Slow cooker kalua pork is an easy three-ingredient crock pot dinner recipe that takes less than 5 minutes of prep to make!
What is kalua pork?
Authentic kalua pork is a popular staple of Hawaiian luaus. A whole pig is cooked covered in banana leaves in an underground oven to give the pork its delicious smoky flavor.
This crock pot version replicates the smoky/salty flavor by cooking the pork for hours. The recipe uses just three ingredients – pork, liquid smoke, and salt. There’s no other cooking liquid necessary for this recipe.
Ingredients
- Pork: For this recipe, you’ll want a fattier cut of pork, like a pork butt (Boston butt) or pork shoulder.
- Liquid smoke: Liquid smoke is a flavoring that’s usually sold either near the barbecue sauce or with marinades. Any flavor of liquid smoke will work.
- Sea salt: Hawaiian sea salt (alaea salt) is preferable. However, if you can’t find Hawaiian salt, pink Himalayan salt makes a good substitute. White sea salt will also work in this recipe. Just be sure that you don’t use table salt as it will be overly salty.
How to make slow cooker kalua pork
Place roast in slow cooker insert, cutting as needed to fit. I don’t trim the fat on the roast because the fat helps to flavor the meat and keeps it moist while the meat cooks.
Pour liquid smoke over the pork.
Sprinkle salt over the pork. Cover, and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours.
TOP TIP>> Since the cooking time is so long, I often start the pork late the night before. Once it has finished cooking, I let it switch to WARM so that it’s ready when we’re ready to eat.
Shred pork with two forks, and drizzle with cooking juices, if desired.
Serving suggestions
Kalua pork goes well with sticky rice and Hawaiian macaroni salad.
Storage
The kalua pork reheats well. I recommend reserving some of the cooking juice to pour over the meat when reheating.
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Slow Cooker Kalua Pork
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 pounds boneless pork butt
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
Instructions
- Place roast fat side up in slow cooker insert, cutting as needed to fit.
- Pour liquid smoke over the pork.
- Sprinkle salt over the pork.
- Cover, and cook on LOW for 10-12 hours.
- Shred pork with two forks, and drizzle with cooking juices, if desired.
Notes
- Pork: For this recipe, you’ll want a fattier cut of pork, like a pork butt (Boston butt).
- Liquid smoke: Liquid smoke is a flavoring that’s usually sold either near the barbecue sauce or with marinades. Any flavor of liquid smoke will work.
- Sea salt: Hawaiian sea salt (alaea salt) is preferable. However, if you can’t find that, pink Himalayan salt makes a good substitute. White sea salt will also work in this recipe. Just be sure that you don’t use table salt as it will be overly salty.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Paige says
Are you supposed to have the Himalayan salt ground or in chunks
Kate says
I use the ground salt in this recipe.
Jenika says
This was delicious! I was hesitant to try it but it was delicious.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it!