Are you planning to make some delicious Huli Huli chicken but wondering what sides would complement this Hawaiian favorite? You’re not alone! This sweet and savory chicken dish with its irresistible pineapple-soy sauce marinade deserves the perfect accompaniments to create a memorable meal
I’ve put together this comprehensive guide of what to serve with Huli Huli chicken to help you create a balanced and flavorful menu From tropical rice dishes to refreshing salads and everything in between, these side dishes will transport you straight to the Hawaiian islands!
What is Huli Huli Chicken?
Before diving into the sides, let’s quickly understand what makes Huli Huli chicken special. This famous Hawaiian dish features chicken marinated in a sweet and savory sauce made primarily with pineapple juice and soy sauce. The name “Huli” means “turn” in Hawaiian, referring to how the chicken is traditionally turned while cooking. The result is smoky, caramelized chicken with tropical flavors that’s hard to resist!
Best Side Dishes for Huli Huli Chicken
Rice and Grain Dishes
1. Pineapple RiceThis tropical rice dish is my absolute favorite with Huli Huli chicken! The rice is cooked in pineapple juice and coconut milk, creating a sweet and fragrant base that perfectly complements the chicken Add some lime juice, cilantro, and cashews for extra flavor and texture
2. Mexican Rice
For a flavorful alternative, try homemade Mexican rice with your Huli Huli chicken. The blend of vegetables like carrots and peas adds color and nutrition to your meal.
3. Brown Rice and Vegetables
If you’re looking for a healthier option, brown rice mixed with your favorite vegetables is both wholesome and satisfying. The nutty flavor of brown rice pairs wonderfully with the sweet and savory chicken.
4. Coconut Cauliflower Rice
Want a low-carb alternative? Coconut cauliflower rice gives you all the tropical flavors without the carbs. It’s light and fluffy with a subtle coconut flavor that works beautifully with Huli Huli chicken.
Pasta and Noodles
5. Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
No Hawaiian plate lunch is complete without macaroni salad! This creamy, slightly sweet side dish is a perfect match for the bold flavors of Huli Huli chicken.
6. Potato Mac Salad
Why choose between potato salad and mac salad when you can have both? This Hawaiian staple combines tender potatoes and al dente macaroni in a creamy, tangy dressing.
7. Feta Pasta
For something a bit different, try feta pasta. The rich, tangy cheese and fresh herbs create a Mediterranean twist that surprisingly pairs well with the tropical flavors of Huli Huli chicken.
8. Ohana Noodles
These sweet and savory noodles (inspired by Disney’s restaurant) make an excellent side for Huli Huli chicken. Add some veggies like cabbage, carrots, and green onions for extra nutrition and color.
Vegetables and Salads
9. Crispy Green Beans
Simple yet delicious, crispy green beans provide a nice textural contrast to the tender chicken. Add your favorite sauce or seasonings to customize the flavor.
10. Jicama Slaw
For a refreshing crunch, try a cilantro-jalapeño jicama slaw. The crisp jicama and red cabbage provide texture while the jalapeños add a spicy kick that cuts through the richness of the chicken.
11. Apple Spinach Salad
This refreshing salad combines baby spinach, apples, red onions, walnuts, cranberries, and goat cheese with a honey-mustard dressing. It’s a perfect light contrast to the bold flavors of Huli Huli chicken.
12. Smashed Asian Cucumber Salad
This cooling cucumber salad provides a welcome contrast to the sweet and smoky chicken. The garlicky, slightly spicy dressing complements the flavors of the Huli Huli marinade.
13. Lemon Butter Broccoli
In a rush? Lemon butter broccoli takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and offers a healthy, flavorful side option. The bright citrus notes work well with the sweet-savory chicken.
14. Grilled Vegetable Skewers
Since you’ll likely have the grill going for your chicken, why not throw on some vegetable skewers too? Bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and mushrooms pick up amazing smoky flavors from the grill.
Fruity Sides
15. Grilled Pineapple
Nothing screams “Hawaiian feast” like grilled pineapple! Dusted with a bit of brown sugar, the caramelized fruit develops gorgeous grill marks and becomes even sweeter – a perfect complement to your Huli Huli chicken.
