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This Easy Hawaiian Kalua Pig takes the guesswork, and pit, out of the traditional Hawaiian smoked pig so you can make it at home in a couple of easy steps!

Dish Count :: 1 Dutch Oven

This post has been updated in 2025. It contains stories from the original post that i just can’t bear to part with, but the recipe remains the same.  

Easy Hawaiian Kalua Pig - homemadehome.com No Smoke Pit Required, just a dutch oven at home!

Everyone has re-entry issues after a nice vacation, right? I’m going back to work today and after 10 days off work, I’m sure today is going to be a rough one. It’s just a good thing I remembered to write down all the passwords to my computer at work and hide them so that when I got in at 6, with only one cup of coffee to my name I will have some way to remember them! Hawaii, even three days later, seems to far away. Ben started back up at work yesterday, and he fell asleep on the couch last night.

The struggle is real. Ben didn’t want to come home from Hawaii at all anyway, so I figured I would try to keep Hawaii alive a little longer with this Kalua Pork.  My sister’s new mother in law filled us in on her secret of homemade Kalua pork while we were in Hawaii, for those of us who couldn’t dig a pit in our non-existent backyards to make it the traditional way. This way worked like a charm! And it will be perfect for your Superbowl Sunday festivities.

Unlike Ben who was not ready to come home from Hawaii, I kind of was ready to come home. As much as I love vacation, and not being at work – hello, endless days in my yoga pants – I was ready to be in my own home, in my own bed, and with my dog again. There isn’t anything quite like being home.

It really is my favorite place. *awww, sentimental barf.*

Easy Hawaiian Kalua Pig - homemadehome.com No Smoke Pit Required, just a dutch oven at home!

Anyway, pork. Yes, meat on a plate. Important, less sentimental matters await. We live in an apartment and there is no way we can go dig up the play yard for a pork pit, not to mention the lack of banana leaves in Seattle pose a bit of a predicament for a traditional Kalua pig pit – so while we were in Hawaii, my sister’s new mother in law gave me her secret to her easy slow roasted Kalua pork that is packed full of flavor, even while it is made in a cast iron Dutch oven. The secret may make your house smell like a delicious smoke shack – but it is so worth it in the end you won’t even care.

Start with a boneless pork shoulder, or pork “butt” as it’s commonly referred. I just like saying “butt”. #Mature. Mine was 3 and a half pounds. You can do a bone-in shoulder, I just didn’t want to fuss with it. MIL said to season the pork with Hawaiian salt, or course sea salt if that is what you have on hand. If you are looking for red Hawaiian sea salt, or Alaea salt you can find it here. 

Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the bottom of a dutch oven and heat until shimmering. Sear each side of the pork until golden brown, making sure that the pork releases naturally from the bottom of the pan before turning it to the next side. I can’t tell you enough – do not rip the pork off the bottom of the pan! This will undo all the seasoning you just did. The pork will know when it’s time to release. Just let it do it’s business.

Then, add in the secret ingredients – 3 Tablespoons of liquid smoke, and one can of guava juice. Cover and place in a 300 degree oven for 6 hours. Boom. Done. Easy. As. That.

Easy Hawaiian Kalua Pig - homemadehome.com No Smoke Pit Required, just a dutch oven at home!

What does the pit do for Kalua Pork? How Can You Do It At Home?

So while we don’t have the space for a big pit  or underground oven in our yard, the combination of the in ground pit, heated with coals, and the banana leaves create a sealed environment for the pork to slow roast. The coals create an even temperature for the pork to roast and become tender, while the banana leaves offer protection and a source of moisture so that the pork stays moist. 

A Dutch oven offers the same benefits, without the hole in the ground. And you can’t exactly stuff a whole pig into your oven. At least a standard commercial oven you can’t. Tell me if you have a “whole pig worthy” oven! A Dutch oven creates a very tight seal that mimics the in ground oven. If you want to ensure an even tighter seal, you can lay a piece of aluminum foil on top before putting the lid on. 

To get the extra crispy whispy edges, I highly recommend shredding it and putting it back into a roasting pan under the broiler for a couple minutes. It’s delightful. 

Can I make this Kalua Pork recipe in a slow cooker? 

You can make this in a slow cooker if you want, but the environment will a little wetter than the dutch oven.

Take two forks, and shred the living daylights out of this bad boy. And serve it up! Oh my gosh, it’s like the Hawaiian islands just came back and slapped me in the face. Now, it’s your turn.

How else can I eat this much pork? 

The possibilities are endless and you must try to use this besides just shredding it and eating it. My favorite ways are below. It’s just like a traditional American pulled pork, this just has the smokiness and subtle sweetness from the guava juice to make it appropriately Hawaiian, perfect for your own home done luau. 

  • Put it in sandwiches
  • Top it onto nachos
  • Have it on top of rice, with finely shredded cabbage and the juice poured over the top and a little soy sauce. 
  • Definitely eat it along side my MUST make Hawaiian Mac Salad
  • On tacos
  • Mini Sliders

Ingredients for Easy Hawaiian Kalua Pig

  • Boneless Pork Shoulder, “Pork butt”, or “Boston Butt”
  • Hawaiian or Course Sea Salt
  • Fresh Ground Pepper
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Liquid Smoke
  • Guava Juice
  • Water
Easy Hawaiian Kalua Pig - homemadehome.com No Smoke Pit Required, just a dutch oven at home!


Now, as you can see this process looks like it will totally destroy the daylights out of your enameled dutch oven. Don’t fret!! Tomorrow, for How-To Tuesday I’m going to show you to scrub up your enamelware to remove any stains in a jiffy. It can be done, and I’ll show you how.

In the mean time – kalua pork, friends.

Inspired Homemade Recipes To Try

Easy Santa Maria Tri Tip Roast

Roasted Ham With Honey Mustard Glaze and Apples

Instant Pot Rosemary Dijon Pot Roast

Tools for Success!

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Easy Hawaiian Kalua Pig - homemadehome.com No Smoke Pit Required, just a dutch oven at home!

Easy Hawaiian Kalua Pig

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  • Author: Megan Keno
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Hawaiian
Print Recipe

Description

This Easy Hawaiian Kalua Pig takes the guesswork, and pit, out of the traditional Hawaiian smoked pig so you can make it at home in a couple of easy steps!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 1/2 pound Boneless Pork Shoulder or “Butt”
  • 2–3 Tbsp Hawaiian or Course Sea Salt
  • 1 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
  • 3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 3 Tbsp Liquid Smoke
  • 12 ounce can Guava Juice
  • 1/2 cup Water

Instructions

  1. Remove pork shoulder from the fridge, one hour prior to cooking to allow it to take the chill off and promote even cooking.  Season with salt and pepper on all sides.
  2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  3. With dutch oven over burner over medium heat, add vegetable oil to the pan and heat until shimmering. Sear all sides of the pork until golden brown on all sides, ensuring to not switch sides until the pork naturally releases from the pan before switching to a new side to sear.
  4. Sprinkle with liquid smoke, water and guava juice. Cover pork, and place in the oven. Uncover every hour to baste pork.
  5. Remove from the oven between 5-6 hours, when the pork easily shreds with two forks. Let rest for 20 minutes after removing from the oven before completing shredding. Serve while hot.