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This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is truly island-style, from how it’s made to the ingredients used. This recipe uses pantry ingredients to create a creamy, no-frills macaroni salad that is the perfect side dish for any barbecue or luau.
Authentic Hawaiian Mac Salad
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is one of my biggest guilty pleasures because it reminds me of my time on the North Shore of Oahu. When I lived there, I often frequented a restaurant called L&L Hawaiian Barbecue where I always ordered the same thing: a plate lunch with macaroni salad and rice on the side.
For the complete Hawaiian experience, be sure to try our other recipes, such as Malasadas (Hawaii’s version of donuts), Haupia (Hawaiian coconut pudding), and Huli-Huli Chicken (Hawaiian grilled chicken).
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. This is the way the locals make it.
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.
Adding ham or pineapple to something does not make it “Hawaiian Food”. Pineapple and ham have no business being in a Hawaiian mac salad. EVER.
What is the Best Mayonnaise?
The kind of mayonnaise you use in your Hawaiian Macaroni Salad matters a lot! Trust me, it just won’t taste right otherwise. As far as the BRAND of mayo, it has got to be Best Foods. Period. It’s the best mayonnaise! If you can’t get your hands on Best Foods, I also recommend using Helman’s, which is essentially the same brand, if you live on the East Coast.
To Rinse or Not to Rinse
This is the great debate. I used to always just let the noodles cool naturally but now I have no problem giving the macaroni a cool rinse and letting it drain before adding the other ingredients. It’s the ONLY time I will ever rinse noodles. I have found that when I rinse the noodles and stop the cooking process quickly, the dressing doesn’t get absorbed by the noodles near as much and I end up with a creamer mac salad. I have experimented both ways and haven’t noticed any difference in flavor.
Healthier 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 of it, 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.
More Delicious Hawaiian Food
If you love this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, try more of our other authentic Hawaiian recipes:
Hawaiian Guava Cake
Loco Moco
Chicken Long Rice
Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken
Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki
Spam Musubi
Haupia
Malasadas
Chocolate Haupia Pie
Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 carrots,, shredded
- ¼ cup shredded onion, (optional)
- 2 ½ cups Mayonnaise, Best Foods or Hellman's mayonnaise (no substitutes!)
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- kosher salt,, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions. Rinse under cold water until completely cool. Drain well and place in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle on vinegar. Add carrot and onion. Toss together until well combined. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until cooled.
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk together mayo, milk, and sugar. Fold the mayo mixture into the macaroni until all the noodles are evenly coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (best if overnight).
- Gently stir before serving, add a little more milk if needed, no more than a tablespoon or two.
Notes
Tips
- I like to put my boiled macaroni and ingredients directly in a Tupperware bowl with a lid so I can easily refrigerate it.
- Make sure you use Best Foods or Hellmann’s mayonnaise-no substitutes!
Serving Size and Nutrition Facts
The serving size we use to calculate the nutrition facts on this recipe is ¾ cup. This Mac salad recipe makes approximately 12 cups of salad. The serving size can range from ½ cup to 1 cup – we chose to calculate the nutrition right in the middle at ¾ cup, which is arguably on the high end for a serving. This is the calorie calculation per serving size:- 1 cup of mac salad is 468 calories.
- ¾ cup of mac salad is 312 calories.
- ½ cup of mac salad is 234 calories.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Thank you very much for sharing this breezy recipe for a delicious side dish. Made it to go with BBQ chicken and was delighted with it!
So glad it was a hit!
I apologize if this is a silly question; for the pasta, are you calling for 1lb cooked or dry? Many pastas are sold in 1lb boxes and I am using the 3x recipe for my son’s birthday!
No such thing as silly questions! 🙂 It would be the 1 pound box (before cooking). Go with the weight it is labeled with.
Thank you! I just realised I do have Hellman’s but it is the oil version. I have time to buy the other kind, but am wondering if it would make much of a difference?
olive oil* I’m sorry
It should work fine, the olive oil version will just have a little bit different flavor.
Dakine!
<3 <3 <3
Great recipe. Born and raised on Kauai now living in Alaska. I have made this exact recipe without the onions.
I especially love mac salad with Shoyu chicken or Kal-bi ribs.
Well Done!
Aloha from Sitka Alaska
Thanks for the nice comment and so glad to hear you liked this recipe! I think you are in the one place in the U.S. where groceries are more expensive than they are in Kauai! We have family living in Sitka and we love it there. You picked two of the most beautiful places to live. 🙂
Just curious how did this get the name? It’s good but I was expecting something with a little bit of tropical ingrediencies.
I have researched this extensively and have found that it’s most likely from a European influence from chefs in an early Waikiki hotel. The popularity spread among locals and was adapted into what is today. Hope this helps!
I just made this recipe as is today, it’s sitting in my fridge. I am serving it tonight with Bulgogi marinated Chicken thighs. I did taste test it before putting it in the Fridge, sooo good! I am thinking about adding a can of Chicken breast meat and shredded Cheese of some kind, not sure if it’s a good idea, what are your thoughts on this?
