Pacific Islands & Hawaiian recipes
32 Pacific Islands & Hawaiian recipes for a home kitchen, from 15 minutes. Have some of the ingredients already? Match them to what you have.
Dinner
15 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Shoyu ahi poke
Hawaiian-style poke: cubes of sashimi-grade ahi tuna tossed with shoyu, sesame oil, sweet onion, scallions, limu or seaweed and roasted kukui nut or macadamia.
30 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Shrimp-truck garlic shrimp
North Shore food-truck shrimp: shell-on shrimp fried in a mountain of garlic and butter, with two scoops rice.
30 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Hawaii-style kalbi short ribs
Plate-lunch Korean-Hawaiian flanken ribs in a sweet soy-sesame marinade, grilled until charred.
35 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Loco moco with onion gravy
Browned beef patties and a fried egg stacked over hot rice, covered in a savory onion gravy.
40 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Hawaiian loco moco
A plate-lunch classic: rice topped with a juicy beef patty, rich mushroom-onion brown gravy and a runny fried egg.
40 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Saimin
Hawaii's noodle soup: savory pork-and-dashi broth, springy noodles, char siu, egg and scallions.
45 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Hawaiian mochiko fried chicken
Boneless thighs marinated in soy, garlic and ginger, coated in sweet rice flour and fried crisp.
50 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Hawaiian shoyu chicken
Plate-lunch chicken thighs braised in sweet soy with ginger and garlic, sauce thickened to spoon over rice.
50 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Sapasui (Samoan chop suey)
Samoan celebration staple of glass noodles stir-fried with beef or chicken, soy, ginger and garlic.
60 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Hawaiian saimin
Hawaii's own noodle soup: wavy noodles in a clear dashi-and-pork broth, topped with char siu, kamaboko, scallions and a fried egg ribbon.
60 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Huli huli chicken
Hawaiian roadside fundraiser chicken, grilled and turned (huli) while basted with a sweet pineapple-ginger-soy glaze.
60 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Chicken long rice
Lūʻau-plate soup of chicken and ginger broth with slippery bean thread noodles and green onions.
60 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Fiji-style chicken curry
Indo-Fijian bone-in chicken curry with masala, curry leaves and potatoes, served with roti or rice.
90 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Palusami
Samoan parcels of taro leaves filled with coconut cream and onion, baked until silky and rich.
90 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Lu pulu
Tongan Sunday dish of corned beef, onion and coconut cream wrapped in taro leaves and baked until meltingly tender.
270 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Hawaiian laulau
Pork belly and salted fish wrapped in taro and ti leaves and steamed for hours until meltingly tender.
360 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · dinner
Oven kalua pork
Hawaiian luau pork made at home: salt-rubbed shoulder slow-roasted with liquid smoke until it shreds.
Lunch & snacks
20 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · lunch
Lomi lomi salmon
Cold Hawaiian side of salt-cured salmon massaged with tomato, onion and green onion.
30 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · lunch
Maui flying saucers
Hawaii's fair-food sandwich: a sloppy-joe-style beef filling and American cheese sealed between white bread in a pie iron and toasted crisp.
30 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · lunch
Hawaiian-style macaroni salad
Soft elbow macaroni in a creamy, tangy mayo dressing with carrot and onion—plate-lunch style.
30 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · lunch
Oka (Samoan coconut raw fish)
Raw tuna cured in lime and dressed with coconut cream, cucumber, tomato and onion.
30 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · lunch
Kokoda (Fijian ceviche)
Fijian raw fish in lime and coconut cream with chili, tomato and capsicum, served in a coconut shell.
30 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · lunch
Poisson cru
Tahiti's national dish: tuna 'cooked' in lime juice, then bathed in fresh coconut milk with crisp vegetables.
35 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · lunch
Spam musubi
Hawaii's favorite handheld snack: slices of seared canned ham glazed in sweet soy, pressed onto seasoned sushi rice and wrapped with nori.
Baking & sweets
15 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · baking
Haupia (Hawaiian coconut pudding)
Firm, sliceable coconut milk pudding—the sweet finish to every lūʻau.
40 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · baking
Panikeke (Samoan pancake balls)
Round fried banana dough balls, crisp outside and fluffy inside—Samoa's favorite snack with koko.
75 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · baking
Hawaiian butter mochi
Chewy-bouncy baked mochi cake with crisp golden edges, made with sweet rice flour, coconut milk and butter.
75 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · baking
Fijian cassava cake
Dense, custardy baked cake of grated cassava, coconut milk and sugar.
75 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · baking
Banana po'e
Tahitian baked fruit pudding of mashed banana and starch, cut into squares and drenched in coconut cream.
120 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · baking
Guava chiffon cake
Island bakery favorite: pink guava chiffon layers, whipped cream and a glossy guava gel top.
150 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · baking
Malasadas
Portuguese-Hawaiian yeast doughnuts, fried pillowy and rolled in sugar.
150 min
Pacific Islands & Hawaiian · baking
Panipopo (Samoan coconut buns)
Soft sweet rolls baked in a sticky, sweet coconut sauce.
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