This incredibly tender and tasty Slow Cooker Hawaiian Style Kalua Pork is easy to make and bursting with flavor! This recipe is so simple to make, yet will thrill the entire family.
If you are looking for more pork recipes, try my pork loin roast or my Texas pulled pork, both are delicious!
An Old Hawaiian Recipe
This is my absolute favourite Hawaiian pork dish (not that I eat that many Hawaiian pork dishes!). This is a hands-off recipe that’s so easy to make it’s hard to figure out how it’s SO delicious!
In Hawaii tradition, the Kalua pig is cooked in an Imu, which is a 2-4 foot deep pit used as an underground oven.
The pit is filled with lava/basalt rock and kindling and then lit on fire. After a few hours, the kindling turns to coal and the stones heat up enough to cook the pig. The pork is steamed by placing tropical leaves on top. Sounds pretty cool, eh?
The pig is then covered with more greens or leaves, covered up with diet to keep the head in, and cooked for a minimum of 8 hours. Of course, not everyone wants to go digging a hole in the garden to make dinner, so most of us will use the slow cooker instead (unless you really want to give it a go in true Hawaiian style!).
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Style Kalua Pork Ingredients
- Pork shoulder or Boston Butt Roast
- Liquid smoke, hickory
- Pink Himalayan salt or red Hawaiian salt
How to Make the Perfect Kalua Pork
- Pat dry the pork roast with a paper towel and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Pierce the pork roast all over with a fork, piercing through any fat on the top.
- Pour the liquid smoke evenly over the roast.
- Sprinkle the salt over the top of the roast in an even layer,
- Cover the slow cooker with tinfoil and lid.
- Cook for 8-10 hours on low, or 6-7 hours on high.
- The pork is done when it shreds easily when pulled with two forks.
- Serve with wraps and coleslaw, or in sandwiches or buns!
What to do with Kalua Pork Leftovers
What leftovers?! We rarely have Kalua pork leftovers in this house! But when we do, they’re super useful for sandwiches, BBQ pork, or as a yum addition to a salad!
What Goes with Kalua Pork?
Tofu, rice, and mashed potatoes all go well with this dish. But of course, anything tropical will give the best Hawaiian experience! For some delicious add-ons try purple sweet potatoes, rolls,fresh fruit (such as pineapple or papaya), and glass/cellophane noodles!
If you are looking for some more tasty Pork recipes, try these:
- Dijon Crusted Pork Tenderloin
- Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin Marinade
- Brown Sugar Mustard Ham Glaze Recipe
- Pork & Beans Cowboy Casserole
- Lemon Herb Grilled Pork Chops Recipe
Happy cooking everyone! This is a great recipe to make during the summer to keep your kitchens cool! We use our slow cooker all year, I love that you don’t have to heat up your kitchen and can slow cook something all day long. For another tasty treat try my Mongolian beef in the Instant Pot!
Love,
Karlynn
Slow Cooker Hawaiian Style Kalua Pork
Ingredients
- one 4 pounds pork shoulder or Boston Butt Roast strings removed
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke, hickory
- 1 tablespoon pink Himalayan salt or red Hawaiian salt
Instructions
- Using paper towel, pat dry the pork roast and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. If you have more fat on one side of the roast, place it FAT SIDE UP.
- Pierce the pork roast all over with a fork, piercing through any fat on the top as well.
- Pour the liquid smoke evenly over the roast.
- Sprinkle the salt over top of the roast in an even layer,
- Cover the slow cooker with tinfoil, then the lid and cook for 8-10 hours on low, or 6-7 hours on high.
- The pork is done when it shreds easily when pulled with two forks. Shred the pork INSIDE the slow cooker to add the moisture and fat back in, If you take it out and drain everything you are going to lose the flavour and the moistness.
- Serve with wraps and coleslaw, or in sandwiches or buns!
Nutrition
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Samantha says
How long do you cook in slow cooker for a 9 to 10 pound roast?
Karlynn Johnston says
Hi Becky, the tin foil seals that gap between the slow cooker lid and the crock. It always helps keep moisture in! You’d be surprised how much it helps!
Karlynn Johnston says
Hi Jacki, this isn’t the liqueur Kahlúa, it’s a Hawaiian pork dish called Kalua. Different spellings and two different things!
Jacki Chapin says
Why is there no kalua in this pork dish
Jeannine says
Bahahaha 🤣
Becky says
Sounds delicious! One question, why the tin foil and then the lid?
Mike says
Nice job! I grew up in Hawaii and have done the Imu many times . Also did the slow cooker as you shared. With my busy schedule, I now cook it in a Instant Pot…in about 75-90 mins which is just crazy…right?!!! What my Hawaiian ancestors would say…LOL. Much Aloha!
Karlynn says
Hawaii is on my “MUST visit and eat everything” bucket list!
Judy says
Awesome! Yours is one if the most authentic recipes for Kalua Pork! People seem to think anything that uses pineapple is really Hawaiian! The only thing missing from your recipe would be to wrap it in to leaves and banana leaves.