Pressure Cooker Kalua Pork
Smokey tender, juicy shredded pork served over rice is a Hawaiian luau favorite. I’ve transformed a popular slow cooker recipe with a 16-hour cooking time into an Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Kalua Pork recipe that is on the table in less than 2 hours.
You can serve this with white rice, steamed veggies, or macaroni and cheese.
One of my daughter’s favorite meals is kalua pork. If you’ve ever made slow cooker Kalua pork, you’ll know it’s a long process. My daughter’s favorite recipe requires 16 hours in the slow cooker (!!).
By making kalua pork in the pressure cooker, there’s NO MORE starting the meat the night before and waking up to the smell of dinner. You’ll love how simple and easy this recipe is.
I love serving Kalua Pork at large get-togethers because it’s a less-expensive main course and it can accommodate a wide variety of dietary plans, including gluten-free and keto.
I don’t know if Kalua Pork is as popular across the U.S. as it is in Utah, or if it’s extra popular here because of the state’s large Polynesian population. Either way, kalua pork is frequently served at church parties and large family get-togethers.
What Is Kalua Pork?
Kalua pork (aka kalua pig) is simply a salty, moist shredded pork that has been cooked for a long time.
Kālua means “to cook in an underground oven.” The traditional Hawaiian Kalua Pork involves wrapping a pig in ti or banana leaves and burying it in a fire pit lined with stones. The pig smokes for hours underground until it’s tender and juicy. (If you’re feeling adventurous, you can make your own imu and kalua pork.)
Of course, that’s not very practical for everyday meals. 🙂
Note: Kalua Pork is often confused with Kahlúa, a coffee-flavored liqueur. There is no Kahlúa in a Kalua Pork recipe.
What Meat Do I Use to Make Pressure Cooker Kalua Pork?
Pork shoulder is an inexpensive cut of meat that I prefer in this Instant Pot Kalua Pork. However, any pork that is good for braising would be a good fit for this recipe.
When you’re at the meat counter, there’s lots of names for pork. It’s extra confusing since the pork producers changed the names they’re using. Look for a blade pork roast (aka a shoulder blade Boston roast or butt roast).
Adapted from pork.org
Bone in or Boneless?
I prefer using boneless pork for this recipe; however, if you prefer bone-in you can use that as well with no change in the cook time.
Want a leaner cut?
If you’re interested in using a leaner meat, PCT readers have had great results using half pork loin and half pork shoulder. This way you get the great flavor from the pork shoulder but cut the calories.
I do not recommend using pork tenderloin to make kalua pork. Tenderloin is a more expensive cut of meat that’s already tender. I think it’s great on the barbecue. If you want to pressure cook it, I like to slice it into medallions and cook at High Pressure for 1 minute. (See page 202, Sweet Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin, in The Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook for instructions.)
When pressure cooking, remember the size and thickness of the meat matters more than the amount of meat in your cooking pot. Whether you’re cooking 2 pounds or 6 pounds of pork, as long as they’re all about the same size and thickness, there’s no need to adjust the cook time.
Use an instant-read thermometer to verify your pork is at least 205°F in the thickest part after cooking.
How to Make Pressure Cooker Kalua Pork in an Instant Pot
An Instant Pot is one of the most popular brands of electric pressure cookers. They are easy to use and your Instant Pot can help you create this delicious Kalua Pork! If you are new to the Instant Pot, we recommend our Getting Started Guide here.
Don’t skip the browning step—with a recipe this simple, you want to make sure you have lots of browned bits to add flavor to the finished dish.
What kind of salt to use?
With so few ingredients in the recipe, readers often ask if there is a particular brand of liquid smoke or coarse salt that I prefer to use. I often use the pink Hawaiian salt anyways, and it works perfectly for this recipe. As for liquid smoke, I have typically used Colgin Original Recipe (Natural Mesquite), but you can substitute any brand and flavor that you prefer.
What to Serve with Hawaiian Kalua Pork?
Wondering what to serve with kalua pork? Traditionally, kalua pork is served with white rice. (I like to ladle extra juices on top of the rice for extra flavor.) I also like to serve it with plenty of steamed vegetables—especially broccoli, carrots, and edamame. This turns it into a sort of kalua pork rice bowl.
If you’re watching carbs, you can also serve it on top of spiralized zucchini noodles.
Macaroni and cheese or macaroni salad are also commonly served with kalua pork. If you want to offer another meat option, Hawaiian barbecue chicken makes a great addition.
My family demands fresh pineapple with kalua. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll take the time to grill it. (Wondering how to cut a pineapple? I’ve got you covered.)
A local Hawaiian restaurant serves kalua pork nachos, made with crispy wontons, green onions, fresh tomatoes, and drizzled with teriyaki sauce. Another serves it as kalua pork sliders, with shredded cabbage and drizzled with a Hawaiian mayonnaise. Both are fabulous options.
For dessert, you could serve Malasadas (Hawaiian donuts) or Easy Pineapple Coconut Bar Cookies.
Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Kalua Pork and Cabbage
Oftentimes, the kalua pork is served with steamed cabbage. If you wish to do this, rough chop some cabbage. After you release the pressure, add the cabbage to the cooking pot and lock the lid back in place. Select High Pressure and a 3 minute cook time. When the cook time ends, use a quick pressure release.
Update: My family loves this Pressure Cooker Hawaiian Kalua Pork, so I wanted to make a quick video to show you how easy it is to make. It’s a delicious recipe and I hope you’ll give it a try.
Other Pork Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Make Ahead (Instant Pot) BBQ Baby Back Ribs Recipes
- Easy Pressure (Instant Pot) Cooker Pulled Pork
- Short Cut Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Boneless Pork Chops
- Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Egg Roll Bowls
- (Instant Pot) Pork Stroganoff
- All our Pork Recipes!
Instant Pot / Pressure Cooker Kalua Pork
Smokey tender, juicy shredded pork served over rice is a Hawaiian luau favorite. I've transformed a popular slow cooker recipe with a 16-hour cooking time into a Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Kalua Pork recipe that is on the table in less than 2 hours.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder (pork butt) roast, cut into two pieces
- 1 to 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon hickory liquid smoke
- 2 teaspoons coarse Kosher salt or coarse Hawaiian salt
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
Select Saute to preheat the pot. When hot, add the oil and brown each half of the roast separately. Brown each half of the pork roast on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a platter when browned.
Turn the pressure cooker off, and add water and liquid smoke to the cooking pot. Stir to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the browned pork and any accumulated juices. Sprinkle the salt over the top of the pork roasts.
Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 90 minutes cook time.
When the timer sounds, use a natural pressure release (approximately 20 minutes). When the valve, drops carefully remove lid.
Remove the meat from the pressure cooker and shred with two forks. (Discard excess fat as you shred). If desired, use a fat separator to remove fat from the juices. Add some of the juices from the pressure cooker to moisten the meat. Place remaining juices in a serving dish to ladle on top of rice, if desired.
Notes
* If you don't have coarse salt on hand, be sure to reduce the amount of table salt you add.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 580Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 173mgSodium: 612mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 45g
Nutrition information is calculated by Nutritionix and may not always be accurate.
Would you increase the amount of pink salt or smoke if you use 5 pounds of pork?
No, you won’t need to increase it for 5 lbs. Enjoy!
Family enjoyed. Served with Hawaiian buns, BBQ sauce, coleslaw and fresh pineapple. Used a leaner cut as I did not want to mess with bone in pork shoulder. However it does need the fatties cut. Recipe is great.
Thanks Leann – glad the recipe was a hit with your family. Sounds like a delicious way to serve it.
This is fantastic! Hubby and I love this even to just snack on! I’m making it tonight in fact!
Thanks for the rave review Jackie!
I have an 8qt instant pot and it says not to pressure cook with less than 2 cups of liquid.. will only using 1/2 a cup cause a burn message or should I use more water?
Hi Krista – for your 8 quart you may want to increase the water to 1 cup. The pork will release a lot of liquid as it cooks, so you just need enough liquid to come to pressure. Enjoy!
Needs to be Mesquite Liquid smoke, not Hickory. We (Hawaiians) use Kiawe (Mesquite) wood to cook pig in an imu (underground oven). When I make oven style Kalua Pig, I usually use 2T Mesquite liquid smoke and 2T Hawaiian (or Kosher) sea salt. I’m sure your recipe would taste great but Mesquite LS would be closer to authentic. I’ll use your instructions to pressure cook some for sure.
Thanks for the tip Chris!
How did it turn out???
Any ideas on how to adjust this recipe for a 3QT instant pot? I’m dying to try it but cannot find any kalua pork 3QT recipes online. Maybe just doing half the amount of pork? Thanks!
Hi Emily – you should be able to make this in a 3 quart without any changes. If you want to use half the meat, you can, but I would still use the same amount of water and liquid smoke, but half of the salt. The cook time is the same.
Hello!!! LOVE this recipe and have made it many times. However this time I have an 8 lb boneless shoulder… would you increase cooking time? TIA!!
Thanks Alissa – so fun to hear you love the recipe. Just cut the 8 lb shoulder into 2 lb pieces and use the same cook time. It may be a tight fit in a 6-quart pressure cooker. Do you have an 8-quart?
I found your pulled pork recipe up today, but then I saw the Kailua Pork recipe. I have not had it since our trip to Maui in 1985! I used 8 lbs shoulder roast and it was fabulous! Thank you so much!
Thanks Marilynn! Glad it was a big hit. Love Maui!
Very good. I used 3lb pork butt and kept other ingredients as listed. I added garlic salt along with salt in recipe. After I took out of instant pot and shredded I added two tsp of barbecue sauce and mixed that in. I then put under broiler for 4 minutes to crisp up the ends. Came out great
Thanks for sharing TJ – sounds like a delicious way to change it up.
Just an fyi-Malasadas are not Hawaiian.
Hi AG – they are a Portuguese donut that’s become super popular in Hawaii. Thanks!
I have a 2.75 pound butt roast no bone. How long should I cook and should I cut it in half?
Hi Susan – no need to cut it in half and then you can use the cook time in the recipe. Enjoy!
This was amazing! The meat just falls off the bone.
Thanks for the rave review Dawn – Glad it was a hit!
Hi! I cut a 3.75# bone-in shoulder roast in half and followed all of the directions except the slow release. Did it need that 20 more minutes to cook? Worrying I didn’t fully cook it if that is actually part of the cook time.
