19+ Best Luau Party Food Recipes

There’s a reason luau spreads taste like a party even before the first bite. Smoky pork, tangy-sweet chicken, bright pineapple, and salty-briny poke all sit side by side on the same table, and somehow it works. If you’re hosting a crowd and want food that feels like a trip to the islands without a plane ticket, this lineup covers every course.

These 19+ recipes cover mains, sides, starters, and dessert, pulled from the dishes that show up at real Hawaiian backyard parties year after year. Some take a slow cooker, some take ten minutes, and a few need to chill overnight. Kalua pork is the dish to build your whole luau around, since it feeds a crowd cheaply, cooks itself for hours, and tastes like it came straight off an underground imu fire.

Quick picks:

Best main dish for a big crowd: Kalua Pork
Best grill recipe: Huli Huli Chicken
Best make-ahead side: Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Best easy finger food: Spam Musubi

1. Kalua Pork

Kalua pork is the smoky, fall-apart pork shoulder that anchors most Hawaiian luaus. Traditionally cooked underground in a pit called an imu, it’s easy to recreate at home with a slow cooker and liquid smoke.

Yield: 10-12 servings | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 8-10 hours on low

Ingredients:

4-5 lb pork shoulder (bone-in)
1 tablespoon Hawaiian sea salt (or kosher salt)
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 cup water

Method:

Pierce pork all over with a knife; rub with salt.
Place in slow cooker, pour liquid smoke and water around it.
Cover, cook on low 8-10 hours until fork-tender.
Shred meat, discard excess fat, toss with cooking liquid.

Serve it alongside other favorites from our best pork belly recipes for extra variety on the buffet.

2. Huli Huli Chicken

Huli huli chicken gets its name from the Hawaiian word for “turn,” since the chicken flips constantly over the grill while basting in a sweet-savory glaze. The char on the skin is what makes this one unforgettable.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 15 min (plus 4 hr marinate) | Cook: 25 min

Ingredients:

4 lbs chicken thighs
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup pineapple juice

Method:

Whisk all sauce ingredients together; reserve half.
Marinate chicken in remaining sauce 4 hours.
Grill over medium heat, turning and basting with reserved sauce, 25 minutes until cooked through.

Pair it with more ideas from our best chicken recipes for a full grilling menu.

3. Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Hawaiian macaroni salad is creamy, tangy, and intentionally overcooked pasta that soaks up every bit of dressing. It’s the quiet star of every plate lunch in the islands.

Yield: 10 servings | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 12 min

Ingredients:

1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked soft
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 carrot, grated
1/2 small onion, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Boil macaroni 2 minutes past package time; drain and cool slightly.
Mix mayo, milk, and vinegar.
Toss pasta with dressing, carrot, and onion.
Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Browse our best salad recipes for more crowd-pleasing sides to round out the table.

4. Spam Musubi

Spam musubi is a grab-and-go snack of grilled Spam sitting on a block of rice, wrapped in a strip of nori. It’s salty, savory, and disappears fast at parties.

Yield: 8 pieces | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 10 min

Ingredients:

1 can Spam, sliced into 8 pieces
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 cups cooked sushi rice
4 sheets nori, cut into strips

Method:

Simmer soy sauce and brown sugar; add Spam slices, cook 2 minutes per side.
Pack rice into a musubi mold or small box, top with Spam.
Wrap nori strip around each piece, sealing with a dab of water.

These travel well, making them a smart pick alongside picks from our best party food ideas.

5. Ahi Poke

Ahi poke is cubed raw tuna tossed in a shoyu-sesame dressing, and it’s the dish seafood lovers head for first. Buy sushi-grade ahi from a trusted fishmonger the same day you plan to serve it.

Yield: 6 servings (appetizer) | Prep: 15 min | Cook: none

Ingredients:

1 lb sushi-grade ahi tuna, cubed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 small onion, sliced thin

Method:

Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and onion in a bowl.
Add tuna cubes, toss gently to coat.
Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
Serve chilled within 1 hour.

6. Chicken Long Rice

Chicken long rice is a comforting, soupy noodle dish made with glass noodles and shredded chicken, often served at Hawaiian baby luaus. It’s mild, warm, and easy on picky eaters.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 30 min

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken thighs
6 cups chicken broth
2 inches fresh ginger, sliced
1 onion, chopped
8 oz long rice noodles (bean thread)
2 green onions, chopped
Salt to taste

Method:

Simmer chicken, broth, ginger, and onion 25 minutes until chicken is cooked.
Remove chicken, shred, return to pot.
Add noodles, simmer 5 minutes until soft.
Season with salt, garnish with green onion.

7. Lau Lau

Lau lau is pork and salted butterfish wrapped in taro leaves, then steamed for hours until the whole bundle turns tender and earthy. It takes patience but rewards you with deep, savory flavor.

