"Aloha!" This word, meaning both "hello" and "goodbye," is synonymous with the beautiful Hawaiian Islands and the delicious Hawaiian food trends that have expanded far beyond their shores. Let's explore some healthy and traditional Hawaiian recipes perfect for your next luau or beach party.
What Makes Food "Hawaiian"?
Essentially, any dish found on the islands of Hawaii can be "Hawaiian-ized." Traditional Hawaiian dishes prominently feature ingredients like coconuts, pineapples, sweet potatoes, taro, and yams, along with other fruits and vegetables native to the islands. Meat, fresh fish, pork, and chicken are also popular components of Hawaiian cuisine.
Appetizers and Sides
Grilled Pineapple with Hot Sauce
Having freshly grilled pineapples to munch on is both delicious and helps pass the time while waiting for the main courses. The pineapple offers a sweet flavor, while the hot sauce gives each slice a little kick. Double the recipe, because these will disappear quickly!
Tropical Coleslaw
This coleslaw serves as the perfect appetizer or burger topping. It’s citrusy and contains mango cubes and pineapple bits.
Hawaiian Snack Mix
This popular Hawaiian snack mix is sweet, salty, and addictive. Consider yourself warned! Your choice of cereals and chips are flavored with a dry seasoning consisting of sugar, salt, seaweed, and toasted sesame seeds.
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Hawaiian Rolls
Hawaiian rolls can put buttermilk biscuits to shame. They’re chewy, fluffy, and slightly sweet from the pineapple juice.
Brown Rice Black Bean Salad with Mango and Avocado
This salad makes for a hearty side. It is an easy salad you can prep ahead and store in the fridge.
Main Courses
Huli Huli Chicken Kebabs
These Huli Huli chicken kebabs will have your guests asking for more. Essentially a play on teriyaki chicken, the Huli Huli sauce is sweet and tangy with a sweet and savory marinade made up of brown sugar, fresh pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic powder.
Hawaiian Pizza
Although not everyone likes pineapple on their pizza, Hawaiian pizza is sweet, salty, and cheesy - all in one bite. Homemade pizza dough makes all the difference, so try cauliflower or Keto-friendly dough.
Hawaiian Chicken Sheet Pan Supper
Who can resist a recipe as easy as this Hawaiian Chicken sheet pan supper?
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Tuna Poke with Avocado
This Tuna Poke with Avocado recipe is a dish inspired by one of Hawaii’s most popular recipes.
Tropical Salad with Chicken and Mango
This Tropical Salad with Chicken and Mango packs a punch.
Mango Chicken Skewers
These mouthwatering Mango Chicken Skewers give sweet heat a whole new meaning. When it comes to island cooking, it’s all about the marinade.
Hula Chicken Tacos
Lots of flavors come together to infuse these saucy tacos. They start with tender chicken marinated in a hula sauce, add a slightly spicy coleslaw, and are topped off with crunchy Asian noodles. For the marination sauce, toss pineapple juice and chunks, honey, ginger, garlic, and soy sauce into a slow cooker with the chicken. Broil the chicken to caramelize it and give it slightly crisp edges.
Shoyu Chicken
If you’re hosting a luau and want a traditional dish, this is the one to choose. Similar to Huli Huli, shoyu is another Hawaiian version of teriyaki chicken. The chicken thighs are marinated in a spicy and sweet soy sauce-based marinade. The longer the chicken can marinate, the better.
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Grilled Shrimp with Sweet Garlic Marinade
A sweet garlic marinade gives these grilled shrimp a flavorful head start.
Sauces
Garlic Pineapple Sauce
You can use this Garlic Pineapple Sauce with any protein.
Chunky Rainbow Salsa
Take salmon and chicken breast from average to Hawaiian-inspired with our Chunky Rainbow Salsa recipe.
Desserts
Passion Fruit Donuts
Want to cool down and feel like you’re in the tropics without leaving your home? Passion fruit, known in Hawaii as “lilikoi,” is one of Hawaii’s most common and abundant fruit flavors. Mix a passion fruit puree with eggs, sugar, and flour. These donuts ooze a creamy passionfruit curd and are coated in powdered sugar. They are light, fluffy, and will melt right in your mouth. If passion fruit isn’t your favorite, try subbing in coconut or pineapples in the recipe instead.
Guava Cake
Guava isn’t a commonly used fruit, but this recipe will quickly become your favorite new dessert. The cake has a nice guava flavor, while the cream cheese topping and guava gel topping have subtle notes of the delicious fruit.
Hawaiian Fruit Salad
Fruit salad doesn’t get better than this. Dished from a pineapple boat, this Hawaiian fruit salad is full of fresh, tropical, juicy fruits and a creamy, yogurt-based sauce.
Coconut Mango Chia Pudding
Unlike traditional whipped cream, this tropical whipped “cream” is dairy-free and vegan. Raw honey and coconut milk give this Coconut Mango Chia Pudding a creamy decadence.
Hawaiian Fruit Freak Shakes
Hawaiian-ize these fruit freak shakes with all-Hawaiian-found fruit. Make your favorite milkshake or smoothie - try a banana peach or a boozy watermelon papaya smoothie. After making the drink, pile on passionfruit, pineapple, mango, coconut, guava, banana, and starfruit.
Mango Berry Smoothie
This double-layered smoothie is perfect for parties with a purple or yellow theme. The bottom layer (the Hawaiian layer) is a blend of mango, orange, and banana. The top layer is a mix of berry yogurt and fresh berries with a topping of banana slices.
Cocktails
Blue Hawaiian
Pineapple and coconut meet the deep blue sea. This three-ingredient cocktail consists of blue curacao, pineapple juice, and coconut rum. You can serve this cocktail on the rocks or frozen.
Mai Tai
Mai Tai and Tiki cultures go hand in hand. This strong cocktail uses dark and amber rum as a base and packs more flavor from the lime juice and orange juice. Shake it up and pour it into a fun glass.
Lava Flow
The lava flow is the ultimate frozen tropical cocktail featuring light rum, coconut, pineapple, and strawberry. The Lava Flow is a cross between a piña colada and Miami Vice.