19 Tasty Hawaiian Side Dishes You Need To Try

Hawaii is known for many things, the main one being the island’s impressive landscape. However, Hawaii is also known for its delicious cuisine. Hawaiian food is packed with exotic flavors, unique recipes, colors, and fresh ingredients.

Most dishes are also high in nutrients and vitamins. Hawaiian food is also very versatile. No matter what time of year it is or which meal you find yourself preparing, there’s a tasty Hawaiian recipe that will blow your socks off.

In fact, there are so many amazing recipes to choose from that finding the best ones to make can be a challenge. Don’t worry though, we’re here to help!

To give you a better idea of what you can make, we’ve listed 19 of our favorite Hawaiian side dishes. In this post, we’ll show you each one. Let’s dive straight into our list!

1. Hawaiian Fried Rice

Let’s start with a hearty side dish full of sweet, spicy, and sour flavors. Hawaiian fried rice puts a tropical spin on a Chinese classic. This versatile dish is made using Hawaiian rice, protein, veggies, and eggs. 

This recipe calls for shredded ham. To give the recipe a more Hawaiian feel, pineapple chunks and lemon juice are added. Enhancing the flavors further, this recipe also shows you how to make a yummy sweet and sour sauce.

2. Hawaiian Coleslaw

This recipe is all you need if you want to channel your inner Aloha State. This is another tropical take on a popular side dish.

Taking a traditional coleslaw recipe to the next level, this recipe features a refreshing combination of carrots, cabbage, and pineapple.

A powerful ginger soy lime dressing is then added to give the coleslaw those typical tropical flavors. The beauty of this zesty side dish is that it can be served with virtually anything.

3. Hawaiian Dip

If you’d prefer a simpler side dish that isn’t too filling, you could make a fresh Hawaiian dip. This Hawaiian-style dip is quick and easy to make.

Calling for just 8 ingredients, you can make the dip just before your guests arrive or make it in bulk in advance.

Key ingredients include sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, crushed pineapple, ham, green onion, and bacon. The end result is a delightfully creamy sauce with both sweet and savory flavors.

4. Pineapple Rice

Next up, we have another rice dish. Compared to the Hawaiian fried rice recipe above, this recipe is much simpler, containing fewer ingredients. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t still pack a punch though.

This recipe mostly calls for herbs and spices. The main two ingredients apart from that are pineapple and rice. Thanks to the pineapple, chili flakes, and lime juice, we can expect a sweet, spicy, savory, and tropical taste sensation.

5. Hawaii Macaroni Salad

Pasta salads always go down a treat at parties, family dinners, and barbecue parties, so make sure you have a tasty Hawaiian pasta salad recipe up your sleeve. This one from Cooking Chew is perfect.

Made with macaroni, milk, mayo, apple cider vinegar, carrots, and onions, this salad is creamy, fresh, nutritious, and hearty. We can add pineapple, crab, or celery to the recipe to make things even better.

6. Hawaiian Fruit Salad

Another simple, yet flavorful Hawaiian recipe from Cooking Chew is this refreshing fruit salad recipe. The best thing about this recipe is that it can contain as many or as few ingredients as you like.

Perfect for using any leftover fruits, all you have to do is throw the fruits together and add orange jello and sour cream into the mix. For Hawaiian flavors, we recommend using pineapple, mandarin, and fruit cocktail juice like the recipe does.

7. Chicken Long Rice

Next on our list, we have chicken long rice. Chicken long rice is a big hit with the locals in Hawaii. It’s loaded with flavor, refreshing, light, and versatile, making it a great side dish for everyone’s favorite Hawaiian foods.

Ready in less than 45 minutes, the recipe calls for 8 basic pantry ingredients. This includes chicken broth, chicken thighs, bean thread noodles, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger.

We love how the sugar in this dish gives the recipe a hint of sweetness to balance out the savory flavors.

8. Hawaiian Rolls

Tender, fluffy, and sweet, the next recipe on this list shows you how to make a fresh batch of delicious Hawaiian rolls. It may seem a little odd, but this recipe uses pineapple juice to give the rolls a subtly tropical, sweet flavor.

You would think this would ruin the rolls, but it actually makes them much tastier. Best when served warm and topped with butter, these rolls can accompany a main dish or serve as sliders.

9. Hawaiian Poi

Hawaiian Poi is a traditional Hawaiian side dish made with just 6 ingredients. It has a similar appearance to a thick soup or yogurt, a vibrant color, and an interesting texture. It was once a dish given to babies.

You can make Hawaiian Poi by mixing taro, sauerkraut juice, lard, sea salt, and coconut oil with water. The starchy taro root is very nutritious so you’ll benefit greatly from this side dish.

10. Pipi Kuala

Pipi Kuala may as well be a full dinner, but it is still classed as a side dish by most Hawaiians. This dish features chewy salted beef jerky that goes well alongside any Hawaiian meal.

The dish is pretty simple to make. All you have to do is marinate the beef to perfection.

You only need a flank steak, sugar, garlic, ginger, and aloha shoyu to unlock the best flavors this dish has to offer. Marinate the steak overnight for the strongest flavors.

11. Lomi-Lomi Salmon

Lomi-lomi salmon has been a popular Hawaiian side dish for generations. The salted salmon used to make the side dish gives Hawaiian meals an intense flavor, whilst the fresh veggies offer a refreshing feel and plenty of nutrients.

This recipe recommends preparing the salmon a day in advance before then serving it with your main course. There’s not much else to say about this recipe other than it looks great and tastes amazing.

12. Mashed Okinawan Sweet Potatoes

This side dish will immediately grab your attention because of its incredible color. Bright purple in color as a result of the Okinawan sweet potato’s vibrant purple flesh, this recipe is quick and easy to make.

Like regular potatoes, this sweet potato mash has a subtly sweet flavor that goes nicely with a wide range of dishes. All you have to do is boil, mash, and season the potatoes with salt and pepper.

13. Banana Bread

If you came here looking for a super addictive side dish, you’ve found it. This banana bread recipe from The Southern Lady Cooks is absolutely delicious. You’ll quickly find this bread becoming part of your daily routine.

The bread is bursting with tropical flavors from the combination of pineapple, coconut, and banana, whilst its texture is just divine. It has a perfectly moist and crumbly texture that will melt in your mouth.

14. Hawaiian Mango Bread

If the banana bread isn’t satisfying your cravings enough, give this Hawaiian mango bread recipe a try too. Exploding with tropical flavors, this is a delightful bread that comes with a quick and simple recipe.

The mango gives the bread immense sweetness and a golden brown color. You’ll also notice the comforting notes of cinnamon added to the bread mix. Again, this bread has a moist and crumbly texture.

15. CrockPot Hawaiian Meatballs

Next, we have a tasty meatball recipe for you. Seasoned with BBQ sauce, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, grated garlic, and brown sugar, this tropical meatball recipe is cooked for hours in a slow cooker.

This gives the meat time to absorb all the Hawaiian-inspired flavors. The only downside to the dish is waiting six hours to tuck into it, especially when the whole house will smell of tropical goodness.

16. Hawaiian Roasted Vegetables

Sometimes, simpler is better. This roasted vegetable side dish sums this up perfectly. Made in no time at all with basic ingredients, herbs, and spices, this recipe is full of flavor, satisfying textures, and healthy nutrients.

This recipe doesn’t restrict you to a set list of veggies either. Instead, you have a long list of ingredients to choose from. The goal however is to mix a wide range of sweet, savory, and colorful veggies to create a stunning side dish.

17. Hawaiian Baked Beans

A hearty side dish that we love to make is Hawaiian baked beans. Extremely comforting and satisfying, Hawaiian baked beans are sweet, savory, and slightly spiced.

The key difference between this baked bean recipe and the others is that this one contains pineapple. The pineapple helps give the dish a typical Hawaiian sweetness.

Other key ingredients needed to make this dish are ham, beans, brown sugar, ketchup, cider vinegar, and mustard.

18. Hawaiian Kabobs

An incredibly versatile Hawaiian side dish best served at barbecues is this Hawaiian kabobs recipe. Sweet, smoky, and savory, these kabobs are easy to make, delicious, vibrant, and super sweet.

You can use any ingredients you like, but this recipe specifically calls for chicken, bell peppers, pineapple, and onions. If you have any leftover veggies in your refrigerator throw them in too.

19. Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple Bites

We’ll finish our list with a simple recipe that combines sweet and smoky flavors to create a dish that packs a punch with every bite.

To make this dish, all you have to do is wrap the pineapple in cooked bacon. This creates small bites of juicy, sweet, and smoky flavors that will make your mouth water.

The only problem you’ll find with this dish is its addictiveness. Don’t be surprised to see your guests fighting over the last bite.

Can I Use These Greek Side Dish Recipes to Make a Hawaiian Inspired Meal?

Looking to create a Hawaiian inspired meal? Incorporating easy greek side dish recipes can add a delightful touch. Pairing flavorful Greek salads, marinated olives, or tzatziki dip with main Hawaiian dishes can provide a fusion of tastes. Experimenting with these diverse flavors can elevate your dining experience to a whole new level.

Final Thoughts

Hawaiian food is simply wonderful. It’s fresh, fragrant, bursting with a variety of flavors, and very easy to make. In today’s post, we’ve shown you 19 amazing Hawaiian side dishes you can make at home.

We’ve looked at comforting side dishes, traditional Hawaiian dips, healthy veggie dishes, and much more. Now you have our list at your disposal, you should work out what you want to make first.

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