Make Hawaiian luau pork in a fraction of the time in your pressure cooker! Instant Pot kalua pork is tender, juicy and on the table in less than 2 hours.

Kalua pork in a white bowl.

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Instant Pot Kalua Pork Recipe

Instant Pot kalua pork is one of our favorite easy dinners. Made with just 3 simple ingredients, it takes only 5 minutes to prep and turns out incredibly tender and juicy. Thanks to Hawaiian sea salt and liquid smoke, it’s full of classic smoky luau flavor, no underground pit required.

Ingredient Notes

Kalua pork ingredients on counter.
  • Pork shoulder butt roast: A 4-5 pound pork shoulder butt roast. The butt roast is a bit more fatty and is perfect for pressure cooking or slow cooking. It gets super tender and will basically fall apart when shredding
  • Liquid smoke: Mesquite liquid smoke gives the pork a smoky flavor without the work of digging a fire pit using a wood smoker or grill.
  • Hawaiian sea salt: To tenderize and add flavor to the Hawaiian kalua pork.
Raw pork in the instant pot with red Hawaiian salt on top.

How to Make Instant Pot Kalua Pork

  • Cut pork butt into 4 chunks, pierce with a fork, then place in the Instant Pot
  • Add 1 cup water in the instant pot. Pour liquid smoke over the top and then sprinkle salt on top. Place lid on top and set to high pressure. Cook for 60 minutes and then do a natural slow release for 25 minutes. 
  • Remove pork and shred with 2 forks. Remove any excess fat.
  • Place back in the pot and let sit in the juices for 15 minutes, or until ready to serve. Serve over rice, in tortillas, on a slider or in a salad. 

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • Slow cooker: Place meat in the slow cooker and pierce the pork several times. Add 1/2 cup water then pour liquid smoke over the top and sprinkle salt on top. Cook on low for 12-14 hours, or until it easily shreds. Do not remove the lid for 12 hours, as the steam is needed for tender meat.
  • Hawaiian sea salt. This is the traditional salt used for kalua pig. It has a red tint and is a bit saltier than regular salt.
  • Pierce with fork. Before cooking the meat, make sure to pierce it a few times with a fork. The holes from the fork help get the flavor from the salt and smoke deeper into the meat.
  • Larger pork roast: For each additional pound of meat, add 15 minutes at high pressure.
  • Shredding. Once the pork is done cooking, use 2 forks to shred the meat. It should be super easy to shred because of how tender and juicy it is. If the meat still seems a bit tough to shred, then it needs to cook longer.
  • Let sit. After shredding the meat, place it back in the pot with the juices and let sit for about 15 minutes. This additional step gives it an extra boost of flavor.
Shredded kalua pork in a white bowl.

Serving Suggestions

I love that this recipe makes enough for two meals!

Storage

  • To freeze, simply add the meat to a zip top freezer bag or airtight container and make sure all of the air is removed. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to enjoy. I like to warm it up on skillet when reheating. It gets a little crispy and tastes delicious!
Kalua pork slider on a Hawaiian roll with coleslaw.

Looking for more pork recipes? Try Instant Pot carnitas, BBQ pulled pork, sweet pork tacos or slow cooker carnitas.

More Instant Pot Recipes

shredded kalua pork in a white bowl

Instant Pot Kalua Pork

5 from 18 votes
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Resting Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10
Make Hawaiian luau pork in a fraction of the time in your pressure cooker! Instant Pot kalua pork is tender, juicy and on the table in less than 2 hours.
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Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 4-5 pound pork shoulder butt roast
  • 1 Tablespoon liquid smoke
  • 2 teaspoons Hawaiian sea salt

Instructions

  • Cut into 4 chunks, pierce with a fork, then place in the instant pot.
  • Add 1 cup water in the instant pot. Pour liquid smoke over the top and then sprinkle salt on top. Place lid on top and set to high pressure. Cook for 60 minutes and then do a natural slow release for 25 minutes. 
  • Remove pork and shred with 2 forks. Remove any excess fat. Place back in the pot and let sit in the juices for 15 minutes, or until ready to serve. Serve over rice, in tortillas, on a slider or in a salad. 

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Slow cooker version: Place in the slow cooker. Pierce pork several times. Add 1/2 cup water. Pour liquid smoke over the top and then sprinkle salt on top. Cook on low for 12-14 hours, or until it easily shreds. Make sure not to take the lid off before 12 hours. You need the steam to make it tender.
Freezer instructions: Add pork to a zip top freezer bag (make sure all air is removed) and store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight when ready to enjoy. 

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcal, Protein: 22g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 553mg, Potassium: 378mg, Vitamin A: 7IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.