Huli Huli Chicken with Macaroni Salad
Huli Huli chicken with macaroni salad is a Hawaiian main course featuring juicy grilled chicken thighs in a sweet-savoury pineapple, ginger and sesame marinade, served alongside a creamy macaroni salad. The Thermomix TM7 chops the garlic and ginger, blends the marinade and cooks the pasta, making this tropical favourite quick and convenient.
About this recipe
Huli Huli chicken with macaroni salad Thermomix TM7 brings the taste of Hawaii straight to your kitchen table. This recipe pairs succulent chicken thighs bathed in a sticky marinade of pineapple juice, dark sugar, fresh ginger, garlic and sesame oil with a classic island-style macaroni salad that is creamy, tangy and utterly comforting. Searching for recipes that deliver big flavour with little effort? The TM7 all-in-one kitchen machine chops the ginger and garlic in seconds, blends the marinade until silky, and cooks the macaroni to just-tender while you get on with the chicken. It is an ideal quick weeknight dinner yet impressive enough for a weekend barbecue with friends. The sweet-savoury caramelised edges of the chicken contrast beautifully with the cool salad, creating a balanced plate that appeals to both adults and children. No grill? A hot frying pan works wonderfully too.
Preparation tips
- Marinate the chicken thighs in the pineapple-ginger mixture for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge, so the dark sugar and sesame oil penetrate deeply and create those sticky caramelised edges when cooked.
- Cook the macaroni until just tender, then rinse briefly under cold water before folding in the dressing; this stops the pasta from absorbing too much mayo and keeps the salad pleasantly creamy rather than stodgy.
- Reserve a few tablespoons of the marinade before adding the raw chicken and brush it on during cooking for extra gloss; spring onions and toasted sesame seeds make an ideal finishing touch for serving.
Recipe variations
- Gluten-free version: use gluten-free macaroni and tamari instead of regular soy sauce in the marinade; the pineapple, ginger and sesame flavours remain identical, making this Hawaiian favourite suitable for coeliac guests without compromise.
- Festive barbecue variation: thread the marinated chicken thigh pieces onto skewers with pineapple chunks and spring onion, grill alongside the macaroni salad for a tropical summer party spread that feeds a hungry crowd.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Chopping garlic and fresh root ginger in seconds, the Thermomix delivers a finely minced aromatic base for the marinade without sticky knife work.
- Weighing the pineapple juice, dark sugar and sesame oil directly into the mixing bowl, the TM7 built-in scale ensures an exactly balanced marinade every time.
- Heating the marinade ingredients gently, the Thermomix dissolves the stock cube and sugar into a smooth, glossy sauce without any scorching on the base.
- Mixing the creamy dressing for the macaroni salad in the same bowl, the TM7 coats every pasta tube evenly and cuts your washing-up in half.
- Steaming option: cook the macaroni gently in the Thermomix while the chicken grills, so the Hawaiian chicken and salad are ready to plate at the same moment.
Ingredients
- water
- fine sea salt
- chicken thighs, boneless
- garlic cloves
- fresh root ginger
- sesame oil
- pineapple juice
- dark brown sugar
- chicken stock cube
- water