Hawaiian Recipes

If your exposure to Hawaiian cuisine is limited to a certain kitschy combination of pizza toppings, this collection of recipes will be eye-opening. Thanks to the islands’ diverse history of settlers, the food displays influence from cultures including Polynesian, Japanese, Korean, American and even Portuguese. Combine all of those culinary traditions with Hawaii’s delicious local fish, and you get one incredible fusion cuisine.Before Polynesian seafarers arrived on the islands around 300 AD, Hawaii’s edible plant life was sparse. Luckily, the new residents had packed smart and came prepared to plant fruits and tubers like taro, coconuts, sweet potatoes and breadfruit. They also brought livestock—pigs and chickens. Traditional meals included poi (mashed taro root), fruit and fish or pork cooked over hot coals, spit-roasted over a fire or roasted in an earthen oven (in the same way that pork is still cooked for traditional luaus today). In the late 1800s, immigrant workers from China, Korea, Japan, the Philippines and Portugal moved to the islands to work on the fast-growing sugarcane plantations. They brought foods like char siu (roast pork), sweet bread, kimchi and noodle soups, and infused them with the produce planted long ago by the Polynesians.Those dishes still make up much of modern-day Hawaiian cuisine, though newer preparations get plenty of attention: Poke is an addictive seasoned raw seafood salad, and loco moco is a classic combination of hamburger patty over rice with gravy and a fried egg. And then there's Spam. Introduced to the islands by American GIs in World War II, Spam caught on quickly in Hawaii and remains popular today in dishes like Spam musubi, fried rice and saimin (noodle soup).There was a time when Hawaiian cuisine was threatened by an influx of imported ingredients and chefs working from mainland American recipes. But in 1991, a group of 12 Hawaiian chefs, including Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong and George Mavrothalassitis, came together to draft up a working definition for Hawaii Regional Cuisine (HRC), which celebrated Hawaii's locally grown produce. The chefs championed local farmers and helped kick-start a movement to rescue and celebrate the melting pot that is Hawaiian food.While Hawaiian food is best eaten on a sunny, white-sand beach, it can and should be made at home. Here, our best classic and updated recipes for Hawaiian food, including easy-to-make shrimp poke, charred barbecued short ribs and kimchi-spiked Spam musubi (which we promise will turn you into a Spam apologist).

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Hawaiian Pork Bowl 

John Kernick

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Food & Wine’s Justin Chapple marinates pork tenderloin in lightly sweetened tea before grilling it. It’s the star in these satisfying rice bowls, along with grilled pineapple, red onion and a bright lime dressing.

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Bacon Fried Rice with Avocado and Fried Eggs

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Chef Ed Kenney uses both white and brown rices in this terrific bacon-studded dish that he serves at his casual Honolulu spot, Kaimuki Superette. "In Hawaii, we call it hapa rice; it's more interesting and flavorful than plain white rice," he says. "In Hawaiian, hapa means 'partial' and is often used as a term of endearment to describe people of mixed ethnic backgrounds."

Easy Egg Recipes

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Spam-and-Kimchi Musubi

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"This is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich of Hawaii," says Roy Choi about the sushi-like musubi, a mix of seared Spam, sushi rice and pureed kimchi, all wrapped up in nori. "If you've been swimming, if you've been hanging on the beach, it's the perfect snack. Something about it just hits the spot. And the best place to find it is at a 7-Eleven."

More Tasty Snack Ideas

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Easy Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

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This sweet-and-sticky chicken dish brings to mind teriyaki chicken.

More Tropical Island Recipes

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Oxtail Soup with Daikon and Ramen Noodles

Oxtail is a popular ingredient in Hawaiian cooking. Roy Choi makes it the base for the broth of his hearty soup and adds plenty of the tender braised meat as well. The soup is also packed with ramen noodles and sliced daikon and leeks, and then garnished with crisp, sweet fried garlic chips.

Hearty, Healthy and Easy Noodle Recipes

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Sweet-and-Salty Korean Barbecued Short Ribs

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"Some people follow Texas or American barbecue. Me, I'm a connoisseur of Korean barbecue," says chef Roy Choi. "Growing up, I was the ultimate Korean barbecue champion. If you took me to an all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant, forget about it." Choi especially loves these thinly sliced short ribs, known as kalbi in Korea; they're marinated overnight in a garlic, soy and sugar mixture, then quickly grilled, so they're charred all over. On the side, Choi serves kimchi, steamed white rice and the ubiquitous Hawaiian side dish, macaroni salad.

Great Short Rib Recipes

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Green Papaya Salad with Tomatoes and Basil

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Chef Lee Anne Wong loves the crunch of green papayas, an ingredient that's abundant in Hawaii. She spikes her healthy salad with green beans, grape tomatoes and plenty of herbs.

Noodle Salads

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Rock Shrimp Poke with Ginger, Soy Sauce and Hijiki

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Sean O'Brien got hooked on Hawaiian poke (a traditional dish of raw fish cut into bite-size pieces and seasoned) after honeymooning on the islands. Instead of serving his shrimp uncooked, however, O'Brien boils it, then adds Japanese and Hawaiian ingredients, including hijiki, edamame and roasted macadamia nuts.

More Shrimp Recipes

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Asian Fried and Glazed Baby Back Ribs

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One of Roy Choi's favorite Honolulu spots is Side Street Inn. "The first time I went there, I was blown away by the dive bar scene--TVs everywhere, empty beer glasses, a mismatched hodgepodge design--and the quality of the food, which is really good," he says. Side Street's sticky fried ribs really stand out for Choi: He makes his version with a mixture of staple Asian sauces, including hoisin, black bean sauce, oyster sauce and Sriracha.

Asian Beer Pairings

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Kimchi Fried Rice

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Andrew Zimmern got addicted to this rice dish on a recent trip to Hawaii. It's an awesome side for any Asian-inspired meal, or on its own for lunch with a crisp salad.

One-Bowl Rice Dishes

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Hawaiian Quesadillas

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Pineapple and Canadian bacon aren't just for pizza! The wonderful combination of sweet and savory, bound together with fresh Mozzarella in a crispy quesadilla, will leave you wanting more.

More Tex-Mex Recipes

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Beet Poke with Avocado-Wasabi Mash

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This cold salad has a bright, earthy, and sweet taste to it thanks to fresh ingredients like oranges, sweet onions, and of course - beets!

Beautiful Beet Recipes

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Classic Macaroni Salad

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This classic creamy macaroni salad has just the right amount of crunchy vegetables.

More Pasta Recipes

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Hawaiian Recipes

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Hawaiian Pork Bowl

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Bacon Fried Rice with Avocado and Fried Eggs

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Spam-and-Kimchi Musubi

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Easy Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken

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Oxtail Soup with Daikon and Ramen Noodles

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Sweet-and-Salty Korean Barbecued Short Ribs

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Green Papaya Salad with Tomatoes and Basil

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Rock Shrimp Poke with Ginger, Soy Sauce and Hijiki

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Asian Fried and Glazed Baby Back Ribs

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Kimchi Fried Rice

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Hawaiian Quesadillas

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Beet Poke with Avocado-Wasabi Mash

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Classic Macaroni Salad

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Hawaiian Pork Bowl 