Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Pork

Delicious Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Pork is a tasty Hawaiian/Asian fusion recipe that you can serve over rice. The chunks of pork are very tender and the sauce has a lot of flavor with pineapple, red bell peppers, and yummy seasonings. Make this pressure cooker Hawaiian Pineapple Pork in a little over an hour.

 

Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Pork

Something about summertime makes me want to eat pineapple and drink cocktails with little umbrellas in them! Since this is Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Pork, there are no little umbrellas involved, but there is pineapple!

I would say that this recipe falls in the intermediate skill level for Instant Pot cooks. The hardest thing about it is that there are two rounds of sautéing. Then the finishing where you thicken the sauce. I wouldn't say it's hard, but a little more involved.

When you make Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Pork, it's best if you have all of the ingredients ready to go before you turn on the pressure cooker. There are several ingredients, and having them all ready to go makes the process much easier.

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Which cut of pork do I use for this recipe?

• The best cut of pork to use is pork shoulder, also called pork butt (no, it's not the actual butt), cut into 1" cubes.
• You can buy boneless pork country style ribs and cut those into cubes. It's a little more expensive to by the ribs, but there will be less work cutting them up, and you can buy smaller amounts at a time.

Here are the steps to make Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Pork:

You will end up with tender chunks of pork, sweet pineapple, and a delicious, nicely thickened sauce that is full of flavor.

Can I use frozen pork?

Yes, if it is cut to bite sized chunks. Add 1 minute of cook time. It may take a little longer for the pot to come to pressure.

Serve this delicious Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Pork over some hot rice for a complete meal!

This recipe is great for meal planning as it reheats very well. Paul likes to take some to work for his lunch. We use these Glass Meal Prep Containers (affiliate), they have a divided interior where we put the rice on the smaller side, and the pineapple pork on the larger side. That way the rice doesn't get soggy. Perfect!

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Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Pork

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

1 hr 15 mins

 

Delicious Instant Pot Hawaiian Pineapple Pork is a tasty Hawaiian/Asian fusion recipe that you can serve over rice. The chunks of pork are very tender and the sauce has a lot of flavor with pineapple, red bell peppers, and yummy seasonings.

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian, Hawaiian

Keyword: pressure cooker pineapple pork

Servings: 6 - 8

Calories: 382 kcal

Author: Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

• 1 20 oz can Pineapple Chunks, drained (reserve the juice, divided)
• 2 Tbsp Neutral Cooking Oil (or coconut oil), divided
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 Red Bell Peppers, chopped in 1" pieces
• 2 Jalapeños, seeded & diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Ginger, grated
• 2-3 lbs Pork Shoulder, cut in slightly larger than bite-sized pieces
• ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes (or more for heat)
• ½ tsp Salt
• ⅓ cup Brown Sugar

Sauce (mix these together and set aside)

• ¾ cup Reserved Pineapple Juice
• ⅓ cup Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp Fish Sauce
• ½ cup Chicken Broth

To Finish Sauce

• ¼ cup Reserved Pineapple Juice (if there's enough. or use water or broth)
• 2 Tbsp Corn Starch

Instructions

1. Before you start cooking, gather everything together and get it all chopped and measured. This makes it so much easier!

2. Drain the pineapple chunks, and reserve the juice from the can. 

3. Mix together the sauce: ¾ cup pineapple juice, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, and chicken broth. Set aside.

Sauté the Veggies

1. Turn on the Sauté setting and when it is hot, add the oil. Then add the onion and bay leaf and sauté until soft.

2. Add the red bell pepper and jalapeño, and sauté until the red bell pepper is softened, but still a little firm. Then remove the mixture from the pot into a bowl and set aside.

Sauté the Pork and Pineapple

1. Add another Tbsp of oil to the pot and add the garlic and ginger. Stir and cook a few seconds, then add the pork chunks, pineapple chunks, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pork is slightly cooked on all sides. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen up any browned bits.

2. Pour the sauce over the pork, sprinkle salt and the brown sugar over (don't stir) and close the lid. Turn the steam release knob to the Sealing position.

Pressure Cook The Pork

1. Turn off the Sauté function, then press the Pressure Cook/Manual button, or dial. Then use the +/- buttons or dial to select 10 minutes. The pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure.

2. While the pork is cooking, mix 2 Tbsp cornstarch with ¼ cup of reserved pineapple juice to make a slurry. Set aside.

3. When the cooking cycle is finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes (10 minute natural release). Then turn the steam release knob to the Venting position and manually release the remaining steam/pressure.

4. When the pin in the lid drops down, open it and use a slotted spoon to remove the pork to a bowl.

Thicken the Sauce

1. Turn the sauté setting back on. When the sauce starts to simmer, stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for a couple of minutes until sauce is thickened. Then turn off the pot and add the pork, and the red bell pepper/onion mixture in and stir to combine.

2. Serve over cooked rice.