7 Delicious Hawaiian Dinner Recipes You Must Try
Hawaii is not just one of the most breathtaking places on earth — it is also home to one of the most unique and deeply delicious food cultures in the world. Hawaiian cuisine is a beautiful, flavorful fusion of Native Hawaiian traditions blended with influences from Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, and American cooking all coming together on a set of islands surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.
Hawaiian dinner recipes are bold, satisfying, and incredibly comforting. They celebrate fresh ingredients, slow-cooked meats, tropical flavors, and that effortless island spirit that makes every meal feel like a celebration.
Huli Huli Chicken
Prep: 15 min + 2 hr marinate | Cook: 35 min | Serves: 4–5 | Difficulty: Easy
Huli huli chicken is arguably the most beloved Hawaiian grilled chicken recipe in existence and one bite will tell you exactly why. “Huli” means “turn” in Hawaiian, referring to the technique of turning the chicken continuously over the grill as it basks in a sweet, savory, deeply aromatic pineapple-soy glaze.
Ingredients:
- 1.2kg bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- ½ cup pineapple juice (fresh or canned)
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp sriracha or chili flakes (optional)
- Green onions and sesame seeds to garnish
- Fresh pineapple rings to serve alongside (optional but highly recommended)
Instructions:
Make the huli huli marinade: combine pineapple juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and sriracha in a bowl. Whisk until the sugar fully dissolves. This marinade is the heart and soul of the dish — sweet, salty, tangy, and deeply savory all at once.
Place the chicken pieces in a large zip-lock bag or covered dish. Pour about two-thirds of the marinade over the chicken and toss to coat every piece thoroughly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours — overnight is even better. Reserve the remaining one-third of the marinade in a separate bowl to use as a basting sauce while cooking.
When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade and let it come to room temperature for 15 minutes. Preheat your grill or grill pan to medium heat. Don’t use high heat — the sugar in the marinade burns quickly.
Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 10–12 minutes per side, turning every few minutes and basting generously with the reserved marinade each time you flip. The chicken should develop a beautiful caramelized, slightly charred glaze on the outside.
Continue grilling and basting until the chicken is fully cooked through (internal temperature of 75°C/165°F) and the glaze is thick, sticky, and deeply golden. Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with steamed white rice and grilled pineapple rings for the full Hawaiian experience.
Pro Tip: The secret to truly incredible huli huli chicken is the constant basting and turning every time you flip, you add another layer of that sticky glaze. Don’t just set it and forget it. The more you baste, the more incredible the flavor and caramelization becomes.
Kalua Pork (Hawaiian Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork)
Prep: 10 min | Cook: 8 hours (slow cooker) | Serves: 8–10 | Difficulty: Easy
Kalua pork is one of the most iconic dishes in all of Hawaiian cuisine. Traditionally, a whole pig is slow-roasted underground in an imu, a Hawaiian earth oven with hot volcanic rocks and banana leaves for an entire day, producing meat that is impossibly tender, smoky, and deeply flavorful.
Ingredients:
- 2kg bone-in pork shoulder (pork butt)
- 1 tbsp Hawaiian sea salt or coarse sea salt
- 1 tbsp liquid smoke (hickory flavor)
- 6 large banana leaves (fresh or frozen, optional but highly recommended for authentic flavor)
- 3 garlic cloves, cut into slivers (optional)
- 1 cup water
To serve:
- Steamed white rice
- Hawaiian macaroni salad
- Pickled cabbage or fresh coleslaw
- Sliced green onions
Instructions:
If using banana leaves, line the slow cooker with them, leaving enough overhang to fold over the top of the pork. Banana leaves add an authentic earthy, slightly sweet aroma that is genuinely transformative. If you cannot find them, the pork will still be outstanding without them.
Using a small knife, make several small incisions all over the pork shoulder. Push a sliver of garlic into each cut if using — this perfumes the meat from the inside as it cooks.
Rub the pork all over with the coarse sea salt, making sure it gets into every crevice. Then drizzle and rub the liquid smoke evenly all over the surface. The liquid smoke is the key ingredient that replicates the smoky depth of traditional imu cooking.
Place the pork in the slow cooker. Add 1 cup of water. Fold the banana leaves over the top if using. Cover tightly and cook on LOW for 8–10 hours. Do not open the lid during cooking — the steam is what keeps the pork incredibly moist and tender.
When the pork is done, it will be fall-apart tender and shreddable with zero effort. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks, discarding the bone. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker juices and toss to absorb all the flavorful liquid. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Serve over steamed white rice with macaroni salad and pickled cabbage on the side.
Pro Tip: Liquid smoke is absolutely non-negotiable in this recipe — it is the single ingredient that gives home-cooked kalua pork its authentic character. Without it, you just have plain pulled pork. With it, you have something genuinely special.
Hawaiian Garlic Shrimp (Shrimp Scampi Hawaiian Style)
Prep: 10 min | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 3–4 | Difficulty: Easy
Hawaiian garlic shrimp is one of the most famous dishes to come out of the legendary shrimp trucks that line the Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore of Oahu. Huge, plump, shell-on shrimp are cooked in a ridiculously generous amount of butter, garlic, and white wine until they are perfectly juicy with a deeply savory, garlicky sauce that you will want to scoop up with every last grain of rice.
Ingredients:
- 600g large shell-on shrimp (head-on if available — they add incredible flavor)
- 12 garlic cloves, minced (yes, twelve — this dish is all about the garlic)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (adjust to heat preference)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
- Steamed white rice to serve
- Lemon wedges alongside
Instructions:
Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Toss in flour, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper until lightly coated. The flour creates a light crust that soaks up the garlic butter sauce beautifully.
Heat 2 tbsp butter and the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over high heat until very hot and just starting to shimmer. Add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 1–2 minutes per side until pink and just cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside — don’t overcook them, they will go back in.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 4 tbsp butter to the same pan. Once melted, add all the minced garlic at once. Cook the garlic slowly for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until it is golden and incredibly fragrant. Watch it carefully — garlic burns fast and burnt garlic ruins everything.
Pour in the white wine and let it sizzle and reduce for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir everything together into a glossy, fragrant garlic butter sauce.
Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to coat them thoroughly in the sauce. Cook for just 1 more minute to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately over a big mound of steamed white rice with the garlic butter sauce poured generously over everything. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon wedges.
Pro Tip: The North Shore shrimp trucks famously use shell-on shrimp eating them shell and all is part of the authentic experience. The shells protect the shrimp from overcooking and the garlic butter soaks into every crevice. Try eating them shell-on at least once!
Hawaiian Plate Lunch — Teriyaki Beef with Macaroni Salad
Prep: 20 min + 1 hr marinate | Cook: 20 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
The Hawaiian plate lunch is not just a meal it is a cultural institution. Every plate lunch follows the same beautiful formula: two scoops of steamed white rice, one scoop of creamy Hawaiian macaroni salad, and a generous protein. Teriyaki beef is one of the most popular plate lunch proteins, and when done right, thinly sliced beef in a sweet, savory homemade teriyaki sauce is absolutely outstanding.
Ingredients:
For the teriyaki beef:
- 600g beef sirloin or flank steak, sliced thin against the grain
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp sake or dry sherry
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp cornstarch (mixed with 2 tbsp water)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil for cooking
- Sesame seeds and green onions to garnish
For the Hawaiian macaroni salad:
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and cooled
- ¾ cup mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellmann’s preferred)
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 medium carrot, grated
- ¼ onion, grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
To complete the plate:
- 3 cups cooked short-grain white rice (2 scoops per plate)
Instructions:
Make the teriyaki marinade: combine soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, sake, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced beef and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. The beef soaks up the marinade quickly because it is sliced thin.
Make the Hawaiian macaroni salad: whisk mayonnaise, milk, and apple cider vinegar together until smooth and slightly loose. Fold in the cooled macaroni, grated carrot, and grated onion. Season well with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes as it thickens as it sits and the flavor improves significantly.
Remove the beef from the marinade and pat lightly dry. Pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan, add the cornstarch mixture, and simmer over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until it thickens into a glossy teriyaki glaze. Set aside.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet or grill pan over high heat. Cook the beef slices for 1–2 minutes per side until nicely charred and caramelized. Because the slices are thin, they cook very quickly — watch them closely.
Plate up the authentic Hawaiian way: two scoops of steamed white rice on one side, one generous scoop of macaroni salad next to it, and the teriyaki beef laid over the rice. Drizzle the teriyaki glaze over the beef and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve immediately.
Pro Tip: The Hawaiian macaroni salad intentionally uses a lot of mayonnaise and is kept very simple no celery, no pickles, no extras. That simplicity and creaminess is exactly what makes it so good and so authentic. Trust the recipe
Loco Moco
Prep: 15 min | Cook: 25 min | Serves: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
Loco moco is one of the most iconic Hawaiian comfort food dishes ever created — a hearty, indulgent, magnificently messy bowl of steamed white rice topped with a juicy beef burger patty, a fried egg, and a rich, savory brown gravy poured over everything. It was invented in Hilo, Hawaii in the 1940s as an affordable, filling meal for hungry teenagers.
Ingredients:
For the beef patties:
- 500g ground beef (80/20 fat ratio for best juiciness)
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the brown gravy:
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 200g mushrooms, sliced (optional but delicious)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
To complete:
- 3 cups steamed white rice
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
Instructions:
Make the beef patties: combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, soy sauce, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix gently, overworking the meat makes tough patties. Shape into 4 round patties slightly larger than you want the finished patty to be, as they shrink during cooking.
Cook the patties in a hot skillet with a little oil over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes per side until cooked through with a deeply browned crust. Remove and set aside. Keep the drippings in the pan and they go straight into the gravy.
Make the brown gravy in the same pan: add butter and sauté the sliced onion and mushrooms for 5 minutes until golden. Sprinkle in flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add beef broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 5–7 minutes until the gravy is smooth, rich, and thick enough to coat a spoon generously. Season with salt and pepper.
In a separate pan, fry the eggs sunny-side up in a little oil. The yolk should still be runny when it breaks over the rice and gravy, it creates something magical.
Assemble the loco moco: a generous scoop of steamed white rice in a bowl, a beef patty on top of the rice, a sunny-side-up egg on top of the patty, and a very generous ladle of brown gravy poured over everything. Serve immediately while everything is hot and the yolk is still runny.
Pro Tip: The runny egg yolk is not just aesthetic when you break it and mix it into the rice and gravy, it creates an incredibly rich, silky sauce that ties the whole bowl together. Never overcook the egg for loco moco.
Shoyu Chicken (Hawaiian Soy-Braised Chicken)
Prep: 10 min | Cook: 40 min | Serves: 4–5 | Difficulty: Easy
Shoyu chicken is one of the most comforting, deeply satisfying Hawaiian home-cooked meals you can make. Bone-in chicken thighs are braised low and slow in a sweet, savory shoyu (soy sauce) broth with ginger, garlic, and brown sugar until they are fall-off-the-bone tender and coated in a thick, glossy, deeply flavorful glaze.
Ingredients:
- 1.2kg bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ½ cup soy sauce (shoyu)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup mirin
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 5 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, sliced into coins
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water (optional, for thicker glaze)
- Green onions and sesame seeds to garnish
- Steamed white rice to serve
Instructions:
In a large, wide skillet or saucepan, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, water, mirin, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Place the chicken thighs skin-side down into the simmering braising liquid. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the chicken. Bring back to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, flip the chicken thighs so they are skin-side up. Continue simmering uncovered for another 15–20 minutes. The braising liquid will reduce and concentrate into a beautiful, glossy sauce as it cooks down.
If you want an even thicker glaze, remove the chicken and stir the cornstarch mixture into the simmering sauce. Cook for 2 minutes until it thickens noticeably, then return the chicken to the pan.
Stir in the sesame oil at the very end. The chicken should be completely tender, deeply golden, and lacquered in a thick, sweet-savory shoyu glaze. Garnish generously with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve over steamed white rice with a generous spoonful of the sauce poured over everything.
Pro Tip: Don’t rush the reduction — the magic of shoyu chicken happens when the braising liquid slowly concentrates into that thick, caramelized glaze. Give it the full uncovered simmering time at the end and the results will be spectacular
Hawaiian Poke Bowl (Ahi Tuna Poke)
Prep: 20 min + 30 min marinate | Cook: 0 min | Serves: 3–4 | Difficulty: Easy
Poke (pronounced poh-keh) is perhaps Hawaii’s greatest gift to the global food scene. Traditionally made with fresh ahi tuna cut into cubes and seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, and Hawaiian sea salt, poke is the purest expression of Hawaiian coastal food culture. It is fresh, light, deeply flavorful, and incredibly easy to put together at home.
Ingredients:
For the ahi tuna poke:
- 500g sushi-grade ahi tuna, cut into 2cm cubes
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp honey or sugar
- ½ tsp sriracha (optional)
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- ½ tsp Hawaiian sea salt or flaky sea salt
- 1 tbsp sweet onion (Maui onion if available), very finely diced
For the poke bowls:
- 2 cups cooked short-grain white rice or sushi rice, warm
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
- ½ cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 mango, diced (or pineapple — both are incredibly good)
- 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots or wonton strips
- Pickled ginger to serve
- Sriracha mayo (mix 3 tbsp mayo + 1 tsp sriracha) to drizzle
- Furikake or nori strips to top
Instructions:
Prepare the tuna: make sure you are using genuinely sushi-grade ahi tuna from a trusted fishmonger or quality grocery store. Cut it into clean, uniform 2cm cubes — a sharp knife and a confident cut gives you the best texture.
Make the poke marinade: combine soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, and sriracha in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add the tuna cubes, sliced green onions, finely diced sweet onion, and a pinch of Hawaiian sea salt. Toss gently to coat every piece of tuna. Cover and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.
While the tuna marinates, prepare all your bowl toppings: slice the avocado, cucumber, and mango. Shred the cabbage. Make the sriracha mayo. Cook the rice if not already done. Set everything out ready to assemble — poke bowls are all about the build.
Assemble the bowls: add a scoop of warm rice to each bowl as the base. Arrange the marinated tuna in the center. Place avocado slices, cucumber, mango, and purple cabbage around the tuna in separate sections for that colorful, eye-catching poke bowl presentation.
Top with crispy fried shallots or wonton strips for crunch. Drizzle sriracha mayo generously over everything. Add a pinch of furikake or a few strips of nori. Serve with pickled ginger on the side. Eat immediately while the rice is warm and the tuna is perfectly fresh.
Pro Tip: Always use genuinely sushi-grade tuna for poke this is non-negotiable since the fish is served raw. Sushi-grade means it has been handled, stored, and frozen specifically for safe raw consumption. Never use regular supermarket fish for raw poke.
