What is the name of the Hawaiian grilled chicken with sweet soy-ginger glaze?

The Hawaiian grilled chicken with a sweet soy-ginger glaze is called huli-huli chicken. It is traditionally grilled or roasted while being turned and basted with a sweet, savory sauce.

The dish was created in Hawaii by Ernest Morgado and Mike Asagi. In 1955, they served chicken cooked in a teriyaki-like sauce at a gathering for farmers. Its popularity led Morgado to prepare it at fundraising events, where it became a familiar Hawaiian community-food tradition.

The name comes from huli, a Hawaiian word meaning “turn.” Early cooks used a makeshift revolving spit, and people reportedly called out “huli” when the chicken needed to be rotated. Morgado later trademarked the term huli-huli in 1967, so the name is associated with a specific Hawaiian dish rather than generic teriyaki chicken.

Recipes vary because Morgado did not publicly release the original sauce formula. Common versions combine soy sauce, pineapple juice, ginger, garlic, ketchup, honey or brown sugar, and sesame oil. The pineapple and sugar help create the characteristic glossy glaze, while repeated turning and basting build flavor as the chicken cooks.