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Slow Cooker Kalua Pork

You won't believe how easy this Hawaiian style Slow Cooker Kalua Pork is. Just 5 ingredients for this tender, smoky pulled pork. Ideal for meal prep and parties. 

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
13 hrs
Total Time
13 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 10
Calories: 289 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Hawaiian

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs boneless pork shoulder or pork butt
  • ¼ cup liquid smoke
  • 2 tsp coarse sea salt or rock salt, but not table salt
  • 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Thoroughly dry pork with paper towels. Use a sharp, small knife to pierce pork all over (about 1/4" deep slits throughout entire pork.) Place pork in slow cooker.
  2. Rub salt all over pork. Rub liquid smoke all over pork, using all the liquid smoke. Sprinkle on the garlic powder and black pepper. Cover and cook on low for 12 hours, turning roast over once midway through cooking.
  3. Using forks, shred pork in slow cooker. Taste and add salt/pepper as needed. Add up to 1 cup water or broth as needed to thin out - do not skim the drippings. Cook on low 1-2 more hours.

Notes

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  • Dry the pork thoroughly before seasoning. This will help the salt, pepper, and garlic powder to stick better and prevents excess water content.
  • Use a sharp, small knife to pierce the pork all over. This allows the flavors of the salt, liquid smoke, and seasonings to penetrate deeply into the meat, giving you a more flavorful dish.
  • You can lightly trim the pork prior to cooking, but be sure to leave some fat on, as it needs enough fat in order to be tender and not dry. 
  • When shredding the pork, leave it in the slow cooker. This allows the meat to reabsorb some of the flavorful juices and become even more tender.
  • Traditionally, kalua pork is slightly saltier than typical roasts, as it's meant to be eaten with plain white rice. If your pork was pre-injected with a tenderizing salt solution, or if you're watching sodium intake, decrease salt to 1 1/2 teaspoons. Be sure to use coarse grained salt and not table salt. 
  • Hawaiian Mac Salad is a popular side dish to serve with this recipe. See original article for additional serving suggestions. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 289kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 1.6g (1%) Protein 49.9g (100%) Fat 7.7g (12%) Saturated Fat 2.4g (12%) Cholesterol 148.7mg (50%) Sodium 585.5mg (24%) Fiber 0.1g (0%) Sugar 1.2g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 289

% Daily Value*

Calories 289kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 1.6g 1%
Protein 49.9g 100%
Fat 7.7g 12%
Saturated Fat 2.4g 12%
Cholesterol 148.7mg 50%
Sodium 585.5mg 24%
Fiber 0.1g 0%
Sugar 1.2g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.