Hawaiian honeymoon chicken
I created this recipe in Hawaii, on my honeymoon – how appropriate! This is a sweet/sour creation – the reduced pineapple is tangy and delicious. It may be a tad more work than unscrewing a jar of store-bought marinade, but boy it’s good and well worth it! I like getting the chicken thighs with the bone in-skin on, myself, buy can can take the skin off (you can also try it with drumsticks if you like). If you use boneless skinless thighs, they will only need about half an hour in the oven and you might need a few more. You can cook these on the BBQ over a medium-low heat if you like; just use the hotplate not the grill as the marinade will burn. Mahalo and enjoy.
Ingredients
8-12 chicken thighs (I use bone-in, skin on)
3 cups pineapple juice
1 onion, grated
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp ginger juice (made by finely grating ginger and squeezing out the juice)
1/2 cup dark rum (optional)
3 tbsp brown or palm sugar
2 tbsp peanut or rice bran oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
Zest and juice of 2 limes
Dash of chilli sauce
Fresh coriander, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 190c regular bake.
To make the glaze, combine the pineapple juice, onion, ginger juice, garlic and rum (if using) in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Keep simmering until about 3/4 of the mixture has evaporated – so you only have a quarter of the original amount left. It might take about 30 minutes. It should be thickened (it will thicken more as it cools too).
Add the sugar, oil, soy sauce, lime zest and juice, and a dash of chilli (if using). Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Using a sharp knife, make a series of cuts into the chicken across the skin and into the flesh so the glaze can soak in. Brush each piece all over with the glaze. Place on a baking/roasting tray and cook in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes.
Brush with more glaze every 10 minutes.
Now, if you like, you can either transfer the chicken to a preheated BBQ grill and cook for a few minutes each side (adds great flavour and char marks). Or, turn the oven to grill on medium and finish them off if they haven’t browned up. This will help render the fat out of the skin, too. Don’t leave it too long or the marinade may burn.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime. If you want it saltier, add another splash of soy sauce as well (I do!). These are great served with coconut rice and a nice fresh salad.
If you have any leftover marinade, you can strain it and serve it as a little extra sauce!
Blooming Beautiful and the kids loved them. I have all your cookbooks and absolutely love them. This is the first time I have made your Hawaiian Chicken, yum!!!!
Oh no ive added the soy in before ive reduced the glaze will it matter??
Do you think this recipe would work in a slow cooker?
Yum!! I can’t wait I try this. I’m always running out of dinner ideas. Thank you :)
I’ll be making this for a hawaiian graduation celebration for about 50 people how much chicken should I cook and what is the degree ==190c?
Lastly can I make it 3 days in advance or more and freeze?
Hi Chelsea, I had trouble making the glaze. It didn’t thicken, so I tried again and same thing. Do I simmer till it’s quite thick? I gave it 30mins but maybe longer? It still was beautiful, everyone loved it.
Made this tonight and a huge hit. I thickened the left over glaze sauce with cornflour and some was used on top as a gravy once dished and have some left for another meal. Delish! Nearly didn’t put rum in it as had none, but then had a brain wave to buy small shot size bottle from the Liquour store .
Just giving this recipe ago tonight, and it’s smelling so devine right now. Can’t wait to see and taste this one. I’ve been hanging 10 for awhile on making this lol
Hi Chelsea
Would really enjoy making the Hawaiian chicken dish could you please tell how to make the coconut rice mine never tastes of coconut
Thankyou so much
Patricia
Hi Chelsea,
We made this recipe today for Father’s Day! The aroma is beautiful and can get that cheeky taste of rum too! I marinaded my chicken for a few hours. Used your recipe but added some green chilli and coriander to marinade for a spicy twist! Delish with the pineapple juice! Keep up the great work Chelsea! Dad and I continue to be great fans of your recipes!
Hi Chelsea, Just making this as we speak and it is smelling delicious!!!
Just wondering if you can the marinade up in a big batch and then freeze it? Then defrost to marinade meat for mid-week dinners?? Or bag up chicken in the marinade and freeze??
Sure thing!
Hi Chels, any ideas on what I can use as a substitute for rum? Half a cup of liquid seems like a lot to be “optional”. Or is it that good that I should just buy a wee bottle…?
It’s up to you! It does add a nice flavour… you can use more pineapple juice, but it’s all just going to reduce down anyway.
Hi Chelsea I am going to cook this recipe, could you please advise if the pineapple juice is unsweetened? Thanks Diane, Melbourne Australia
Yes it is.
Hi, can anyone suggest a brand of unsweetened pineapple juice? Sending Mum to do shopping before I arrive in town, want to make sure we get the right stuff. Ta :)
You should maybe update the recipe to say that. It has been simmering for 30 mins and I didn’t know I needed unsweetened. ) :
Hi Chelsea,
I have finally got your book (got it from Mighty Ape as it was the only place I could find it).
I am so happy to be able to read all the recipes but tonight, I will be making the Hawaiian Chicken.
thanks so much for writing this lovely book, it helps making decisions on dinner.
cheers and best of luck with all.
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Ho, the hawaiian glazed chook thighs…can you leave them to soak in over night before cooking?
Sure thing Nikki!
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Hi Chelsey,
Love your recipes and especially the porkbelly I cooked a few times.
Can I cook a pork roast in a similar way and time?
Looks a little bit more classy for Christmas, but don’t want to spoil it.
Thank you kindly.
Hi Laurina, do you mean the same as the pork belly or the chicken?
Yum, made these tonight. I used chicken nibbles and served with coconut rice. I had some leftover glaze so made glazed carrots with it. It was a hit with fussy mr 5 and mr 18 months.
We just finished dinner. This was so good but I had so much marinade left over. Instead of throwing it out, I made a gravy. I had to ‘push’ it throw a sieve. So glad I didn’t waste this, every one loved it poured over the chicken and rice. Will try this again but might start early so the marinade has more time to do its thing. The rum was a nice twist to the whole dish. Thanks….MSG
What an amazing chicken dish, I made this for tea along side a roast vege salad and it was delicious. The lime and pineapple just tastes amazing. Cheers Chelsea. Bring on the next recipe, x
When I’m stumped for an idea for dinner, I usually ask my neighbour what she’s having. We, on the odd occasion sometimes either have the same thing on the ‘boil’ or are as stumped as each other. But today, I’m not struggling for something to cook. I’m making your Hawaiian Glazed Chucken. So far it smells really nice, even with the dark rum. Fingers crossed no one turns their noses up at it. It’s hard trying to please everyone all the time but will be happy to please a few, half the time.
My hubby a great cook I’m sure he will love to try these
Hi Chelsea, hope your holiday is going really well. love the chicken recipe and am going to try it this week. saw you cook book in the warehouse this weekend and put it on my Christmas list. looks lovely and I have been keeping your recipes off Facebook too.
thanks for the lovely messages you send, something to read nearly every day.