another well-known Huli Huli Chicken stand on the Big Island. Randy's offers a whole chicken and a full rack of ribs for a reasonable price.
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Huli huli sauce ingredients
Huli-huli chicken is a popular Hawaiian grilled chicken dish, marinated in a sweet pineapple teriyaki-style sauce. The sauce is what gives the dish its distinctive flavour, and there are many different recipes for it. The key ingredients in most huli-huli sauces are pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, ginger, and garlic. Some recipes also include sriracha, sesame oil, sherry, kosher salt, mustard powder, black pepper, white wine, and lime juice. The sauce can be used as a marinade, a mop sauce to baste the chicken, or a pour-over sauce to serve on the side.
To make huli-huli sauce, simply add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. If you're using the sauce as a marinade, it's best to let the mixture sit for a few hours to allow the flavours to blend. Then, add the chicken and marinate for at least two hours, or up to eight hours for a stronger flavour. When you're ready to cook, grill the chicken over medium-high heat, basting often and flipping once the meat starts to caramelise. For an authentic experience, cook the chicken on an outdoor wood-fired grill, using kiawe wood for a deep, smoky flavour.
If you're ever on the Big Island of Hawaii, you can sample some famous huli-huli chicken at GJ's roadside stand. They set up in different locations from Thursday to Sunday, and the aroma of their chicken is said to be irresistible!
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Huli huli chicken history
Huli huli chicken is a grilled chicken dish in Hawaiian cuisine. It was created in 1954 or 1955 by Ernest Morgado of the Pacific Poultry Company in ʻEwa, Hawaii. Morgado, a naval intelligence officer during World War II, founded the company with Mike Asagi, a chicken farmer. The pair first barbecued chicken in a teriyaki-like sauce—Morgado's mother's recipe—at a meeting with farmers. After seeing its popularity, Morgado began cooking huli huli chicken at fundraisers.
The dish is prepared by barbecuing a chicken over mesquite wood and basting it with a sweet huli huli sauce. The chicken can be cooked on a grill or a rotisserie. It is regularly basted with the glaze and turned over ("huli-ed"). "'Huli' is the Hawaiian word for 'turn'", and as the dish was originally made on a grill with a makeshift spit, onlookers shouted "huli" when the chickens needed to be rotated.
Huli huli chicken is typically marinated for at least an hour, and preferably longer, but not exceeding eight hours, as the chicken will become too salty. The longer the chicken sits in the marinade, the better. It is then grilled until charred and caramelised. The marinade is made with a pineapple juice and soy sauce base, with additional ingredients such as brown sugar, ketchup, ginger, garlic, and green onions.
Huli huli chicken is often sold at roadside stands and fundraisers in Hawaii. It is also served in restaurants, mini-marts, and drive-ins.
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Frequently asked questions
Randy's Huli Chicken and Ribs in Kealakekua is a popular spot for Huli Huli chicken on the Big Island. It is a BBQ joint that is open on Thursdays and Fridays. Another famous spot is GJ's roadside Huli Huli chicken stand, which is set up in Hawi, Kawaihae, Waimea, and Honokaa from Thursday to Sunday.
Huli Huli chicken is a grilled chicken dish in Hawaiian cuisine. It is prepared by barbecuing a chicken over mesquite wood and basting it with a sweet huli-huli sauce. It was created in 1955 by Ernest Morgado of Pacific Poultry.
Besides Huli Huli chicken, you can try other Hawaiian dishes such as roast pig, poke bowls, loco moco, and macaroni salad. You can also find roadside stands, mini-marts, and drive-ins serving dishes like ribs, brisket, and chicken mac and cheese.
Firstly, marinate the chicken for at least an hour but not more than 8 hours, as it may become too salty. The chicken is then grilled or cooked on a rotisserie and basted with a glaze. Most recipes for the glaze include pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, honey or brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic.
