Huli Huli: The Delicious Tropical BBQ Sauce With Built-In Instructions

Barbecue is a major source of pride in the U.S., and every region has their specialty meat smothered, basted, or accompanied by a specific type of BBQ sauce. While we tend to associate barbecue with the American South, heading further south to the state of Hawaii will unveil an entirely new BBQ sauce that you need to try.

Huli Huli is a Hawaiian take on teriyaki sauce made with spicy aromatics like ginger, garlic, soy sauce, a sweetener like honey, brown sugar, and an acidic component like juice, vinegar, or citrus. It was invented and later trademarked by Hawaiian-native businessman Ernest Morgado in 1955. Morgado used his mother's teriyaki sauce to baste the barbecued chicken he served to a group of farmers. Its initial success among locals expanded to include city-wide fundraisers, and it's now a recipe served throughout Hawaii.

An amalgamation of Hawaii's tropical ecology, native culinary traditions, and large Asian population, Huli Huli is the name of the sauce and the instructions on how to apply it. Meaning "turn turn" in Hawaiian, Huli Huli refers to the Hawaiian cooking method of rotisserie-style chicken cooked in rotating grill baskets over an open fire. The chicken needed a few rotations for even cooking, prompting cooks to proclaim "huli" at each turn. Once Huli Huli sauce was invented, however, the instructions expanded to include a basting at every turn. Huli Huli chicken is as popular a recipe as the sauce alone, and all of them have nuanced takes.

Morgado's recipe for Huli Huli sauce is a mystery protected by a trademarked seal, but that hasn't stopped Hawaiians from creating their own versions. Most recipes use honey, brown sugar, or a combination of both to counter the salty, umami-rich soy sauce and spicy bite of ginger, and garlic. However, newer recipes have added acid and sweetness with ketchup, more umami-richness with Worcestershire sauce, and more heat with store-bought hot sauces like Sriracha. Sesame oil is another crucial ingredient that adds nuttiness and fat that'll help the sauce adhere to the chicken as it grills. Many recipes also supplement it with sherry or rice vinegar for more acidity.

Chicken is the main subject for Huli Huli sauce, but it'd also taste delicious with pork, which is another popular protein in Hawaii. You could also use the sauce to quickly marinate shrimp skewers or brush onto a fish filet before throwing them on the grill. Hawaiian barbecue traditions also come with their own set of sides. Serve Huli Huli chicken or pork accompanied by this recipe for Hawaiian macaroni salad, fried rice, or Hawaiian-style coleslaw.  You can also make Huli Huli chicken sliders out of the equally iconic and historic King's Hawaiian rolls.