Hi Karen – no worries, this recipe has a long cook time so the pork will be fully cooked long before the cook time ends. The long cook time and natural pressure release help to tenderize the meat so it’s fall apart tender.
Does cooking time change if it’s frozen meat?
Hi Cindy – yes, you’ll add 5 minutes per pound when cooking a large roast from frozen. Enjoy!
Hi
I have assorted pork chops that I would like to use would those work ?
Hi Lynne – they will work, especially if they’re not too lean. Your cook time will depend on how thick the pork chops are. I would try about 12 minutes and see if they’re fall apart tender.
I accidentally bought a huge 8.5 lb bone-in shoulder roast through grocery delivery. How would you go about doubling the recipe? Do you know what to cook time would be for so much meat?
Hi Rachel – Assuming you have an 8-quart pressure cooker, I would cut it into approximately 2 pound pieces and use the same cook time listed in the recipe. You don’t have to cut out the bone, just cut around it. If you don’t want to cut it, it will probably take about 2 and a half hours to cook maybe more – just keep cooking it until it shreds easily.
I have the very expensive pink Hwaiian salt, but it is a fine ground, not coarse any suggestions on how much to use? The salt was a house warming gifts and it was very expensive so I want to try it. Love your recipes and instructions!
Thanks Lynn – so nice to hear you love my recipes and instructions! What a fun gift. I would reduce the salt since it’s finely ground and use 1 1/2 teaspoons. Enjoy!
I like to brown a few pieces of bacon in my IP and use the grease for browning the pork. The bacon heightens the flavor of the pork.
Sounds like a delicious addition!
I have a pork loin (NOT tenderloin) that I was looking to do pulled pork with in my Quick Cooker when I stumbled upon this recipe. Which do you think would be better? Kalua pork or bbq pulled pork??
Hi Deborah – I would probably choose pulled pork with a pork loin since the kalua pork has such simple flavors and really benefits from the additional fat in a pork shoulder.
If you really want to be traditional, KP is served with POI. But I prefer rice. =)
Costco sells Pork Sirloin Roasts. It is a bit leaner, but not tenderloin. It comes in vacuum packed sections of 4 smaller roasts. Have you used these with good results?
Hi Melanie – I haven’t tried Costco Pork Sirloins for kalua pork. As you mentioned, it is pretty lean and not the best choice for kalua pork, but you could give it a try. Here’s my recipe for pork sirloin https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pork-sirloin-tip-roast-pressure-cooker/
Thank you for the guidance on how to make this in the IP! We enjoyed kalua pork often when we lived in Hawaii, and now we can make it at our new home in Florida. Spot on-delicious!
That’s so nice to hear – thanks Yvette!
My butcher cut my pork shoulder into 2” cubes and left me the bone. Would you suggest leaving the bone in the pot as it cooks? Also, how would you adjust the time given the cubes?
Hi Liz – sure, the bone could add some flavor to the broth. I haven’t tried it with 2-inch cubes but my guess is 35 minutes.
Boy, this is a spectacular recipe! Loved it.
That’s so nice – thanks Helen!
I bought some pork butt (country style cut). They were pre-cut into about 2x1x 6 in steaks. Should I reduce my cooking time to half ? Each package was approximately 1.4 pounds so I bought 3. Roughly 4.2 lbs. TIA!
Hi Nori – I use a 20 minute cook time in this recipe https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/sweet-and-sour-country-style-ribs/ with country style ribs. You might want a few minutes longer for kalua pork.
Trying this recipe tonight, what if I added some pineapple lejuice thoughts? Never used a instapot
Hi Marcus – I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work well. Let me know how you enjoy it.
Barbara, this is the first recipe I made with our new Instant pot. One of my favorite meals. It came out so delicious and tender. The only thing I would do differently is add more smoke. I make mine with cabbage and rice. The cabbage will be perfect with the liquid. Thanks for this recipe.
That’s great – thanks Susan!
I have made this in the slow cooker and wrapped the pork in a banana leaf. Can I do the same in the instant pot??
Hi Sandra – yes, you can wrap the pork in a banana leaf in the pressure cooker. I would start with 1 cup of water if using a 6 quart, 2 cups in an 8 quart.
Barbara, this is the first recipe I made with our new Instant pot. One of my favorite meals. It came out so delicious and tender. The only thing I would do differently is add more smoke. I make mine with cabbage and rice. The cabbage will be perfect with the liquid. Thanks for this recipe.
Absolutely AWESOME!!!! I bought almost a 10 pound pork shoulder/butt (Kroger only had huge ones and on sale). Wanted to make pulled pork and came upon this recipe and I’m glad I did!!!! I’m still a beginner with this instant pot and have the 8 quart pot. I didn’t cut the pork in 1/2 because of the amount of meat I had. More like 5 or 6 fat steaks, but all around the same size. I have never cut a huge hunk of of meat like that up in my life. It also had the bone in but didn’t use (I’m going to try it today with the left over raw pork I didn’t use). So I used about 5 1/2 lbs of meat. It turned out SO YUMMY!! My husband LOVED IT AND TOLD ME SAVE THAT RECIPE. He can now brag about my Kalua Pork❤️ Very pleased and THANK YOU!!!!
Hi Becky – thanks for taking the time to let me know it was a big hit! Always nice to find a great sale.
I am new to pressure cooking and using my instant pot. This recipe calls for only 1/2 cup water but in the instant pot manual it says always use at least 2 cups water. Do I add more water to make the 2 cups?