Yield: 6 bundles | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 3-4 hours

Ingredients:

2 lbs pork butt, cubed
1/2 lb salted butterfish (or salmon)
12 taro leaves, stems removed
1 tablespoon Hawaiian salt
Ti leaves or foil for wrapping

Method:

Season pork and fish with salt.
Stack 2 taro leaves, add meat and fish in center.
Wrap tightly in ti leaves or foil.
Steam bundles 3-4 hours until taro leaves are soft and meat is tender.

8. Shoyu Chicken

Shoyu chicken simmers in a soy-ginger-garlic sauce until the meat turns glossy and deeply seasoned. It’s a simpler, stovetop cousin to huli huli chicken that needs no grill at all.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 35 min

Ingredients:

4 lbs chicken thighs
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 inches ginger, sliced

Method:

Combine soy sauce, sugar, water, garlic, and ginger in a pot.
Add chicken, bring to a simmer.
Cover, cook 30 minutes, turning once, until sauce thickens and chicken is tender.

Find more weeknight-friendly options in our best quick easy chicken recipes.

9. Lomi Lomi Salmon

Lomi lomi salmon is a chilled, tomato-based salad made with cured salmon, onion, and tomato. It’s bright and refreshing next to richer dishes like kalua pork.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 15 min (plus overnight curing) | Cook: none

Ingredients:

1 lb salted salmon (or fresh salmon cured overnight in salt)
3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced small
2 green onions, sliced
Black pepper to taste

Method:

Rinse salted salmon, soak 30 minutes, dice small.
Combine with tomatoes and onion.
Chill at least 1 hour.
Garnish with green onion and pepper before serving.

10. Teriyaki Beef Skewers

Teriyaki beef skewers bring smoky char and a sticky-sweet glaze that guests can eat standing up, plate in hand. They’re one of the easiest grill items to prep ahead of a party.

Yield: 10 skewers | Prep: 15 min (plus 2 hr marinate) | Cook: 10 min

Ingredients:

2 lbs flank steak, sliced thin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons mirin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
Bamboo skewers

Method:

Whisk sauce ingredients; marinate steak 2 hours.
Thread steak onto skewers.
Grill 3-4 minutes per side until caramelized.

11. Coconut Shrimp

Coconut shrimp delivers a crunchy, golden coconut crust around juicy shrimp, and it fries up fast enough for a hungry crowd. A squeeze of lime or a side of sweet chili sauce finishes it off.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 10 min

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs large shrimp, peeled, tails on
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

Dredge shrimp in flour, then egg, then coconut-panko mix.
Fry at 350°F for 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
Drain on paper towels, salt lightly.

12. Pineapple Fried Rice

Pineapple fried rice mixes sweet fruit, savory soy, and day-old rice into a dish that works as a side or a light main. Serving it inside a hollowed pineapple half adds a nice touch for a party table.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 15 min

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked, cold jasmine rice
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
2 eggs, scrambled
1/2 cup cooked ham or Spam, diced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons oil

Method:

Heat oil in a wok, scramble eggs, remove.
Add rice, pineapple, and ham; stir-fry 5 minutes.
Stir in soy sauce and eggs.
Top with green onion.

For more ways to use leftover rice, check our best rice side dishes.

13. Pineapple Salsa with Taro Chips

Pineapple salsa with taro chips pairs juicy, spicy-sweet fruit salsa with crunchy purple taro chips instead of the usual tortilla chips. It’s a colorful starter that disappears quickly at any luau table.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 15 min | Cook: none

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh pineapple, diced small
1/4 red onion, diced
1 jalapeño, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 bag taro chips

Method:

Combine pineapple, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and lime juice.
Chill 20 minutes to let flavors blend.
Serve with taro chips for dipping.

14. Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

Hawaiian sweet rolls are soft, pillowy, and just sweet enough to taste like dessert and dinner bread at once. Homemade ones put store-bought versions to shame with their buttery, tender crumb.

Yield: 24 rolls | Prep: 20 min (plus 1.5 hr rise) | Cook: 20 min at 350°F

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Warm pineapple juice and milk, mix with yeast, let sit 5 minutes.
Combine with flour, sugar, salt, eggs, and butter; knead 8 minutes.
Let rise 1 hour, shape into rolls, rise 30 minutes more.
Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes until golden.

15. Haupia

Haupia is a simple coconut milk pudding that sets into soft, sliceable squares, often served as the traditional luau dessert. It tastes clean and milky, with just enough sweetness to feel like a treat.

