This traditional Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a creamy, tangy pasta salad made with elbow noodles, crunchy vegetables, and a delicious homemade mayonnaise-based dressing.
Enjoy this simple-to-make island classic, no matter where you are!
This Hawaiian Mac Salad recipe is one of the most delicious Hawaiian dishes I’ve ever made! In Hawaii, you’ll often find this simple macaroni salad served with BBQ, Garlic Shrimp, or grilled Huli Huli chicken in restaurants and food trucks, and it’s a popular home-style mac salad as well.
And while this might look like a tuna macaroni salad, or my dill pickle pasta salad, it’s definitely different and completely worth trying, especially if you’ve never had this Hawaiian favorite before!
Made it and it tastes just like it was made in Hawaii!
Gary G
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Hawaiian macaroni salad has a deliciously tangy flavor and super creamy dressing. It’s vegetarian and easy to make vegan as well, and I’ll be sure to give you some ideas on substitutions that you might want to make.
You’ll also love that this recipe easy easy-peasy! It’s basically just cooked macaroni with some chopped veggies and mayo mixed in. Anyone can make this Hawaiian side dish recipe.
If you want to try another favorite taste of Hawaii, be sure to try my Hawaiian Beef Stew recipe. It’s a comfort food delicacy there, and so simple to make on the stovetop.
Ingredients In Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Here’s what you need to make this delicious pasta salad:
- Macaroni: The traditional pasta shape for Hawaiian mac salad is elbow macaroni. You can change it up by using other small pasta shapes like shells if you like.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: This gives the salad its tangy flavor! The key to using it in this recipe is that the vinegar is added directly to the pasta while it’s warm, rather than mixing it in with the dressing.
- Carrot and Celery: These fresh veggies add crunch and color to the salad. Dice the celery, and shred the carrot coarsely.
- Milk and Mayonnaise: This is the base for the super creamy macaroni salad dressing. Whole milk works well, but try it with half and half to take the creamy factor to the next level.
- Grated Onion: Use the small holes of your box grater to grate the onion finely. This way the flavor will permeate into every bite. Grating onions almost always makes my eyes water, but it’s worth it here!
- Brown Sugar: For just a little bit of sweetness.
- Salt and Pepper
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Cook the Pasta: Add water to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Salt the boiling water, then add the elbow macaroni. Stir briefly. Cook the pasta uncovered for the time indicated on the package plus an additional 2 minutes, until soft. Drain the pasta and while it’s still hot, mix in the apple cider vinegar. Toss to combine and allow it to cool. You can speed up the cooling process by placing it in the refrigerator.
- Make the Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, whole milk or half-and-half, grated onion, light brown sugar, black pepper, and kosher salt.
- Mix it Up: Now, in a large salad bowl, combine the cooled pasta with grated carrot and diced celery. Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss with a spatula until everything is evenly coated.
- Chill: Let the flavors meld and develop in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Stir well, taste, and adjust the seasonings as needed before serving.
Tip!
Adding the vinegar directly to the cooked pasta is the key to the bold flavor of this pasta salad! Be sure to do this while the macaroni is still hot.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the pasta fully. For this salad, the noodles should be soft. Overcook them a little bit even! In the end, it all comes down to your personal preference, but you should avoid al dente pasta for cold salads most of the time.
- Chilling is important. Before serving Hawaiian pasta salad, you want to chill it for a minimum of 1 hour. Even better, let it chill for 4 hours, or overnight. If the salad seems dry after refrigerating, stir in a little bit more milk and/or mayo.
- Vegan Macaroni Salad. Replace the mayo in this recipe with your favorite vegan mayonnaise. Instead of milk, use your creamiest unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk. Cashew milk and oat milk are good choices.
Storing Tips
This Hawaiian mac Salad recipe will last in the fridge for about 3 days. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
What To Serve With Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
This salad is perfect for outdoor parties and goes wonderfully with BBQ and grilled meats.
Try it with Beer Can Chicken, Grilled Shrimp Kabobs, or Smoked Beef Chuck Roast.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Use Something Instead of Mayo?
This is a mayonnaise pasta salad, so I don’t recommend leaving that ingredient out. If you want to make the salad a bit lighter, you can replace some of the mayo with non-fat Greek yogurt, but the flavor and texture just won’t be the same.
Can I make Hawaiian macaroni salad ahead of time?
Yes, this recipe can easily be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Keep it covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. If needed, add a tablespoon or two of milk to the salad before serving to be sure it’s perfectly creamy again.
What’s in Hawaiian Macaroni Salad?
This recipe is authentic and makes the classic Hawaii mac salad with pasta, dressing, celery, and carrots. While it won’t be as authentic, you can always add other fresh veggies to the mix, such as bell peppers or green onion. Or try adding chopped ham or hard-boiled egg.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
This easy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad will be the perfect addition to your next BBQ or cookout! Be sure to save this recipe, it’s definitely one of the best.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 pound (450 g) dry elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup (100 g) grated carrot
- ½ cup (70 g) diced celery
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 ¼ cups (325 g) mayonnaise
- ½ cup (120 ml) whole milk or half-and-half for a creamier dressing
- 2 tablespoons grated onion
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add water to a large pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Salt the boiling water, then add the elbow macaroni. Stir briefly. Cook the pasta uncovered for the time indicated on the package plus an additional 2 minutes, until soft.
- Drain the pasta and while it’s still hot, mix in the apple cider vinegar. