Take your taste buds to the tropics with a family favorite recipe for Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork that can be piled atop buns, inside tortillas or enjoyed simply with a fork!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How Much Pulled Pork Per Person
- How to Make Hawaiian Pulled Pork in a Slow Cooker
- How to Serve Hawaiian Pulled Pork
- Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?
- How to Reheat Pulled Pork
- What to Serve With Hawaiian Pulled Pork
- More Pulled Pork Recipes To Try
- Slow Cooker Hawaiian Pulled Pork Recipe Recipe
Three words: Hawaiian Pulled Pork. If the title doesn’t kickstart your cravings, allow me to expand upon the beauty you see piled high up above and shredded down below.
This slow cooker recipe embodies everything I need in a family-friendly meal:
- It’s impossible to mess up.
- It’s just as great (if not better) as leftovers.
- It cooks itself.
That right there is the trifecta, folks. Add the fact that this pork is so insanely moist after slow-cooking in a bath of pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic and ginger, and I guarantee this will become a mainstay on your hectic weeknight or laidback weekend menus.
This Hawaiian-style pulled pork gets its signature sweet, tangy, and savory flavor from a handful of pantry staples and tropical touches. Below, I’ve broken down each ingredient so you know exactly what it brings to the table—and how to make swaps if needed.
- Low sodium soy sauce: Adds savory, umami flavor that balances the sweetness of the pineapple and brown sugar. Opt for low-sodium to prevent the sauce from becoming too salty as it reduces.
- Low sodium chicken stock: Creates a flavorful cooking liquid that keeps the pork juicy. Using low sodium allows you to control the salt level, especially with soy sauce also in the mix.
- Pineapple Juice: The star of the show! It adds natural sweetness and acidity, helping tenderize the pork as it slow-cooks. Look for 100% juice with no added sugar for best results.
- Ketchup: Brings a sweet, tangy, tomato base to the sauce that melds with the pineapple for a tropical BBQ-style flavor. No need for fancy brands—just your favorite kind works.
- Brown Sugar: Enhances the caramelized flavor and contributes to the sticky-sweet glaze. You can use light or dark brown sugar—dark will give deeper molasses notes.
- Minced garlic & ginger: This duo brings bold flavor and warmth to the dish. Freshly minced garlic adds a punchy depth, while fresh ginger provides subtle spice and brightness that pairs perfectly with pineapple. For best flavor, use fresh versions of both.
- Boneless pork shoulder: This is the best cut for pulled pork. It’s well-marbled, which means it stays juicy and shreds beautifully after slow cooking. Trim excess fat if needed, but don’t remove it all. Fat = flavor!
- Diced Pineapple: You can use fresh or canned (in juice, not syrup).
- Cornstarch: Used to thicken the sauce after cooking.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How Much Pulled Pork Per Person
Depending on how you serve pulled pork (and what accompanies it), aim for about ⅓ pound per person. If heartier sides like mac and cheese and homemade rolls are also on the menu, you could definitely get away with slightly less.
- Add all the sauce ingredients to your slow cooker. Whisk together until combined.
- Add the pork and let it slow-cook. Trim most of the visible fat from the pork shoulder (leave a little for flavor!) and place it in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours, or until the pork is fall-apart tender and reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F.
- Thicken the sauce. Transfer the cooked pork to a cutting board. Carefully pour half of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan and discard the rest. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the boiling sauce and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon.
- Shred the pork. Use two forks to shred the pork into bite-sized pieces, discarding any remaining fat.
- Add the sticky pineapple soy sauce. Transfer the shredded pork to a large bowl along with the diced pineapple. Pour the thickened sauce on top and toss until everything is evenly coated.
How to Serve Hawaiian Pulled Pork
Once you’ve got that tender, juicy pork all shredded and sauced, the only question left is: how are you serving it? Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just trying to reinvent leftovers, here are my favorite ways to turn this slow-cooked pulled pork into a full meal:
- Tacos: Grab the tortillas and go wild with toppings—pineapple salsa, creamy slaw, avocado slices, maybe a drizzle of Sriracha mayo if you’re feeling spicy. Bonus points for a side of tortilla chips and guac.
- Pulled pork sliders: Pile the pork high on soft slider buns or Hawaiian rolls (my favorite!) with a scoop of crunchy slaw. Perfect for parties, potlucks or summer BBQs.
- Rice bowls: Spoon the pork over steamed white or brown rice and top it off with fresh pineapple, sliced green onions, shredded carrots, and a splash of soy sauce or teriyaki glaze. Think poke bowl, but with pulled pork.
- Quesadillas & nachos: Layer it into cheesy quesadillas or scatter it over tortilla chips with shredded cheese, pickled jalapeños and cilantro for the ultimate pulled pork nachos.
Can You Freeze Pulled Pork?
Absolutely yes! The key to freezing it is to retain as much moisture as possible, so don’t let a single drop of that tangy, sticky-sweet sauce go to waste. It’s also important to let it cool completely before packing it into an airtight container and popping it in the freezer.
How to Reheat Pulled Pork
To reheat frozen pulled pork transfer it to a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thaw. If additional moisture is needed, add ¼ cup of your liquid of choice (beef stock, water or even beer!) and cover the skillet. Continue cooking until warmed through and then let the feasting begin!