Yield: 9 squares | Prep: 10 min (plus 3 hr chill) | Cook: 10 min

Ingredients:

2 cans (13.5 oz each) coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Method:

Heat coconut milk and sugar in a saucepan until warm.
Whisk cornstarch with water, stir into milk mixture.
Cook, whisking, until thick, about 5 minutes.
Pour into a lined 8×8 pan, chill 3 hours, cut into squares.

16. Butter Mochi

Butter mochi is a chewy, dense coconut-and-rice-flour cake that sits somewhere between mochi and a custard bar. It’s one of the easiest Hawaiian desserts to bake ahead and slice for a crowd.

Yield: 16 squares | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 1 hour at 350°F

Ingredients:

1 box (16 oz) mochiko sweet rice flour
2 cups sugar
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons baking powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F, grease a 9×13 pan.
Mix all ingredients until smooth.
Pour into pan, bake 1 hour until top is golden and center is set.
Cool fully before slicing.

17. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Pineapple upside-down cake brings caramelized fruit and a buttery brown sugar glaze on top of a soft yellow cake. Flipping it out of the pan is half the fun of serving it.

Yield: 10 servings | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 40 min at 350°F

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple rings, drained
6-8 maraschino cherries
1 box yellow cake mix (plus ingredients listed on box)

Method:

Pour melted butter into a 9-inch round pan, sprinkle brown sugar evenly.
Arrange pineapple rings and cherries on top.
Prepare cake batter per box instructions, pour over fruit.
Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes; cool 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate.

18. Mango Coconut Fruit Salad

Mango coconut fruit salad combines juicy mango, pineapple, and toasted coconut flakes for a light, refreshing bite between heavier dishes. It needs no added sugar since the fruit does all the work.

Yield: 8 servings | Prep: 15 min | Cook: none

Ingredients:

2 mangoes, diced
2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1 lime, juiced

Method:

Combine all fruit in a large bowl.
Toss with lime juice.
Top with toasted coconut just before serving.

19. Pineapple Ginger Punch

Pineapple ginger punch is a fizzy, tropical drink with a spicy ginger kick that cuts through the sweetness of pineapple juice. It’s an easy make-ahead base that guests can spike or keep as-is.

Yield: 12 servings | Prep: 10 min | Cook: none

Ingredients:

6 cups pineapple juice
2 cups ginger ale
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
Ice

Method:

Combine pineapple juice and lime juice in a large punch bowl.
Add ginger ale just before serving to keep the fizz.
Float pineapple chunks and ice on top.

How to Build a Balanced Luau Menu

A good luau menu balances rich, smoky mains with bright, acidic sides so no single flavor takes over the table. Kalua pork and lau lau bring deep, smoky weight, so pair them with something sharp like lomi lomi salmon or pineapple salsa to cut through the richness.

Here’s how the dishes in this list stack up against each other:

Dish	Course	Prep Effort	Make-Ahead Friendly
Kalua Pork	Main	Low effort, long cook	Yes
Huli Huli Chicken	Main	Medium	Marinate ahead
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad	Side	Low	Yes
Spam Musubi	Appetizer	Medium	Partially
Ahi Poke	Appetizer	Low	No, serve fresh
Chicken Long Rice	Main	Medium	Yes
Lau Lau	Main	High	Yes
Shoyu Chicken	Main	Low	Yes
Lomi Lomi Salmon	Side	Low	Yes (cures overnight)
Teriyaki Beef Skewers	Main	Medium	Marinate ahead
Coconut Shrimp	Appetizer	Medium	No, serve fresh
Pineapple Fried Rice	Side	Low	Best fresh
Pineapple Salsa	Appetizer	Low	Yes, short term
Hawaiian Sweet Rolls	Bread	Medium	Yes
Haupia	Dessert	Low	Yes
Butter Mochi	Dessert	Low	Yes
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake	Dessert	Medium	Yes
Mango Coconut Fruit Salad	Side	Low	Best fresh
Pineapple Ginger Punch	Drink	Low	Yes, mostly

Aim for one or two proteins, two or three sides, a starter, and one dessert for groups under 20. Larger parties do better with a buffet style spread pulling from our best party food ideas, since guests can build their own plate without crowding a single serving line.

Make-Ahead Planning and Food Safety

Most luau dishes taste better when made a day ahead, since the marinades and sauces need time to soak in. Shoyu chicken, kalua pork, and macaroni salad all improve overnight in the fridge.

Raw fish dishes like ahi poke and lomi lomi salmon are the exception. Poke should be made the same day you serve it and kept on ice until guests are ready to eat, since raw fish sitting at room temperature spoils fast.

Keep hot dishes above 140°F in a slow cooker or chafing dish, and cold dishes nested in ice if they’ll sit out more than an hour. A backyard luau in summer heat turns risky fast once mayo-based salads or raw fish cross the two-hour mark at room temperature.

For the day of the party: