Grab your Instant Pot to make Whole30-friendly, Hawaiian-inspired Kalua Pig! Now you can make fork-tender pork in a fraction of the time!
Faster Kalua Pig in the Instant Pot
After making the classic version of my Slow Cooker Kalua Pork recipe for years, I’ve identified its one drawback: the agonizingly long 16-hour cooking time in a crockpot. The perfume of slowly simmering Hawaiian sea salt seasoned pork never fails to drive me bonkers. (Plus, it makes my head hurt to calculate the precise time to plop the ingredients in my slow cooker so that my pork doesn’t finish cooking in the middle of the night.)
But at long last, a solution is at hand: Instant Pot Kalua Pork! I’ve even thrown in a head of cabbage at the end—just like with traditional Kalua pig plate lunches in Hawaii!—so you can enjoy some veggies with your mountain of pork!
I’ve extolled the virtues of pressure cooking before, but it’s truly become one of my favorite cooking methods. My trusty stovetop pressure cookers have been workhorses in my kitchen for some time now, but these days, I’m exclusively turning to my electric programmable Instant Pot. I can make bone broth at a moment’s notice without having to babysit it like a stove-top pressure cooker. In fact, I have a whole post dedicated to my favorite paleo Instant Pot recipes!
Ingredients
- Bacon slices: Instead of using liquid smoke, I like to add smokiness to this dish by adding 3 bacon slices. Bacon makes everything better and I almost always have some in the fridge or freezer.
- Pork shoulder roast: I prefer to use a large (5 pound) bone-in pork shoulder roast (also called butt roast, pork butt, or Boston butt roast) in this recipe because I think the bone adds additional flavor. However, I routinely make Kalua Pig with boneless pork shoulder all the time.
- Garlic cloves: Tucking garlic cloves into the pork shoulder is optional, but it really adds more flavor and deliciousness!
- Hawaiian Sea Salt: My favorite brand of Hawaiian salt is Hawaiian Pa’Akai Inc because it adds a distinctive flavor and a slight reddish tinge to the pork. If you can’t find the medium grain sea salt, you can use about 1 tablespoon of Alaea Red Hawaiian Fine Sea Salt. When I don’t have any Hawaiian sea salt on hand, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, my Magic Mushroom Powder, or my Nomtastic Grilling Powder.
- Cabbage: After the pork is finished cooking, I love to throw a cut-up cabbage head into the reserved cooking liquid. The cabbage cooks in just a few minutes under high pressure and it absorbs all of the porky yumminess in the broth!
How to make Instant Pot Kalua Pork
Whether you use a stove-top pressure cooker or an electric one, the process is pretty much the same. The only difference is that the cooking time will be slightly shorter with a stove top cooker than with an Instant Pot (e.g., 75 minutes vs. 90 minutes).
Line the Instant Pot with bacon
First things first: Drape three pieces of bacon on the bottom of your Instant Pot. Press the “Sauté “button and in about a minute, your bacon will start sizzling. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker instead, line it with three pieces of bacon, crank the burner to medium, and start frying your bacon.)
Prepare the pork roast
Grab the pork roast and slice it into three equal pieces. I normally cut out the piece with the bone first, and then cut the two other pieces to match the first.
If you’ve got some garlic on hand, use it! With a sharp paring knife, stab a few slits in each piece of pork, and tuck in the garlic cloves.
With most recipes, I liberally salt my roasts like it’s raining cats and dogs. But because the pressure cooker can concentrate flavors (including saltiness), I carefully measure out the amount of salt I use. For this recipe, follow Chef Judy Rodger’s rule of thumb: use ¾ teaspoon of medium-coarse salt for every 1 pound of meat. (Using fine salt? Use about half that amount.)
Sprinkle the salt evenly over the pork. No Alaea salt? Replace it with my Magic Mushroom Salt, my Nomtastic Grilling Powder, or good ol’ kosher salt. I won’t tell.
Add the pork and water into the Instant Pot
Place the salted pork on top of the bacon, keeping the meat in a single layer.
(Please note: as you’re prepping the pork, you’ll hear the bacon sputtering in the pressure cooker. Don’t forget to flip the slices, and turn off the heat when the bacon is browned on both sides.)
Pour in the water.
Check your manual to see what the minimum amount of liquid is for your particular model, and adjust accordingly. (After some digging and experimenting, I discovered that 1 cup of water is perfect for this recipe in my Instant Pot.)
