A true Hawaiian plate lunch is made up of two scoops of rice or one big scoop. A healthy portion of mac salad, and an “entrée” (usually meaning some kind of protein). The “entrée” is typically grilled teriyaki chicken, Kalua pork, or teriyaki beef. Sometimes you can find plate lunches with chicken katsu (a Japanese-style breaded chicken), shoyu chicken, shrimp, hamburger patties, mahi mahi, BBQ chicken, or spam. I have also seen plates that have potatoes, fried eggs, salmon, or sausage. It just totally depends on the plate lunch spot.
Ingredients for Hawaiian Lunch Plate
We love making Hawaiian lunch plates! It is the perfect way to have all the Hawaiian recipes on one plate. This lunch plate is unique! You get a little bit of your Hawaiian favorites without mixing them together. Enjoy each individual ingredient or meal separately while having it all in one place!
Rice – The rice is usually a sticky-type rice. Calrose rice is common for lunch plates. Jasmine rice or long-grain white rice definitely doesn’t make the cut. And definitely not brown rice if you are going for authentic. Sometimes you will find that restaurants put a bit of sauce (or brown gravy) over the rice for you. I love this because it gives the rice just a little flavor boost. Most of the time the rice is just plain, which is great too. Season with a little salt and pepper for extra flavor. Hawaiian macaroni salad – This has oversized noodles that absorb the salad mixture. Serve the mac salad cold. It has a tangy and sweet flavor to it. Hawaiian mac salad is a staple in the Hawaiian dishes! Kalua pork – Made with only a few ingredients this kalua pork is tender and a little more on the drier side. It doesn’t come with a lot of juices compared to other meats. Kalua pork is loaded with all the flavor though! Grilled teriyaki chicken – A classic favorite that kids and adults love to have on their plates. This teriyaki chicken recipe is grilled to perfection. It is tender and juicy with teriyaki sauce. It is the best type of Hawaiian BBQ! Hawaiian beef teriyaki – Thin cuts of beef cooked in teriyaki sauce give a decadent flavor that is loved by all. It is tender and moist in every bite.
Plate Lunch vs. Mixed Plate
People can get confused between a plate lunch and a mixed plate. The only difference is that with a mixed plate, you have more than one “entrée” dish. A typical plate lunch only has one big serving of one thing (like JUST teriyaki chicken or JUST Kalua pork etc..) A mixed plate usually consists of two or more smaller servings of a combination of entrees. For me, I usually like the mixed plate because I like a little taste of everything!
The Best Hawaiian Mac Salad
A plate lunch is not a REAL plate lunch unless it has Hawaiian macaroni salad. You simply MUST have mac salad on there. Don’t ask me why, it just makes a meal complete. I am a food mixer when it comes to plate lunches. I love getting a little creamy mac salad, a little rice, and a little bit of meat for each bite. Have a side dish of Hawaiian rolls to scoop it all together. HEAVEN I tell ya. Mac salad, the good kind with mayo, sliced carrots, and everything all together. Don’t skip it!
Hawaiian Teriyaki Grilled Chicken
Grilled teriyaki chicken has got to be the most common entree ordered. I could be wrong on this but it seems like it is always a safe option for people who are unsure about trying out new foods. If you are throwing a luau or party and just want to cook up one entree for everyone, this may be the one you want to do. Be sure, though, if you do this, that you are using chicken THIGHS. Chicken breasts do not make the cut and I promise you, it will not taste anywhere nearly as good as chicken thighs. Don’t be tempted to make the switch!
Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki
The grilled beef teriyaki is probably my husband’s favorite entrée (and it may be mine, too, it’s so hard to say). I love tender, SUPER thin slices of beef steak that you can cut with a fork. The marinade for the teriyaki beef is also just downright delicious. I love cooking up the leftover marinade and pouring it over the beef (and sometimes over the rice) to make sort of a beef stew. So, so good.
Our Favorite Kalua Pork
Kalua Pork is another very common plate lunch entrée. Traditional Kalua big is slow-cooked in a pit (an imu) with ti leaves and/or banana leaves. That method is a little intense for a typical weeknight meal at our house so we usually do the “cheater” method. This version is made in the slow cooker and tastes just like authentic shredded Kalua Pig. We love adding cabbage to the mix, which is also very common for this style of lunch.
Making Ahead and Storing Hawaiian Plate Lunch
This Hawaiian plate lunch is the perfect meal for feeding a crowd! Make ahead or the day of the recipes for a lunch plate. When ready to serve use a bento-style plate or styrofoam container to hold all the contents.
Refrigerator – Place each recipe from the Hawaiian plate lunch into separate airtight containers to store. Label them and place them in the fridge. Making ahead – Make each of the recipes ahead of time and store them in the proper containers or create bento or plate lunches ahead of time to have as a meal plan for the week. Serving – Warm the chicken, pork, or beef separately in the microwave or oven. Once warmed through place on a Hawaiian lunch plate and add the creamy mac salad and rice as sides.
More Hawaiian Recipes
Hawaiian food is so fun to make and eat for every meal. Our Hawaiian Banana Pancakes or Spam Musubi are always favorites. For lunch, read above for everything you need to know about assembling the BEST lunch plate, and for dinner try our Grilled Huli Huli Chicken. For dessert, try this Hawaiian Guava Cake or our Duke’s Hula Pie Copycat Recipe. YUM!
How To Make a Hawaiian Plate Lunch
Banana Pancakes
Huli Huli Chicken
Spam Musubi
Hawaiian Guava Cake
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