A Taste of Hawai’i At Home—No Imu Necessary!
Kalua pig is a traditional Hawaiian preparation of pork and 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. 💜
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 infused with rich earthy, and smoky 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 and the land (‘āina) is an essential ingredient!
That said, you can make fantastic kalua-style pulled pork at home in your oven 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!) before cooking low and slow in a Dutch oven. The result is meltingly tender and flavorful shredded pork that’s incredibly versatile and freezer-friendly too!
All that’s left to do is serve with rice, cabbage, and maybe a scoop (or two!) of Mom’s Mac Salad for a taste of aloha at home. 🌺🤙🏼
Key Ingredients
Like many Hawaiian recipes, this kalua pig is made with simple, flavorful ingredients. While there is some sourcing involved (as is the case with recreating any authentic dish from other countries and cultures!), the ingredients list is pretty minimal.
You need just 5 key ingredients to make delicious homemade kalua pork.
The key ingredients include…
- Boneless pork shoulder – Also commonly called a Boston butt or pork butt. Look for a meaty roast with nice marbling, which, when braised, transforms into succulent, fall-apart tender, and richly flavored pulled pork.
- Banana leaf – An absolutely crucial component of this recipe. Much like authentic Hawaiian kalua pig, the pork shoulder is wrapped in banana leaf before it braises, infusing it with a rich, earthy flavor. This earthiness is impossible to replicate without it! You can find banana leaf sold in the freezer section of most well-stocked Asian grocery stores.
- Hawaiian sea salt – Another crucial component of this kalua pig recipe. Hawaiian salt is richer in minerals than conventional salt (and it’s as authentic as it gets!). I use this ‘Alaea salt (red clay salt with naturally occurring minerals and iron) and this Hawaiian sea salt in my kitchen—either will work wonderfully in this recipe.
- Liquid smoke – A cheater ingredient to add smokiness without actually smoking the pork. I like using hickory liquid smoke, but mesquite works well in this recipe, too. You can find liquid smoke in most conventional grocery stores, near the BBQ sauces.
- Garlic – One of my additions, which is certainly not authentic…but it’s delicious!
Pretty simple! If you’re unsure where to find any of these ingredients, check the Recipe Notes, below, for some sourcing guidance.
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Kālua, which translates to “cooked in an underground oven” in native Hawaiian, is a traditional Hawaiian cooking technique. Any number of different foods can be prepared kalua-style, though the most famous is likely Kalua Pork—Hawaiian smoked whole pig. If you’ve ever been to a Hawaiian luau, you’ve probably enjoyed kalua pig!
How to Make Kalua Pork
Traditional kalua pig is an hours-long process in which the surface of a whole pig is salted and its cavity is filled with blazing hot stones. The pig is lowered into an underground oven (imu), covered in banana leaves or ti leaves (the palm-like leaves of the Hawaiian ti plant), soil, and left to cook for succulent, juicy, and gloriously smoky results.
Making kalua pork at home is a bit more simple and despite its ease, it’s still possible to get that authentic kalua pig flavor!
My preferred method is straightforward and consists of just a few simple steps: the seared pork is seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt and liquid smoke, wrapped into a happy little bundle with banana leaves, and braised until it’s fall-apart tender.
While neither traditional nor authentic, I like to start my kalua pig with a couple of easy, flavor-boosting steps:
Stud the pork with garlic. Use a paring knife to cut deep slits into pieces of pork shoulder, pressing sliced garlic cloves into each pocket. Why? ⇢ The garlic flavors the pork from the inside out, nearly melting away as the pork braises. It is so good.
Brown the pork shoulder. Taking a couple of minutes to brown the pork before braising promotes a richer, deeper flavor.
Season the pork. The recipe calls for a generous amount of salt and liquid smoke – don’t be alarmed by the measurements. Why? ⇢ The natural flavors of both pork shoulder and banana leaf are incredibly rich and earthy. Kalua pig’s seasonings need to be able to stand up to those big flavors. Take the time to use your hands to rub the seasoning into the surface of the pork (lomilomi-style!).
Wrap in banana leaves. Banana leaves are pretty large, so it’s helpful to cut them down into a few smaller pieces, bundling the pork layer by layer. Tip! ⇢ The banana leaf may split a little bit as you wrap the pork, which is totally fine—just do your best to completely encase the pork.
Braise the pork. Place the banana leaf-wrapped pork shoulder into a Dutch oven, which functions as the DIY imu in this kalua pig recipe. Set in the oven to braise for a couple of hours, until the pork is fall-apart tender. Your kitchen will smell heavenly!
Alternative Cooking Methods
I love braising this kalua pork recipe in the oven low and slow, but you can also prepare this recipe in a slow cooker or Crockpot, or an electric pressure cooker like the Instant Pot. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for step-by-step guidance!
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to enjoy kalua pork is a pretty traditional preparation of kalua pork and cabbage.
Here’s what you’ll do! ⇢ Heat some kalua pork, a couple of handfuls of finely shredded cabbage, and add a splash of shoyu in a pan on the stovetop. Once it’s hot and the cabbage is wilted, serve over a pile of rice.
If you want to take things to the next level, drizzle spicy mayo over top and serve plate lunch-style alongside Hawaiian mac salad. Simple Hawaiian comfort food!
Just like any pulled pork recipe, kalua pork can also be used in an endless number of dishes. Here are a few more ideas to get you started…
- Sandwiches or sliders: Load up a buttery and sweet Hawaiian roll with zippy slaw, kalua pork, and some Hawaiian Bar-B-Que sauce.
