Tender, juicy oven-baked chicken thighs marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and brown sugar for an easy, flavorful chicken dinner.
Smoky Flavored Hawaiian Pulehu Chicken
I love that this chicken only needs 2 hours to marinate. That’s not bad at all for how much flavor you get! The soy sauce, garlic, ginger and sesame oil give the chicken so much flavor and the brown sugar adds just a little sweetness to balance everything out. I think this is a great recipe to make extra of so you can slice up the leftovers and throw them on top of a salad for lunch the next day. You can also grill the chicken instead of baking it if you’d rather cook outside. I’ve included grilling instructions in the notes section of the recipe card! We served ours with salad and it was such an easy, delicious dinner. (This recipe is adapted from Pulehu chicken on The Top Meal. It was originally a grilled chicken recipe but I baked in the oven instead).
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs–or boneless skinless chicken breasts (adjust cooking time)
- Soy sauce–I used low sodium soy sauce
- Garlic powder
- Ground ginger
- Kosher salt
- Sesame oil
- Lemon juice–fresh is best
- Brown sugar
- Black pepper
Steps
In a bowl stir together all ingredients except the chicken.
Add the chicken into the bowl and stir so that the chicken is coated in the marinade.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Heat oven to 425° F. Place chicken pieces on a sprayed baking sheet (foil helps with clean up), shake off excess marinade.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Middle of chicken should be 165° F.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with rice and broccoli.
- Sprinkle the finished chicken with sesame seeds and sliced green onions for a little color and crunch.
- I love recipes where I can do the prep work earlier in the day! You can get the chicken marinating in the morning and have it ready to cook at dinnertime. Two to eight hours is a great marinating window. You can also combine the raw chicken and marinade in a freezer bag and freeze immediately. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. This is a great way to prep an easy dinner for another day.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for 4 days. Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with sesame oil are Ponzu Chicken and Instant Pot Cupbop Korean Beef.
- Tools:
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Tender and Smoky Flavored Hawaiian Pulehu Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Tender, juicy oven-baked chicken thighs marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and brown sugar for an easy, flavorful chicken dinner.
Ingredients
- 32 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
Instructions
- In a bowl stir together all ingredients except the chicken.
- Add the chicken into the bowl and stir so that the chicken is coated in the marinade.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Heat oven to 425° F. Place chicken pieces on a sprayed baking sheet (foil helps with clean up), shake off excess marinade.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Middle of chicken should be 165° F.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
You can substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts for the thighs. Marinate as directed, then bake at 425°F for 18–25 minutes, depending on thickness, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. For more even cooking, pound thicker breasts to a uniform thickness before marinating. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing to keep it nice and juicy.
To grill chicken: Heat grill to 425° F and cook chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Baking
More Chicken recipes…
BBQ Mississippi Mud Chicken
An easy oven-baked chicken thigh recipe with barbecue sauce, ranch dressing and melted cheddar cheese for a family-friendly dinner that’s packed with flavor.
Summertime Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros
An easy and delicious way to make chicken gyros served with a creamy homemade tzatziki sauce and warm pita bread.
Cheesy Garlic Butter Chicken
An easy 20-minute chicken dinner made with tender bites of chicken, garlic butter, herbs and melty mozzarella.
Simple Garlic Parmesan Butter Chicken
Tender, juicy pieces of seasoned chicken cooked in a skillet and finished with a buttery garlic Parmesan sauce for a quick and easy dinner.
4-Ingredient Monterey Chicken Bake
An easy oven-baked chicken dinner topped with barbecue sauce, crispy bacon and melty Monterey Jack cheese. Make an extra pan for leftovers or to freeze!
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Leave a Reply