kalua pork

Smokey tender, juicy shredded pork served over rice is a Hawaiian luau favorite. I&#x27;ve transformed a popular slow cooker recipe with a 16-hour cooking time into a Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Kalua Pork recipe that is on the table in less than 2 hours.

Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Kalua Pork

pork shoulder (pork butt) roast, cut into two pieces

water

hickory liquid smoke

salt salt

rice,

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/pu78lmm7apl6ffd84j6g.mp4

<p><em>Smokey tender, juicy shredded pork served over rice is a Hawaiian luau favorite. I&#x27;ve transformed a popular slow cooker recipe with a 16-hour cooking time into a Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Kalua Pork recipe that is on the table in less than 2 hours.</em></p>

Easy, delicious, smokey and salty Hawaiian style Kalua Pork has just 3 ingredients and can be made in the slow cooker, instant pot or oven.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

pork butt/shoulder (3-5 pounds)

Liquid Smoke

Place pork roast fat side up in your slow cooker. Rub all over with Liquid Smoke and salt.

Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours.

Shred meat in the slow cooker and serve hot.

Slow Cooker

Rub the sea salt all over the pork roast and place in a pressure cooker. Drizzle Liquid Smoke all over the roast.

Cover, seal and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes, then do a 15 minute natural release. Switch to the venting position and allow the rest of the steam to release. The larger the roast, the longer this will take.

Once the steam has stopped, open the lid and shred the meat with two forks.

Instant Pot

Preheat your oven to 225℉.

Place the pork roast in a 6-7 quart oven safe pot or roasting pan. Rub all over with salt and drizzle on the Liquid Smoke.

Cover with the lid, or in a roasting pan cover the pork tightly with foil. Cook for 8-9 hours or until the meat shreds easily.

Oven

Slow cooker kalua pork is reminiscent of kalua pig served at Hawaiian luaus. It's deliciously smoky, salty, tender and only takes three ingredients.

pork shoulder (pork butt)

tbsp Hawaiian Alaea sea salt

tbsp liquid smoke

Place the pork shoulder in your slow cooker and pierce the top several times with a knife or fork.

Rub the pork with the sea salt. Then, pour the liquid smoke on top.&nbsp;

Program your slow cooker for 10 hours on the low setting. You may need a few more hours if your pork shoulder is larger.&nbsp;

Once the pork shoulder is fully cooked, remove it to a plate and use two forks to shred it. You can also drizzle some of the remaining liquid from the slow cooker on top, to keep the meat moist, then serve immediately.&nbsp;

Incredible juicy and tender Slow Cooker Kalua Pork with the most amazing flavor! Only requires 3 ingredients and can be served alone or in salads, tacos, and more!

pork shoulder roast ((or similar roast, size can vary a bit too))

liquid smoke ((you can find this

Himalayan pink salt ((sold

Lightly grease your slow cooker with nonstick spray. Pierce the roast all over with a fork. Place in slow cooker.

Pour liquid smoke evenly over the roast, then sprinkle with the salt.

Cover and cook on low for 8-12 hours. (For a larger roast you'll need closer to the 12 hours)

Uncover, pull pork apart with 2 forks. Serve alone or you can serve it over rice, in tacos, salads, and more!

The famous luau style pork made easy in the slow cooker. It&#039;s unbelievably tender, and deliciously flavorful! Makes around 3 lbs cooked pork (once bone and fat are removed).

Kalua Pork

pork shoulder ((aka pork butt

Tbsp natural liquid smoke flavor ((mesquite or hickory))

Tbsp Hawaiian salt, (Himalayan salt,

Tbsp vegetable oil ((optional))

If time allows, heat 1 Tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Dab roast dry with paper towels then sear in pot for about 3 minutes per side to brown (you can skip this step but it will add a bit of extra flavor, if skipping omit vegetable oil).

Place pork in 6 or 7 quart slow cooker. Drizzle liquid smoke over both sides.

Season both sides with salt.

Cover and cook on low heat 14 - 16 hours until incredibly tender.

Transfer to a cutting board (reserve liquid in slow cooker), shred pork with two forks while removing bone and excess fat.

If desired toss pork with about 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid (rendered broth and fat from pork).

Serve right away, or refrigerate in reserved liquid for a few days or freeze in reserved liquid for a few months. Thaw overnight and reheat over low heat in a pot on stovetop, tossing gently just occasionally, until heated through.

