Food World Cuisines North American Cuisines Hawaiian Cuisine 17 Recipes That Channel the Flavors of Hawai'i Eat like you're on Oahu or Maui with authentic recipes from the islands. By Ashley Day Ashley Day Ashley Day is Food & Wine's associate editorial director. She's edited and directed food and travel content at USA TODAY, the Institute of Culinary Education, and Chef & Restaurant magazine, and contributed to The Food Institute, The Daily Meal, and the recipe app meez. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 30, 2024 Close Photo: Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer "The food of Hawai'i is like the food of the 1950s U.S. but filtered through a tropical lens," says classics scholar–turned–chef Kiki Aranita, who spent part of her childhood in Honolulu. Aranita and Sheldon Simeon of Top Chef fame join other chefs in sharing recipes for some of the islands' specialties here. These transportive Hawaiian recipes will give you a flavor of Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island, from the plate lunches that are ubiquitous across the state to poke bowls, musubi, and Gau Gee. We've also got recipes simply inspired by Hawai'i and its tropical fruits — even polarizing Hawaiian pizza. Scroll down for recipes with Hawaiian flair. Here's the Difference Between Hawai'i's Local Food and Hawaiian Food, Plus How Spam Fits Into All of It 01 of 17 Kālua Pork Photo by Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Prissy Lee Named after its cooking method, kālua pork is a smoky, shredded meat dish that's cooked in an underground oven. Also known as kālua pig, the Hawaiian dish is frequently served at celebratory events like luaus and potlucks, and it anchors the ever-popular Hawaiian lunch plate, where it’s typically paired with Mac Salad and steamed white rice. Get the Recipe 02 of 17 Mac Salad Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ali Ramee / Prop Styling by Christina Daley Mayonnaise-rich mac salad is a cornerstone of Hawaiian cuisine — no proper plate lunch is without it. Sheldon Simeon's version is a creamy and comforting side ideal for diners, potlucks, lunch wagons, drive-ins, and picnics. Get the Recipe 03 of 17 Loco Moco with Miso Gravy Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabe Greco Loco Moco is a version of the Hawaiian plate lunch of a hamburger patty and miso-rich gravy over rice, topped with fried eggs. Kiki Aranita finishes the dish with a few chef touches: chile pepper water for an acidic heat that cuts through the richness of the rest of the dish, plus a final touch of furikake for a salty, tangy hit of flavor. Get the Recipe 04 of 17 Hawaiian-Style Hot Dog Food & Wine / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Chelesa Zimmer / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hauser Henry Adaniya offers a variety of hot dogs, including this Hawaiian one, at Hank’s Haute Dogs in Honolulu. Hawaiian sausage, also known as portagee sausage, is inspired by Portuguese linguica sausage, which Portuguese immigrants brought to the island in the 19th century. Adaniya opts for spicy Portuguese linguica sausage for this recipe, as it’s easier to source on the mainland. He dresses it with pineapple relish, and mango mustard. Get the Recipe 05 of 17 Gau Gee Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Kiki Aranita enriches the pork filling in these crispy fried wontons with toasted sesame oil and crunchy water chestnuts. She says are these snacks are ubiquitous at family feasts in Hawai'i. Get the Recipe 06 of 17 Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl Food & Wine / Photo by Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Phoebe Hausser / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer Hawaiian poke was traditionally made by fishermen with trimmings from their catch of ahi tuna, plus seaweed, sea salt, sweet onion, and sometimes kukui nuts. Chinese and Japanese people contributed ingredients like sesame oil and soy sauce, which are now part of the beloved, simple, seasoned dish known as poke. Chef Kiki Aranita contrasts textures, flavors, and temperatures to keep each bite of her ahi tuna poke bowl interesting. Get the Recipe 07 of 17 Pulehu Steak Tip Skewers with Maui Onion Finadene Sauce Victor Protasio Pulehu is Hawaiian for "to cook over hot coals." Sheldon Simeon bastes hanger steak with a punchy, bright sauce of sake, soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry vinegar, garlic, ginger, and scallions before grilling it on skewers. Get the Recipe 08 of 17 Hawaiian-Style Garlic Butter Shrimp Victor Protasio Inspired by the food trucks that serve garlic butter shrimp on Oahu’s North Shore, Sheldon Simeon marinates shrimp in a mixture of Italian dressing, mayonnaise, calamansi juice, and salt, then grills the shrimp and and tosses it in roasted garlic butter. Get the Recipe 09 of 17 Ginger-Ponzu Salmon Poke Photo: HEAMI LEE / FOOD STYLING CHELSEA ZIMMER / PROP STYLING / CHRISTINE KEELY Kiki Aranita brings this poke bowl to life with sushi-grade salmon, ponzu, Korean perilla oil, Alaea sea salt, and short-grain white rice. Get the Recipe 10 of 17 Cold Saimin Salad with Soy-Ginger Grilled Pork Victor Protasio Saimin is a Hawaiian wheat noodle usually served in broth, but Sheldon Simeon opts for a cold noodle salad with slices of savory, crispy pork shoulder, crunchy bean sprouts, tender ribbons of egg, shredded nori, and slices of Japanese pickled cucumber. Get the Recipe 11 of 17 Musubi Lettuce Wraps with Pineapple Salsa Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Ali Ramee Inspired by the beloved Hawaiian snack comprising Spam, sushi rice, and nori, Robin Bashinsky replaces Spam with ham for the handheld appetizer with pineapple salsa. Get the Recipe 12 of 17 Butter Mochi Photo by Fred Hardy II / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Christina Brockman "Butter mochi is purely an invention of the islands and it is borne from the multicultural roots of Hawai'i's first potlucks and the mystical union of rice flour, butter, coconut milk, and sugar," writes Aranita of the chewy, buttery, firm-yet-gooey, and sweet dessert with slightly crispy edges and nutty toasted sesame. Get the Recipe 13 of 17 Hawaiian Pizza with Pineapple and Salami Bella Graves The Food & Wine Test Kitchen pairs the quintessential fresh pineapple with Genoa salami rather than ham for this version. Get the Recipe 14 of 17 Beef Poke Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Shell Royster Poke means “to cut crosswise” in Hawaiian, referring to the small pieces of raw fish that usually star in the popular dish. Steve Balantac, sous chef at Hula Grill Waikiki, opts for seared chunks of prime rib, sweet Maui onions, and crushed kukui nuts (candlenuts) with a savory-sweet sauce in his hearty version, which the Food & Wine Test Kitchen adapted for home cooks. Get the Recipe 15 of 17 Huli Huli Chicken Wings Greg DuPree Huli huli ("turn turn") chicken is a specialty on Oahu, where vendors thread chickens on special rotating grills and broil it over charcoal. Sheldon Simeon uses fresh ginger and pineapple juice to add bright heat and tang to the sweet, teriyaki-like sauce that coats the chicken wings and pineapple slices. Get the Recipe 16 of 17 Classic Shoyu Musubi Abby Hocking Wrap Spam that's been glazed with musubi sauce in nori with sushi rice for this irresistible Hawaiian snack. Get the Recipe 17 of 17 Hawaiian Pizza © Abby Hocking Anna Painter's take on Hawaiian toppings calls for thickly sliced ham and sweet, juicy pineapple chunks. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit