Kalua Pig is a traditional Hawaiian dish typically cooked underground in an imu. This easy home version uses only 3 ingredients and a slow cooker, delivering juicy, fall-apart pork infused with smoky flavor — with hardly any effort.
It’s ideal for meal prep, family dinners, or casual gatherings. Serve it with rice, in sandwiches, tacos, or even salads.
Ingredients (Serves 6–8)
- 5–6 lbs (2.5–3 kg) pork shoulder or pork butt
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt (or smoked salt if available)
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (mesquite or hickory flavor)
Instructions
- Place pork in your slow cooker.
- Rub evenly with salt.
- Pour liquid smoke over the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 16 hours or HIGH for 8 hours, until pork is very tender.
- Remove, shred with forks, and mix with the juices.
Serving Ideas
- Serve over white rice with Hawaiian macaroni salad.
- Use in pulled pork sandwiches, tacos, or sliders.
Tips
- For authentic Hawaiian flavor, use Alaea red salt if available.
- Save the cooking juices — they’re full of flavor!
- This dish freezes very well. Perfect for batch cooking.
Storage
- Refrigerator: up to 5 days in airtight container.
- Freezer: up to 2 months in individual portions.