Hawaiian Kalua Pork (Instant Pot)
Published Jun 22, 2018
Updated Sep 05, 2024
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Hawaiian Kalua Pork - tender and juicy pressure cooker Hawaiian Kalua pork recipe. 10 mins active time and dinner is done!
My family friend V recently bought an Instant Pot and she has been raving to me about the ease of use and that everything gets cooked in a very short time. More importantly, the foods actually taste very good.
I bought myself an Instant Pot, and I love it, especially on those busy weeknights when I have to make dinner for the entire family!
This Hawaiian Kalua Pork is the first recipe I attempted with the pressure cooker and it was fast, delicious and everyone loved it, including picky eater little G.
He enjoyed the Kalua pork so much that he made sure I packed it for his school lunch, now this doesn’t happen that often.
I love the simplicity of the recipe as it calls for very few ingredients. I did jazz up the original recipe a bit to make it more flavorful.
The pork is tender, juicy, perfectly cooked and bursting with flavors and I had only one pot to clean after dinner.
I am excited to use my Instant Pot again, and I would love to share more pressure cooker recipes with you all.
Please leave me a comment and tell me that if you have an Instant Pot and if you wish to see more recipes from me.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 358 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Hawaiian Kalua Pork
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Hawaiian Kalua Pork (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 lbs (1kg) pork roast
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons Wright’s Hickory Liquid Smoke
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Select the Browning setting and add oil to the cooking pot. When it's hot, brown the pork on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a platter once browned.
- Turn off the pressure cooker and add the water, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and brown sugar to the cooking pot. Return the pork and its juices to the pot. Sprinkle the salt over the top of the pork.
- Select High Pressure and set the timer for 60 minutes. When it beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 20 minutes. Once the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
- Remove the meat from the pressure cooker and shred it with two forks. Serve immediately with steamed rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just got an Instant Pot and would love more recipes. We actually got it primarily to use in our recently purchased RV and our trip from PA to Alaska for a summer stay! But I have a feeling I will continue to use it once we return home.
Awesome I think you will like it.
The flavor was great but 60 minutes is definitely not enough (even with a NPR which I did). I had to add time on several times before it finally got to the point where it would shred. After doing a little looking online, many of the shredded pork IP recipes I found suggested 90 minutes of cooking followed by NPR. This was really good once it was done so I will definitely try this again but do the 90 min + NPR .
Can you do this in an old fashioned pressure cooker? Mine has the rocker on top of the lid. If so, how long would you cook it, and do you add any water ?
can i cook pork from the frozen state. Also how could i do PIP method and cook rice at the same time
No not frozen you need to thaw. Not sure about PIP method.
This is fantastic!! It is the first recipe I made in my Instapot. We’ve made it many times since and everyone always loves it and asks for the recipe. Love the simplicity and speed as well. Thanks for posting!
Thanks Tina. I am so glad that you liked my Hawaiian Kalua Pork recipe.
Can’t wait to try your recipe!
When are the soy sauce and brown sugar added?
Thank you for yummy recipes ?
I love your site and I love my pressure cooker. If you posted more pressure cooker recipes, it would be AWESOME!
I love making homemade veggie beef soup in my pot! YUM! And mashed potatoes and hard boiled eggs….ribs are so tender too!
Hi Jenni, thanks for your suggestions. I will continue to post more.
which part of the recipe is Hawaiian kahlua?
is it the modification of NomNomPaleo’s?
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/111934821818/pressure-cooker-kalua-pig
I adapted the recipe from here, which I cited in the recipe section: http://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-kalua-pork/
I just bought the Instant Pot too! I like that it is multi-use and got rid of my old slow cooker. I have not made anything with the pressure cooker function though so I would love to see more recipes from you for that :)
Can we cook this in a slow cooker?
Yes but it won’t be as good.
Actually yes it will be just as good in a slow cooker. It will just take longer to make.
Slow cookers don’t allow for any caramelization/maillard/browning due to low heat of cooking. Will definitely not taste as good. It’s an inferior cooking vessel for almost every dish.
I agree slow cooker is inferior compared to Instant Pot.
Actually turns out better in a slow cooker. But don’t use soy sauce or brown sugar. Just the liquid smoke and hawaiian alaea salt. No water in slow cooker either
Yes, I would like see more pressure cooking recipes. Use mine at least once a week. My mom makes congee in hers & great for cooking beans. Instant pot is the best! Love your Asian food recipes.