Classic and simple, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is the delectable part of the plate lunch in the Hawaiian Islands.
Super easy to make with elbow macaroni, mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, onion, carrots, and basic spices…. this popular pasta salad is the perfect blend of sweet, tangy, and savory.
It is a side dish that is perfect for all kinds of occasions and one of our favorite Hawaiian foods of all time.
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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, also known as Hawaiian Mac Salad is a side dish traditionally served on lunch pate in Hawaii with the bold flavors of BBQ.
It is a very simple salad recipe with only a few ingredients. Macaroni Pasta, sliced carrots, mayonnaise, Onion, vinegar, milk, salt, black pepper powder, and a little sugar
Easy dishes like this Hawaiian Macaroni salad are exactly what I want for lunch or dinner when the weather starts to warm up. It’s so full of amazing flavor, and it’s such a simple dish to make, too!
We are obsessed with this mac salad in our family!
It’s the perfect side dish to bring to a potluck, serve at a cookout with friends, or for any gatherings.
I love how the rich, tangy sauce coats pasta that contrasts with the crunchy bits of carrots and onion.
There aren’t any tropical flavors involved; it’s just a fun, tasty side dish to bring to your next cookout or potluck.
You might be thinking then how this recipe is a Hawaiin recipe? There is no pineapple or ham added to this recipe!
Hmmm…. My friend, adding ham or pineapple to something does not make it “Hawaiian Food”.
They make this salad with very minimal ingredients and of course without pineapple and ham in it.
And since there are many different types of mac salad in the world, you can also call this – Hawaii’s mac salad, Hawaii-style mac salad, or even mac salad from Hawaii.
Why you’ll love this recipe?
- It is simple, so creamy, so delicious, and SO addicting!
- It’s a perfectly spiced and ideal side dish for backyard cookouts, potlucks, or the iconic Hawaiian plate lunch.
- Incredibly Easy to Make! This recipe only takes 15 minutes from start to finish!
- Perfect for all age groups.
- A budget-friendly, crowd-pleaser and can be made ahead of time.
Ingredients required
- Pasta – Elbow-style macaroni is classic for Hawaiian mac salad, but you can also use any other short pasta you like or sub in gluten-free pasta if needed.
- Vegetable – A few grated carrots and green onion add a little texture & some color. You can use any onions. You can also add celery.
- Mayonnaise – Do not skimp on this ingredient. I am using vegan mayo as we don’t eat eggs. But you do eat eggs; I would recommend you to use Best Foods or even for the stronger bolder taste of Dukes Mayo is wonderful.
- Sugar – This recipe uses a little bit of sugar. It helps balance the richness of the mayo dressing and the tang from the vinegar.
- Vinegar – I have used rice vinegar. Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar can also be used.
- Milk – I used whole milk. But this could easily be made with cashew milk or almond milk to make it vegan.
- Spices – We need only salt and black pepper powder.
Step-by-step process
Cooking pasta
- Cook the elbow macaroni pasta for 1-2 minutes more than the cooking time listed on the package. Drain the elbow macaroni. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes.
- Tip – You want slightly overcooked macaroni for mac salad. The soft texture is a signature of Hawaii’s mac salad. It also helps the macaroni better absorb all the flavors.
Instant Pot Directions
- Pour water into Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and add macaroni making sure to spread evenly on the bottom.
- Close lid and set to Manual/Pressure Cook on high for 4 minutes with a 10-minute Natural Release (NR) and then Quick Release (QR) the remaining pressure.
- Rinse pasta under cool water and drain.
- Take the pasta into a big mixing bowl. Toss with vinegar. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Make dressing.
- While pasta cools, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, salt, black pepper powder, and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Now add grated carrots, green onions, and mayo dressing and toss to ensure everything is coated.
Chill and serve.
- Cover it and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Add more milk if necessary, only a splash at a time. Enjoy!
Notes, pro-tips, and quick FAQs
- The dressing for this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad had to be thin enough to soak into the pasta,
- To prevent the vinegar from curdling the milk, always add the vinegar directly over the hot macaroni, stir the mixture, and let it cool.
- Don’t use Low-fat milk or mayonnaise. It will make the dressing less creamy and too thin.
- To make this Hawaiian mac salad extra creamy, use half and half instead of milk.
Traditional elbow macaroni is the pasta shape used to make this pasta salad. But any pasta will work nicely.
In Hawaii, the dish is usually served on a lunch plate with other meats and rice. The sweet and tangy flavor makes it the perfect match for burgers, hot dogs, or any backyard BBQ food.
Yes! This recipe is great to make ahead of time as it will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Just make sure you give everything a good stir before serving.
YES! Of course, you can.
You sure can!
No. It’s loaded with mayo so it’s not healthy. That is what makes it so good. If you are concerned about your health you can substitute Greek yogurt in whatever amounts you would like (i.e. half mayo, half Greek yogurt). You will like mac salad with greek yogurt but the taste won’t be quite the same.
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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz. Macaroni pasta
- 1 ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup grated carrots
- ½ cup chopped green onions.
- 2 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
Instructions
Cooking pasta
Method no. 1 Stovetop
- Cook the elbow macaroni pasta for 1-2 minutes more than the cooking time listed on the package. Drain the elbow macaroni. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes.
- Tip – You want slightly overcooked macaroni for mac salad. The soft texture is a signature of Hawaii’s mac salad. It also helps the macaroni better absorb all the flavors.
Method no. 2 Instant Pot
- Pour water into Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and add macaroni making sure to spread evenly on the bottom.
- Close lid and set to Manual/Pressure Cook on high for 4 minutes with a 10-minute Natural Release (NR) and then Quick Release (QR) the remaining pressure.
- Rinse pasta under cool water and drain.
Tossing the cooked pasta in vinegar.
- Take the pasta into a big mixing bowl. Toss with vinegar. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Make dressing.
- While pasta cools, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, salt, black pepper powder, and granulated sugar until smooth.
- Now add grated carrots, green onions, and mayo dressing and toss to ensure everything is coated.
Chill and serve.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Add more milk if necessary, only a splash at a time.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To make this spicy, you can add jalapenos, sriracha sauce, or any hot sauce of your choice.
- The dressing for this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad had to be thin enough to soak into the pasta,
- To prevent the vinegar from curdling the milk, always add the vinegar directly over the hot macaroni, stir the mixture, and let it cool.
- Don’t use Low-fat milk or mayonnaise. It will make the dressing less creamy and too thin.
- To make this Hawaiian mac salad extra creamy, use half and half instead of milk.
Nutrition
Warm regards,
Dhwani.
Looks interesting. Will try for sure. Which mayonnaise do you use?
Thanks…. I use follow your heart brand vegan mayo.
We tried this today in honor of National Macaroni (and not cheese) day. We regularly have similar Macaroni Salad at local Hawaiian BBQ restaurants, and my youngest son consistently does NOT like it (the one from the restaurant), so I apologized in advance to him, and made it for the rest of us along with some rice and a hawaiian teriyaki chicken burger. Luckily, my son is fantastic at trying everything once (even if he knows he doesn’t like it from one place or person, but it is made from a different place or person, then he’ll try it again). He didn’t eat his whole serving, but said it was because he was full and not because he didn’t like it. He even said he would have more tomorrow, since we had leftovers. Everybody else in my family loved it, and said it tasted traditional, so it was definitely worth the 5 stars. Thanks so much for sharing such a great recipe.
So happy to read your comment, Audrey. Thank you so very much for sharing detailed feedback. <3