Slow Cooker Kalua Pork – only 3 ingredients! This is THE BEST pork EVER! So easy and it tastes amazing! Serve on rolls with slaw, on a salad or nachos. We can’t get enough of this yummy pork!
I’ve seen this recipe on the internet for years. I finally got around to giving it a try last week and it was great. This pork couldn’t be easier. Chicken Legs actually made this for us! It has only 3 ingredients – pork, sea salt and liquid smoke. This takes 16-20 hours to make. We started it before we went to bed the night before we ate it. I was concerned that this would be dry and bland, but it was super tasty. We both really enjoyed it! We served the leftovers on the best pretzel buns with some BBQ sauce and slaw.
Found these pretzel slider rolls at Costco – they are SO delicious!
We had the leftover pork on the pretzel rolls with slaw, BBQ sauce and slaw & BBQ sauce.
Yield: serves 10 to 12
Kalua Pork
prep time: 5 MINScook time: 16 hourtotal time: 16 hours and 5 mins
ingredients:
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1 (6 pound) pork butt roast
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3 Tbsp Hawaiian sea salt
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3 Tbsp liquid smoke flavoring
instructions:
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Pierce pork all over with a fork. Combine liquid smoke and salt. Rub mixture over meat. Place roast in a slow cooker.
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Cover, and cook on low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cooking time.
- Remove meat from slow cooker and shred.
All images and text ©Plain Chicken, Inc.
Should be called Smokey Shredded Pork because there’s no Kahlua in the recipe.. 🙂
No, Connie. The term “kalua pork” has been used by Hawaiian cook Sam Choy to describe pork shoulder butt which is rubbed with sea salt, wrapped in ti leaves, and slowly cooked in an oven using liquid mesquite smoke. This is a slow cooker version of that recipe.
Thank you! After I posted my comment and went searching for a pork using Kahlua, I saw my error and apologized. Sorry. Thank you for your patience with me.
I've been using this recipe for a while, now. I read a long time ago that doing it the "real way" it is wrapped in banana leaves. So I wrap mine in parchment and then put it in the crockpot as directed above. It is a great recipe!
I have the red hawiian sea salt. Still use 3tbsp?
For some reason I assumed there would actually be Kahlua in this…hey…I might be onto something!
Rather than a pork shoulder roast, I had a 5# package of pork shoulder boneless spare ribs from Costco. Using sea salt and liquid smoke, I made two layers (ribs, salt, liquid smoke) and cooked them for 11 hours on low in the slow cooker. Turned out amazing!
I just pulled this out of the crock pot. The salt is a bit much, but only on the perimeter of the roast. The texture is wonderful. Next time I may substitute some of the salt for a spice rub that I usually use on my carnitas. Then I would feel comfortable basting the roast with the juices after I shred it.
I lived on the Big Island while attending UH. Kalua pork was one of my favorite dishes. In Hawaii cooks wrap the pork in ti leaves and use Keawe (a relative of the mesquite family) to cook the pork in an imu (in ground barbeque) Since keawe wood and ti leaves are not readily available in the midwest I tweaked the recipe for grilling and the crockpot. This crock pot recipe is good and very close to authentic Kalua pork as you can get. I also wrap the roast in banana leaves after applying sea salt and liquid smoke to the roast. It adds a dimension to the flavor and it comes out so tender! This works on the grill as well and I use Mesquite chips when I grill and less liquid smoke. Remove banana leaves when done and Enjoy!!
Do you use a boneless roast or will bone-in work?
either is fine
I found this a while ago on pinterest and finally made it for our dinner tonight. OH MY GOODNESS!!! It was amazing!!!
so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this yesterday (started Sunday night) and was just amazed at how juicy and tender the meat was when the 16 hours was up. I must have used too much salt because ours was very salty. We used Hawaiian rolls (toasted) and I put my homemade coleslaw on top.
I have so many of your recipes pinned and have tried several, I just had to comment and tell you how much we loved this recipe!
So glad to hear you are enjoying the recipes!
Donnie – don't add any water. Enjoy!
Do u add water in the slow cooker
SoTexas: pork butt & shoulder are the same thing (it is the "butt" of the shoulder)
Where's the Kahlua ?? LOL
Do you drink it while it's cooking?
No h in kalua. From Hawaiian kālua, literally 'baked in an underground oven'.
No h in kalua. From Hawaiian kālua, literally 'baked in an underground oven'.
Can I use a Shoulder Roast? If it is only 3 pounds should I cook it half as long?
Where did you find the Hawaiian Sea Salt? I live in Birmingham, so was there somewhere around here that sells it?