If you love pineapple as much as I do, then this is a list of recipes that give you permission to put pineapple on everything. These are 20 tropical appetizers for a luau party.
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Summer is coming to an end, and luau parties tend to be pretty popular around this time. These dishes are going to turn your backyard party into a mental getaway to the islands on a regular day. Let's check it out.
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1) Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs
First up are pineapple teriyaki meatballs. These meatballs are going to have a sticky-sweet glaze, and they are so addictive that you may just have to ration yourself to one per person.
Teriyaki is a flavor that pairs extremely well with pineapples, and a great way to serve these up is to put toothpicks in each one, making these very easy to grab and go.
Ingredients
Method
- In a saucepan, whisk the teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch until smooth.
- Add the pineapple chunks with their juice and bring to a simmer.
- Stir in the meatballs and simmer for 15 minutes until heated through and glazed.
- Sprinkle with green onions and serve with toothpicks.
Notes
2) Coconut Shrimp Skewers
These coconut shrimp skewers are an edible vacation on a stick. The trick with skewers is to always soak them in cold water for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from splintering, and watch these get eaten just as fast as they hit the table. The coconut is bringing those tropical vibes, and the shrimp adds that island feel everyone is sure to enjoy.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet.
- Set up three bowls: flour, beaten eggs, and a mix of coconut and panko.
- Dredge each shrimp in flour, then egg, then the coconut mixture.
- Arrange on the sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Serve with a sweet chili or mango dipping sauce.
Notes
3) Ahi Poke Bites
These ahi poke bites are another fresh and cool dish, but it also looks really elegant, as they are served as a two-bite portion. These are really easy to make, and they are going to be a huge hit for those who appreciate raw fish.
Ingredients
Method
- Gently toss the cubed tuna with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sriracha.
- Fold in the green onion and sesame seeds.
- Cover and chill for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Spoon a little poke onto each wonton chip just before serving.
Notes
4) Mango Salsa with Tortilla Chips
Mango salsa is sure to take any party up a notch, and when it is served with tortilla chips, it gives you that perfect crunch with that bright and juicy salsa; this is going to be one where people are hovering around all night because it's that good.
Ingredients
Method
- Combine the mango, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a bowl.
- Squeeze in the lime juice and add a pinch of salt.
- Toss gently and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Serve with plenty of tortilla chips.
Notes
5) Spam Musubi
Spam is known as a Hawaiian favorite, so this would be a fun dish to throw together for your next Hawaiian-themed party.
Ingredients
Method
- Sear the Spam slices in oil over medium-high heat until browned on both sides.
- Stir together the soy sauce and sugar, pour over the Spam, and simmer until glazed.
- Press warm rice into a musubi mold or small rectangle.
- Top each rice block with a glazed Spam slice.
- Wrap a strip of nori around each one to hold it together.
Notes
6) Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
These Hawaiian chicken kabobs are so good you might just make them for a weeknight dinner instead of saving them for your party. This is going to pair succulent grilled chicken with sugary pineapple grilled to a delightful perfection.
Pineapple not only helps bring this dish to life, but it adds that really fun tropical character to it as well that just screams summer.
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the chicken in teriyaki sauce and honey and marinate for 15 minutes.
- Thread the chicken, pineapple, pepper, and onion onto skewers.
- Grill over medium-high heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
- Brush with extra sauce in the last few minutes until charred and cooked through.
- Let rest a couple of minutes before serving.
Notes
7) Tropical Fruit Skewers
These skewers are always a good idea for a cookout, but they add a very fun dash of color to a luau. Again, with skewers, make sure that you soak them in cold water for at least 20 minutes. You don't want anyone getting splinters off into their fruit, especially the kiddos.
But these are so colorful that they double as an edible decoration for your party table, not just a snack. The really cool part about these is they are totally customizable. You can do a mixture of different fruits, and that really adds to the visual appeal.
Ingredients
Method
- Thread fruit onto skewers in a colorful repeating pattern.
- Whisk together the honey and lime juice.
- Arrange the skewers on a platter and drizzle with the honey-lime mixture.
- Serve chilled.
Notes
8) Lomi Lomi Salmon
This is a traditional Hawaiian side dish made with salted raw salmon, diced tomatoes, and sweet onions. This basically is going to be a tropical style pico that people are not only going to love dipping their chips in, but they may just want to eat it by the spoonful because it's that good.
Ingredients
Method
Notes
9) Sweet and Spicy Tofu Bites
These sweet and spicy tofu bites are good enough to turn your tofu skeptic's opinion completely around. These are going to be cooked to a perfect crisp, making them great crispy cubes with a sticky glaze. That sticky glaze is what brings in those tropical vibes, and this is going to surprise everyone.
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Ingredients
Method
- Press the tofu to remove excess water, then cube it.
- Toss the cubes with cornstarch and oil and spread on a baking sheet.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes, flipping halfway, until crispy.
- Toss the hot tofu in the sweet chili and soy sauce.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with toothpicks.
Notes
10) Banana Leaf Wrapped Pork
This banana leaf-wrapped pork creates smoky pork bundles that feel like a true island feast. The most typical pork for these is Hawaiian kalua pork, which is a pork shoulder rubbed with sea salt and liquid smoke and then wrapped tightly in those banana leaves. These are cooked slowly until you have a fall-apart tender meat that everyone is going to devour.
Ingredients
Method
- Rub the pork with sea salt, garlic, and liquid smoke.
- Place portions of pork onto banana leaf squares and wrap into tidy bundles.
- Tie each bundle with kitchen twine.
- Steam or bake at 300 degrees F for about 90 minutes until very tender.
- Unwrap, shred slightly, and serve warm.
Notes
11) Grilled Pineapple Rings
This recipe gives you the classic luau. These are going to caramelize on the grill so well and also have that smoky flavor from the grill that everyone is going to enjoy. These are so sweet that they can even pass as a dessert, but they pair perfectly with all of your main courses as well.
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk together the honey, melted butter, and cinnamon.
- Brush both sides of each pineapple ring with the glaze.
- Grill over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side until charred.
- Sprinkle with a tiny pinch of sea salt and serve warm.
Notes
12) Hawaiian Sliders with Kimchi
These Hawaiian sliders with kimchi are sweet and savory mini sandwiches that are made on soft Hawaiian sweet rolls. The really cool part about these is you can switch up what kind of meat you use, from pork belly to pulled pork or ground pork patties.
They are going to end with that spicy, tangy crunch of kimchi, creating a great flavor that everyone loves and doesn't understand why.
Ingredients
Method
- Slice the rolls in half and place the bottoms in a baking dish.
- Layer on the pulled pork, cheese, and chopped kimchi.
- Add the roll tops, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Slice into individual sliders and serve warm.
Notes
13) Luau Pulled Pork Nachos
These nachos are going to be the life of the party. This is going to be a big, shareable, loaded pile that is meant for a crowd to dig into together. Pulled pork is your base on these. You can switch up the cheeses and the toppings and really just make this one your own.
Ingredients
Method
- Spread the tortilla chips on a large baking sheet.
- Top with pulled pork, cheese, and pineapple tidbits.
- Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Drizzle with barbecue sauce and scatter green onions over the top.
- Serve hot, right off the sheet.
Notes
14) Macadamia Nut Hummus
This macadamia nut hummus has a buttery island-inspired twist on regular hummus. This is perfect to put out to dip with veggies or pita chips, and it is going to be another popular center of the table that everyone is enjoying.
Ingredients
Method
- Add the chickpeas, macadamia nuts, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor.
- Blend while drizzling in the olive oil until smooth.
- Add a splash of water if it's too thick and season with salt.
- Spoon into a bowl, drizzle with oil, and serve with pita and veggies.
Notes
15) Maui Onion Dip
This Maui onion dip stands out from your traditional onion dip because it uses sweet onions. It is creamy, sweet, and a really good appetizer that is made with sweet onions, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Your chips are going to disappear into this one quickly!
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the diced onions in butter over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes until caramelized.
- Let the onions cool slightly.
- Stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and garlic powder.
- Fold in the caramelized onions and season with salt and pepper.
- Chill for 15 minutes and serve with chips or veggies.
Notes
16) Coconut Curry Deviled Eggs
This recipe puts a tropical spin on your traditional deviled eggs. These are coconut curry deviled eggs, and they are basically a vacation on a plate.
Ingredients
Method
- Hard-boil the eggs, then cool, peel, and halve them.
- Scoop the yolks into a bowl and mash with mayonnaise, coconut cream, curry powder, and lime juice.
- Spoon or pipe the filling back into the egg whites.
- Top each with a sprinkle of toasted coconut.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Notes
17) Huli Huli Chicken Wings
These Huli Huli chicken wings are so good. They are sticky, sweet, and savory, and these are going to disappear faster than you can refill the platter. So have a lot of these made in advance.
These wings are coated in a tangy glaze that you make from soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, ketchup, and pineapple juice. And then they are turned over frequently on the grill to create that sticky texture with a charred finish that everyone is going to be after!
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and ginger.
- Bake the wings at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes.
- Simmer the sauce in a saucepan until slightly thickened.
- Brush the wings generously with sauce and bake 10 more minutes until sticky.
- Toss in any remaining sauce and serve.
Notes
18) Pineapple Bacon Bites
These pineapple bacon bites are dangerously addictive because they have a combination of salt, sweetness, and smokiness, and they are so good. They are bite-sized, making them very convenient for your guests to grab. This is another one that you will want to put toothpicks out for so everyone can just poke what they want, add it to their plate, and go.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet.
- Wrap each pineapple chunk in a half slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
- Mix the brown sugar and chili powder, then sprinkle over the wrapped bites.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the bacon is crisp and caramelized.
- Let cool slightly and serve warm.
Notes
19) Papaya with Lime and Tajin
Lime and Tajín together are a citrusy, subtly spicy combination that so many people enjoy, and when you pair them with papaya, you get a delicious, refreshing treat that takes just two minutes to put together.
Ingredients
Method
- Peel and slice the papaya into long spears.
- Arrange the spears on a platter.
- Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.
- Dust with Tajin and a pinch of sea salt, then serve chilled.
Notes
20) Kalua Pork Spring Rolls
And finally, there are these Kalua Pork Spring Rolls, which are a fusion appetizer that blends two food traditions. You have both the Hawaiian slow-cooked, smoky shredded pork and the crispy wrapped Asian spring roll. And something about this one just works.
These are really good. And they have even gained popularity at stores like Trader Joe's and Costco, meaning that you could even buy these premade if this is something you want on the lineup but don't want to take the time to make.
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the kalua pork with cabbage, carrot, and soy sauce.
- Place a scoop of filling on each wrapper, fold in the sides, and roll up tightly.
- Seal the edges with a dab of water.
- Fry in hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Drain on paper towels and serve with dipping sauce.
