23 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Slow Cooker Kalua Pig is just like the Hawaiian pork that is served at a luau or at your local Hawaiian restaurant. Great on buns or with rice.
Most recipes for pulled pork in the slow cooker have barbecue sauce for flavor. This recipe does not need anything to cover up the pork; a few simple
Table of Contents
What is Kalua Pig:
- Kalua pig has nothing to do with Kaluha, the coffee liquor.
- Kalua is a traditional Hawaiian cooking method using an imu, an underground oven.
- Kalua pig is often the main attraction at Luaus.
- Here in this
recipe , we use liquid hickory smoke and sea salt and cook in the slow cooker instead of an imu.
What you need:
- Only a few ingredients are needed to make Kalua Pig in the slow cooker; pork shoulder, cooking oil to brown the pork, Himalayan sea salt, hickory liquid smoke, and water.
- Don’t skip the Himalayan sea salt. Its delicate salt flavor highlights the pork flavor. Buy a jar, and it will last you for years. I buy mine in the grinder jar.
- Hickory liquid smoke can be found on the same aisle as the barbecue sauce.
- The full recipe is in the recipe card below the images.
Variations
- Make the pork spicy by added 2-3 sliced jalapenos.
- Other great additions are soy sauce and whole garlic cloves.
- You can also add teriyaki sauce to the pork if you prefer more flavor.
Directions:
- Sprinkle the pork loin with the Himalayan sea salt.
- Set a large skillet over medium-high heat on the stove-top. Add the cooking oil. Brown the roast on all sides.
- Place the pork into a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.Pour over the water and liquid smoke.Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours. This may seem like a long time but it’s worth the wait.Shred the meat with 2 forks and served with some of the slow cooker’s juices.
What size pork butt?
This recipe is adaptable to any size pork butt, you can use this recipe with a 1.5 to
How to serve Kalua Pig
When serving, I like to serve the pork with items you would see at a luau. We love serving this meal when we are feeding a crowd.
- Hawaiian rolls – on the side with butter or serve the pork on them
- Pasta Salad – We love this summer garden pasta salad from the retro potluck along side our pork. It’s the pasta salad that is in the photographs.
- White rice – use a rice cooker for an easy-peasy meal—another great option is coconut rice.
- Tropical
fruit Salad - Sriracha – for spicing up the pork for those who like heat.
- Other great ways to use pulled pork are in tacos, on pizza (think Hawaiian pizza instead of ham), or in fried rice.
Can I freeze Kalua Pig?
- Yes, place 2 cups of the shredded pork in a Ziplock bag along with a splash of the pork juices. Doing this will minimize freezer burn on the shredded pork.
- Freeze for up to two months. To thaw, place in the
fridge over night. Heat in microwave or in a skillet for serving.
More slow cooker pork recipes.
- Slow Cooker Hard Cider Barbecue Pork
- Slow Cooker Pineapple Jalapeno Pork Tacos
- Slow Cooker Bourbon Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Cuban Pork
- Slow Cooker Cranberry Pork Loin
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Slow Cooker Kalua Pig
Slow cooker Kalua pig is an easy and reliable way to recreate the tender, smoky flavor of traditional Hawaiian kalua pig. With just a few ingredients—pork shoulder, liquid smoke, and himalayan sea salt—you can achieve a wonderful authentic meal without the need for an underground oven.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. Pork butt , (often called pork shoulder)
- 1 tsp. ground pink Himalayan sea salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp. liquid hickory smoke
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the pork roast. I don't often rinse my meat, but pork can sometimes be very slimey.
- Sprinkle the roast with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet set to medium-high heat, heat up the oil, and sear the roast on all sides. Add to the slow cooker.
- Add the water and hickory smoke.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 10 – 12 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time. If you roast is slightly frozen, you can cook on high for a few hours before switching to low.
- Shred the pork with two forks. I like to remove the roast onto a large baking sheet that has a lip on it. Discard any fat. Add the shredded roast back to the slow cooker with about a cup of the juices that it was cooked in.
- Serve and enjoy. Serving suggestions are rice, mac salad, hawaiian rolls and don't forget the sriracha.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
Different size of pork shoulder?
Any size pork roast can be used, increase or decrease the salt, pepper, liquid smoke amounts slightly.
If you want to freeze the pork:
- Place 2 cups of the shredded pork in a Ziplock bag along with a splash of the pork juices. Doing this will minimize freezer burn on the shredded pork.
- Freeze for up to two months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight. Heat in microwave or in a skillet for serving.
- The most traditional way is with white rice and mac salad.
- We love this pork on Hawaiian rolls, topped with barbecue sauce.
- Use the pork filling in tacos, or as a topping on pizza (think Hawaiian Pizza).
Nutrition
Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 260mg | Potassium: 513mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Made this recipe? Leave a comment below!
First Published 08/03/2014
Updated 07/31/2019
To make it taste like real Kalua Pig you need to use MESQUITE liquid smoke. It is typically cooked in a fire made from Kiawe (a variety of Mesquite wood).
Thank you for the tip!
The liquid smoke should be mesquite, not hickory. This more closely approximates the wood used in the luau to heat the stones. Also it’s not authentic without the cabbage.
Can I shorten the cooking time by cooking it on high? I have a 2 lb roast. I have made it before and it was delicious. Today I don’t have 10 hours.
Yes! A 2 pound roast will probably take 6-7 hours on high. Maybe less.
In Hawaii, Ke’awe (Mesquite) wood is the most used wood for the imu (fire pit). As such we make this recipe with Mesquite flavored smoke and Hawaiian sea salt, (when we can get it) for authentic flavor. It is definitely a crowd pleaser and is ono (delicious) served plain, as well as with BBQ sauce.
Thank you for your tip Ann! I will add that to the recipe.
And if you can get it at the International grocer, if you can get a banana leave and a taro leaf, you can lay them in on top, and the are what insulates the pig from the imu, it’s ok without but if you can get a 5-6 inch square of 1 or the other, preferably both. They will make your kahlua Pig over the line ‘licious