Hi Amanda – no don’t add any additional liquid, with some recipes you don’t need to add as much liquid because the ingredients in the recipe release a lot of liquid as they cook. Pork shoulder will release a lot of liquid, so you don’t need as much to start. Enjoy!
Is it fine to leave the pork in the Instant Pot on “keep warm” for a few hours after pressure cooking?
Hi Andrew – yes, the Keep Warm setting will keep the meat at 145–172°F which is a safe temperature to keep the meat at for a few hours.
Any tips on adding cabbage like in a traditional Kayla pig recipe? Thanks
Hi Krystal – I would cook the cabbage after the pork is finished cooking in the cooking liquid, similarly to how you cook it with corned beef https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pressure-cooker-corned-beef-and-cabbage/
I am new to the world of the instant pot and found this recipe in the recipe book that came with it. What I don’t understand is that the instruction book says you should never use less than 18 fluid ounces of liquid or it won’t be able to build proper pressure. So how does this recipe only use a 1/2 cup of water?
Hi Anna-Kate – when you’re cooking something like pork shoulder that releases a lot of liquid as it cooks, you’ll want to use just enough water for it to reach pressure. You’ll be amazed at how much liquid you’ll have after pressure cooking it. Enjoy!
This turned out perfect! I seasoned my pork butt with turmeric, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika and rubbed it in real good all over it. Put it in the fridge til ready to sear it and cook it. I always take the time when the 20 min natural release is done – I remove with two spatulas- as it falls apart – put on aluminum foil layered with Vidalia sweet onions with a lil’ coarse salt and garlic powder – wrap real tight let sit 30 minutes – then I pick through to remove all fat and shred it up with the sweated onions. I take some for bbq sandwiches, another night carnitas and maybe if left over some pork fried rice as a side for another dinner. The flavor is great but it will never be as good as smoked pork on the charcoal grill – but sometimes I don’t have time – THANK YOU FOR SHARING FOR THE INSTANT POT!!! So easy and delicious! My new go-to pork recipe!!
can this recipe be cut in half and I love your recipes but you don’t show the amount of servings which can be changed to suit the chef.
Hi Cecile – yes, the recipe can easily be cut in half. I would still use 1/2 cup of water so you have enough liquid to get to pressure. The amount of servings is listed at the top of the recipe. I’m slowing updating all my recipes to include serving and nutritional information. Enjoy!
Do you still cook for 90 minutes if only using 2 pounds?
Hi Ashley – yes, since the 4 lb. roast is cut into two 2 lb. pieces, the cook time would be the same.
When I make this in the crock pot, I often lay a whole banana, peel and all, on top of the roast. I usually slice it in half lengthwise. When it’s done cooking, I pull out the skin and mix the fruit into the meat. Do you think the peel would get obliterated in the IP? It gives a very subtle sweetness.
Hi Alexis – I haven’t tried it, but I think it would hold up to pressure cooking as well as in the crock pot. Let me know if you give it a try.
Do you put the meat on a trivet or directly in the liquid?
Hi Samantha – directly in the liquid.
I didn’t like the results of this recipe at all. It turned out exactly like the usual crock pot meat ….bland, rubbery, as if all the natural flavor of the meat had leached out. The very reason I didn’t prefer crockpots, but depended on them for years as a working mom. The only way to make it work is a dishe that relies on loads of seasonings. This one isn’t it. Might as well have kept my $8 crockpot, dumped in meat and water and come home to that bland, rubbery meat.
Hi Sara – sorry you were disappointed. What cut of pork did you use?
If it came out rubbery, you did something very very wrong. My family occasionally makes kalua pig in an imu out here in Hawaii, but usually it’s done this way because it’s fast and `ono(delicious).
Thanks Kekoa – I agree 🙂
How much oil do you use to brown? I’m going to use tenderloins..
Hi Sylvia – just 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Do you. Have any Dim Sum recipes
I’m sorry I don’t.
What if the pork butt is about 7lbs bone in? Will I need to adjust cook time?
Hi Samantha – just cut the butt into about 2 lb pieces and use the same cook time.
Is your pork boneless? I usually prefer the bone-in pork butt when I make pulled pork bbq, wondering if it makes a difference here.
Hi Kim – either will work well with this recipe.
C an you use a pork loin for this recipe?
Hi Kim – it’s more juicy and succulent with pork shoulder, but pork loin will work with no changes in cook time.
For a 3.25lb Pork Loin would you still use 90 minutes?
Hi Joe – if you cut it in half you can reduce the cook time, but if you cook it whole, I would use 90 minutes.
Thanks. It is a tenderloin that comes in two pieces.
Hi Joe – tenderloin is a tender cut of pork that doesn’t require a long cook time. It isn’t a good choice for this recipe. I have a recipe for pork tenderloin in my cookbook and I recommend: browning the tenderloins. Then slice the tenderloin into 2-inch -thick (5 cm) medallions. Add the medallions and any accumulated juices to the pot. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 1 minute cook time. Then use a 10 minute natural pressure release.
So simple, so delicious. This cooked perfectly and tasted delicious, thank you for the great recipe.
Thanks Harmony!!
Can you cook this the day before and reheat when ready to serve. What else do you serve with
Hi Claudia – yes, it will reheat very well. White rice, mac and cheese, fresh fruit (pineapple) and a green salad would all be great sides.
I moved from Hawaii 3 years ago and loved coming across this recipe & it was the first thing I made in my instant pot! It was a great! I need to make it again for a pot luck .. can I double the recipe? If so, do I need to double the cooking time?
Thank you.
Thanks Janet – a great pick for a first recipe. So nice to hear you loved it. As long as you don’t fill your pot more than 2/3’s full, you can double the recipe without increasing the time. Be sure and cut it into 2 lb. pieces
I just tried making this and it’s burnt to a crisp! The bottom of my pressure cooker is black. What did I do wrong? I have a traditional pressure cooker.
Hi Kelsey – sorry you had trouble with the recipe. Sounds like you didn’t have a good seal on your pot and all the liquid evaporated.
I just tried this and burnt- up my pressure cooker. It was my first time using it so I’m sure the fault was mine not the recipe. Could you advise on what level of heat I should have under the pressure cooker? My stove top us electric so kit sure if it should be low, medium or high. Also- the recipe calls for 1/2 cup water but my pressure cooker advises never less that 1 cup. Any guidance? Thank you.
Hi Sydney – sorry you had trouble with the recipe using your stove top pressure cooker. Sounds like you didn’t have a good seal, or you never reduced your heat once pressure was achieved.
Since you are new to using a stove top pressure cooker, I’d recommend practicing using your stove top pressure cooker with just water in the pot. You want to bring the pressure cooker to pressure using your manufacturer’s recommendations, but typically over medium high heat. Then you reduce the temperature to the lowest possible while still maintaining pressure – probably a low to medium heat.
A pork shoulder releases a lot of liquid as it cooks, so all the liquid should not evaporate as you cook it, but in the future, especially until you get the hang of regulating the pressure in your pot, I would definitely use the recommended 1 cup liquid.
Hang in there! You’ll get the hang of it after a few tries.
Can you use pineapple juice instead of water?
Hi Ashley – you definitely could. Sounds delicious.
How long would you cook this if your pork shoulder was frozen? Thanks!
Thanks for this recipe! I have made it a bunch of times, including for my daughter’s Hawaiian-themed bridal shower. There is a Hawaiian teriyaki sauce you can buy at Trader Joe’s that goes great with it. Pork shoulder is a little fatty for me, so sometimes I use half pork shoulder, half pork loin.
Thanks Marsha – such a great idea to get the great flavor from the pork shoulder but cut the calories 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Can I freeze the leftovers with out losing the great flavor?
Hi Jeri – yes, it freezes very well. You can even use the pressure cooker to reheat it. Just put it on a bowl on a trivet with a cup of water underneath and heat for a few minutes. Glad you enjoyed it!
Will this recipe work if I don’t have liquid smoke?
Hi Steph – yes, that’s not a problem.
Mine has been in the pressure cooker for about 5 minutes (I just got it yesterday and this is my third time using it)!! Question: It seemed as if the bottom of my pan is a little convex and the oil went to the outer rim. When I put the meat in the pan to brown it stuck so I didn’t leave it sitting there to get too brown. Does this happen to you? Should I just use more oil?
Thanks!
Hi Laura – yes, the bottom of the pan is convex and the oil does run to the outer rim. I’ll often pick up the pot and swirl the oil a bit. If you let the pan get hot before browning and don’t move the meat too soon, it will generally release when it’s perfectly browned. Sometimes if I’m impatient, I will add a little more oil and that does help it release.
Hope you loved the kalua pork. I know my family is crazy about it.
I have a 2lb pork shoulder roast. Do I still cook it for 90 minutes? or should i reduce the time?
Hi Alice – I’d use the same cook time. Enjoy!
Thank you. It turned out great! This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Hi Barbara!
I have just a couple questions:
1) I have a 5 lb roast. Should I cut into thirds or simply cut in half and stay true to the directions?
2) When putting the roast in the the pressure cooker, should the fat side go up or down?
Thanks! 🙂
Scott
Hi Scott – I would cut it into two pieces and stay true to the directions. I don’t think the extra half pound will make much difference. The fat side up so it melts over the meat making it tender and juicy. Enjoy!
Thank You!
HI BARBARA,
I HAVE A 6LB BUTT ROAST WOULD THE COOKING TIME STILL BE 90 MIN?
Hi Michelle – just cut it in to 2 lb. pieces and your cook time will be the same.
Barbara,
I love the Kalua Pork recipe. The IP script, however, displays the wrong cooking time in the recipe’s description, e.g., 10 minutes instead of the correct 90 minutes. It’s not a bother for me, because I know how long the pork should really be cooked, but it certainly could be confusing for someone who doesn’t know this; thus, I am loathe to share this script with other IP Smart users.
If you should happen to edit the script to correct the description of the cooking time, then I will happily download and share the corrected script.
Thank you!
Jane
Hi Jane – so great to hear you love the recipe. Where did you get the script from?
Hello Barbara…question — do you ever use the feature SLOW COOK on your Instant Pot?
Hi Lisa – no, I never use the slow cooker feature. I was never very enamored with slow cooking and I’m always thinking about pressure cooker recipes, so slow cooking never really happens.
This the first time I made BBQ & used your receive. I cooked a 12lb Boston butt & used your directions. My husband and I tasted it & knew I had to take it into work. We feed apps 40 people & had to make another one for the next day! It was a big hit. They guys at work thought I smoked it for hours on smoker. They could believe I used the pressure cooker & it was my first try at Kalua Pork. Thanks!
Hi Shari – such a fun story. Wow a 12 lb. butt. Did it all fit in the pressure cooker at once? So glad it was a hit. Thanks for sharing.
Hi,
Just bought a Power Pressure Cooker, 8 cup. You say “High Pressure” setting, but mine doesn’t say that. I put it on Chicken/Meat and went as high as I could on the timer (1 hour)
It that OK?
Hi Bill – I assume most of your settings, including your chicken/meat setting cook at high pressure by default – each just has a different pre-set time. If 1 hour is as long as it will let you set it, then you’ll just need to start it again for 30 more minutes. Or, after it’s counted down 30 minutes, you could cancel it and set it for 60 minutes again. Enjoy!
I made this tonight, and it was delicious! I got a 6-pound pork shoulder roast on sale, and cut it into three 2-pound roasts, two for the freezer. I followed your directions exactly except for using half the liquid smoke and the salt, but cooking for the entire 90 minutes. While I was shredding, I put some cabbage in the PC and cooked for 4 minutes. That part I need to experiment with. I also put the pork under the broiler for a couple of minutes per a suggestion here. It was a terrific meal, and I can’t wait for leftovers! And those other two roasts won’t be in the freezer long. Thank you.
Thanks Pam – I haven’t tried it with cabbage, but it’s a very popular way to serve it, so I need to give it a try soon. Aren’t leftovers the best!
Hi Barbara, I really would like to try this recipe but I have a sirloin pork tip. Do you think it would work? I am thinking increasing liquid to 1 cup. Thank you!
Hi Elina – no, I don’t think it would be a good choice for this recipe. Here’s a better way to cook it https://www.pressurecookingtoday.com/pork-sirloin-tip-roast-pressure-cooker/
Thank you 🙂
Good recipe! Living in Hawaii all my life I’ve been making kalua pork for years in a crock pot. That’s an all-day affair, now it’s two hours in the pressure cooker. Honestly, I prefer the old slow cooker, but I make it both ways, the crock pot when there’s time and the pressure cooker when I need to make it ‘on the fly.’
Another add-on recipe is to cut cabbage into strips and steam it, then mix the kalua pork in. This is a favorite in Hawaii, Kalua-Cabbage. You can steam the cabbage on the stove or quick steam it in the pressure cooker. If you use the pressure cooker be careful as it can turn to mush if you leave it a few minutes too long.
Thanks Steve! That’s quite a compliment coming from a life long Hawaii resident. I like your cabbage suggestion.
Hey Steve was curious what your recipe for slow cooker Kalua pork included?
My favorite way to prepare pork shoulder roast for pulled pork is to apply dry rub or even just sea salt & pepper with a little Wrights liquid smoke, then super-slow roast it all day or all night in the oven at 235°F (8-16 hours, depending on the size of the roast). It’s completely hand-off, though I don’t leave the house with the oven running (though I have turned it off to run a quick errand or two, then turned it back on upon returning home without issue). I’ve smoke-cooked many pork shoulder roasts on my gas grill using indirect heat & wood chips, but that method requires far too much supervision to make sure the temp remains in the 220-235° range (varies constantly due to breezes, shade & direct sun changes, etc.) and resupplying the wood chips.
When I don’t get started early enough to slow roast it in the oven, or it’s too hot and I don’t want to run the oven at even a low temperature like 235°F, I now make pulled pork in my Instant Pot Duo electric pressure cooker. In under 2 hours I have pulled pork that’s ready to eat.
I add another step to pressure cooked pulled pork, though. It’s a bit too “wet” for my taste, so after “pulling” the pork and removing any un-rendered fatty and unmelted connective tissue areas, I like to put the shredded pork in a shallow dish or pan and put it under the broiler briefly to dry the meat out a bit. The intense heat radiation also creates the tasty crunchy bits that oven or smoker roasting produces.
Love your blog. Thanks for all the posts. They’ve been very helpful since I started cooking with pressure a few months ago.
Thanks Anna – so glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I love all the tips you shared. Sometimes long and slow in the oven is perfect, and sometimes quick pressure cooking is perfect. I’ll try broiling the meat briefly next time.
Aloha Barbara,
I must say your kalua pig is close but no cigar you are missing flavor elements.
In Hawaii kalua pig is slowly steam roasted in an underground imu fired with Kiawe wood to heat the stones and wrapped with ti leaves and covered in banana leaves and dirt to seal the heat in.
Think of a traditional New England clam bake where a pit is dug and filled with firewood which is lit on fire and stone stacked on the fire to heat up. After the flames have died down and the stones are red hot, a layer of seaweed is laid down and clams, mussels, lobster, corn, potatoes, onions, chicken, sausage is scattered on and covered with more seaweed then covered with tarp and sand to seal everything and is left to steam roast.
The only traditional seasoning used is what native Hawaiians had which was Hawaiian salt which sea salt or kosher salt can be substituted however better if you order on-line authentic Hawaiian salt for the flavor.
Please, pineapples are not native to Hawaii and native Hawaiians never seen or ate pineapple till it was introduced by South Americans. In Hawaii we do not eat pineapple every day with every meal!
Hawaiian Kiawe wood has a smoky flavor closer to mesquite wood but most people use Wright’s hickory wood seasoning.
If you can’t find ti leafs on the mainland banana leaf can be can be substituted. Ti leafs can be found at local florists on mainland or on internet
When James Beard award Professional Chef Sam Choy does his kalua pig in an oven for 1 banana leaf substitutes 4-5 whole, unpeeled bananas. Banana leaves are available at Asian markets and Latin markets or on internet.
In other words, if you can’t find ti leaf to wrap the pork butt then place 4-5 whole, unpeeled bananas on top and you’ll come closer to authentic Hawaiian flavor.
If you are going to call your mainland creations Hawaiian then come as close to the real thing which is officially called Hawaiian Regional Cuisine.
Finally, here is the link to how to make authentic Hawaiian kalua pig in a 6-quart pressure cooker:
http://tastyislandhawaii.com/2011/04/03/pressure-cooked-kalua-pig/
Hi Ken – thanks for taking the time to share your tips on making a more authentic kalua pork. I hope while you were here you took the time to check out some of my other wonderful pressure cooker recipes. We pressure cooker cooks need to stick together.
Aloha Barbara,
I hope I didn’t sound too harsh.
I guess you could say I’m a foodie who had two full kitchens in his house.
I’ve been visiting Hawaii since 1968 almost every year and finally retired to Hawaii in 2006.
What I hear all the time from local Hawaiians is; “There the mainlanders go again adding pineapple and ham calling it Hawaiian!”
The pineapple in your photo made me think about what is often said.
I’ve fully checked out your website blog and all your recipes-very good!. I see we have the same two pressure cooker blog websites in common; Hip Pressure Cooking and Miss Vickie.
I have over 2,000 pressure cooking recipes covering all types of cuisine plus an only find in Hawaii cook book of authentic Hawaiian recipe cuisine adapted to be cooked with a pressure cooker or slow cooker.
I hope you enjoy Tasty Island blog as Pomai is the top Hawaiian food blogger with excellent step by step recipe photos in Honolulu.
Aloha
I plan on making this on Friday. The smallest roast my local market had was a little over 7 lbs. how would I go about scaling the cooking time for a larger roast. This will only be the second time I’ve used my pressure cooker (instantpot) so I’m not sure how cooking times are normally adjusted.
Hi Sean – the size of the meat matters more than the volume of the meat. So I would cut the roast in to four pieces and brown it, then cook it for 90 minutes. After it pressure releases for 10 minutes, you can release the pressure and see if it’s fork tender. You can cook it longer if it needs it, but my guess is 90 minutes will be plenty. I would double the other ingredients as well.
Enjoy!
Thanks! Will report back how it goes.
One more question. When browning the pork at the beginning, should I brown all six sides of the piece of meat, or just the top and bottom?
I think you’d develop enough flavor browning just top and bottom.
Santa delivered an Emeril PC to me for Christmas, and I think I have used it everyday for the past month! Your site is terrific, and this Kalua Pork recipe is the best. I use to make my Kalua Pork in a slow cooker, but it took at least 12 hours to get it to the proper preparation. You mention that there is a large Polynesian population in your town, do you have a good recipe for Chicken Adobo for the PC? I just might try my dutch oven recipe, but I wonder if I should cut down on the amount of vinegar because the PC injects such intense flavor. Thanks for your help.
Thanks PattiAnn! I don’t have a Chicken Adobo recipe, but I’d love to try yours if you want to send it to me 🙂 I would cut down on the vinegar because you don’t have much evaporation in the pressure cooker. I try to use only 1 to 1 1/2 cups liquid when making most recipes. Good luck!
Thx Barb for your advice. I’m going to work on the Adobo recipe next week, and I’ll let you know how it goes.
Thanks, Barbara. I forgot to mention that even though it scorched on the bottom I was able to salvage the majority of the meat and used it in a green chili stew.
I will take your advise to heart.
I don’t think I routinely have that much evaporation when I make other dishes. Just yesterday I made a delicious chicken stock with the resulting liquid being very close to what I started with. I do have on my wish list though to upgrade to a different brand cooker!
Oh good – I’m glad you were able to enjoy the meat. Chicken stock in the pressure cooker is the best! Thanks for the update.
Hi Barbara, I wanted to update you on my kalua pork experience and ask for your help in determining why mine was not a success. I had a lean pork roast ( sirloin) that weighed 2 pounds. I cut it in half and cooked as directed, I did up the water amount to 1 cup and cooked for the amount of time. It was scorched on the bottom and no juice. Oh me oh my. I wonder if the cooking time was too long? Maybe I should not have substituted a different kind of pork roast? I have a 6 qt. farberware that I have had for years. It has a new gasket.
The fact that it was lean makes me want to think less fat = less juice. Also, did you reduce the time since you used a 2lb roast instead of a 4lb? Don’t know if the lean makes much of a difference but cooking it for the Mac time with a smaller roast would certainly cause problems.
Hi Julie – sorry it wasn’t a success. You really can’t substitute a lean pork sirloin roast in this recipe. It’s the fats and juices in the pork shoulder (butt) that make the meat so tender and delicious.
