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Hawaiian bbq chicken, grilled pineapples, rice, Hawaiian macaroni salad on a tray.
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4.25 from 4 votes

Hawaiian BBQ

Cook up some Hawaiian bbq chicken on the grill or air fryer in about 30 minutes. A quick Hawaiian bbq sauce gives the chicken so much sweet and savory flavor, it's sure to be a hit!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Hawaiian
Keyword: hawaiian bbq, hawaiian bbq chicken, hawaiian chicken recipe
Servings: 8
Calories: 459kcal

Equipment

  • Grill or Air Fryer 
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Pastry Brush

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chicken thighs about 8 pieces
  • ½ cup BBQ sauce
  • 1 cup pineapple juice
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup brown sugar packed
  • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 8 ounce pineapple rings canned or fresh

Instructions

Make the Sauce:

  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together bbq sauce, pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and garlic powder until fully combined.
  • Bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it reduces. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl, the sauce will continue to thicken as it sits.
  • Place your chicken thighs on a tray and use a pastry brush to coat all sides of the chicken thighs evenly.

Directions for Grilling:

  • Preheat your grill to medium-high heat then place the chicken thighs on the grill, brush on more of the bbq sauce and cook for 7 minutes.
  • Next, flip each piece, brush more sauce on and add the pineapples to the grill. Close and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
  • Serve with rice and Hawaiian macaroni salad.

Directions using an Air Fryer:

  • Place half of the thighs into the air fryer basket (cook in two batches to avoid crowding) and cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
  • Pull out the basket, flip the thighs and brush on more sauce, add the pineapples to the basket and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 459kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 167mg | Sodium: 723mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg