The Spirit of Aloha Shines in These Traditional Meat-Free Hawaiian Recipes

Traditional Hawaiian cuisine features ingredients like pork, seafood, and Spam, making it quite animal product-heavy, similar to the rest of the US. However, it’s easy to embrace Hawaiian flavors using plant-based ingredients, too. Check out some of our favorite recipes below.

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What is traditional Hawaiian food?

True Hawaiian cuisine reflects the state’s rich cultural history, which has been shaped by centuries of migration, trade, and local traditions. For that reason, it is a diverse and flavorful blend of Native Hawaiian staples, Polynesian influences, and Asian, European, and American ingredients. 

Native Hawaiian cuisine features locally sourced ingredients like taro, sweet potato, pineapple, coconut, and fresh seafood. It also heavily revolves around pork, which was introduced to the Hawaiian islands by Polynesian travelers. 

Kalua pork, for example, is one example of a traditional dish in Hawaii. It’s typically made by slow-cooking a whole pig in an underground oven called an imu until it’s tender and smoky, then shredding the meat and serving it in banana leaves or alongside poi (mashed taro root).

Taro root | Getty

RELATED: 35 Tofu Recipes: From Sushi to Caprese to Meaty Vegan Chicken

Many other popular Hawaiian dishes have roots in international influences. Loco moco, for example, is a modern Hawaiian comfort food featuring a hamburger patty (an American staple) served over white rice, topped with rich brown gravy and a sunny-side-up egg. Another favorite, Spam musubi, takes inspiration from Japanese onigiri—it consists of a slice of Spam layered with sushi rice and wrapped in seaweed.

Meatless Hawaiian recipes

If you’re craving the flavors of Hawaii but prefer a plant-based twist, the recipes below will guide you through making everything from kalua pork to musubi to poke bowls—all with delicious, meat-free ingredients.

The Herbivorous Butcher

1Hawaiian Kahlua Jackfruit Pork

You don’t need to roast a pig to enjoy kalua. This recipe from The Herbivorous Butcher Cookbook achieves all the delicious, smoky-sweet flavors and textures using ingredients like shredded jackfruit, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and pineapple juice. Just like its meaty counterpart, this dish is mouthwateringly good and guaranteed to be a hit at your next gathering.
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2Maple-Glazed Tofu Musubi

Musubi is usually made with Spam, a heavily processed canned meat made with a mix of ground pork and ham. This version is not just meat-free, it’s also much healthier, as it’s made with minimally-processed, protein-packed tofu instead. Thanks to the sushi rice, nori, and a flavor-packed marinade, it’s just as tasty as the OG version.
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Leinana Two Moons

3 Watermelon Poke Bowl With Spicy Sesame Soy Dressing

Poke bowls are, without a doubt, one of the most popular dishes in Hawaiian cuisine. They date back to ancient times when Hawaiian fishermen would mix fresh fish with ingredients like sea salt and crushed nuts. Today, poke (pronounced “poh-kay”) is still often made with fresh fish, but if you’re looking for a delicious plant-based version of the Hawaiian classic, you can’t go wrong with juicy watermelon.
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Mindful Avocado

4Huli Huli Cauliflower Bites

Usually, huli huli is made with chicken, which is marinated in a sweet and tangy pineapple sauce before it’s grilled over an open flame. But one way to achieve the same delicious flavors without meat is to drench cauliflower bites with huli huli sauce instead, just like in this recipe from Mindful Avocado. “These vegan cauliflower bites are seriously a kick-ass appetizer or side dish,” says recipe developer Amanda Sager. “Try making this recipe for game days, potlucks, Super Bowl parties, or weeknight dinners.”
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Rabbit and Wolves

5Crispy Hawaiian Garlic Tofu

Hawaiian garlic chicken is a common component of plate lunches, which are a popular meal in local Hawaiian eateries, often consisting of rice, macaroni salad, and meat. Hawaiian garlic tofu, however, is just as delicious. For the proof, check out this flavor-packed recipe from Rabbit and Wolves. Recipe developer Lauren Hartmann describes the dish, which comes together with 10 ingredients, as “so damn yummy.”
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