Kālua Pork

Name: Kālua Pork
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 h 30 min
Total time: 5 h 35 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 2 large (about 30-by-10-inch) banana leaves, thawed if frozen (see Tip); 1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt; 1 tablespoon hickory liquid smoke, plus more as needed; 1 tablespoon plus 1¼ teaspoons/25 grams Hawaiian Alaea red medium-coarse sea salt, or 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed (see Tip)

By Naz Deravian

Updated March 5, 2025

Total Time: 5 hours 35 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5½ hours
Rating: 4(20)
Comments: Read comments

Tender, juicy and kissed with a touch of smoke, kālua pork is an iconic and revered Hawaiian dish dating back to the earliest settlers of the islands. Kālua, meaning “to cook in an underground oven,” is a cooking method brought by the Polynesians to what is now the Hawaiian islands. Traditionally, a whole pig is seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt, wrapped in locally grown ti leaves (which are also used to weave leis) and cooked in a pit oven called an imu for hours to serve at luaus and potlucks. While it’s not possible to replicate those traditional flavors and cooking techniques at home, you can still prepare a succulent and flavorful kālua pork using a handful of ingredients. Here, boneless pork shoulder (or Boston butt) is drizzled with hickory liquid smoke, seasoned with Hawaiian salt, wrapped with more widely available banana leaves, and slowly cooked to tenderness in a low oven. (You can also use a slow cooker; see Tip.) Serve kālua pork with rice and mac salad for a Hawaiian-style lunch plate.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

2large (about 30-by-10-inch) banana leaves, thawed if frozen (see Tip)
1(3-pound) boneless pork shoulder or Boston butt
1tablespoon hickory liquid smoke, plus more as needed
1tablespoon plus 1¼ teaspoons/25 grams Hawaiian Alaea red medium-coarse sea salt, or 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed (see Tip)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 325 degrees with the rack placed in the center position. Place one banana leaf lengthwise on a work surface. Place the second banana leaf on top vertically, forming a “T” shape. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and place in the middle of the banana leaves. Drizzle all over with the liquid smoke. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the entire surface of the pork, pressing it in with your hands.
Step 2
Wrap the banana leaves over the pork like a bundle or like wrapping a present. Wrap the pork bundle tightly a few times over with aluminum foil. You want to make sure you have a good seal here to trap moisture and prevent any leakage. Place the bundle in a roasting pan, casserole dish or similar vessel (such as a 3½-quart Dutch oven or other ovenproof pot) and roast in the oven for 5 hours.
Step 3
Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest in the pan for 20 minutes. Place the pork bundle on a serving dish or leave in the roasting pan. Carefully remove and discard the foil and banana leaves. Shred the meat (remove any extra fat, if you prefer) and toss the meat in its juices. Taste and sprinkle with a little more salt or a drop of liquid smoke, if necessary. (The cooked pork will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge if frozen, then reheat on the stove or the microwave.)

Tips

Alaea Hawaiian red sea salt is a prized, mineral-rich salt made with volcanic clay and is worth seeking out online and at specialty grocers.
Banana leaves can be found in Latin and Asian markets. They’re widely available in the frozen section, if fresh is not available.
To prepare Kālua pork in the slow cooker, season the meat as above, but if you like, skip the banana leaves. Drizzle the bowl of the slow cooker with a little vegetable oil, add the pork, cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Ratings

4 out of 5

20 user ratings

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Comments

Harris Hawk3 months ago

Great simple but delicious recipe. Kalua Pork is so tasty, versatile, and nice to have waiting in the freezer for dinner in a hurry. When I make it in the slow cooker, to mimic the flavor of the banana or ti leaves, I place an unripe, unpeeled banana on top of the pork shoulder and then discard it before prepping the pork. It works great.

Jon E3 months ago

Looks great but any recipe that starts with "2 large banana leaves" is kinda off the table for me.

Diana3 months ago

This recipe sounds much easier than what my Hawaii raised friend’s recipe started off with when I asked her for it “First you dig a big pit in your backyard”

Taylor3 months ago

If you have a pressure cooker, it's possible to shave off some time. We usually do 90 minutes on high pressure, then 30 minutes on natural release. Cook some cabbage in the remaining cooking liquid and serve with mac salad. Delicious!!

K&J question-3 months ago

What would you serve this with? Rice? Is there a special rice recipe that would be best?

Hawaii girl at heart...3 months ago

I grew up in Hawaii and have made Kalua pork many times - especially at Christmas where my partner (from Cleveland) makes pierogis. Our blended family of kids are always delighted and everyone loves the Kalua pig. I agree with most of the recipe - I probably use a little more than a tablespoon of liquid smoke (making sure that all surfaces of the pork have a nice coating of it). Yes you can use banana leaves, but I've found that a double layer of aluminum foil works just fine.

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