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Tropical & Luau Food Ideas

Tropical & Hawaiian Luau ThemeHawaiian Luau Tiki Party Hors d'oeuvre Recipes
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Tropical & Hawaiian Luau Party Hors d'oeuvre Recipes
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We've included a variety of pupu (appetizer) recipes ideal for passing trays of hors d'oeuvres at your Hawaiian Luau or tropical themed party, including:

Canapes

Shrimp Toast1

Advance prep: 2 hours before party
Last-minute prep: Fried 1 minute, flipped and fried 15 seconds before serving
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 40 Hors d'oeuvres
Shrimp Toast on Tray

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined
  • 3 Tbsp water chestnuts
  • 1 tsp minced ginger root
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp cooking sherry
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp slightly beaten egg
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 scallion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
  • 10 slices white bread
  • 24 oz peanut oil for frying

Directions

  1. Cut the crusts off the slices of bread and set out for a few hours to dry out.
  2. Pulse shrimp, water chestnuts, ginger, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce and egg to a coarse puree.
  3. Stir together with cornstarch, scallions and 1/4 tsp salt.
  4. Spread the mixture on the bread and cut each slice into quarters--half squares and half triangles.
  5. Pour the sesame seeds on a plate and take one of the quarters and press into the seeds, shrimp paste side down.
  6. Repeat for half the squares and half of the triangles, and leave the rest plain.
  7. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to fry.
  8. Heat 1-inch depth of oil to very hot, but not smoking.  A few bread crumbs dropped in should sizzle right away. 
  9. Fry the quarters a few at a time by lowering them paste side down into the oil with a slotted spoon for about 1 minute.
  10. Flip them over and fry a few more seconds.
  11. Drain on paper towels.

Best served immediately, but you may fry ahead of time and reheat 5 minutes in a 300° F oven.  They also may be frozen then heated in 325° F oven for 15 minutes.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Canapes

Advance prep: Assemble up to 3 hours before party
Last-minute prep: None
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 40 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients

  • 1 (8 ounce) can unsweetened crushed canned pineapple
  • 1 (8 ounce) package light cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 2 -3 green onions, chopped

Directions

  1. Drain pineapple, reserving 1 tsp juice.
  2. Combine pineapple, cream cheese, green pepper, and onions in a food processor or by hand.
  3. Cover and chill for 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Spread mixture on slices of pumpernickel, then cut out shape with bite-sized cookie or biscuit cutters. 
  5. Garnish each with fresh cilantro or mint.

Bites

Coconut Scallop Ceviche2

Advance prep: Day before party (required)
Last-minute prep: Grilled or broiled 15 seconds
Difficulty: Easy
Yield: 32 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bay scallops
  • Juice of 4 limes
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

Directions

  1. The night before:  Combine scallops, lime juice and coconut milk.
  2. Refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.
  3. Soak short 6-inch bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour.
  4. Prepare a grill or broiler.
  5. Drain the scallops and put 2 on each skewer.
  6. Roll the skewered scallops in coconut.
  7. Grill or broil about 15 seconds to heat through.
  8. Serve immediately.

Island Crab Bouchees1

Advance prep: Day of the party
Last-minute prep: Assemble 1 hour or less before serving
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 48 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients

  • 48 puff pastry bouchees (available in pastry & gourmet shops)
  • 1/2 lb crabmeat, chopped finely (or use shrimp or lobster)
  • 2 limes
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 mango, diced finely
  • 5 scallions, chopped finely
  • 3 dashes hot pepper sauce
  • Salt & white pepper
  • Fresh chives, cut in 2-inch lengths

Directions

  1. Toss crabmeat with the juice of one lime.
  2. Dice the avocado and immediately toss with the juice of the other lime. 
  3. Add avocado, mango, scallions, hot sauce to the crabmeat.
  4. Salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Toss gently, careful not to crush the avocado.
  6. Cover and chill until ready to assemble with the pastry.
  7. Spoon a small amount of mixture into each bouchee.
  8. Stand up 2 chive lengths into each for garnish.

Shrimp & Hearts of Palm Empanadas with Mango-Lime Dipping Sauce1

Advance prep: Empanadas weeks ahead & frozen & dipping sauce day of party
Last-minute prep: Bake 10 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 36 Hors d'oeuvres

Empanadas

Ingredients

  • 1 lb pastry dough (available frozen)
  • 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, & chopped
  • 3 scallions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped hearts of palm
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 3-4 dashes Tabasco sauce
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Egg wash ( 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water)
  • 1 cup mango-lime dipping sauce (recipe follows)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
  2. Combine shrimp, scallions, hearts of palm, salt, Tabasco, and egg.
  3. Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut out 2 3/4 rounds with a biscuit cutter.
  4. Place about 1/2 tsp of shrimp mixture in the center of each round.
  5. Fold in half and press edges together. Press down hard on edges with a fork to seal.
  6. Place on a lightly buttered baking sheet and brush tops with egg wash.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes.
  8. Freeze until ready to serve.
  9. To serve: bake in 350° F oven for 10 minutes.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe mangos
  • 2 habanero chilis (or 1 jalapeno), seeds removed
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions

  1. Cut and remove fruit from the mangoes, discard skin & pit.
  2. Process the habanero chilis one at a time in a food processor.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.

Pupu Chicken Bites

Advance prep: Day before party (marinate)
Last-minute prep: Grill or broil 5-7 minutes each side
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 48 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup dark rum
  • 1 Tbsp wasabi powder
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1 Tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed

Directions

  1. Whisk together all ingredients except chicken.
  2. Toss cubed chicken in mixture and marinate overnight, stirring occasionally.
  3. Prepare grill or broiler.
  4. Remove the chicken from the  marinade and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side until cooked through.
  5. Remove chicken and insert toothpicks into each cube.

Bacon-wrapped

Rumaki

Advance prep: Day before party
Last-minute prep: Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until bacon is crisp
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 36 Hors d'oeuvres
Rumaki on Tray

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup light soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp minced ginger
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder (in spice section)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1-1/2 pound chicken livers, trimmed, rinsed, and halved
  • 18 slices lean bacon, cut in half
  • 18 water chestnuts halved

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients except chicken livers, bacon, & water chestnuts in a heavy saucepan.
  2. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  3. Reduce heat and add chicken livers.
  4. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until livers are pink inside, then remove livers.
  5. Wrap a half slice of bacon around both a piece of liver & water chestnut and fasten with a toothpick.
  6. Cover and chill until ready to cook and serve.
  7. Preheat oven to 400° F and bake 12 to 15 minutes, turning once until bacon is crisp.
  8. Drain on paper towels and serve.

Bacon-wrapped Pineapple

Advance prep: 4 hours before party
Last-minute prep: Bake 15 to 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Yield: 24 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients

  • 12 slices lean bacon, halved
  • 1 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 24 1-inch chunks
  • 1 bunch scallions, greens cut into 24 5-inch strands, halved lengthwise

Directions

  1. Wrap 1 bacon half around each pineapple chunk, then wrap scallion outside and secure with a toothpick.
  2. Cover and chill until ready to serve, up to 4 hours ahead.
  3. Preheat oven to 450° F.
  4. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil and grease lightly.
  5. Bake until bacon is crisp, 15-20 minutes.

Bacon-wrapped Scallops

Advance prep: Day of the party
Last-minute prep: Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until bacon is crisp
Difficulty: More difficult
Yield: 42 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp paprika
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 21 sea scallops, halved
  • 21 slices lean bacon, halved
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup bread crumbs

Directions

  1. Blanch bacon in boiling water for 2 minutes and drain on paper towels.
  2. Combine flour, salt, paprika, pepper and garlic in a shallow dish.
  3. Roll scallops in seasoned flour and shake off excess.
  4. Beat egg with the milk.
  5. Dip scallops in egg mixture and coat with bread crumbs.
  6. Wrap a half slice of bacon around each scallop half and secure with a toothpick.
  7. Cover and chill until ready to cook and serve.
  8. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  9. Bake 20 to 25 minutes on a lightly greased cooking sheet, until bacon is crisp and scallops are cooked through.
  10. Serve immediately.

Kabobs

Pork & Mango Skewers2

Advance prep: Day before party (marinate)
Last-minute prep: Grill or broil 7 to 8 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 40-50 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup hoisin sauce (available in Asian food section)
  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp ginger, minced
  • 2 pounds pork, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 3 mangoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Directions

  1. Whisk together all ingredients except pork and mangoes.
  2. Add pork and mango cubes and marinate overnight, stirring occasionally.
  3. Prepare a grill or broiler.
  4. Soak short 6-inch skewers in water for 1 hour.
  5. Put 2 pork cubes and 1 mango cube on each skewer.
  6. Grill or broil for 7 to 8 minutes, turning once.

Beef Teriyaki Skewers

Advance prep: Day before party (marinate)
Last-minute prep: Grill or broil 5 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 36 Hors d'oeuvres
Beef Teriyaki Skewers

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds beef tenderloin or any lean tender beef cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 (16 ounce) can cut pineapple (reserve juice)
  • 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 tsp garlic, minced
  • 2 scallions, minced
  • 1/2 tsp ginger, minced
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 cup reserved pineapple juice
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions

  1. Whisk together the brown sugar, garlic, green onion, ginger, soy sauce and 3/4 of the reserved pineapple juice.
  2. Toss beef in 2/3 of the mixture and marinate overnight.
  3. Place remaining mixture in a saucepan and simmer over medium heat.
  4. Mix remaining 1/4 cup reserved pineapple juice with cornstarch and pepper, then add to the simmering sauce.
  5. Reduce to low heat and whisk. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
  6. Strain and reserve.  Chill to store, then reheat when ready to serve.
  7. Preheat grill or broiler.
  8. Remove beef from marinade and drain well.
  9. Soak short 6-inch bamboo skewers in water for 1 hour.
  10. Put 1 beef tenderloin cube and 1 pineapple chunk onto each bamboo skewer.
  11. Grill or broil beef skewers about 5 minutes on each side until beef is cooked.
  12. Top with additional sauce and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Chicken Pineapple Skewers

Advance prep: Day before party (marinate)
Last-minute prep: Grill or broil 20 minutes
Difficulty: Moderate
Yield: 36 Hors d'oeuvres

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp cooking sherry
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained 

Directions

  1. Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, oil, ginger and garlic powder together.
  2. Toss chicken and pineapple in mixture and marinate overnight.
  3. Soak short, 6-inch bamboo skewers in water 1 hour.
  4. Prepare a grill or broiler.
  5. Put 1 chicken cube and 1 pineapple chunk on each skewer.
  6. Grill or broil 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until chicken is done.

1This recipe was modified from Leslie Brenner's The Art Of The Cocktail Party.
2This recipe was modified from The Martha Stewart Cookbook.

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