Smoked Kalua Pork is my BBQ take on a traditional Hawaiian recipe. The hardwood smoke mimics the flavors from an underground pit and the tenderness and moisture are off the charts! This recipe is perfect for your next backyard luau. 

Smoked Kalua Pork

8-10 pound bone in pork shoulder

Tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt

Banana Leaves (or pink butcher paper)

Fire up the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F with a strong hardwood like mesquite (or Hawaiian kiawe wood if you have access to it).

Prep the pork. Remove the pork shoulder from the packaging and wipe down with a paper towel to remove any bone fragments or other processing remnants. Season the pork on all sides with the sea salt.

Smoke! Place the pork on the smoker, close the lid, and smoke for 3 hours.

Wrap the pork. Remove the pork shoulder from the smoker and wrap tightly in the banana leaves, securing with butcher&#039;s twine. If you don&#039;t have access to banana leaves, I used pink butcher&#039;s paper to mimic the effect of the banana leaves on the smoker.

Continue smoking. Return the pork shoulder to the smoker, close the lid, and continue smoking for an additional 5-7 hours, or until the internal temperature of the pork reads at least 200 degrees F.

Rest, shred, and serve. Remove the pork from the smoker and allow to rest for 1 hour before shredding and serving. I like to serve mine with teriyaki BBQ sauce on Hawaiian sweet rolls.

A treasured family recipe - the Best-Ever Kalua Pig! Succulent, fall-apart tender pulled pork shoulder infused with rich earthy and smoky flavor, kalua pork is pure Hawaiian goodness, perfect for traditional kalua pork and cabbage, pulled pork sandwiches and sliders, tacos, nachos, and more. Oven, slow cooker and electric pressure cooker instructions provided.

Best-Ever Kalua Pork (My Hawaiian Family's Recipe!)

pork shoulder,

olive oil

banana

Hawaiian sea salt (see Recipe Notes)

liquid smoke, divided

water or chicken stock

Preheat the oven

to 325 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven.

Stud the pork with garlic: 

Using a sharp paring knife, carefully cut a few deep slits into each piece of pork shoulder, then insert sliced garlic into each pocket.

Sear the pork

Add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a lid over medium-high heat (I use a 5-qt Dutch oven). Once the oil is hot &amp; shimmering, carefully add in the prepared pork. Work in batches, as necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pot (which prevents browning). Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until nicely browned. Transfer the browned pork to a plate, remove the pot from the heat &amp; set aside to cool.

Wrap the pork in banana leaves: 

Place the seared pork in the center of one of the pieces of banana leaf. Season with the Hawaiian sea salt &amp; 1 tablespoon of the liquid smoke, using your hands to rub the salt &amp; liquid smoke all over the surface of the pork. Arranged the seasoned pork in a small pile at the center of the banana leaf, folding the corners &amp; edges of the banana leaf into the center to encase the pork. Carefully flip &amp; set the wrapped pork seam side down on the second section of banana leaf. Repeat folding with the remaining pieces of banana leaf. Note: The banana leaf may split a little bit as you work, which is okay. Just work quickly &amp; do your best to completely encase the pork in the banana leaf.

Braise the kalua pig

Carefully set the banana leaf-wrapped pork seam side down in the pot used to sear the pork. Pour the water or chicken stock around the sides of the banana leaf-wrapped pork. Cover the pot &amp; transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for 2 1/2 &#8211; 3 hours, until the kalua pork is fall-apart tender.

Finish the kalua pork

Carefully transfer the pork to a plate or cutting board. Use tongs or 2 forks to shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. Once shredded, transfer to a large mixing bowl. Season with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke &amp; a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid in the pot as desired, stirring to combine. At this point, you can enjoy your Hawaiian kalua pulled pork immediately or cool &amp; store for later use (see Recipe Notes for storage &amp; freezing directions).

Add a couple of teaspoons of neutral cooking oil to a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot &amp; shimmering, add in roughly 1/2 cup of kalua pulled pork &amp; a couple of handfuls of finely shredded cabbage. Stir to combine.

Once the pork is hot &amp; the cabbage begins to wilt, pour in a few teaspoons of shoyu (or soy sauce/tamari/coconut aminos). Stir to combine &amp; continue to cook 1-2 minutes more.

Serving: Kalua pig &amp; cabbage begs to be served over a pile of rice! If you want to take your meal to the next level, drizzle with spicy mayo &amp; serve alongside Hawaiian mac salad. Enjoy!