I honestly love this salad as-is, especially if you want to keep it authentic. I haven’t tried extra add ins so I can’t tell you for sure what would go well. If you try it, come back and let us know what you thought!
I’m from Maui. My Mom would sometimes put small chunks of canned tuna in her mac salad. To give the salad a good dose of umami, I finely mince about 1Tbs of water packed tuna and a tiny bit of the tuna water into the salad. You can’t even see it, but it really takes the mac salad to a different level.
I’ve been making my mac salad like this for a while now. I normally make it with a half box of elbows because there are just 2 of us. Therefore I only use a cup of mayo. I also use a half teaspoon of dry mustard powder. I love, love, love the dressing! I actually found the dressing recipe online. It’s a copycat chick fil a coleslaw dressing recipe. They don’t offer coleslaw any longer.
I’ll keep an eye out for more recipes of yours!
So glad you’ve loved this recipe, definitely check out some more of our Hawaiian recipes!
Best Hawaiian macaroni salad ever. Not kidding you. Thank you so much for sharing it. Wow. I kept everything pretty much the same just changed mayonnaise to 1 1/2 cups. I also reserved 1/2 cup of Mayonnaise to add to the salad after I let it sit over night and am ready to serve. It is amazing and so easy. I recently went to an Easter barbecue and one of my family members made the same exact salad. He said he made lots of Hawaiian macaroni salads but this is the best. I asked him to show me the recipe and this was it. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing recipe
Thank you for your kind comment, I am so glad that you love it!
The sheer no frills thing about this dish makes it stand out that much more! It is perfection! I serve it with grilled chicken (marinated or bbq), pulled pork, or burgers & brats. It’s also an awesome stand-alone. It’s my family’s favorite! Make it!
Thank you so much for your comment, Christy! We agree! 😀
I’m excited to make your Hawaiian Macaroni Salad. I’m making it for a cookout, and want to know can I make the day before? The cookout is at 1:00 pm the next day. Also about how many will the 1X feed?
Pam
Yes you can make it ahead of time but you will likely need to add a plash of milk and little mayo to re-hydrate it before serving. The recipe as-is should be about 12 servings. Hope this helps!
I saw a cooking show that said it’s better to put the vinegar in the macaroni while it’s hot. I also like to put the carrots an onion in while the macaroni is hot because I like my carrots and onion soft so it’s easier to chew and digest. I think it’s so much better to eat this salad warm, it’s creamier.
I’m not usually a huge fan of macaroni salad, but I gave this a try and it was by far the best I have ever tasted. I will definitely make this again! I followed the recipe exactly. For those whose sauce was too thin, be sure to blot excess moisture from the grated onions with a paper towel.
What a compliment – thank you so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing your tip for removing excess moisture from the onions!
All I had on hand was Dukes mayo no bestfoods mayo, my family said they couldn’t stop eating it!!!
Good to know! Duke’s isn’t available at grocery stores where I live. I’m glad it worked out!
My husbands family is from Hawaii and he said it was perfect as is. 👍🏽thank you!
Thank you, Tanya! 🙂
Wanted to make a traditional version to go with a chicken dish. This salad is very simple. I was hoping for more flavor, but i guess that’s the difference in American Mac salad and Hawaiian Mac salad. It’s not bad it just doesn’t taste like anything. Thanks for the recipe.
You are correct about it being different than a typical American mac salad. Hawaiian mac salad doesn’t have an overpowering flavor or a variety of flavors like an American mac salad. It is a mild flavor that complements the meats and other bold flavors on a plate lunch.
Nice and refreshing salad
I taste tested it before adding mayo milk or sugar and the onion made it very bitter. After adding all ingredients together and mixing it looked a little thin, but the taste was good. Holding refrigerating will thicken it up, thank you!
Thank you for your comment, Melissa. Let us know how it turns out.
Awesome 👌
Thank you, Jason! I’m glad you like the recipe!
I made this tonight to make garbage plates with tomorrow- currently chilling in my fridge! Taste tested a little bit and it is SO GOOD. I do have a question- how much is a serving size for this? I’m doing weight watchers and want to track this appropriately!
I’m glad you asked, because I checked our recipe and we had our serving size set at 1 cup. I’ve adjusted it down to 3/4 cup serving size, which is still pretty high. A normal serving size of Mac salad as a side dish is 1/2 cup. Thank you for asking – and enjoy your Mac salad!
This is the same recipe that my mom made and she was from Eastern Europe. Just a plain macaroni salad. I like adding celery, shredded carrots and sometimes finely chopped peppers in yellow and red to make it colorful. If I’m in a hurry or don’t have peppers, I make this recipe. You can’t go wrong with it❣
I love the variation of adding more veggies and color. Thank you for your comment!
I will be making this for family gatherings, it is better then some of the restaurants in our area. I grew up eating this salad,as did my kids. Will definitely be making it regularly.
So glad it was a hit for you!