- Tacos: Whip up a quick pineapple pico and pile it on top of kalua pork in a warm tortilla.
- Other favorite kalua pork dishes: nestled in nachos, wrapped in a burrito or on top of a burrito bowl, stuffed inside a baked sweet potato and slathered with spicy mayo, a Hawaiian breakfast plate with rice and a fried egg…the options are endless!
I’m so excited for you to try this Kalua Pork recipe soon. If you do, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! Happy cooking! ♡
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Best-Ever Kalua Pork (My Hawaiian Family’s Recipe!)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes (includes inactive time)
- Yield: serves 8–10 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Braise, Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Hawaiian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
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.
Ingredients
- 2 ½-3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 3–4 large pieces
- 8–10 cloves garlic, sliced in half lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large banana leaf, thawed if frozen and cut into 3 smaller pieces (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 ½ tablespoons liquid smoke, divided
- 2 cups water or chicken stock
Instructions
- 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 and 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 and 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 and 1 tablespoon of the liquid smoke, using your hands to rub the salt and 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 and edges of the banana leaf into the center to encase the pork. Carefully flip and 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 and 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 and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for 2 ½ – 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 ½ tablespoon liquid smoke and 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 and store for later use (see Recipe Notes for storage and freezing directions).
KALUA PORK & 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!):
- Add a couple of teaspoons of neutral cooking oil to a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot & shimmering, add in roughly ½ cup of kalua pulled pork and a couple of handfuls of finely shredded cabbage. Stir to combine.
- Once the pork is hot and the cabbage begins to wilt, pour in a few teaspoons of shoyu (or soy sauce/tamari/coconut aminos). Stir to combine and continue to cook 1-2 minutes more.
- Serving: Kalua pig and 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 and serve alongside Hawaiian mac salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- Banana leaf: Banana leaf is absolutely crucial in this kalua pork recipe, as it perfumes the pork with a rich, earthy flavor. You can find banana leaf sold in the freezer section of most well-stocked Asian grocery stores.
- Hawaiian sea salt: Hawaiian sea salt is also crucial in this kalua pig recipe. It’s richer in minerals than conventional salt (and it’s as authentic as it gets!). Yes, you need 2 full tablespoons for this recipe – Hawaiian sea salt is very coarse (so there are fewer crystals per tablespoon) and it’s notably less salty than conventional salt. When it comes to Hawaiian salt, I use this ‘Alaea salt (red clay salt with naturally occurring minerals and iron) and this Hawaiian sea salt – either will work wonderfully in this recipe. If you don’t wish to use Hawaiian sea salt, substitute with coarse rock-style salt.
- Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing:
- Storage Instructions: Kalua pulled pork stores incredibly well! Transfer cooled kalua pork to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Easily reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freezing Instructions: Kalua pulled pork is also incredibly freezer-friendly. To freeze, transfer cooled kalua pork to a freezer container (or divide it up between multiple freezer containers for smaller portions). Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the frozen kalua pig in the refrigerator overnight or submerge the freezer container in room temperature water for a quicker thaw. Easily reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Alternate cooking methods:
- SLOW COOKER KALUA PORK: Prep the recipe according to Steps 2-4, above. Transfer the banana leaf-wrapped pork to the slow cooker, along with water (or stock) as directed in Step 5. Slow cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours until the kalua pig is fall-apart tender. Finish as directed in Step 6. If your slow cooker has a searing/browning feature, you can use it to cook this entire kalua pork recipe (Steps 1-6) in the slow cooker.
- ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER KALUA PORK: Use your electric pressure cooker’s “Sauté” setting to cook the recipe according to Steps 2-4, above. Place the rack insert that came with your pressure cooker into the bottom of the pot, then set the banana leaf-wrapped pork over top. Pour just 1 cup of water (or stock) around the sides of the banana leaf-wrapped pork. Cover and seal the pressure cooker. Cook on manual high pressure for 50 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes before carefully flicking the valve to its “venting” position to vent out any residual pressure. Finish as directed in Step 6.
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This was awesome. Tried both slow cooker and instant pot version, instant pot had the edge since it was so much faster and you can sear in same container. Tried garlic and no garlic, both were delicious. Ultimately preferred no garlic version, cabbage and shoyu preparation over coconut rice. Amazing. Also Costco pork shoulder makes four full batches FYI 😂 Thank you!
Four full batches is amazing, Laura!! Thanks for experimenting and reporting back – we’re so glad you enjoyed all the versions of this pork!
After having a hard time finding Hawaiian sea salt and banana leaves the day of (buy on Amazon or ahead of time)…this was soooo easy, super flavorful and delicious! I will definitely be making this again. I made 12 lbs in 3 large Dutch ovens and braised in the same
oven for 3 hrs and 20 min. I found a small can of pineapple juice in the pantry and added it to the chicken broth. It was so yummy!
So happy to hear the extra effort to source specialty ingredients paid off for you, Sheri! Pineapple juice sounds like a delicious addition, too!
What about pineapple juice instead of broth?? Also I am doing some in crock pot and some in an electric roaster all night
We’d recommend using the broth for this recipe, since it yields the closest result to real-deal Kalua Pig! Hope it turns out great for you, Gary!
Used pineapple juice and it turned out amazing!!! People were raving about it!!! Thank you for sharing your family recipe…definitely going in the rotation!!!!!
So glad to hear the pineapple juice worked great, Gary!! Thanks so much for reporting back! 🙂