KALUA PORK &amp; CABBAGE: My favorite way to enjoy this kalua pig is a pretty classic preparation of Kalua Pork and Cabbage. When I cook kalua pig and cabbage, I mostly eyeball things, but here's the gist of how it's done (the below steps yields 1 generous portion, multiply as desired for more servings!)

We made this for dinner tonight and wow! So flavorful and delicious. Served with the sautéed cabbage, rice, and homemade mac salad. Thank you for sharing this recipe - it will absolutely be a staple in our home!

This was amazing!! I used a bone in pork butt and just threw the whole thing in there. Tasted GREAT. I didn’t add the extra bit of liquid smoke at the end and it was plenty smokey and flavorful. Highly recommend the oven method with broth.

I also used bone in, I had thought it was boneless!  Nevertheless it came out super tender.  I did 3 hr 15 min in the oven. I served it with rice and a quick slaw. The banana leaves were tricky to work with but it was worth it! I loved this recipe.

One of my new favorite pork recipes! I had never cooked with banana leaves and didn't know how HUGE they were. I was able to cut one leaf into three equal pieces and that was perfect for wrapping the pork. I also decided to seal the remaining leaves from the package with my vacuum sealer and store in the freezer until I make this recipe again.

Made this for the first time and it was awesome! We used the leftovers to make egg rolls and now I can’t decide which way I like it better!

Very flavorful. A bit on edge as my wife’s side of the family comes from Maui.  This turned out pretty tasty she said.  She recommended to not add the last step of liquid smoke and it would be spot on. Paired with Mac Salad was the right combination.  She recommended adding hard boiled eggs, potatoes and some olives as to how her grandma use to make it.  Also cook the macaroni a bit longer to swell up, as it will then really absorb the mayonnaise and seasonings.

Tried the crockpot version, amazing!  So simple to put together, made the house smell wonderful, and tasted incredible!  Will make this often, it's so versatile!

My son recently visited Maui and raved about the kalua pork. I found this recipe and thought I would try it. He and his travel buddy both loved it. She took some home to her parents to taste, along with a copy of the recipe! I ordered Hawaiian salt from Amazon and used Stubb's Liquid Smoke. I made the kalua pork and cabbage using Coconut aminos. It was delicious. I'll try your pineapple pico next!

The recipe says to use boneless pork, however, one of your photos shows a bone-in pork shoulder. I bought a bone-in today as it was much cheaper than a boneless. Usually when cooking, keeping the bone adds to the flavor. I'll see how this one works out!

I made this recipe yesterday and served it with rice and cabbage. SO delicious! It took me right back to Maui❤️ Thank you so much for sharing. I’m sure I’ll be serving this many times in the future.

Thank you!! I made this recipe yesterday in the slow cooker for a hawaiian BBQ themed birthday party. I used my own banana leaves from the back yard (I live in Queensland, Australia) and it turned out so incredibly good. Like, unbelievable. I can't wait to impress people with this dish again.   I had to use himalayan salt instead of hawaiian salt as I was unable to source the hawaiian salt in time and was able to pick up the liquid smoke from Coles. Slow cooker, high for 4 hours. Perfection! Thanks again!

I was looking for a recipe to use in a group Hawaiian dinner. This was perfect paired with white rice and Hawaiian macaroni salad. I used an Instant Pot to cook the pork for an hour, let it cool to pull off all of the fat, and heated it the next day with shredded cabbage.

This is fabulous! Braised overnight in a slow cooker and it turned out perfectly.
I’m wondering what, if any, adjustments would need to be made if using chicken instead of pork.  We have friends who cannot eat pork. Would you please advise? Thank you!

My wife and I moved back to the mainland after living on the Big Island for many years, and this is one of the foods we miss.  I wanted an authentic Hawaiian recipe from a local and found yours.  It did not disappoint!  It is spot on broke da mouth!  I did omit the soy sauce at the end as the salt was sufficient.  
Mahalo nui loa!

I made this in my oven. I didn’t include the last bit of liquid smoke at the end or the garlic (forgot to grab it at the store and didn’t want to make a special trip). It was AMAZING! Tried it both as is and with barbecue sauce over basmati rice. Will make this again.

While in Hawaii at Christmas visiting family, my husband and I experienced this wonderful dish. Since returning I have been searching for the correct recipe and this is spot on. This recipe did not disappoint. Thank You!!!

