This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is the real deal. A no-frills, creamy mac salad that is the perfect side dish for any BBQ or Luau!
Authentic Hawaiian Mac Salad
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is one of my biggest guilty pleasures. I lived in Hawaii a little over 10 years ago and became very familiar with true, authentic Hawaiian “Mac Salad”. I literally lived across the street from an L&L Hawaiian BBQ restaurant and found myself wandering over there way more often than I should have for their delicious plate lunch – always with mac salad and rice on the side (I love getting a little rice and mac salad together in one bite, oh so good).
Mac salad when you can’t be in Hawaii
This past weekend I had a flashback to my Hawaii days when we ordered food from Honolulu Grill in St. George, UT. Everything we had there was delicious and seriously the most authentic Hawaiian food I have had since leaving Hawaii. The macaroni salad, especially, hit home and suddenly made me wonder why we haven’t gotten a good Hawaiian mac salad recipe here on Favorite Family Recipes yet!
Keep it simple
Authentic Hawaiian Mac Salad is ridiculously simple. It is a no-frills mac salad yet, it is so creamy and flavorful. I had a friend in Hawaii who was also a caterer there. He explained to me long ago that true Hawaiian macaroni salad is pretty much just macaroni, carrot, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. There are a few other ingredients you can add like celery, extra onion, potatoes, fresh crab, or relish, but the basic recipe is my favorite. Once you start getting into adding ham or pineapple you are getting way off course. Pineapple and ham have no business being in a Hawaiian mac salad. EVER.
Healthy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
This recipe may seem a little mayo-heavy, it’s true. That is what makes it so stinking good. If you are really concerned about the mayo-ness you can substitute Greek yogurt in whatever amounts you would like (i.e. half mayo, half Greek yogurt). You will get a likeness of mac salad but I am telling you, it won’t be quite the same. In Hawaii it’s all about the mayo. As far as the BRAND of mayo, it has got to be Best Foods. Period. No other mayo will taste right.
Substitutions for a Vegan Hawaiian Mac Salad
We are so grateful for comments we get from our readers, especially when adapting recipes for special diets. We received a comment from Mimi that I thought would be helpful for anyone wanting to make this a vegan recipe. She substituted Hellman’s Vegan Mayonnaise for the regular mayo in the recipe and Silk Unsweetened Cashew Milk for the regular milk. She said it turned out great. Thank you, Mimi!
How to make Hawaiian Mac Salad ahead of time
If you make this ahead of time and it seems a little dried out, add some mayo mixed with a little milk until you get the right consistency back. Fold it in with a large rubber spatula so you don’t tear the macaroni noodles.
Hawaiian Recipes
If you love this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, try more of our authentic Hawaiian recipes:
- Haupia – It only takes 4 ingredients to make this smooth, creamy, gelatin-like dessert that is a little bite-sized taste of Hawaii (pictured above).
- Shoyu Chicken – A popular Hawaiian dish featuring chicken thighs simmered to perfection in a sweet and savory Shoyu sauce.
- Spam Musubi – If you know what this is, you know how good it is. If you don’t, you are in for a delicious Hawaiian favorite!
How to Make an Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 carrots shredded
- 1/4 cup onion shredded (optional)
- 2 1/2 cups Mayonnaise Best Foods or Hellman's mayonnaise (no substitutes!)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain well and place macaroni in a large bowl (I like to use a tupperware bowl with a lid so I can easily refrigerate later).
- While macaroni is still hot, sprinkle on vinegar and add carrot and onion. Toss together until well combined. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes.
- In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together mayo, milk, and sugar. Fold mayo mixture into the macaroni until all the noodles are evenly coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours (best if overnight). Gently stir before serving adding a little more milk if needed, no more than a tablespoon or two.
Equipment
- Stove Top
- Large Sauce Pan
Steve says
Delicious, next time I’ll know to cut the carrots up smaller. I bought the pre cut string carrots and will cut them down a bit. Reminded me of the steak plate shops on the island. Very good job and thank you.
Diane Slezak says
Just made this last night and had it today. It’s really good, I’m surprised because it’s basic cole slaw ingredients but with macaroni. Another favorite for us, as many of the “3 Sisters” recipes.
Kellie Bell says
Perfect addition to our luau. Simple to make and delicious to eat n
Irene says
I have had Macaroni salad at one place in California and seems to me that it has finely shredded chicken brest or white fish…also, the macaroni is over cooked but not bad at all. Can’t seem to fins the recipe for that one 😐
Melanie says
You are correct. My Hawaiian mother in law always adds a small drained can of tuna to hers. You don’t really taste the tuna but it gives it something.
Christina says
I tried this with imitation crab and it was so good! Definitely making this again. Thank you!
Gerry - BK says
5 stars all the way for your wonderful macaroni salad. It made a wonderful meal when served with jasmine rice, brioche sweet buns and Hawaiian grilled teriyaki chicken. I’ll be making this quick and easy recipe again and again. It was perfect. Thanks so much for sharing. BK
Kimberly Wills says
Delicious and very easy! Everyone really enjoyed it!
Thanks for sharing
kelsi says
It looked perfect when I first made it. In the morning all the mayo was curdled and looked like it had been sitting in the case at foodland for a week. I followed the recipe including brand of mayo exactly. I paid 22 dollars to make this and I had to throw it away. 🙁
Favorite Family Recipes says
I am so sorry that this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Was it stored in an air-tight container? Did you also add the milk in the morning, as we suggest in the recipe?
Seemack says
I made it two days ago and it was great. Maybe the milk had gone bad? Also it was a lot less expensive than $22.
Melanie says
Did you put the Mayo in while the macaroni was still hot? Or the vinegar curdled it. This has never happened to me and I make this for my Hawaiian hubby a lot!
Chris says
How did making THIS recipe cost you $22? It’s macaroni ($3 on the high end), mayo ($4 if you don’t already have a jar), vinegar ($3, again – if you don’t already have THAT in your pantry), a few carrots ($3 for a bunch of organic), an onion (less than $1), milk ($1.99 qt), and salt, pepper, and sugar, which everyone should have on hand. No way would these items rack up $22… And I live in Alaska, where the price of food is similar to prices in Hawaii.
Diane says
I used as much apple cider vinegar but the taste of it is a bit much. What can I do to make the vinegar taste less powerful? Will it die down after refrigeration ? Thanks!
Favorite Family Recipes says
You can add a little more mayo or some milk to take down the vinegar taste. Hope this helps!
Caroline says
Finally, I found the recipe I’ve looked for over the last 5 years after eating at a Hawaiian restaurant where I loved the macaroni salad. It is perfect as it is, I added some chopped olives stuffed with red peppers since I had them and really liked the addition although it made it less authentic
Michelle Larsen says
Love your recipies! This looks delicious. Could you give a ballpark as to how much salt and pepper are added? Thank you!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
I usually start with a teaspoon of each and then taste it and add more if needed! Hope this helps!
Justine says
I love this recipe! Simple is best, and this one tasted great.
Noelle Simpson says
This was delicious! Great flavors and a recipe my whole family enjoyed! That’s a winner in my book.
Melanie says
Good authentic Mac salad. Hubby is Hawaii so we eat it a lot but add a small (3 oz) can of tuna because that is how his mom and Aunties make it. You can also use a can of chicken if you don’t like tuna but you don’t really taste tuna. We also let the carrots sit in the cider vinegar while the macaroni cooks and then add it. It softens them.
Zee says
Should’ve gone to this recipe first!! I was stationed in Oahu for almost 4 years and the Mac salad there was my favorite. I’m making kalua pork and cabbage with a side of rice and needed something else to go with it. I started with a different recipe which was my first mistake- it only used the basic ingredients of onion, carrots, mayonnaise, and salt/pepper and it tasted like straight mayonnaise, yuck! Luckily, I found this and simply added the extra ingredients from this recipe and it literally saved my Mac salad! It tastes just like it did in Hawaii! Thank you so much, I can’t wait till dinner is ready!!
Mellie says
Is the apple cider vinegar a must for it to taste authentic? I thought I had some but turns out I don’t.
Favorite Family Recipes says
You do need something to add a little acidity to the sauce. I would try substituting 1:1 with lemon juice! Hope this helps!