Homestyle Kalua Pork with Cabbage – Easy Hawaiian Slow Cooker Recipe

Fall-Off-the-Bone Hawaiian-Inspired Comfort Food

If you’ve ever been to a Hawaiian luau, you know the highlight is often the kalua pork — tender, juicy, smoky-salty pulled pork served alongside cabbage, rice, and sometimes poi. Traditionally, it’s made in an underground oven (called an imu), which gives it an incredible flavor. But here’s the good news: you can recreate those same flavors at home with just a slow cooker, a few simple ingredients, and a little patience.

This is my Homestyle Kalua Pork with Cabbage — a recipe I developed after visiting Hawaii and wanting to bring that flavor back to the RV kitchen. It’s low effort, high reward, and makes enough to feed a crowd or give you leftovers for days.

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Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Kalua Pork with Cabbage

• Minimal Prep: Just season the pork, add the sauces, and let the slow cooker do the magic.
• Perfect for Gatherings: Serves 10, so it’s luau-sized.
• Authentic Flavor, Easy Method: Liquid smoke gives you that hint of imu-style smokiness without digging a pit in your backyard.
• Versatile Serving Options: Serve over rice, tucked into Hawaiian rolls, or even alongside macaroni salad for a Hawaiian plate lunch vibe.

Recommended Tools & Ingredients for This Recipe:

• Crock-Pot 8-Quart Multi-Use XL Express Slow Cooker and Pressure Cooker – Ideal size for a 5 lb pork shoulder.
• Hickory Liquid Smoke – The key to that signature smoky flavor without a pit.
• Hawaiian Sweet Rolls – Perfect for luau-style sliders.
• Large Bamboo Cutting Board – Plenty of room for shredding pork.

• 1 (5-pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
• ½ large head of cabbage, shredded

How to Make Kalua Pork with Cabbage in the Slow Cooker

1. Season the Pork: Mix salt, pepper, and ginger in a small bowl. Rub evenly into the pork shoulder and place it in your slow cooker.
2. Add Sauces: Stir soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke in a bowl, then pour over the pork.
3. Slow Cook: Cover and cook on Low for 16–20 hours. (Yes, that long! The magic is in the time.)
4. Add Cabbage: Stir in the shredded cabbage and cook for another 30 minutes until tender.
5. Shred & Serve: Pull the pork apart with two forks and serve with your favorite sides.

Boneless Pork Shoulder Variation (5 lb Roast)

If you have a 5-pound boneless pork shoulder butt, you can easily adapt this recipe:

• Seasoning Adjustments: Keep the same measurements for seasonings and sauces, but for slightly larger boneless roasts (over 5.2 lb), bump them up by 10–15%.
• Cooking Time: Boneless pork usually cooks a bit faster. Start checking at 14 hours on Low — if it shreds easily, it’s ready. If not, continue cooking.
• Cut for Even Cooking: Consider cutting the roast into 2–3 large chunks before seasoning so the flavors penetrate better and it cooks more evenly.

This variation produces the same melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, with slightly more meat yield since there’s no bone.

Make Ahead & Meal Prep Tips

Want dinner ready the moment you walk through the door? Here’s how to prep this recipe in advance:

1. Season Ahead: The night before, rub the pork with salt, pepper, and ginger, then place it in your slow cooker insert or a large dish.
2. Add Sauce Mixture: Mix soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke, then pour over the pork.
3. Refrigerate Overnight: Cover tightly and refrigerate for 8–12 hours to let the flavors soak in.
4. Morning Cooking: Set the insert in your slow cooker, cook on Low for 14–16 hours (boneless) or 16–20 hours (bone-in).
5. Finish with Cabbage: Add cabbage for the final 30 minutes before serving.

Pro Tip: If your workday is shorter, set the slow cooker for 8–9 hours on Low and switch to Warm until you get home.

Serving Suggestions

• Classic Hawaiian Plate Lunch: Over sticky white rice with macaroni salad.
• Luau Sliders: On Hawaiian rolls with pineapple slaw.
• Low-Carb Option: Over cauliflower rice or alongside grilled vegetables.

Tips for Perfect Kalua Pork with Cabbage

• Pork Shoulder is Key: Its marbling ensures juicy, flavorful results.
• Don’t Rush the Cook Time: The long, slow process makes it “fall apart” tender.
• Adjust Smokiness: Add a little more liquid smoke for a stronger BBQ-style flavor.

Storage & Freezing

• Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freeze: Portion into freezer bags for up to 3 months. Reheat in a slow cooker or on the stove with a splash of broth.

Final Thoughts

This Homestyle Kalua Pork with Cabbage is proof that you don’t need a Hawaiian luau pit to enjoy fall-apart tender, smoky pork at home. With just a few pantry ingredients, a slow cooker, and some patience, you can bring the flavors of the islands right to your kitchen — or your RV.

Whether you make it for a weeknight dinner, a weekend get-together, or as part of your meal prep routine, it’s the kind of recipe that gets better with time and keeps your guests coming back for seconds.

If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Did you go bone-in or boneless? Did you serve it slider-style or with rice and macaroni salad? Drop a comment below and share your version — your tips might inspire someone else’s dinner tonight.

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