Hawaiian Chicken
A favorite Sunday dinner when I was growing up This recipe up-sizes well and we make it frequently for large numbers 60 people
A favorite Sunday dinner when I was growing up This recipe up-sizes well and we make it frequently for large numbers 60 people
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1 cup soy sauce
- vegetable oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 whole chicken fryers, cut up into pieces
- (we sometimes use boneless, skinless breast and th
- 2 tbls. corn starch
- 2 tbls. cold water
- 1/2 tsp. cracked pepper
- 2 cans pineapple chunks in juice drained
- (use pineapple juice for making rice.)
- Carbohydrate 77.4811239883292 g
- Cholesterol 172.5 mg
- Fat 35.0399978832658 g
- Fiber 0.161050648294847 g
- Protein 43.834063867982 g
- Saturated Fat 9.94632956898784 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (325g)
- Sodium 664.408318987713 mg
- Sugar 77.3200733400344 g
- Trans Fat 2.9550675 g
- Calories 803 calories
Step-by-step
- Coat chicken with vegetable oil.
- Broil 5" from heat, skin side up until lightly browned (~ 15 minutes).
- Meanwhile, combine cornstarch and water. Add sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and seasonings.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
- Place chicken in baking pan. Pour sauce over chicken.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, until tender, basting with the sauce several times.
- 20 minutes before chicken is done, add pineapple chunks and baste.
- Serve chicken over rice.
When does a glaze transition from a watery wash to a clinging syrup? Halfway through roasting, hovering over a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven while basting every fifteen minutes, observation becomes your primary tool. Sugar molecules rapidly caramelize under dry heat, meaning the high sugar content in this sauce requires vigilant monitoring to prevent scorching during the final twenty minutes of baking. Broiling the chicken five inches from the heat source beforehand renders out excess subcutaneous fat and creates a porous skin that readily absorbs the acidic vinegar and salty soy sauce mixture. Chemical reactions between the amino acids in the soy sauce and the natural proteins on the bird's surface drive deep browning, while the acid breaks down tough connective tissues to tenderize the meat. Because poultry parts vary significantly in density and mass, poke the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer to check doneness: if the juices run completely clear rather than pink, the meat is safe and ready.
