We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
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.
Love this recipe?
We want to hear from you! Please leave a review.
I had this salad at a bbq recently, they used Dukes and it was fantastic, so I think I’ll stick to the Dukes when I make it.
Yes! Dukes or Kewpie mayo also work great!
It is absolutely delicious! Great recipe. One question though, after it sat in the fridge for about 8 hrs most of the mayo/milk/sugar mixture was absorbed into the macaroni? Lol not sure if I did something wrong but how do I prevent that? Again great recipe.
You can bring it back to life by adding a little splash of milk and a scoop of mayo. It could have been that the macaroni wasn’t cooled enough when the sauce was added. You also want to make sure the macaroni isn’t overcooked at all, if it is, it will absorb the sauce too much. It should just be done to al dente. If you store overnight in the future, you can always add half of the dressing when you make it and the other half after it refrigerates. You can also toss the noodles in a little oil after they have cooled to make a thin coating before dressing. Hope this helps!
This is my roommate‘s favorite Mac salad. She requests it quite frequently. I like to add eggs and celery to my portion. Solid Mac salad without any additions though.
Thanks so much! So glad you (and your roommate) love it. Love the idea of eggs and celery, yum!
How much would you make for a party of 30 individuals for this recipe?
Hi Vincent, if you are serving (or having people bring) a large number of sides, I think doubling this recipe would work. If you only have a couple of sides, I would triple the recipe for 30 people. Good luck with your party!
2 x this recipe for 30. (If you want healthy portions, do 3x, but 2x will likely he sufficient).
Local Hawaii restaurant Mac salad is the best thing ever! So I tried this recipe and it’s so dead on! It’s so easy and delicious!😋
Local Hawaii restaurant Mac salad is the best thing ever! So I tried this recipe and it’s so dead on! It’s so easy and delicious!😋
Thank you for your comment and rating, Justin! I couldn’t agree with you more!
Love it but do not agree on the mayo brand. There is no better mayo than Kewpie Mayo as far as I’m concerned. So that is what I used and it was great. Different strokes…
So happy you like the recipe! Kewpie Mayo is great – I’m glad it worked well for you in this recipe.
I am making this right now and it’s soo good so far! I didn’t realize I only had a red onion, would that work or should I pop to the store for a white one? Thank you!
Red onions have a stronger flavor, but will be just fine as long as you are ok with that. Enjoy the Mac salad!
My boyfriend was in AWE of this mac recipe I made. He (and myself) say it tastes BETTER than ANY Mac you get over here in San Diego (and I have my favorite local restaurant).
This is…by far.. the best hawaiian mac recipe AND Mac recipe hands down. You cracked the code, and im grateful you shared it with all of us. You’re the MVP!
My tip: DONT LEAVE THE ONION OUT. THAT MAKES THE WHOLE THING SHINE!
I love this comment so much! Thank you Kat! I am so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed it so much 🙂 You made my day! – Erica
Pure heaven. Thank you so much!
Couldn’t agree more! So happy you love this recipe as much as we do!
So many variations out there. This is a very good basic recipe that you can eat as is or add other ingredients like ham, spam shrimp, or imitation crab to name a few.
Yes those would all be delicious additions!
This is an amazing recipe! Yes indeed, Macaroni salad is very popular in Hawaii. I was just there for nine days and bought a 2 pound container at Safeway for $10. It was delicious and appeared to be similar ingredients. When I make macaroni salad, it seems to dry out the next day. What makes this recipe different so it does not dry out the following day after making it.
Thank you for your comment, Lonna. I’m glad you like the recipe. I always make this Mac salad a day before serving, and it’s never dry.
This is fantastic. I feel like I’m back in Hawaii! I love to make this with crockpot kalua pig and cabbage.
So glad you liked it! Yes, it is sooo good with Kalua pig and cabbage. One of my favorite combos!
I grew up in Maui, your recipe is close to our family recipe except, we use rice wine vinegar and one teaspoon of tuna, depending on the size of salad. I think the rice wine vinegar is sweeter that the apple cider vinegar so we don’t add sugar. Anyway, I love this Mac Salad and I appreciate the recipe.
Aloha🌺🌸
I love the idea of using rice vinegar rather than apple cider vinegar. I love the flavor of it so I can imagine it’s a great substitute! Thanks for the tip and I’m definitely going to try it next time! – Erica
Best summertime actually anytime macaroni salad! So simple and so tasty everyone always raves about it!
Thank you, Barbara. We couldn’t agree more!
Going camping with the fam and wondering if this can be frozen in advance? Or must be combined on the spot?
I’m sorry, this Mac salad does not freeze well. It does last for 2-3 days refrigerated, or in a cooler packed with ice. Have fun camping!
Do what many restaurants do. Cook pasta al dente, rinse, cool and drain the pasta. After an hour or so, LIGHTLY drizzle with cooking oil, and using clean hands, gently toss and massage to coat the pasta. Place in secure covered containers and it will easily last 5 or 6 days in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
One day ahead of planned consumption time, assemble your salad and place back in the refrigerator. Because the pasta may be a little dryer or ‘thirstier’, additional liquid or mayonnaise may be needed, no problem. In the morning before serving, check your salad for flavor and texture and add more mayo if needed. You may also need a spot more vinegar as well to keep a consistent flavor. This is a forgiving dish to make.
Love these tips! Thank you!
This recipe is the bomb! Made it exactly as written and it took me back to Kauai! I, like others, didn’t notice the note to over cook the pasta by a few minutes. Next time for sure but it was still amazing! Thanks so much for the recipe! Crab pasta salad next on the list!
Thanks, Bernie! I’m so glad you like the Mac salad! I made it today myself for a family dinner tomorrow. Let us know how you like the crab pasta salad. 🙂
Great recipe with options. One thing I didn’t see that is super important is to overcook the noodles by at least 3 min.
Thank you, Nancy. Just curious, why do you recommend overcooking the noodles?
I’ve never been a fan of macaroni salad. However, my grandson made this recipe for our Christmas dinner get together. I tried some to be polite. I loved it. I even went back for seconds. I have seen this recipe so many times in some of the sites I see so it must be a much liked salad. I urge anyone to try it. You won’t be disappointed.
Thank you, Jan! I’m glad you were polite and gave it a try!
Will Almond Milk work for this recipe? Can you also add sugar substitute or nothing?
Almond milk will work, but the consistency will be thinner and it will slightly change the taste. You can use a sugar substitute. I recommend using 1/2 teaspoon Stevia in place of the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Thanks for asking!
Can I make this 48 hours in advance?
Thanks!
Yes, you may need to add a little milk to freshen it before serving. Stir in a couple of tablespoons and add more if needed. Thanks for asking!