16. Pineapple Salsa
Fresh and vibrant, pineapple salsa combines diced pineapples with bell peppers, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño for a sweet and spicy topping that’s perfect for spooning over your chicken.
Breads and Starchy Sides
17. Hawaiian Rolls
Soft and slightly sweet, Hawaiian rolls are perfect for soaking up the delicious sauce from your Huli Huli chicken. You can even make sliders with leftover chicken!
18. Rosemary Bread
A loaf of homemade rosemary bread offers a fragrant, herbaceous complement to the sweet and savory chicken flavors.
19. Twice-Baked Potatoes
Creamy, cheesy, and utterly delicious, twice-baked potatoes are always a crowd-pleaser and pair well with the bold flavors of Huli Huli chicken.
20. Onion Rings
If you’re serving Huli Huli chicken to kids (or kids at heart), crispy onion rings make a fun and appealing side dish that everyone will love.
Tips for Creating a Balanced Huli Huli Chicken Meal
When planning your menu, consider these tips for a well-rounded meal:
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Balance the flavors: Since Huli Huli chicken is sweet and savory, consider adding some sides with contrasting flavors like something tangy or spicy.
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Mix up the textures: Pair the tender chicken with crunchy vegetables or crispy sides for textural contrast.
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Think about colors: Create a visually appealing plate by including colorful sides like bright vegetables or fruits.
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Consider cooking methods: If you’re already grilling the chicken, utilize the grill for sides like vegetable skewers or grilled pineapple to streamline your cooking.
FAQ About Huli Huli Chicken Sides
What’s a traditional Hawaiian side for Huli Huli chicken?
Traditional Hawaiian sides include Hawaiian macaroni salad, potato mac salad, and steamed white rice – often served together as a “plate lunch.”
What’s a light side dish to balance the rich flavors of Huli Huli chicken?
Fresh salads like jicama slaw, cucumber salad, or a simple green salad provide a refreshing contrast to the rich, sweet chicken.
Can I prepare any of these sides ahead of time?
Yes! Many salads and slaws actually taste better after marinating for a few hours. Rice dishes can be made ahead and reheated, and most vegetable sides can be prepped in advance.
What’s the quickest side dish I can make with Huli Huli chicken?
Lemon butter broccoli, grilled pineapple, or a simple green salad are all quick options that take less than 10 minutes to prepare.
Final Thoughts
Huli Huli chicken is such a versatile main dish that it pairs beautifully with many different sides. Whether you’re going for an authentic Hawaiian feast or just looking for something delicious to round out your meal, these side dishes are sure to please.
My personal favorite combo is Huli Huli chicken with pineapple rice and jicama slaw – the mix of sweet, savory, and crunchy elements creates a perfect balance that makes me feel like I’m dining on a Hawaiian beach!
What will you serve with your Huli Huli chicken? I’d love to hear about your favorite combinations in the comments!
Happy cooking!
Huli Huli Chicken Sides
Huli Huli chicken tastes divine with homemade Mexican rice. It is an excellent rice dish featuring vegetables such as carrots and peas.
Follow the tagged recipe to cook yourself a meal and enjoy the two amazing dishes together.
Since having a chicken dish alone is boring, pair it with crispy green beans. Huli Huli chickens strong flavor tastes great with the beans, and you get a meal worth every bite.
You can also add a sauce to the mix and enjoy a flavorful food experience.
Charro beans contain boiled beans, bacon, thyme, and cumin powder as integral parts of the recipe. Use the instructions to create this wonderful dish and serve it with Huli Huli chicken.
Since charro beans have gravy, they complement the dry chicken pretty well.
If you dont want your side dish to empower the flavors of Huli Huli chicken, choose a lentil salad as an option. It is a healthy salad with a mild flavor and is pretty fulfilling.
Also, you can customize the salad by adding your favorite vegetables. Simply mix all the given ingredients, and you are good to go.
Are you too hungry and want a proper meal? In that case, plate your Huli Huli chicken and serve it with brown rice and vegetables.
Brown rice is pretty wholesome and also very healthy. Besides, it pairs well with your chicken dish, giving you a satisfying meal.
