Huli Huli Chicken Drumsticks
Life is too short for boring chicken! These juicy Huli Huli Chicken Drumsticks bring a taste of Hawaii right to your backyard (or kitchen). Sweet, savory, and packed with flavor from our homemade Huli Huli sauce, these drumsticks are slathered, marinated, and grilled to sticky perfection. Whether you use an outdoor grill or an indoor grill pan, they’re easy enough for weeknights yet special enough for weekend cookouts.
Huli Huli Chicken is a beloved Hawaiian classic. Traditionally, a whole chicken is grilled over an open fire using mesquite wood and turned frequently (huli means “to turn” in Hawaiian) while being generously basted with a sweet and savory teriyaki-style sauce. The result is tender, juicy chicken with sticky, caramelized edges and incredible flavor.
Here on the ranch, we’ve simplified it for everyday cooking by using easy chicken drumsticks and an indoor grill pan. You still get all that amazing Hawaiian-inspired taste — sweet, savory, garlicky, and a little smoky — without needing a big outdoor setup. It’s the perfect way to bring a taste of the islands to your table any time of year!
This post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase we might receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Our homemade Huli Huli BBQ sauce is the star of the show! Generously coat the chicken drumsticks with the sweet-savory sauce, then place them in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes. For the best flavor, we like to let them marinate for several hours or even overnight.
When you’re ready to cook, remove the drumsticks from the fridge and let them come to room temperature for about 30–60 minutes. Then place them on a hot grill (or grill pan) and baste them generously with the reserved sauce as they cook. This extra basting creates that beautiful sticky glaze and layers on even more delicious Hawaiian flavor.
Huli Huli Chicken Drumsticks Recipe:
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons ketchup
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons chicken stock, as needed
- ½ teaspoon fresh ginger, minced or crushed
- 1 teaspoons garlic, minced or crushed
- 8 Chicken Legs
Equipment Needed:
- Mixing Bowl
- Marinade Container
- Grill Pan or Indoor Grill
- Basting Mop
🥣 Recipe Tips
- Marinate for Maximum Flavor— While 1 hour works in a pinch, marinating the drumsticks for 4–12 hours (or overnight) gives the best results. The longer they soak in that sweet-savory Huli Huli sauce, the more flavorful and tender they become.
- Don’t Skip the Room Temperature Step –Always let the marinated chicken sit out for 30–60 minutes before grilling. Cold chicken on a hot grill causes the outside to dry out before the inside is fully cooked. This simple step keeps the drumsticks juicy and helps them cook more evenly.
- Make Extra Sauce— Double the Huli Huli BBQ sauce recipe! Use half for marinating and the other half for basting (plus extra for serving at the table). The sauce is also delicious on grilled pork, shrimp, or vegetables.
How to make Huli Huli BBQ Sauce:
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, minced fresh ginger, and garlic until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Add chicken stock a little at a time until the sauce reaches a nice, spreadable consistency — it should be thick enough to cling to the chicken but thin enough to brush on easily.
- Important tip: Divide the sauce in half. Use one portion to marinate the drumsticks and reserve the other half in a separate bowl for basting during grilling. Never use the marinade sauce for basting unless you boil it first, as it’s been in contact with raw chicken.
- Place the chicken drumsticks in a casserole dish, large zip-top bag, or other marinade container. Pour half of the prepared Huli Huli BBQ sauce over the drumsticks, turning them to coat evenly on all sides.
- Important: Remember to keep the other half of the sauce in a separate bowl — this reserved portion will be used for basting later while grilling. Do not use the marinade sauce for basting unless it has been boiled first.
- Cover the dish (or seal the bag) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. For the best flavor and juiciest results, we recommend marinating them for several hours or even overnight.
How to grill Huli Huli Chicken Drumsticks:
- Remove the marinated drumsticks from the refrigerator and let them sit on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes so they can come to room temperature.
Helpful tip: Never place cold chicken straight onto a hot grill. The outside will overcook and dry out before the inside reaches the proper temperature. Giving the drumsticks time to lose their chill helps them cook more evenly and stay nice and juicy.
- Heat your indoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, lightly rub or spray the surface with cooking oil to prevent sticking.
- Using tongs, carefully place the drumsticks on the hot grill, making sure they are not touching each other. This allows the heat to circulate evenly around each piece for the best sear and even cooking.
- As the drumsticks begin to grill, generously brush or mop them with the reserved Huli Huli sauce using a pastry brush or BBQ mop.
- Flip the chicken and continue basting with sauce on each side.
- Sear the drumsticks for about 4–6 minutes per side until they develop a beautiful golden-brown color and those irresistible caramelized edges.
- Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking the drumsticks, turning occasionally and basting with more of the reserved Huli Huli sauce as needed. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the drumstick (away from the bone). (This final lower-heat stage helps the chicken cook through gently while allowing that sticky-sweet glaze to caramelize beautifully without burning.)
These Huli Huli Chicken Drumsticks bring a little taste of Hawaii to our ranch table, and they never disappoint! Juicy on the inside with a sweet, sticky, caramelized glaze on the outside — they’re everything you want in grilled chicken.
Serve them hot off the grill with rice, grilled pineapple rings, and some fresh vegetables (or our Grilled Veggie Kabobs) for a meal that feels like a tropical getaway. Leftovers are fantastic the next day, too — perfect for salads, wraps, or quick lunches.
Give this recipe a try the next time you’re craving something different from the usual barbecue chicken. Your family will be asking for it again and again!
From our grill to yours — happy cooking, friends!
🥣 Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons ketchup
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons chicken stock as needed
- ½ teaspoon ginger fresh minced or crushed
- 1 teaspoons garlic minced or crushed
- 8 Chicken Legs
Instructions
How to make Huli Huli BBQ Sauce:
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, minced fresh ginger, and garlic until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Add chicken stock a little at a time until the sauce reaches a nice, spreadable consistency — it should be thick enough to cling to the chicken but thin enough to brush on easily.Important tip: Divide the sauce in half. Use one portion to marinate the drumsticks and reserve the other half in a separate bowl for basting during grilling. Never use the marinade sauce for basting unless you boil it first, as it’s been in contact with raw chicken.
Marinade the Chicken
- Place the chicken drumsticks in a casserole dish, large zip-top bag, or other marinade container. Pour half of the prepared Huli Huli BBQ sauce over the drumsticks, turning them to coat evenly on all sides.Important: Remember to keep the other half of the sauce in a separate bowl — this reserved portion will be used for basting later while grilling. Do not use the marinade sauce for basting unless it has been boiled first..
- Cover the dish (or seal the bag) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. For the best flavor and juiciest results, we recommend marinating them for several hours or even overnight
Grilling the Huli Huli Chicken Drumsticks:
- Remove the marinated drumsticks from the refrigerator and let them sit on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes so they can come to room temperature.Helpful tip: Never place cold chicken straight onto a hot grill. The outside will overcook and dry out before the inside reaches the proper temperature. Giving the drumsticks time to lose their chill helps them cook more evenly and stay nice and juicy.
- Heat your indoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, lightly rub or spray the surface with cooking oil to prevent sticking.
- Using tongs, carefully place the drumsticks on the hot grill, making sure they are not touching each other. This allows the heat to circulate evenly around each piece for the best sear and even cooking.
- As the drumsticks begin to grill, generously brush or mop them with the reserved Huli Huli sauce using a pastry brush or BBQ mop.
- Flip the chicken and continue basting with sauce on each side.Sear the drumsticks for about 4–6 minutes per side until they develop a beautiful golden-brown color and those irresistible caramelized edges.
- Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking the drumsticks, turning occasionally and basting with more of the reserved Huli Huli sauce as needed.
- Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the drumstick (away from the bone). (This final lower-heat stage helps the chicken cook through gently while allowing that sticky-sweet glaze to caramelize beautifully without burning.)
- Serve them hot off the grill with rice, grilled pineapple rings, and some fresh vegetables (or our Grilled Veggie Kabobs) for a meal that feels like a tropical getaway. Leftovers are fantastic the next day, too — perfect for salads, wraps, or quick lunches.
Notes
Nutrition
Don’t forget to Pin to save this Huli Huli Chicken Drumsticks Recipe
This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, we might receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Please read our Disclosure Policy.
