Make this creamy, comforting, Traditional Hawaiian Macaroni Salad at home using a few pantry ingredients. Serve this mayonnaise-based salad for potlucks, BBQs, or picnics (vegetarian).
Jump to:
About Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a traditional cold salad served at Hawaiian BBQ restaurants serving Hawaiian plate lunches and in Luau. It is creamy, slightly sweet, tangy, and crunchy, all at the same time.
This creamy salad has a mayonnaise-based dressing and is perfect for making as a side dish for family gatherings, summer cookouts, picnics, potlucks, BBQs, and brunches.
It comes together in under 30 minutes using a handful of ingredients.
The classic Hawaiian Mac Salad is essentially macaroni noodles, shredded carrots, real mayonnaise, little milk, salt, and pepper. You can add a few other ingredients to the basic recipe for added taste and texture.
Also, unlike the popular belief that anything Hawaiian must have pineapple and ham, the traditional Hawaiian salad recipe definitely doesn’t have these two ingredients added to it.
This creamy macaroni salad recipe is vegetarian and can be easily doubled or tripled.
Here are a few more salad recipes
- Amish Potato Salad
- Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Som Tam Salad
- Ramen Noodle Salad
- Malaysian Mango Salad
- Broccoli Apple Salad
- Gochujang Cucumber Salad
- Amish Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
Macaroni – This salad is traditionally made using elbow macaroni. Having said that, you can use any pasta of your choice. Penne, farfelle etc works great.
Apple Cider Vinegar – Vinegar gives a nice tang to this pasta salad.
Mayonnaise – This is the crucial ingredient of this salad. Use full-fat mayo for the best Hawaiian Mac Salad. Do not substitute it with the miracle whip. It’s a big no!
Vegetables – You will need carrots, onions, and celery.
Others – You will also need whole milk, salt, sugar, and freshly cracked black pepper.
Granulated sugar can be replaced with brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
Although not traditional, add chopped pineapple, grilled chicken, crispy bacon, ham, or cooked shrimp to this salad for a variation of Hawaiian pasta salad.
Green onions, chopped hard-boiled eggs, etc., can also be added to this creamy pasta salad.
How To Make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Preparation
Start by cooking 10 oz (300 g) macaroni pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water. Just make sure to overcook it just a little bit. Do not overcook too much; otherwise, the salad will become mushy.
While the pasta is cooking, shred the carrots using a box grater or into juliennes using a julienne peeler.
Chop the onions and celery ribs.
Gather the remaining ingredients.
Make The Pasta Salad
Drain all the water and add the cooked pasta to a large bowl.
Mix the hot pasta with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Set it aside.
Tip – Mixing the vinegar with warm pasta helps in better absorption.
Whisk together
- 1 and ½ cups of full-fat mayonnaise
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
in another medium size mixing bowl.
Add
- 1 cup of shredded or julienned carrots
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- ¼ cup chopped celery ribs
- creamy dressing
over the pasta and toss until the macaroni is well coated with the dressing.
Chill the salad for at least 2 hours before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are worried about the amount of mayonnaise used in this Hawaiian mac salad, you can replace it with Greek yogurt. It won’t taste the same as mayo, but it still tastes good. You can also use half and half Greek yogurt and mayo in this recipe.
To make it vegan, you can use vegan mayonnaise instead of regular mayo and almond or cashew milk instead of dairy milk. All the other ingredients used in this salad are vegan-friendly.
Pro Tips By Neha
I like to overcook the pasta for this salad recipe slightly. It absorbs the mayo better.
Add the vinegar when the pasta is still hot; it absorbs the flavor better.
This salad tastes better when refrigerated, so chill it for at least 2 hours before serving.
Add fresh crab, cooked chicken or shrimp, pineapple, relish, ham, etc., to this Hawaiian style macaroni salad for a variation.
Serving Suggestions
This Hawaiian mac salad is a perfect side dish for any main course dish. It goes well with grilled meats like chicken, steak, or pork. It can also be served alongside seafood, like fish or shrimp. I like to serve it with Huli Huli Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Chicken Katsu, or Kalua Pork.
Use it as a sandwich filling for a delicious twist on the classic chicken salad sandwich.
For a refreshing and colorful side dish, serve Hawaiian pasta salad with sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and shredded lettuce.
Add Hawaii’s mac salad to a poke bowl with fresh raw fish, rice, and veggies for a delicious and filling meal.
Storage Suggestions
The Hawaiian mac salad tastes better the next day, so make it a day in advance.
You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Do not keep it outside at room temperature for more than 2 hours; otherwise, it may spoil.
If you feel the salad has become a little dry, add more milk and mix it. Use a rubber spatula and fold gently to avoid tearing the macaroni.
You Might Also Like
Recipe Card
Traditional Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 ounce dried elbow macaroni pasta (300 g)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 and ½ cups full-fat mayonnaise
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup shredded or julienned carrots
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- ¼ cup chopped celery ribs
Instructions
- Start by cooking macaroni pasta according to the package directions. Just make sure to overcook it just a little bit. Do not overcook too much; otherwise, the salad will become mushy.
- Drain all the water and add the cooked pasta to a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the hot pasta with apple cider vinegar. Set it aside.
- Tip – Mixing the vinegar with warm pasta helps in better absorption.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, sugar, salt, and black pepper in another medium size mixing bowl.
- Add carrots, onions, celery, and salad dressing over the pasta and toss until the macaroni is well coated.
- Chill the salad for at least 2 hours before serving.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!