Treat yourself and your loved ones with Huli Huli chicken and quinoa salad. This is a healthy yet fulfilling salad with all the ingredients required for a satisfying meal. It can also be made quickly, making the salad perfect for urgent dinners or lunches.
Are you in the mood to have some pasta with your chicken dish? If yes, we present feta pasta, perfect with all the sauces and cheese to make your day.
It is a healthy pasta with ingredients like shallots, tomatoes, pasta, feta, and thyme. Dig into the recipe and create a bowl or two to enjoy.
Here is another mouthwatering pasta recipe to make your day. The tropical flavors of the Huli Huli chicken make it easy for you to pair the dish with various items. In that case, you can also enjoy the dish with pizza pasta.
This salad tastes of pizza and is very delicious. You get the ideal warmth on every bite and enjoy different flavors all mingled with each other. It is easy to make, so try to surprise your family tonight.
Serve yourself some Huli Huli chicken with a loaf of rosemary bread. This is a soft and delicious bread with tones of rosemary. You can bake the bread at home using the tagged recipe and enjoy its wonderful taste.
Do you want to feed your Huli Huli chicken to your kids? If yes, we recommend serving it with a kid-friendly side dish such as onion rings.
While the taste of this chicken is light and tempting, picky eaters may still resist having it. So, the best way to feed them the chicken is by serving it with an attractive side option.
Use the tagged recipe to make crispy onion rings within a few minutes.
This is a quick and healthy side dish to go with Huli Huli chicken. It features roasting root vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, and parsnips. For seasoning, the expert has used salt, black pepper, rosemary leaves, and olive oil.
The wonderful dish is perfect to be served in large gatherings.
Cook a meal with twice-baked potatoes and Huli Huli chicken. You can use the tagged recipe to make the softest, moist, and crispy potatoes with just a few ingredients. They are the favorite of kids and adults alike, so it is a perfect reason to have them for family dinners.
This salad is one of our favorites, courtesy of its amazing ingredients and delicious dressing. Apple spinach salad contains baby spinach, apples, red onions, walnuts, cranberries, and goat cheese. You can use honey, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper for the delicious dressing.
All the ingredients gel together, giving you an amazing treat.
This is an addictive apple salad, perfect to complement your chicken dish. Make a big bowl and see it finish as quickly as possible.
We love the pineapple flavor in Huli Huli chicken, so it makes sense to pair it with this delicious pineapple salsa. The side dish contains dice pineapples, bell peppers, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno seeds. Read the tagged recipe to find other essential ingredients required to make this beautiful dish.
These are soft and fluffy, perfect for serving with Huli Huli chicken. Use the recipe shared to make a big batch of these rolls. Then serve them warm and enjoy their pairing with your chicken dish.
Next, we have the delicious and fulfilling jicama slaw as a healthy side dish. It is made of many ingredients. However, it is a budget-friendly dish with great taste and texture.
Eat it with your chicken dish, and thank us later.
Since Huli Huli chicken is a Hawaiian dish, pairing it with a Hawaiian side dish makes sense. This macaroni salad is creamy and rich. Besides, it uses ingredients like apple cider vinegar and onions to make it different from the rest.
Cook this amazing dish and share your views with us.
Our next suggestion for you is a unique potato mac salad. The dish contains potatoes, macaroni, sugar, mayonnaise, and other ingredients to make it taste great. Serve it with your chicken dish and woo your guests.
Finally, you can also enjoy your Huli Huli chicken with grilled pineapples. They are sweet with an ideal smoky taste and aroma to make your day.
Use the tagged recipe to make the best grilled pineapples, and enjoy your plate to the fullest.
There is nothing more accurate than pineapples to remind you of Hawaii.
20 Side Dishes For Huli Huli Chicken
- Mexican rice
- Crispy green beans
- Charro beans
- Lentil salad
- Brown rice and vegetables
- Quinoa salad
- Feta pasta
- Pizza pasta
- Rosemary bread
- Onion rings
- Roasted root vegetables
- Twice-baked potatoes
- Apple Spinach salad
- Creamy apple slaw
- Pineapple salsa
- Hawaiian rolls
- Jicama slaw
- Hawaiian macaroni salad
- Potato mac salad
- Grilled pineapples
