Hawaiian Chicken Thighs

Last updated on January 29th, 2026

For me, anything sweet and pineapple flavored just reminds me of summer! And it’s time to soak it in because it’ll be over before we know it. We have this Maple tree in the front yard, and every year it’s one of our first trees to change color – signifying that Fall is near! I LOVE Fall, it’s my favorite season. But I am not ready for it yet! As this leaf mocked me from the window, it lit a fire under me and…these chicken thighs! The first thing I did when I noticed that leaf was turn on Hawaii Life! I then started to furiously juice a pineapple and immediately fired up the grill! These Hawaiian Chicken Thighs felt like a tropical little getaway on the back patio! I have been obsessed with using the grill lately and my 3-year-old was obsessed with the fact that I was grilling pineapple! He kept telling me over and over that you can’t grill it! Definity blew his mind with this one! The family loved it!

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So wait, pineapple with…chicken?

Yes, these flavors pair together so well, and they particularly shine when grilled! This sweet and smoky flavor profile most commonly associated with “Hawaiian chicken” traces back to a dish called Huli-Huli Chicken, which originated in Hawaii in the 1950s! “Huli” means “to turn” in Hawaiian.

This dish got its name because the chicken was traditionally cooked between two grates and flipped repeatedly over mesquite wood. It was common to use chicken thighs due to their higher fat content, leaving the chicken moist even when continuously flipped!

What ingredients do I need for these Hawaiian chicken thighs?

For the marinade:

Pineapple
Chicken Thighs
Garlic
Soy Sauce
Olive Oil
Cilantro
Sesame Oil
Brown Sugar
Salt
Black Pepper
Cayenne
Water

For grilling and serving:

Pineapple
Olive Oil
Cilantro

Equipment Needed:

• Cutting Board
• Chef Knife
• Large Tupperware with a Tight-Fitting Lid
• Grill
• Grill Tongs
• Spatula
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Meat Thermometer

How do I make it?

The first step is to make our Hawaiian chicken marinade! Because this recipe calls for fresh pineapple juice, the chicken doesn’t need to marinate for very long! Bromelain is a powerful proteolytic enzyme found naturally in pineapples! When used in a marinade it acts as a little hack for making meat ultra tender in record time! This is great for tougher cuts like chicken thighs or pork shoulder! Because of the bromelain’s tenderizing superpower, it’s best not to marinate your chicken past the 1-hour mark as it can break down the chicken into…mush!

As an alternative, you could use canned pineapple juice which often has deactivated bromelain due to heat treatment during the preserving process! Using a canned substitute would be good if you are trying to marinate your meat hours before cooking it!

To make the marinade:

Mince the garlic and cilantro. Next cut the pineapple into rounds and juice some chunks to get about half of a cup of fresh juice. Get some of the chunks in there too! Set the rest of the pineapple rounds to the side until ready to use and whisk all remaining marinade ingredients besides the chicken in a large bowl.

Using your hands, toss the chicken in the marinade until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to one hour.

To grill the Hawaiian chicken thighs:

Preheat grill to medium-high for a few minutes. Brush some oil on the grates and grill chicken thighs for 5-6 minutes.

Flip and turn the heat down to medium, grill a few minutes longer.

Open the grill and flip the thighs again. Keep flipping them and rolling them around for a few minutes more, turning the heat down if needed or removing to indirect heat if experiencing a lot of flare ups. Chicken is done when it has reached an internal temp of 165 F.

Remove thighs to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm while you grill the pineapple.

To grill the pineapple and serve:

Oil the grates some more, turn grill to medium and grill pineapple rounds for 3 minutes on each side.

Garnish Hawaiian Chicken Thighs and pineapple with cilantro and enjoy!

Loved these chicken thighs? Check out some more of my tropical recipes!

• Tropical Banana Bread
• Vodka Summer Sunrise
• Kiwi Mango Daiquiri