This simple recipe for homemade Kālua Pork only needs a few ingredients and some hands-off cooking time. The result is sublime. You can enjoy this slow cooker kalua pork in countless ways, making it an extremely versatile protein which also freezes really well. If a trip to Hawaii isn't in the cards, this homemade kalua pork is the next best thing!
If you've ever been to Hawaii, and especially if you've been to a luau, then you are probably familiar with Kalua pig or Kalua pork. The Hawaiian word kālua actually refers to a cooking method meaning "cooked in an underground oven." Don't confuse this with the coffee liqueur, Kahlúa!
Traditionally, kālua pork is prepared in an underground oven called an imu. This deep earthen pit is lined with hot lava rock. Then a whole pig is wrapped in banana leaves and covered with wet burlap to slowly steam and smoke in the imu until exceptionally tender.
Fortunately, you can recreate those signature smoky, succulent flavors at home using a few simple ingredients and an oven, slow cooker, or pressure cooker. The results are not only juicy and delicious but so much easier than digging a hole in your backyard and collecting lava rocks! You also don't need to cook an entire pig to enjoy some succulent kālua pork.
Best of all, this easy recipe can be transformed into so many wonderful dishes. There are many ways to enjoy kalua pork. Serving it "plain" with classic sides like sticky white rice and mac salad is only scratching the surface. Check out my serving suggestions further down the post!
Ingredient notes
- Pork: Use either pork shoulder or pork butt for this recipe. Pork shoulder (or picnic shoulder) is a bit leaner and usually sold bone-in, while pork butt (or Boston butt) has more fat marbling and is typically sold bone-in or boneless. These are the typical cuts you'd use for pulled pork, and they work well for this recipe too since they're both ideal for slow cooking processes.
- Liquid Smoke: Liquid smoke is a concentrated seasoning made by capturing real wood smoke and condensing it into a liquid. Since you aren't digging an imu in your yard and smoking a pig all day, this is the best way to capture that smoky flavor without the hassle.
- Salt: Alaea salt, also known as Hawaiian red salt is your best and most authentic choice here. It's an unrefined sea salt blended with 'alaea (pronounced a-lie), a volcanic clay rich in iron oxide. This natural clay gives the salt its distinctive brick-red color and subtle earthy flavor. If you can't find it, use another high quality salt such as Himalayan pink salt which is easier to source.
- Banana Leaves: This is optional, but will add a more authentic rich and earthy flavor. You can typically find banana leaves (usually frozen but occasionally fresh) in Asian or Latin American grocery stores. They're cheap and well worth buying a pack to get more authentic flavor in your kalua pork. Make sure to wash and dry (just wipe with a paper towel) your banana leaves before using.
How to make it
Trim off the fat cap and pierce the pork roast all over with a carving or barbecue fork. It will pierce deeper than a regular fork. Rub in the Hawaiian red salt and then coat with liquid smoke.
If using a banana leaf, wrap it around the pork like wrapping a present and tuck the edges underneath the roast to keep it well-wrapped. You may need to cut the banana leaf depending on its size and how you plan to wrap it. I wrap mine in one direction with one piece of banana leaf and then the opposite direction with another piece.
Place the pork roast into the slow cooker. Cover and set it on LOW for 8 to 12 hours (8 should be sufficient for a smaller roast, but you'll need closer to 12 for a large roast). Check the roast for doneness about 8 hours in (if using banana leaves just gently pull it open to check). It should be fork tender and easily pull apart.
If you have used a banana leaf, remove it now. It may break into multiple pieces but that's fine; I use tongs for this. Remove most of the cooking liquid, but save it. Remove any bones if it was a bone-in roast. Then shred the pork with 2 forks, adding some of the liquid back as needed to keep the pork moist.
Save any extra cooking liquid in case you need it for reheating leftovers. Cooking liquid should be added sparingly, just enough to retain moisture but should not be soupy or too liquidy.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
Transfer cooled kalua pork to an airtight container with some of the leftover cooking liquid (to help retain moisture) and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. You can also portion and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Whether refrigerated or frozen and thawed, reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
The serving size of roughly 8 servings is based on using a 4 pound pork roast, but this will also depend on how you serve your kalua pork. A larger roast will obviously yield more servings and using a picnic shoulder vs pork butt will also affect the calculated nutritional content.