Pressure cook the pork
Next: cover and lock the lid.
Select the “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” button and set it to cook for 90 minutes under high pressure. Once the pot is programmed, walk away.
When the stew is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to its “Keep Warm” mode. If you’re at home, press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button to turn off the cooker and let the pressure come down naturally quicker.
Release the pressure
Let the pressure release naturally or manually release the pressure after 15 minutes has elapsed.
Once the cooker is depressurized, check that the pork is fork-tender. If the meat’s not yet fall-apart tender, you can always cook the pork under pressure for another 5-10 minutes to get the right texture.
Transfer the cooked pork to a large bowl, and taste the cooking liquid remaining in the pot. Adjust the seasoning with water or salt if needed.
Add the cabbage to the cooking liquid
Chop the cabbage head into six wedges, and add them to the cooking liquid.
Replace the lid and cook the cabbage under high pressure for 1-5 minutes (depending on the size of your wedges and how soft you like it). When the cabbage is done cooking, activate the quick release valve to release the pressure.
Shred the pork
While the cabbage is cooking, shred the pork. Once the cabbage is cooked, pile it on your shredded pork.
This is a game-changer, people.
What do you serve with kalua pork?
Traditionally, Kalua Pork is served with a scoop of rice and macaroni salad but to keep it paleo, I serve it with one of these side dishes:
- Pineapple Coleslaw
- Golden Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Baked Sweet Potatoes
- Chopped Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
- Air Fryer Carrots
How to save leftovers
Kalua Pork is a fabulous make-ahead meal so I always make extra! The leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 4 days or frozen up to several months. Pro-tip: Crisp up the leftover pork in a skillet for a crunchy, porky delight! Use it as a filling for tacos, wraps, soups, stir-fries, or my Pig in a Skillet.
Can you make Kalua Pork even faster?
If the two hours needed to cook Instant Pot Kalua Pig is too long, I have a solution for you!
The amount of time needed to pressure cook the pork depends on the size of the pork pieces and the cut of meat.
Pork shoulder is a tougher cut with a lot of collagen, so it still needs a minimum amount of cooking time to become fork tender. After some trial and error, I’ve discovered that the shortest amount of cooking time is achieved when pork shoulder roast is cut into 1½-inch cubes. This way you can cook it under high pressure for 35 minutes.
[Originally posted on February 24, 2015. Updated with new information and photos on June 22, 2022.]
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Kalua Pork
Ingredients
- 3 bacon slices
- 5 pounds bone-in pork shoulder roast
- 1½ tablespoons Red Alaea Hawaiian Coarse Sea Salt or ~1 tablespoon Red Alaea Hawaiian fine sea salt
- 5 peeled garlic cloves optional
- 1 cup water
- 1 cabbage cored, and cut into 6 wedges
Instructions
- Drape three pieces of bacon on the bottom of your Instant Pot. Press the “Sauté" button and in about a minute, your bacon will start sizzling. (If you’re using a stovetop pressure cooker instead, line it with three pieces of bacon, crank the burner to medium, and start frying your bacon.)
- Slice the pork roast into three equal pieces. If you’ve got some garlic on hand, use it! With a sharp paring knife, stab a few slits in each piece of pork, and tuck in the garlic cloves.
- Carefully measure out the amount of salt you use. For this recipe, follow Judy Rodger’s rule of thumb: use ¾ teaspoon of medium-coarse salt for every 1 pound of meat. (Using fine salt? Use about half that amount.)
- Sprinkle the salt evenly over the pork. As you’re seasoning the pork, you’ll hear the bacon sputtering in the pressure cooker. Don’t forget to flip the slices, and turn off the heat when the bacon is browned on both sides.
- Place the salted pork on top of the bacon, keeping the meat in a single layer.
- Pour in the water. Check your pressure cooker manual to see what the minimum amount of liquid is for your particular model, and adjust accordingly. (After some digging and experimenting, I discovered that 1 cup of water is perfect for this recipe in my Instant Pot.)
- Cover and lock the lid.
- If you’re using an Instant Pot, set it to cook for 90 minutes under high pressure. Once the pot is programmed, walk away.
- If you’re using a stove-top pressure cooker, cook on high heat until high pressure is reached. Then, reduce the heat to low to maintain high pressure for about 75 minutes.
- When the stew is finished cooking, the Instant Pot will switch automatically to its “Keep Warm” mode. If you’re at home, press the “Keep Warm/Cancel” button to turn off the cooker and let the pressure come down naturally quicker.
- If you’re using a stove-top pressure cooker, remove the pot from the heat. In either case, let the pressure release naturally (which will take about 15 minutes).
- Once the cooker is depressurized, check that the pork is fork-tender. If the meat’s not yet fall-apart tender, you can always cook the pork under pressure for another 5-10 minutes to get the right texture.
- Transfer the cooked pork to a large bowl, and taste the cooking liquid remaining in the pot. Adjust the seasoning with water or salt if needed.
- Chop the cabbage head into six wedges and add them to the cooking liquid. Replace the lid and cook the cabbage under high pressure for 1-5 minutes (depending on the size of the wedges and how tender you like the cabbage). When the cabbage is done cooking, activate the quick release valve to release the pressure.
- While the cabbage is cooking, shred the pork with two forks. Once the cabbage is cooked, pile it on the pork and serve.
Gene Price says
This was the first Nomnompaleo recipe that I ever made and I am so very thankful that I did. It has become my all time favorite recipe! I make it all the time and always try to have some in the freezer. The flavor is outstanding, it freezes and reheats well. It can be eaten by itself or as part of another dish. If you have never tried this recipe I cannot recommend it enough!
Abi says
A great Family favourite. Leftover meat makes wraps & soups extra tasty 😋
Michelle Tam says
Thanks for cooking along with me!
Lynne Miles says
I think I bought my instant pot just for this recipe. February 2016 I had started a 2nd whole30 and needed new recipes. Found out Paleo recipes fit the bill for the most part. Discovered Nomnompaleo. This recipe is a staple at my house. I make it and we eat it over a couple days. It’s really tasty in a way that can be eaten as is or combined in other ways. Favorite is with eggs.
Denise says
I was ready to make this again (one of my all-time favorites) and realized I had a butt not a shoulder roast. Will it still work?
Michelle Tam says
Yep! Pork shoulder and pork butt are the same!
Lisa says
shoulder and butt are the same? that seems painful LOL
Jay says
Heh heh, that’s because it was one heck of an accident. Jay D. Butcher At Bunzel’s old Fashion Meat and Catering, Milwaukee Wi.
Jill says
Outstanding method for cooking pork shoulder! Super easy and so tasty. The leftovers can be transformed into so many dishes that we don’t get bored with five pounds of pork shoulder. Also freezes perfectly.
SAMANTHA FOY says
This is definitely a family favorite. So easy!
Ann Marie says
Came out fabulous! Since it’s just for one person I’ll be making multiple dishes from the leftovers. Today was soup. Next will be mock Cuban sandwiches on GF bread. I’ll also attempt the fried rice recipe. The rest I’ll freeze. Super easy recipe to follow. The first recipe I’ve been able to follow in my instant pot. Thank you Michelle!
Penny Sehu says
Got my instant pot in Nov 2016 and started my Paleo journey. Great fun to have found this recipe. It’s fantastic and I have been using this recipe even for gatherings with friends. It’s a hit at home and with friends! Thank you for the recipe.
Maria says
Can you use a boneless pork shoulder? If so, how would you adjust the recipe or the cook time?
Michelle Tam says
Yes! If the pieces of the meat are the same, the cooking time is pretty similar.
Angeka says
I love this recipe! I’m going to try it again but with half the meat. How long should I pressure cook it if only about 3lbs meat?
Michelle Tam says
If the pieces of pork are the same size as before, you can keep 90 minutes. If they are smaller, you can decrease the cooking time depending on the size. The minimum cooking time is 35 minutes if the cubes are 1.5 inches. If the pieces are bigger, you can cook for 50-70 minutes under high pressure.
Amanda says
I LOVE this kahlua pig recipe!
Did you say somewhere that the leftover broth can be used as a concentrate for soup? Any info on that? Thank you!
Michelle Tam says
I skim off the fat and then add chicken broth and vegetables to make soup. I normally cook everything for 1-3 minutes under high pressure in the Instant Pot (depending on what vegetables are in it).
Paige says
Do you think it will still turn out pretty tasty if I use pork chops? I am trying to cook with what I have on hand! What do you think? Not fatty enough?
Michelle Tam says
I don’t think you should use pork chops——they’re too lean and will dry out!
lance says
I have seen other recipes use liquid smoke? Do you have a take on that? thanks!
Michelle Tam says
I don’t have liquid smoke in my pantry so I don’t use it. Sometimes the smokiness is too overpowering, especially when I’m using the pork in other dishes.
Matthew says
Just wondering if you’ve ever smoked this recipe(or the slow cooker version) if you have did you smoke it before or after cooking it? If you haven’t any idea which would turn out better?
Michelle Tam says
I’m not an expert at smoking meats so I’m not sure!
Jolie Kat says
I’ve made the slow cooker version but going to try the instapot version today. Question – why do you buy bone in if you are cutting out the bone?
Michelle Tam says
It’s normally cheaper to buy bone-in, but you can buy it boneless! I also don’t cut it out, I throw it in the pot and the long cooking time makes the meat fall off the bone.
Jarrett says
When I made this in the instant pot I loved it, but my wife was a bit put off because the pork was still a bit pink (75 minutes). Should I just increase to 90 minutes cooking time?
Michelle Tam says
Was the pink from the salt or the pork was still bloody? If it was easily shreddable, it should be fine.
Shar says
I LOVE this recipe!!! Can you make this using a frozen pork shoulder placed directly into the instant pot? I don’t think I have enough time to thaw it all the way.
Michelle Tam says
I never cook from frozen because I’m afraid it won’t cook evenly. Just wait a day and thaw it in the fridge!
DavetteB says
I add another 15-30 minutes if frozen, depending on the size
Laurel says
Hi, I was wondering how long I should cook it if I have 8 lbs of pork shoulder? Thanks!!
Michelle Tam says
I’m not sure all 8 pounds will fit in the Instant Pot. I’d save the extra pork shoulder for another recipe!
Teri says
Just made this—it is incredible. I used a 2.5 pound boneless Boston butt (dinner for two), and used the Magic Mushroom powder as a rub. Used the 3 strips of bacon, and then for liquid, i used 1/4 cup of crushed pineapple + juice, and 3/4 cup water. With the smaller cut of meat, it took 75 minutes at high pressure. It was fall-apart good!
jeanne says
I’ve made your kalua pig many, many times, but today was the first time I made the cabbage wedges to go with it. I had a cabbage in the fridge that needed to be used up, and decided to give it a try. My mind, it is blown! I love the yummy, salty, slightly crunchy cabbage almost as much as the pork!
Cheryl says
I have made this recipe so many times. First the crock pot version and now the instant pot. I wanted to make sure to leave a 5 star so others find it and try it. I haven’t tried a recipe of your I didn’t like and your books are go to cook books for us. Thanks for doing what you do and doing it do well.
Mikela says
Can I make this with pork shoulder steak?? It’s roughly 2.5 pounds. Accidentally picked up the wrong thing at the store.😢
Michelle Tam says
Yes!
Chris Caram says
How about a pork tenderloin for this recipe?
Michelle Tam says
I don’t recommend pork tenderloin because it’s too lean of a cut.
Tiana says
How does this recipe have so few reviews!? I had to add one more as I make this version 6 times a year since it is a regular cut in my butcher box. Hands down best recipe there is! So simple and hands off, so tasty, and makes the best leftovers for a variety of dishes! I leave out the cabbage to keep it versatile.
Also, worked for desert essence and was so excited when you chose our toothpaste as a paleo pic at wfm!
Scott Myhre says
Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing, it turned out great and brought back good memories! After living on Oahu for 15 years, I really miss the local foods. Like you, I just love my Instant Pot and hardly ever cook using the traditional methods any longer. Stay safe and Mahalo for the recipe.
Scott…..
Julia Gerasimenko says
Hi Michelle! Thanks for all your great recipes. I got a HUGE 7 lb. bone in pork shoulder from butcher box and want to make this recipe. I only have a 6 qt instant pot so thinking maybeee half of it would fit?! How important is it for the meat to be on a single level on the bottom? could I layer up the meat to try and make it all fit? or best to only use about half and then re-freeze the other half to make later on once I work my way through the first batch as I live alone? Thanks for your help and thoughts on this!
Michelle Tam says
I bet you can only fit about 2/3 of it in the Instant Pot. I would save the rest in the freezer!
Bonnie Richardson says
I used a 7lb bit maybe it’s less Bc I took the bone away? It’s in the pot now. I added a bit more water. Sitting here praying!!!! Lol.
Marie says
I only have cubed pork shoulder, will that work? How long should I instantpot it for?
Michelle Tam says
Yep! You can cook for 35 minutes under high pressure if the cubes are about 1.5 inches across.
Julia Santos says
Loved it!!!! I really love lau lau and want to add the taro leaves, how would you recommend adding that!
Tabitha says
This is one of the easiest and most flavor recipes I’ve made with my Instapot. It’s good with pork or chicken.
Missy Poortenga says
Such an easy, simple, healthy meal option – hands down my favorite way to enjoy green cabbage!
Elizabeth says
So good every time. I did have a question as I’ve made this many times but never frozen it before: do you freeze the juices separate from the meat after it’s all been cooked? I want to make the cabbage in the final step here in a couple weeks so I thought I’d save the juices back. Do you ever mix any of the juices back into the pork for serving or is that too fatty? I saw the note someone has about using some of them for soup after skimming so I can def try that. Thanks!!
Michelle Tam says
I freeze the meat + juice. I almost always remove and discard the hardened fat cap before I reheat it.
Jane says
We have made this recipe so many times. It is perfect and delicious and mostly hands off! We serve it with the David Chang ginger scallion sauce, but after reading these reviews I am going to have to try it with the cabbage. Delicious and a great recipe!
Sharon says
Absolutely delicious, we loved it! I will definitely be making this again many times, thank you so much for a great recipe!
Keenan says
SO delicious. Any suggestions for additional sides to accompany this for a dinner with friends?
Michelle Tam says
Guacamole, salsa, and cauliflower rice to make burrito bowls!
Tami says
I heard you last week on the Whole 30 summit with Melissa U talking about this dish. Just made it and OMG! Perfect for a meat prep for the week. This will be on rotation for sure! YUM!
Stacy says
Unbelievably simple and unbelievably delicious! I’ve not made this recipe before but will never use another. The meat was so flavorful and the cabbage was out of this world! We have leftover meat and I’m heading to the store for more cabbage to reheat with the leftovers. I’m drooling just thinking about dinner tonight!
Dana says
Delicious!
Taye says
This was delicious!!!
Jordan says
Excellent!
Elyse says
This is one of my all time favorite recipes EVER that is on my monthly meal rotation. On an impulse while in Hawaii I bought a bag of Alaea salt and never really knew what to do with it. Enter this recipe. It’s the most decadent, easy, hands off, rewarding, DELICIOUS recipe ever that hits just right every time.
Thank you for perfecting instant pot kalua pork!!
Kristian says
Beautiful! I used 3 pounds of pork shoulder instead of 5 since I was cooking just for myself and it came out fork-tender and produced a mountain of tasty shredded pork. The cabbage was the icing on the cake. Thanks for the great recipe.
Ann says
Sorry if this has already been asked and answered, but if my pork shoulder is 6 lbs instead of 5, do you think I need to increase the time on the IP (I’d still cut them into three equal parts)? Thank you!!
Michelle Tam says
1 pound shouldn’t make a big difference!
Janine says
I’ve made so many of your recipes over the years, but I never wanted to try this because I always dry out pork. I always follow the recipe precisely the first time I make it. This recipe did not disappoint. The pork was so delicious. I’m so impressed with the meat and can’t wait to make more meals with this.
Janine says
I forgot to give it 5 stars!
Stacy says
I love this recipe, and I want to make it for a large group. (~50)
What ration of lb. per person would you recommend?
I’ll need to make multiple batches in my 2 Instant Pots. I have access to a nice warmer. Any tips for keeping it warm and yet high quality taste and texture?
Thanks!
Regina Chan says
This recipe is for about 8 people, so multiply accordingly!
You could leave it in the warming, just keep it covered and in it’s juices!
Sherry says
Okay this Kailua pork is the bomb! We are currently in Hawaii ( live here part time) and have been to many a luau. The pork you get at luaus can’t compare to this! And, my son and I even forgot to add the water to the instant pot and it still tasted moist & perfect! I bought organic ( yikes! Pricey at Whole Foods /aka “ whole paycheck”) boneless pork butt because that’s all I could find and it worked great! Thank you for this awesome recipe which I’m sure will be repeated often in our household! 😘
Regina Chan says
So glad you enjoyed it!