Crockpot Kalua Pork
Kalua pork in the crockpot gives you smoky, salty, fall-apart shredded pork with only three main ingredients. The slow cooker stands in for the traditional underground oven, and you get tender meat for rice bowls, tacos or sliders.
10
servings10
minutes10
hoursA pork shoulder rubbed with coarse salt and liquid smoke, slow cooked until it shreds. Serve with rice or in sliders.
Ingredients
5 lb bone-in pork shoulder (pork butt)
1 Tbsp coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
1 1/2 Tbsp liquid smoke
1/2 cup water
4 cloves garlic, peeled, optional
2 large banana leaves, thawed, optional
1 tsp black pepper
3 cups cooked white rice, for serving
1 small head green cabbage, shredded, optional
Hawaiian sweet rolls for sliders, optional
Directions
- Pat the pork dry with paper towels. Poke 10 to 12 deep holes in the meat with a knife and push a garlic clove into some of them.
- Rub the salt, black pepper and liquid smoke all over the pork, working it into the holes.
- If using banana leaves, line the slow cooker with them, overlapping, then place the pork on top and fold the leaves over it.
- Pour the water into the bottom of the slow cooker, not over the pork.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 9 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 5 to 6 hours. The pork should be fork-tender and reach about 195°F inside, which is the point where it shreds.
- Lift the pork onto a large plate or board and let it rest for 10 minutes. Remove the bone and any large fat pieces.
- Shred the meat with two forks.
- Return the pork to the juices in the pot and toss. Add salt a pinch at a time, tasting as you go.
- If using cabbage, stir it in and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes until wilted.
- Serve over rice or on rolls.
Notes
- Pork shoulder is safe at 145°F, but it needs a much higher temperature to shred. Use sea salt, not table salt, which is much saltier by volume. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months in some of the cooking juices. Use leftovers for tacos, quesadillas or fried rice.
Why kalua pork is a slow cooker dish
Traditional kalua pork is cooked for hours in an underground oven, called an imu, until the meat is smoky, salty and falling apart. Few of us have a pit in the backyard, but a slow cooker gets surprisingly close. Ten hours of low, moist heat turns a tough pork shoulder into shreds that melt on the tongue.
The recipe is short on ingredients, and that is the point. Coarse salt, liquid smoke and the pork itself are all you need. The fat in the shoulder bastes the meat as it cooks, and you finish with a pot of juicy, deeply hearty pulled pork and a pool of flavorful drippings. Even with a modest cooker, it still produces a big batch, so plan to feed a crowd or freeze some.
Ingredient notes
Pork shoulder: Choose bone-in pork shoulder, also sold as pork butt, about five pounds. The bone and marbling keep the meat moist through a long cook. Leave some of the fat cap on, since it melts into the meat.
Coarse sea salt: Hawaiian sea salt is traditional, but any coarse sea salt works. Use about a tablespoon for five pounds of pork, and taste at the end before adding more.
Liquid smoke: This stands in for the smoke of the imu. Choose hickory and measure carefully, because too much tastes harsh and chemical.
Banana leaves: Optional, but wrapping the pork in thawed banana leaves adds a subtle, earthy aroma. Find them frozen at Asian or Latin markets.
Garlic: A few peeled cloves tucked into slits in the meat are optional but give a gentle depth.
Tips for the best kalua pork
Pierce the meat all over: Poke the shoulder with a fork or knife, then rub the salt and liquid smoke into the holes. This carries the seasoning deeper than surface salt can go.
Add only a little water: The pork gives off plenty of juice. Half a cup is enough to keep the bottom from scorching, and more will dilute the flavor.
Do not rush it: The most common mistake is pulling the pork too soon. It should reach at least 190 degrees inside and shred with no resistance. If it still fights the fork after ten hours on LOW, give it another hour. Shred it and stir the meat back into the juices so every strand is coated.
Swaps and variations
Boneless pork shoulder works, and shortens the time slightly. Add shredded cabbage to the pot for the last hour for a traditional side, cooked in the pork juices. For extra smoke, broil the shredded pork for a few minutes on a sheet pan. Use pork loin for a leaner result only if you accept that it turns dry.
Do not add soy sauce, pineapple or barbecue sauce and expect kalua pork. Those make a different dish, more like a teriyaki or sweet pulled pork, and they cover the clean salt and smoke flavor.
What to serve with it
Serve kalua pork over steamed white rice with a scoop of macaroni salad for a plate lunch. It is also good on Hawaiian sweet rolls as sliders with a little slaw, or stuffed into tacos and quesadillas. Pour a spoonful of the drippings over the rice.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Keep leftovers with some of the juices in a covered container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in a skillet or the microwave, adding a spoonful of the drippings so the meat stays moist.
Kalua pork freezes beautifully for up to three months. Freeze it in portions with the juices, and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Crockpot Kalua Pork at a glance
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cooking time: 10 hours
- Servings: 10 servings
- Ingredients: 10, led by bone-in pork shoulder (pork butt), coarse sea salt, liquid smoke, water
Tips for Crockpot Kalua Pork
Pork shoulder is safe at 145°F, but it needs a much higher temperature to shred. Use sea salt, not table salt, which is much saltier by volume. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months in some of the cooking juices. Use leftovers for tacos, quesadillas or fried rice.
Crockpot Kalua Pork FAQ
How long does Crockpot Kalua Pork take?
Crockpot Kalua Pork takes 10 hours of cooking after 10 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Kalua Pork serve?
This recipe makes 10 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Kalua Pork?
10 ingredients, led by bone-in pork shoulder (pork butt), coarse sea salt, liquid smoke, water. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