Serving Suggestions
- Plate lunch-style kalua pork with a scoop or two of sticky white rice (Calrose rice is the Hawaiian standard) and mac salad on the side
- Kalua pork sandwich in a bun with barbecue sauce and plain or pineapple slaw (or make them into sliders with Hawaiian sweet rolls!)
- Hawaiian-style eggs benedict with kalua pork in place of the ham (serve over toasted Hawaiian sweet bread like they do at Kountry Kitchen!)
- Kalua pork quesadilla
- Kalua pork tacos
- Nachos with kalua pork
- Hawaiian pizza with pineapple and kalua pork in place of the ham
- Kalua pork grilled cheese
- Kalua pork fried rice
Other recipes you may like
- Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (Mac Salad)
- Hawaiian Loco Moco (Hamburger Steak with Gravy)
- Mochiko Chicken (Hawaiian Fried Chicken)
- Easy Saimin Recipe (Hawaiian Noodle Soup)
- Hawaiian Hot Dog (Puka Dog Inspired Recipe)
- Duke's Hula Pie (Copycat Recipe)
- Hawaiian Butter Mochi
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Kālua Pork
Ingredients
- 1 (4 to 6 pound) pork shoulder or pork butt roast
- 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons alaea salt or Hawaiian red sea salt if you can't find it, use Himalayan pink salt; use about 1 tablespoon for a 4 pound roast or 1 ½ tablespoons for a 6 pound roast
- 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
- 1 large banana leaf optional
Instructions
- Trim off the fat cap and pierce the pork roast all over with a carving or barbecue fork (it will pierce deeper than a regular fork) or if you don't have one, a skinny, sharp knife. Rub in the salt and then coat with liquid smoke.
- If using a banana leaf, wrap it around the pork like wrapping a present and tuck the edges underneath the roast to keep it well-wrapped. You may need to cut the banana leaf depending on its size and how you plan to wrap it. I wrap mine in one direction with one piece of banana leaf and then the opposite direction with another piece.
- Place the pork roast into the slow cooker, cover and set it on LOW for 8 to 12 hours (8 should be sufficient for a smaller roast, but you'll need closer to 12 for a large roast). Check the roast for doneness about 8 hours in (if using banana leaves just gently pull it open to check). It should be fork tender and easily pull apart.
- If you have used a banana leaf, remove it now (it may break into multiple pieces but that's fine; I use tongs for this). Remove most of the cooking liquid, but save it. Remove any bones if it was a bone-in roast, then shred the pork with 2 forks, adding some of the liquid back as needed to keep the pork moist.
- Save any extra cooking liquid in case you need it for reheating leftovers. Cooking liquid should be added sparingly, just enough to retain moisture but should not be soupy or too liquidy.
Notes
- Pork: Use either pork shoulder or pork butt for this recipe. Pork shoulder (or picnic shoulder) is a bit leaner and usually sold bone-in, while pork butt (or Boston butt) has more fat marbling and is typically sold bone-in or boneless. These are the typical cuts you'd use for pulled pork, and they work well for this recipe too since they're ideal for slow cooking processes.
- Liquid Smoke: This is a concentrated seasoning made by capturing real wood smoke and condensing it into a liquid. Since you aren't digging an imu in your yard and smoking a pig all day, this is the best way to capture that smoky flavor without the hassle.
- Salt: Alaea salt, also known as Hawaiian red salt is your best and most authentic choice here. It's an unrefined sea salt blended with 'alaea (pronounced a-lie), a volcanic clay rich in iron oxide. This natural clay gives the salt its distinctive brick-red color and subtle earthy flavor. If you can't find it, use another high quality salt such as Himalayan pink salt which is easier to source.
- Banana Leaves: This is optional, but will add a more authentic rich and earthy flavor. You can typically find banana leaves (usually frozen but occasionally fresh) in Asian or Latin American grocery stores. They're cheap and well worth buying a pack to get more authentic flavor in your kalua pork. Make sure to wash and dry (just wipe with a paper towel) your banana leaves before using.
- Storage: Transfer cooled kalua pork to an airtight container with some of the leftover cooking liquid (to help retain moisture) and refrigerate for 4 to 5 days. You can also portion and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Whether refrigerated or frozen and thawed, reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
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