Also, if you reduce the size of the meat you’re cooking, you do have to reduce the cooking time. If you’d hadn’t cut the 2 lb. roast in half the cooking time would have been closer.
I’m am most concerned that your pressure cooker may not be working properly. My understanding is that a typical evaporation rate is less than 4% every 10 minutes. So cooking it for 90 minutes you should have only had about 36% evaporation. Maybe the lid wasn’t on properly? Or do you consistently have that much evaporation?
Hope that helps 🙂
IMO, pork loin roasts don’t EVER substitute well for a pork shoulder roast recipe, whether cooking conventionally or with pressure.
Loin cuts are extremely lean (too lean, IMO). The already tender meat fibers don’t need to cook as long as a heavily worked (tough) shoulder cut, which requires time and moisture to break down the connective tissues. Loin roasts cooked substituted for shoulder roasts result in tough, dry, inedible meat.
Shoulder roasts are much fattier than loin roasts, which is why precisely some people avoid shoulder roasts and use loin cuts instead. But avoiding fat by substituting a lean cut backfires; the internal and external fat and tough connective tissue (gelatin) in a shoulder roast melts and mostly renders out of the meat during a long cooking session, and literally self-bastes the meat throughout, ultimately creating more flavorful, tender, and moist meat. Loin cuts just become overcooked and dried out (which is why traditional cooking of lean cuts often involved “barding” with cut strips of fat or covering roasts with bacon slices). Undesired fat can be removed after cooking, during the “pulling” step, as well as skimmed from the cooking juices before serving or after chilling.
Actually, I usually strain and save the excess pork fat, and use it for cooking instead of vegetable/seed oils or olive oil, as pork fat adds flavor, fat soluble vitamins, and is a traditional fat that humans have treasured for eons. Few people know anymore that pork fat is largely composed of monounsaturated fatty acids, just like olive oil, so it’s not the unhealthful fat that people have been led to believe.
I get nervous that there is not enough liquid in this recipe to prefect scorching. I am new to pressure cooking, and was thinking the had to be a minimum of 1 cup water or liquid in the recipe. Please advise/set me straight:).
Hi Julie – yes, most manufacturers recommend a minimum of one cup of water. I’ve had good luck with using less when it’s a fatty meat such as pork shoulder that will release lots of juices and fat, but since not everyone is using my brand of pressure cooker, I should probably increase the amount of water in the recipe. Thanks for the comment.
Thank you, Barbara for your reply and also Nicholas for your comment as well. I noticed from my first comment that I need to proof read before I press the submit button! Oh, well you got the gist of my question. I am going to make this tonight for tomorrow’s Sunday dinner after our church meeting. Will have it with rice and sautéed cabbage and maybe an apple salad. I have made it in the past using a recipe that calls for 5 hours of baking. I look forward to finding out how this one compares. From what I read it should be great.
I was a little skeptical the first time I did this recipe. I think the main thing to remember is that pork releases a lot of juice while it cooks. If you are still worried, you can always double the water and liquid smoke called for in the recipe. You’ll just have to pour some juice off in the end. You can also slice up some fresh onions and set the roast on top of them to help with scorching. Hands down the best pork recipe I’ve come across. I will not do my pork roast any other way. Good luck and God bless.
AMAZING!!! Made this tonight and I have to say, the flavor is beyond what I expected. My new go to for a pork butt. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipes.
Thanks Nicholas! So nice of you to leave a comment letting me know!
My first use of a slow cooker and it was such a success !! Melt in your mouth, served with brown rice and pineapple kiwi salsa So good!
I meant pressure cooker 🙂
This is definitely going on the “to cook” list…
Kahlua is the coffee liquer, kalua is the Hawaiian word for “to bake in a ground oven.”
You are going to convince me soon that I can not live without a pressure cooker. This pork sounds divine.
I learned something new today! Great recipe. 😉
Ooooh I didn’t know you had a Pressure Cooker blog!!! So excited because my MIL gave me one for Christmas and I have NO idea how to use it, though I successfully made applesauce in it this week!! Thanks for the shout out! XO
Barbara: I am one of those who assumed it had the coffee drink in it. That is great news to me as I hate coffee flavoring. I love pulled pork so this looks great! Thank for clearing that up too.
I thought for a long time that Utahns probably just left out the coffee liqueur. If you love pulled pork, you’ll love this recipe.
We do ours in an oven roasting bag which takes 3 hours. Yours is done in half the time – much quicker!
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Nate – an oven roasting bag is a great idea in the oven to seal in the moisture and tenderizing the meat.
Thank goodness for those Polys. This stuff is the bomb.com. I hate when people say that, but here I am doing it. Cannot wait to make this!!!!!!
Oh, wow, Barbara, I did not know you have a second blog. And I did not know you have such deliciousness on it :-). I want to move to Hawaii for their kalua pork! And I brought 2 huge containers of salt from my last trip. This recipe is definitely something I need to try! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Elana – thanks for stopping by my new site. How fun that you brought home salt from Hawaii and then stumbled on this recipe. Definitely give it a try. A trip to Hawaii is on my wish list for next year.
Kalua pork is one of my absolutely faves! Now I’m drooling…
Thanks Em! I think my daughter is going to ask for it even more often now that it’s so much faster.
Every day, you convince me more and more that I need a slow cooker. And I need this!!
Deb you would love a pressure cooker! Christmas is right around the corner.