What to Serve With Hawaiian Pulled Pork
This sweet and savory pulled pork plays well with just about everything. Here are my favorite pairings that turn this main dish into a full-on feast:
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Easy Corn Fritters
- Creamy Coconut Rice
- Watermelon Feta Salad
- Homemade French Fries
Pro tip: If you’re serving this pulled pork buffet-style for a party, set out slider buns, corn or flour tortillas, coconut rice, and toppings so everyone can build their own sliders, tacos or bowls.
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 (3.5- to 4-pound) boneless pork shoulder
- 1 cup diced pineapple
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In the bowl of a slow cooker, whisk together the soy sauce, chicken stock, pineapple juice, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic and ginger.
- Trim a majority of the fat from the pork shoulder and place it in the slow cooker. Add the lid and set it to LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5 hours.
- Once the pork shoulder is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of at least 145°F, transfer it to a cutting board and pour half of the liquid from the slow cooker into a medium saucepan (discard the rest of the liquid).
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water.
- Once the sauce has come to a boil, whisk in the cornstarch mixture and continue boiling it until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and is the consistency of syrup.
- Using two forks, shred the pork shoulder then transfer it to a large bowl. Add the pineapple then pour in the sauce and toss to combine.
Kelly’s Notes
- Depending on how you serve pulled pork (and what accompanies it), aim for about ⅓ pound per person. If heartier sides like mac and cheese and homemade rolls are also on the menu, you could definitely get away with slightly less.
- Freezing: Let the pork cool completely, then transfer it—sauce and all!—to an airtight container or freezer bag. The sauce helps lock in moisture. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of liquid (chicken or beef stock, water, or even beer). Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Add more liquid if needed to keep it juicy.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
Kelly-dish looks amazing! Is nutrition listed for 1/3 pound?
Thanks, Eileen! The nutrition is only an estimate and is per serving :)
I am planning on making this on the 4th. The recipe does not specify wheather the pineapple is to be fresh or canned
Either works, Lucy!
Served as part of a Hawaiian themed BBQ for work. Everyone loved it! I used all of the liquid to make the sauce (using 1 TBSP of cornstarch for every cup of liquid when thickening) and added 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper before serving and it was perfect!
I had the same problem as Alexis getting the sauce to thicken but it eventually did after roughly 20 minutes. However, it turned out amazing and everyone in the house enjoyed it! I paired with a Hawaiian style coleslaw that had pineapple and mango in it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ryan!
Everything was great! We had issues with the end making the broth the a syrupy consistency. The recipe calls for half the broth so we just eye balled it and it never got nice and thick. So was wondering if anyone has a solution or suggestion on how we can get it right for the next time. Thanks for any help.
So glad you enjoyed it, Alexis! Did you add the cornstarch and bring the mix to a rolling boil? It should thicken within 3 to 5 minutes if you do that.
Yeah cornstarch and water. So not sure what we did wrong lol
And it came to a rolling boil for several minutes?
Yes. Is there a measurement of the broth you have to use?
Yep! It’s listed in the ingredients: 1 1/2 cups chicken stock.
Is the measurments right? I’m doing 2 9.5 lbs Pork Butts. thats 19 cups of liquid!
Hi Bret! Doing 19 total pounds of pork butt would be roughly 5x this recipe, which is about 15 cups of liquid (not including ketchup, which is measured as a dry ingredient). Hope that helps!
Looked and tasted great at 1st… but we let it continue on low in the crockpot throughout the buffet lunch and it turned to mush… almost the consistency of refried beans. Perhaps adding the sauce right before serving is the key. And reheating in the microwave? Or I used fresh pineapple… maybe it’s too acidic and I should have just used canned pineapple. Either way, the sandwich texture caused this to be a fail for us.
This also happened to us! We are so disappointed ☹️
Measure your liquid and use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for each cup of liquid.
The best pulled pork that i’ve ever tasted! I seared the pork first and your recipe did the rest. Thanks so much for sharing!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Elle!
I doubled this recipe for a 7# roast, added the pineapple at the time of cooking, and left out the ketchup (personal taste). It was amazing. I made it the day before so I had plenty of time to chill and skim the juice. I added a good deal of the juice back into the meat as I was serving it over rice. My grandson liked it so much I had to teach him how to make the dish.
Menu: spinach strawberry salad with strawberry vinaigrette and feta, coconut rice, Hawaiian pulled pork and mango sorbet for dessert.
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Kerri! And that your grandson enjoyed it as well!
It’s in the crockpot now, I just turned it on, I hope it is as good as it sounds, I will update when it’s done and has been eaten, til then.
Hope you enjoy the recipe, Kimberly!
Looks like a great recipe for a potluck!
Husband says any way you slice it this is a home run. Also said he could happily eat himself sick it was so delicious. I loved it too!!! No changes needed; just make it!
OMG!! This was the most amazing pulled pork I have ever made and I’ve made a lot! This was perfect as shown and it went great with my luau menu. I made Hawaiian cole slaw and put them on a brioche bun. Incredible!
Love reading this, Janis! Thanks so much for sharing!
This was a great dish. I think because I subbed ginger paste instead of fresh ginger and the reduction of salt (I used unsalted, store-bought stock), I lost some flavor. I will make this again and again though, the same way as I really liked it. I def feel like it would be amazing if I used all scratch ingredients instead of shortcuts. It’s perfect for us liw-sodium