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Home » Tacos » Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Tacos

Published: Jan 22, 2019 · Modified: Mar 31, 2019 by Karly · This post may contain affiliate links

Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Tacos

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Take a break from the ordinary and serve up these Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Tacos topped with a fresh pineapple, mango, and avocado salsa for dinner this Taco Tuesday!
overhead view of five hawaiian huli huli chicken tacos with pineapple, mango, and avocado salsa. fresh limes are scattered around the tacos, as well as chopped cilantro.

It may be the dead of winter around here, but that doesn’t mean we can’t escape to a tropical paradise, and that’s exactly what we do when we make these spectacular Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Tacos.

what is huli huli chicken?

Huli Huli is traditionally a grilled chicken dish over mesquite, that’s basted with a sweet and salty tropical marinade consisting of:

  • pineapple juice
  • soy sauce
  • fresh ginger

overhead view of a clear bowl with raw chicken and huli huli chicken marinade.

The sauce is rounded off with ketchup, chicken broth, brown sugar, and garlic, for immense flavor.

how do I keep this recipe gluten free?

It’s very easy, actually! We’re serving these tacos on corn tortillas instead of flour, and you can utilize your favorite gluten free soy sauce, or tamari!

overhead view of bowls containing ingredients to make hawaiian huli huli chicken tacos, and a cutting board with cooked chicken breasts and tortillas.overhead view of a plate containing five hawaiian huli huli chicken tacos, with fresh limes, and small bowls of cilantro and sea salt.

what if I don’t have a grill?

More often than not, I whip out my grill pan instead. But you can absolutely make this huli huli chicken in a regular, large skillet as well, you just won’t have the pretty grill marks on it.

I prefer to use a pan that’s a bit higher-sided so I can fit a lid over it when the chicken is cooking, but if you pound out the chicken to a thinner, even size, you can skip the lid, because the chicken will cook very quickly then.

overhead view of five hawaiian huli huli chicken tacos with pineapple, mango, and avocado salsa, with loose lime slices.side view of a plate of hawaiian huli huli chicken tacos with pineapple, mango, and avocado salsa with two small bowls of cilantro and sea salt in the background.

pineapple, mango, and avocado salsa

I would honestly say it’s more like a fresh pico de gallo than a true salsa, but it’s every bit as delicious.

You definitely want to grab a fresh mango and avocado, but you can use canned pineapple if you prefer. I know cutting up a pineapple can be a pain sometimes.

Dice everything up into a uniform size, and mix with cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of salt.

The flavors really complement and even out the sweet and salty of the huli huli chicken tacos.

side view of hawaiian huli huli chicken tacos with a hand squeezing a fresh lime wedge over the tacos.

You really can’t go wrong with street tacos, and these Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Tacos will make a wonderful addition to any taco lineup, and a fun flavor profile for your Taco Tuesday pursuits. Who’s ready to eat?!

eat more tacos

  • deconstructed falafel pita tacos
  • carne asada tacos
  • breakfast tacos
  • pulled pork quesadilla tacos

Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Tacos

Take a break from the ordinary and serve up these Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken Tacos topped with a fresh pineapple, mango, and avocado salsa for dinner this Taco Tuesday!
5 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Hawaiian, Mexican
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 411kcal
Author: Karly Gomez

Ingredients

Huli Huli Chicken

  • ½ cup pineapple juice
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons ketchup
  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons chicken broth
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons fresh ginger minced
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic minced
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 24 mini corn tortillas

Pineapple, Mango, Avocado Salsa

  • 1 cup pineapple diced
  • 1 cup fresh mango diced
  • 1 cup avocado diced
  • ½ cup cilantro chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • pinch sea salt
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, chicken broth, ginger, and garlic. Reserve 1 cup of the marinade in a separate bowl and set aside. Add the chicken to the main bowl and coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, add the pineapple, mango, avocado, cilantro, and lime juice. Toss gently to combine, then sprinkle with sea salt, cover, and set aside.
  • Heat a grill pan over medium heat and gently brush with oil or cooking spray. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade, then grill, covered, for 6-8 minutes per side, or until no longer pink and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion reads 165 degrees. Baste occasionally with reserved marinade, then dice the chicken into small pieces. 
  • Divide the chicken and salsa between the tortillas and serve immediately.

Notes

Divide the reserved marinade before basting to avoid contamination, so you can use half to drizzle over finished tacos, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 789mg | Potassium: 928mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 525IU | Vitamin C: 30.1mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1.8mg
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photo-accessoriesCanon EOS 6D | Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens

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About Karly

From her childhood home in Southern Minnesota, Karly embraces the crazy of everyday life by creating delicious dishes her family and friends love, while experimenting with new flavors and techniques and photographing the results. Karly’s love for beautiful foods and joy for creating is infectious to all who meet her.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emily Fritsch says

    July 05, 2020 at 7:39 pm

    5 stars
    This is delicious! Do you think I could cook ahead of time and freeze?

    Reply
    • Shelley Donahue says

      February 11, 2023 at 7:07 am

      5 stars
      I used chicken tenders instead of breasts which I think allows the chicken so soak up more marinade, cook faster and chops quicker. I wish I had seen the note about dividing the reserve! I’m actually thinking that the next time I might cook it down a little so that it’s more of a drizzle. I used frozen fruit, because I was trying to clear out my freezer. This was fine for the pineapple but not so much the mango but it was still delicious. The tortillas shells didn’t do much for me. All of your pictures look like they had been cooked. I only heated mine in the microwave. I might try that next time or maybe flour. But we loved this!

      Reply
  2. Shadi Hasanzadenemati says

    January 22, 2019 at 5:55 pm

    5 stars
    I love Hawaiian flavors! This chicken taco looks so flavorful and it will be a nice twist on the classic taco Tuesday!

    Reply
  3. Holly says

    January 22, 2019 at 4:42 pm

    5 stars
    Tacos are my love language and these look amazing. I loved this recipe!

    Reply

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author karly gomez of a simple pantry with a background of red bell peppers
Hi, I'm Karly! Welcome to A Simple Pantry, where you’ll find inspiration for any meal and every occasion with tried-and-tested recipes, step-by-step tutorials, and occasional cooking videos that help you prepare easy gourmet dishes the whole family will love.
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i prefer margaritas and sitting in the shade to piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.

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