Kalua Pig

Kalua pork is a traditional Hawaiian dish that’s full of rich, smoky flavor and the good news is, you don’t need an underground oven to make it. This slow cooker or Instant Pot version brings all the taste of a luau to your kitchen with just a few ingredients and minimal prep. Whether you’re craving something nostalgic, easy for a crowd, or just looking to expand your weeknight dinner rotation, this Hawaiian Kalua pork recipe is a must-try.

In my Cassandra Sato Mystery series, Kalua pig plays a special role in highlighting Cassandra’s Hawaiian roots. In one scene, she returns home for a luau, where this dish is the main event. It’s a taste of home, packed with tradition, and a perfect way to bring a little island warmth into your own kitchen, even if you live somewhere that’s more cornfield than coastline.

The best part? You don’t need to dig a backyard imu (the traditional underground oven used in Hawai‘i to roast whole pigs). This recipe adapts beautifully to modern appliances like the Crock Pot or Instant Pot, making it ideal for busy families, book club potlucks, or just a cozy night in with a good book and some sticky rice on the side.

Serve your Kalua pork over a green salad, on Hawaiian rolls, or with classic sides like macaroni salad and white rice. It freezes well, feeds a crowd, and adds a delicious Hawaiian twist to your recipe rotation.

Whether you’re a longtime fan of the Cassandra Sato series or just here for the food, this dish is one of my personal favorites and now it can be one of yours too.

Print Recipe

Kalua Pork: Hawaiian Flavor Without the Shovel

Serve it plain, over a green salad, or on soft Hawaiian rolls.

For the full local-style plate lunch: add a scoop of macaroni salad, white rice, and don’t forget the Sriracha for that extra kick.

Leftovers? Add them to quesadillas, breakfast burritos, or just eat straight from the container while reading your next mystery. (Cassandra would understand.)

You’re always alone in the kitchen…

…so go ahead and lick the spoon, bend the rules, and turn mistakes into magic. I won’t tell if you don’t.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time10 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Hawaiian

Keyword: crock pot, Hawaii, luau

Servings: 8 people

Author: Kelly Brakenhoff

Ingredients

• 4 lb Pork butt roast (or subsitute a whole turkey for Kalua Turkey
• 1 tbsp Hawaiian sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt or kosher salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp liquid hickory smoke
• 1 cup water

Instructions

• Rinse and pat dry the pork
• Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. In a large skillet on med-high heat, heat the oil and sear the roast on all sides.
• Add the seared roast to the crock pot. Add water and hickory smoke.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours.
• Using two forks, shred the pork. Discard any fat. Mix the shredded pork with the juices remaining in the crock pot.

Notes

Serve Kalua Pork plain on a lettuce salad, or on Hawaiian rolls. For a full plate, add a scoop of macaroni salad, sticky white rice, and pass sriracha sauce for those who want more ooph in their meat.

Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 15 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.

In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children’s literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.

And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.

A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.