Think of Hawaii, and foods like juicy pineapple, tender pork, and sweet coconut likely come to mind. While a ticket to the Aloha State may not be in the cards today, those tasty ingredients are sitting in your nearest grocery store, ready to be cooked into simple yet scrumptious meals and desserts that will take your mind and tummy back to your last vacation. Make these islander classics, and you're bound to find some weeknight favorites — and learn something new about Hawaiian cuisine — along the way.
Carrot and celery create the perfect ratio of crunchiness to creaminess in this cool and kid-friendly pasta salad — the perfect accompaniment to a warm protein like chicken or pork.
Poke is so hot right now, you probably can't drive anywhere without seeing a new joint for the Hawaiian seafood dish. But did you know you can also make it at home with just a few minutes of chopping and assembling?
Shredded chicken gets a sweet, tangy kick from pineapple juice, ketchup, ginger, tamari, and honey. It's served over a beautifully vibrant bowl of stir-fried pineapple, onion, peppers, and kale, plus plenty of rice noodles, for a nourishing dish that will always remind you of Summer days.
These three-ingredient meatballs come together with store-bought frozen meatballs, barbecue sauce, and diced pineapple. They're super cute on toothpicks as an appetizer and highly tasty with veggies over rice.
If you can't make it to Hawaii for a refreshingly fruity acai bowl, have no fear. They're delightfully easy to make at home, which makes customizing them to your exact liking a total breeze.
A crumbly Oreo crust, sweet macadamia nut ice cream, and oozing hot fudge make up this shamelessly touristy classic. If you're somehow not convinced to make it right now, it also falls into the very tempting no-bake desserts category.
This hearty mashup of Eastern and Western cuisine — consisting of white rice, a hamburger patty, gravy, and a fried egg — is the hangover-curing breakfast of your dreams. It may sound unusual, but don't knock it till you try it; the hamburger has just enough fat to hold you over after a night out, while the rice soaks up the savory goodness of the gravy and runny egg yolk.
Whip up this classic salmon dish — made extrabright and refreshing with tomatoes and onion — once, and you'll want to eat it with everything from chips to lettuce wraps.
Put chicken thighs to use with this wildly flavorful chicken dish. Marinated for four hours in goodies like pineapple juice, ketchup, soy, ginger, and garlic and grilled to perfection, it's no wonder it's an island favorite.
This tender, juicy, smoky pork needs only a pinch of Himalayan pink sea salt to be insanely delicious in tacos, bowls, salads, and more. Make a huge batch in your slow cooker, and you'll have some for that week and some to save for later.
These bratwursts are decked out with a citrusy Hawaiian barbecue sauce, fruity and basil-rich relish, pickled jalapeños, and, of course, toasted Hawaiian roll hot dog buns. Serve them at your next cookout, and they're sure to be a hit.
Nothing will delight you more than cutting into this fluffy, coconut-cream-covered pie to find a pleasantly purple filling. What's in it, you ask? It's a mixture of purple potatoes and coconut milk, sweetened with sugar and vanilla and brightened with orange zest. It is smooth as anything and pairs perfectly with the crunchy crushed macadamia nuts on top.
Nachos are made 10 times less greasy and 20 times more refreshing with toppings of guacamole and poke. Make these babies next time you're poolside, and you'll forget you're not soaking up the sun on a breezy beach in Maui.
Channel your inner islander with these kebabs, skewering tasty chicken and pineapple with a coconut flavor. Since they're handheld, you can even munch on them while you're practicing your hula dancing.
