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.
If you love this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, you have got to try these other great side dishes:
- Traditional Macaroni Salad: This is one of our favorite macaroni salads for potlucks and BBQs. A traditional mac salad with lots of great mix-ins!
- Traditional Potato Salad: Hands-down the best potato salad. We do not have family BBQs without it. It is always a must!
- Pani Popo (Samoan Coconut Rolls): Looking for another island-style side dish? You will LOVE these coconut rolls! One of my favorite sweet treats from Hawaii.
- Need more side-dish ideas? Check out ALL of our side dishes HERE.
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
Nancy Davila says
EXCELLENT! The recipe was precise. Thank you fo sharing. May you be abundant in all facets of your life.
Wana says
Didn’t have a grater and used a food processor. The carrots and onions added a nice texture. Overall, this is my favorite recipe so far! The vinegar adds the extra kick.
Mimi says
Thank you for the recipe. I veganized this and it turned out great. Hellman’s vegan mayo and Silk unsweetened cashew milk. I also halved the recipe since it was just weeknight dinner at home.
Echo Blickenstaff says
Thank you for sharing this! I will add your comment to the recipe for other people who might want to make it a vegan dish.
Jennifer W says
I wish I knew somebody like you who could help me with all that!
Can a person used to the regular, American diet notice the difference much?
Cheyenne says
I love this as I was looking for a vegan version! Was just going to veganize it myself but made me happy to see someone else already had 🥰
Michael Efird says
DO NOT COOK TO PACKAGE DIRECTIONS!! you need to overcook the pasta just a bit for authentic Hawaiin mac salad….
Alicia Widmer says
Hawaiian 🌺 style
Maleo says
It’s like I just had a plate lunch at Land L!
Echo Blickenstaff says
Perfect! So glad you liked it!
Terri says
I don’t know if this is authentic hawiian or not but it tastes great. I don’t like mac salad but I like this recipe alot!
Alisha says
I’ve been looking for an authentic mac salad recipe for years and this is it. It tastes just like what you’d get at a Hawaiian restaurant. I truly believe that the secret is the addition of the Apple cider vinegar into the noodles after cooking.. other Mac salad recipes have never soaked up the mayo like this has! Thanks!
Debbie says
I’ve had that problem as well!
Carol says
Let your macaroni cool completely about 45 min then put your mayonnaise in.
A. Powell says
I had Honolulu Grill yesterday, I love their macaroni salad and the sauce on the rice!! I am definitely going to give this recipe a try.
Joyce says
Made this for a potluck to accompany some Shoyu Chicken. It was a hit and honestly took me back to all the lunchboxes I had growing up 🙂 ! I was surprised by how quickly it went away and people were coming back for seconds. Thank you!
Todd says
“Authentic Hawaiian” is certainly not how this should be described!!! In my 23 years as a local (total 52 yrs Hawaii presence) I’ve never once come across this flavor Mac Salad anywhere in Hawaii. We’ve eaten from Manapua-Man Vans, mom-n-pop hole in da walls, roach coaches, to Roy’s and everything in-between. Now we live on the 9th Island-Vegas. Sorry, but you missed the mark.
I made it because of all the good reviews, took 1 bite and threw the batch in the garbage disposal. Bra!! NOT authentic Hawaiian style👎
Favorite Family Recipes says
I’m sorry this recipe wasn’t right for you. We have had lots of other readers tell us this recipe is spot on for them. Everyone’s recipes are always a little different.
Amanda says
This Mac salad is sooooo good! My sister in law made it for us when she was down to visit. They paired it with their grilled teriyaki chicken and it was seriously the best thing since sliced bread! Lol. It reminded us of a Hawaiian restaurant in Utah called Mo Bettahs. Thank you so much for sharing!
Kaheho says
I been looking for a mac salad, I’m from Big island, keaukaha, I will try this recipe and let you know, how it stands to our local places, like L & L, or K’s Drive -in, or Cafe 100. Give me a few days, I’ll let you know. Mahalo
Kathi Sheridan says
This is a very easy recipe and absolutely amazing!!
Jackie D. says
Do you have a good Hawaiian rice and sauce recipe? Making this tomorrow with Kalua Pig with cabbage.
Favorite Family Recipes says
We do have this Chicken Long Rice recipe! https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/hawaiian-style-chicken-long-rice/
Sebas J says
I see that it says salt and pepper to taste but around how much to start off with?
Echo Blickenstaff says
Great question! I start off with about a teaspoon of each, but usually end up adding more pepper. I like the extra flavor pepper adds.
Vikki says
SO GOOD! Taste just like Hawaiian plate macaroni salad! My new favorite! Mahalo🌈🌺🤙🏼
Marcy Clark says
Made this today and felt like I was back home(HI)
However there are only 3 of us and won’t be able to finish it. Can it be frozen?????
Echo Blickenstaff says
Unfortunately, pasta and mayonnaise don’t freeze well. Maybe take some to a neighbor? It will last in the fridge for up to a week. Thanks for asking!
Ryan says
Found this same exact recipe on another site, entire post/context literally almost word by word. Not sure this recipe is just that simple or if you share your recipe on other sites but definitely looked like it was copied & pasted. Regardless, am trying tonight and am very excited!
Echo Blickenstaff says
Do you have the link to the site? We would like to contact them and ask them to take it down.
Kailani says
I found this recipe late December 2018. I had modified it to my liking and it is always a hit!
I added 1/2 cup black olives (diced), 1/2 cup celery (diced), 3 green onions (diced) 1 extra tsp white sugar & tsp of regular mustard. This side dish is the bomb.com!!!!! Also, I did a google search with just the listed ingredients and there were several sites that had the exact same ingredients and I wasn’t sure which site was the original. I would hate for your recipe to be stolen. It is truly a gem. I paired this dish last night with the hawaiian chicken from my favorite place (COSTCO) and some white medium grain rice + chicken bouillon + butter. It was banging!
Betty says
Love this recipe! Thank you so much for sharing.
Lesley says
Aloha,this is ono! Having teriyaki burgers and salad tomorrow, reminds me of Frankie’s Drive Inn in Waimanalo, ate there almost everyday while I was manager of a horse ranch. Just add a cherry Coke and that was lunch. Young in those days could eat anything!
Nick says
Similar to what me and my family would make!
Tim says
Excellect! I made it with my teriyaki beef recipe and rice to make the perfect plate lunch, reminding me of home.
Only extra comment is that I think japanese mayonnaise is the best option for mayo, because it has a little MSG in there. I didn’t have that so I used MSG powder and it added that perfect extra little flavor that makes the Mac Salad taste incredible.
Bri says
Waayyyy too much mayonnaise. I love ono Hawaiian bbq’s mac salad so I thought I’d achieve that, instead I just got spoon fulls of mayo with each bite. Made another batch and did half of the mayo, it tastes much better.!
C says
There’s a difference between simple and bland. This falls on the side of bland.
Nic says
Hi, thanks for this recipe! It was very tasty, reminded me of the Mac salad I had in Kauai but I felt like it was missing something. Another reviewer mentioned msg powder and I think I will try that as I feel like the recipe was very close and it was just a minor flavor missing. However I felt it was still quite delicious and am pleased to serve it at a potluck this afternoon. I think the mayo is spot on, as Hawaiian Mac salad is generally heavy on mayo however if someone doesn’t like too much mayo then just add less, common sense. I added Serrano peppers to my portion as I like everything spicy. This of course is not authentic but I enjoy the flavor spicy chili’s add to the dish. Thanks again!
Dave Hendrix says
Didn’t have carrots or onions, but I loved it and kids did to. Thank you.