My family and I just returned from a vacation on Kauai. With two hungry teenaged boys, we ended up eating a lot of Hawaiian BBQ while we were there, including a kalua pork and cabbage bowl. I made this recipe last night and it tasted much better than L&amp;L Barbecue’s kalua pork! I had brought back Hawaiian sea salt with me and found a banana leaf at my local Asian market. I braised it in my Le Creuset Dutch oven and it was fabulous! I served with cabbage over sushi rice with shoyu and spicy mayo as suggested. I will be making a double recipe next time. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

To me this recipe is the best I have ever tasted. I stopped into Hawaii once and and currently on Okinawa Island. I have stopped at almost all of the Hawaiian food places I can find searching for something close to my time in Hawaii. 
This is the second time I've made this pulled pork and I absolutely love it. Thank you very much for sharing your family recipe and culture with the world.

I cooked this today in a slow cooker and followed the recipe almost exactly. I made two modifications.  First, I trimmed some of the pork fat and rendered it in a cast iron pan and then browned the pork in it, instead of using any oil.  Second, I did not use any of the liquid smoke at the end because there was enough smoke flavor with just the 1 tablespoon put on the pork before cooking.  And next time I make this, I’ll use more salt.

But thank you for posting this.  It was easy, authentic, and excellent!

Wanted to make sure I rated it too. 5 stars for sure!

I made this for a Superbowl party and everyone loved it! This is one of the better Kalua Pig recipes I've made. Like other reviewers, I didn't add any additional liquid smoke at the end, because it was already perfectly smoky already. But I did add a few spoonfuls of the braising liquid, to keep it nice and moist. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1LsX9jOhw4

Kalua pig, a traditional Hawaiian preparation of pork, is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. It embodies love, family, and the generous spirit of aloha, and at my house, a platter of kalua pig is more than a meal – it's the centerpiece to some of the best memories of my life. 💜

If kalua pig is new-to-you, you're in for a treat! In Hawai'i, it's traditionally prepared by cooking a whole hog in an underground oven (imu). As the pig slowly cooks, it becomes succulent, fall-apart tender, and richly infused with earthy flavor.

I'd argue that it's virtually impossible to make truly authentic kalua pork here on the mainland – Hawai'i is the essence of the dish & the land ('āina) is an essential ingredient! That said, you can make fantastic kalua-style pulled pork at home if you take the time to source the right ingredients, and my family's recipe is the best place to start.

Pork shoulder is studded with garlic, seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt and liquid smoke, and wrapped in banana leaves (bonus points if you can find ti leaves!), then it slowly cooks in a Dutch oven until meltingly tender. While I typically prep this kalua pork recipe in the oven as shown in this video, you can also make it in a slow cooker/CrockPot or pressure cooker/Instant Pot – the full blog post (linked below) includes directions for all of these cook methods.

Serve with rice, cabbage, and maybe a scoop (or two!) of Mom's Mac Salad for a taste of aloha at home. 🌺🤙🏼 ♡ Happy cooking!

🖨️Printable Best-Ever Kalua Pig Recipe: https://playswellwithbutter.com/kalua-pork-recipe/
🖨️Printable Mom's Hawaiian Mac Salad Recipe:
https://playswellwithbutter.com/hawaiian-macaroni-salad-recipe/

▶Follow along with PWWB for more unfussy recipes with a big punch of flavor!
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▶Products used in this video:
‘Alaea Salt: https://rstyle.me/+oW5iWLimvxSHasMk0ihpUw
Another great Hawaiian sea salt: https://rstyle.me/+RzeIkpZtiQa1h_e1DqMVmw
Liquid smoke: https://rstyle.me/+7TxfIc2_PqLxGhNoXLWV2Q
Shoyu: https://rstyle.me/+tzs1Qlzf7rTlbySxhhFnzw
Staub 5-qt Cocotte: https://rstyle.me/+3eBnSd5FgbdGzJ8QbYuDyg
Cutting Board: https://rstyle.me/+6kQ13YsVkhL8CaYTMmslGA
7-Inch Chef Knife (White): https://rstyle.me/+l6Ou_KEc1QQySURClSBvfA
7-Inch Chef Knife (Black): https://rstyle.me/+3qABP0sa3W1dpy_i4ludlw
4-inch Paring Knife (Black): https://rstyle.me/+86pPzw94sJCLs_QFrQMTSw
Kitchen Shears: https://rstyle.me/+dfqSPMpsEe8GkZ4fWTGxHA

▶Timestamps:
00:00: Intro
01:27: What is Kalua pig?
01:58: Pork shoulder prep
03:30: Browning pork for richer flavor
03:53: Seasoning & Kalua pork assembly
07:10: Braise in oven until fall-apart tender
07:29: Unwrapping & shredding Kalua pork
08:36: Serving suggestions (Kalua pig and cabbage, and more ideas!)

