Huli Huli Chicken (keto)

Huli is the Hawaiian word for “turn.” As the dish was originally made on a grill with a makeshift spit, onlookers shouted “huli” when the chickens were ready to be rotated for cooking and basting the other side.

Note: The carbs are kept low because only 1/8 cup marinade, per serving, is used as a glaze.


Huli Huli Chicken
Serves 4 // 555.4 calories, 29.9gfat, 64.5g protein, 6.59g net carbs

MARINADE
2/3 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup packed Swerve “brown” sweetener (1/2 C. honey, if not keto)
1/2 cup Primal ketchup
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1/4 cup lime juice (2 limes)
1/2 cup soy sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
CHICKEN
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Grapeseed or canola oil, for brushing the grill grate

Combine all sauce ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well mixed. Alternatively, you can grind the garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle, adding liquid ingredients a little at a time. Reserve and refrigerate 1/4 cup of the marinade for basting the chicken later.

In a large bowl or resealable plastic bag, add the chicken to the remaining marinade, and stir or shake until the chicken is evenly coated. If using a bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1–8 hours (more, and the chicken will get quite salty), turning the chicken several times. Remove chicken from the refrigerator an hour before you start cooking to lose the chill and reduce the cooking time.

GRILLED VERSION

When you’re ready to cook, oil your grill grates well. Heat the grill to low-medium.
METHOD 1: Add the chicken to the grill, cover, and cook 25 to 35 minutes, basting with reserved marinade and turning
every 4 minutes (huli, huli!). Cook until the chicken has an internal temp of at least 165 degrees.
METHOD 2: Reduce the 1/4 cup marinade to a syrup. Grill, as above, then glaze with the reduced marinade
 just before taking the chicken off the heat.

BAKED VERSION

Bake chicken at 350 degrees, basting and turning every 4 minutes, and start checking temperature of the meat after 20 minutes. Cook until the chicken has an internal temp of at least 165 degrees. If needed, broil for 5 minutes for a deeper glaze.

Serve immediately. Traditional accompaniments are coconut rice, baked yams, and/or grilled pineapple slices. For keto folk, a chopped salad of cucumbers and tomatoes with a lemon juice dressing sets off the sweetness of the grilled chicken nicely..