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Kalua Pork is a classic Hawaiian favorite, made easily in your slow cooker with just a few ingredients. Eat it on its own, or in sliders!

With only a few ingredients, this Kalua Pork is great for dinner or any BBQ! Serve it up with some Coleslaw, Broccoli Salad, or even Baked Potatoes and it will be a hit!

Shredded Kalua pork on a plate with a side of macaroni salad.


A Classic Hawaiian Delicacy

If you’ve ever visited the Hawaiian islands, you’ve probably tried Kalua Pig (Pork). It’s on almost every menu.

At counter service restaurants and food trucks, you can get Kalua Pork as part of the “Two Scoop Lunch Plate” with a scoop of rice and a scoop of Hawaiian Macaroni Salad on the side.

We think you’ll love this Kalua Pork recipe that literally takes minutes to prep and is so delicious!

It’s definitely an island classic and a recipe I wanted to make at home!

Close up of Kalua Hawaiian Pork in slow cooker.

what is Kalua Pork?

At luaus and family gatherings in Hawaii, it’s quite popular to roast a whole pig in the ground. Yes, you read that right. An entire pig!

A hole is dug and the pig is rubbed all over with Hawaiian Sea Salt and placed in the hole. Kindling is added and lit on fire then insulated with leaves or branches, like banana leaves, ti leaves, and coconut palm fronds, and covered with dirt.

The pig cooks in the underground oven for most of the day – at least 8 hours. The result is a delicious, flavorful, tender Hawaiian Pork that everyone loves!

Seasonings for Kalua pork.

How to make Kalua Pork

Of course, you probably aren’t going to dig a pit in your backyard to roast your own pig. All you need to make this Hawaiian Dish is a slow cooker, some Hawaiian Sea Salt (or kosher salt if that’s what you’ve got), and some Liquid Smoke.

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

COOK. Cook on low for 9-10 hours (I like to let mine cook overnight). Shred meat in the slow cooker and serve hot.

use an instant pot

If you’re in a time crunch, your Instant Pot is a quicker option that yields the same result.

  1. Select sauté on the instapot. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sear all sides of the pork roast.
  2. Turn the Instapot off. Remove the pork roast and add ½ c water and liquid smoke.
  3. Return the roast to the pot and add salt.
  4. Cover with the lid and select “manual”. Set the timer for 90 minutes.
  5. Allow the pressure to naturally release before removing the lid. This will take about 20 minutes.
Shredded Kalua Pork in slow cooker with two forks for shredding.

Recipe Tips

What cut of Pork to use. Choose a pork roast with lots of marbling such as pork shoulder aka Boston butt or pork butt. I used bone-in, but you can use boneless if you prefer. 

Cabbage. A traditional side that is served with Kalua Pork is cabbage. All you need is a head of cabbage and the juice from the slow cooker.

  • Cut the cabbage into large chunks and add it to a saucepan.
  • Pour 1-2 cups of the liquid that was produced when you cooked the pork over the cabbage.
  • Add a lid and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the cabbage until it is soft. 

Kalua pork vs shredded pork. These two dishes are both slow-cooked until the meat becomes tender enough to shred pork with a fork. Pulled pork is classically mixed with bbq sauce while Kalua Pork is served without sauce.

Using in other recipes. Enjoy Slow Cooker Kalua Pork recipe on its own, or put it inside Rolls to make sliders. You could also use it on Tacos, Nachos, and Quesadillas, or put it on top of a salad. It’s full of flavor and pretty versatile!

Storing info

STORE. For optimal storage, keep the juices from the crock pot to use when storing leftovers. Put pork and some juice from the crock pot in an airtight container, if applicable freezer safe container.

Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Slow Cooker Kalua Pork served on plate with macaroni salad.

more delicious slow cooker meals:

5 from 81 votes

Kalua Pork Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Kalua Pork is a classic Hawaiian favorite, made easily in your slow cooker with just a few ingredients. Eat it on its own, or in sliders!
Servings: 6
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 9 hours
Total: 9 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 7 lb bone in pork butt or shoulder
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Instructions 

  • Place pork roast fat side up in your slow cooker. Rub all over with Liquid Smoke and salt.
  • Cook on low for 9-10 hours (I like to let mine cook overnight or start it early in the morning).
  • Shred meat in the slow cooker and serve hot.

Video

Notes

STORE. For optimal storage, keep the juices from the crock pot to use when storing leftovers. Put pork and some juice from the crock pot in an airtight container, if applicable freezer safe container.
Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 698kcal, Protein: 99g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 317mg, Sodium: 1512mg, Potassium: 1793mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 6.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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35 Comments

  1. 2-14-24
    I made this recipe this past weekend, it was so disappointing for me. I followed your simple instructions, it cooked in my slow-cooker Crock Pot overnight more 16 Hours! The pork was a ropey-texture and little taste. I served on Hawaiian buns. What could I have done differently. When I was in Hawaii I got hooked on this. I served it with stir-fry veggies (added sweet sour sauce to those) & rice. Topped with fresh green onion.

    1. It’ll be about the same amount of time (unless your roast is a lot smaller than the size in the recipe). However, boneless pork roasts do typically cook a bit faster than bone-in. So I’d saw start on low for 8 hours and go from there. It should be fall of the bone tender…. then you’ll know it is done!

  2. 5 stars
    This is by far the best Kalua Pork I’ve tried since leaving Hawaii!!
    Nicely done!
    This will be my go to recipe this summer!