#kaluapig #hawaiianrecipes #pulledpork #hawaiifood #kaluapork

BEST-EVER KALUA PIG | family recipe for easy Hawaiian pulled pork!

Tender slow cooker kalua pulled pork is salty, smokey melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Enjoy authentic Hawaiian luau pork flavor at home with this super simple 3 ingredient masterpiece.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pulled Pork

pork butt roast

coarse Hawaiian sea salt, (or regular sea salt)

liquid smoke

Spray the inside of the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place the pork in the slow cooker.

Sprinkle the salt on top of the pork and generously rub the salt on the pork.  Pour the liquid smoke on top of the salted pork.

Cook on low for 16-20 hours. Turn the roast halfway through.

Once fully cooked, remove the roast and shred it with two forks. Remove any fat pieces as you shred the pork and discard them. Add the shredded pork back to the slow cooker. The pork will absorb the juices and flavor from the bottom of the slow cooker!

Enjoy the pulled pork over rice or served in a bun!

Outstanding recipe! I can't believe how easy it was and how SUPER tasty it turned out! This is our family's new favorite recipe - even my picky eater devoured it. Thank you so much!

Fantastic recipe~ have made many times, but had forgotten about it w/all of the smaller, pork tenderloin we have been buying these past few years- dieticians had everyone freaked out over animal fats for SO long- that was irritating. They're actually very good for you, especially if consuming w/out carbs! 
     Anyhow, really enjoyed all the questions about how much liqueur to add in as well- since there is none=) Had a friend who used to make that at home as well. We're not big alcohol drinkers, so I'll stick w/my homemade vanillas~ which are AMAZING btw, &amp; oh so easy to do. Thanks again Alyssa, awesome stuff~ as usual =)  XO's from AZ/NM people who love your blog!

This recipe is so mouth-watering and can be cooked easily.i try your recipes every time you post...

This review is way overdue, but the pork turned out AMAZING!! Thank you for sharing this recipe! 

I used boneless meat but did not have Hawaiian salt--and used coarse Meditarrean sea salt instead. I will try Hawaiian salt next time. Regardless, the meat had a very nice flavor and took us back to Hawaii! The feedback from more than 10 people that I shared this dish with was unanimously positive!

WOW...this is an incredible dish!  I made it for a party we had and the compliments just kept coming.  Bonus, it was so easy!  It took a bit to get used to using the banana leaves but so worth it.  This is definitely a keeper.  Thank you so much for sharing.

I never knew it was this simple to make delicious kalua pork. Thank you for the delicious recipe. Perfect meal for Mother's Day. Turned out amazing!

Great recipe!  

I made this yesterday following the Instant Pot method, and it came out fantastic :) 

I substituted Pink Himalayan salt for the Hawaiian sea salt (in a 1:1 ratio - I also bashed the salt up a little bit in a mortar and pestle to reduce the size of the crystals, but not sure if this was necessary.)  

As Jess was adamant that banana leaves were a must, I substituted dried bamboo leaves (about 12) soaked in water for 1 hour.  I was sceptical at first as when the wrapped package went in the Instant Pot (no rack needed) and pressure cooking was started there was a strong "green tea-like" aroma.  After cooking though none of this tea-like aroma remained, and the bamboo leaves did add an earthy note to the finished dish (sadly its difficult to find banana leaves in the UK.)

The amounts of liquid smoke (hickory) were the perfect amount to simulate cooking in an imu or BBQ.

- my new "go to" recipe for Kalua Pork! 

Cheers, 
David

I rarely, if I have ever, comment on a recipe I have found online and prepared, but today is a first. Yesterday I prepared Kalau pork. It was so easy and delicious. I had a 6.5 pound bone in pork butt on hand and followed this recipe except because of salt restrictions, halved the salt and for approximately 4 hours in a 350 degree oven cooked to 205 degrees instant read thermometer. It was delicious and everyone loved it. This is definitely a keeper recipe.

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Top 9 kalua pork recipes from across the web

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