Hāngī
Meat and vegetables steamed in an earth oven over hot stones. · New Zealand
Meat and vegetables steamed in an earth oven over hot stones.
About Hāngī
Meat and root vegetables are wrapped and lowered into a pit over fire-heated stones, then buried to steam slowly underground for hours. A traditional Māori method, it gives food a distinctive earthy, smoky flavour.
🏛️ History & Culture
Hāngī is a traditional Māori cooking method with deep roots in New Zealand's indigenous culture. The technique involves digging a pit, heating stones over a fire, and steaming wrapped meat and root vegetables underground for several hours. Its origins are ancient, brought by Polynesian ancestors, and the exact history is passed down orally rather than in written records.
Culturally, Hāngī is a communal practice, embodying the Māori principle of manaakitanga (hospitality) and bringing people together for significant events like weddings, funerals, and community celebrations. While the fundamental method is consistent, regional variations exist in the choice of meats—such as pork, lamb, or chicken—and locally available vegetables like kumara and potato. It remains a vibrant symbol of Māori cultural identity and a beloved national dish.
🍳 How to make Hāngī
AI-assisted, not kitchen-testedHāngī (Māori Earth Oven)
A traditional Māori method of cooking meat and vegetables slowly in an underground pit lined with fire-heated stones. The food emerges tender, smoky, and imbued with an unmistakable earthy flavour. Note: this is a labour-intensive communal cook, best done over a half-day in a suitable outdoor space.
- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 240 min
- Total
- 300 min
- Serves
- 8 to 10
- Difficulty
- Hard
Recipe ingredients
- 1.5 kg (3½ lb) lamb shoulder, bone-in, cut into large pieces
- 1.5 kg (3½ lb) whole chicken, or chicken pieces; skin on
- 1 kg (2¼ lb) kumara (sweet potato), orange or red variety, scrubbed
- 1 kg (2¼ lb) agria potatoes, or other floury potato, whole if small, halved if large
- 1 kg (2¼ lb) pumpkin, e.g. crown or kent, cut into large wedges, skin on
- 1 kg (2¼ lb) large volcanic stones, rivers stones must NOT be used — they can explode; basalt or granite are safe
- 3 kg (6½ lb) dry firewood, hardwood, for a 3–4 hour burn
- 1 large sheet of muslin or chicken wire
- 1 roll heavy-duty aluminium foil, or banana/cabbage leaves if available
- 1 bunch fresh green leafy stalks, e.g. pumpkin leaves, cabbage leaves, or wet sacks — to protect food and trap steam
- 30 g (1 oz) sea salt
- 1 mound loose soil or sand, to seal the pit — the soil you dug out is ideal
Steps
- 1 Dig a pit approximately 1 m wide × 1 m long × 60 cm deep (about 3 ft × 3 ft × 2 ft). Loosen all surrounding soil and pile it close by for sealing later.
- 2 Build a hot fire in the pit at least 3 hours before cooking. Place the volcanic stones on top of and within the fire once it is established and let them heat until they glow faintly and a hand held 30 cm above them feels intense radiant heat, roughly 2 to 3 hours. Do not use river or beach stones — trapped moisture can cause them to explode violently.
- 3 While the stones heat, prepare the food. Pat the lamb and chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt. Leave the vegetables whole or in large wedges; do not peel.
- 4 Line the bottom of a wooden crate or a frame of chicken wire with wet cabbage or pumpkin leaves, or with a layer of wet sacks. Place the lamb and chicken on this base, then arrange the kumara, potatoes, and pumpkin around and on top. Cover with more wet leaves or wet sacking, then enclose the whole parcel in heavy aluminium foil, sealing tightly so no ash can enter.
- 5 Use long green sticks or firewood tongs to pull the burning wood aside, exposing the hot stones. Carefully rake the stones into an even layer across the bottom of the pit. Lower the food parcel onto the stones using clean sticks or a helper, keeping the parcel level.
- 6 Immediately cover the parcel with a layer of wet sacking or leaves, then shovel the reserved soil over the top to completely seal the pit, mounding it 15–20 cm thick so no steam escapes.
- 7 Leave the hāngī undisturbed for 3 to 4 hours. Do not lift the lid during cooking — the trapped steam is what cooks the food.
- 8 Carefully scrape back the soil (starting from the downwind side to avoid the dust cloud), remove the sacking, and lift the parcel out. Open the foil and check the lamb: it should be falling off the bone and tender; chicken should read 74 °C (165 °F) at the thickest part; potatoes and kumara should slide off a skewer with no resistance. Return the parcel to the hāngī pit and re-seal for 30–45 minutes if anything is underdone.
- 9 Transfer the meat and vegetables to a warmed platter, tearing rather than cutting the lamb. Serve hot, with the cooking juices spooned over. Traditionally eaten with bread, butter, and a green salad.
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Hāngī — frequently asked questions
What is Hāngī?
Meat and root vegetables are wrapped and lowered into a pit over fire-heated stones, then buried to steam slowly underground for hours. A traditional Māori method, it gives food a distinctive earthy, smoky flavour.
What is Hāngī made of?
Hāngī is made with lamb, chicken, kumara, potato and pumpkin.
Where does Hāngī come from?
Hāngī comes from New Zealand, and is especially associated with Nationwide. Hāngī is a traditional Māori cooking method with deep roots in New Zealand's indigenous culture.
Where can I eat Hāngī?
A Māori cultural gathering or hangi event in New Zealand.
How do you make Hāngī?
Making Hāngī at home takes about 60 minutes of prep and 240 minutes of cooking. The recipe on this page serves 8 to 10 and is rated hard. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.
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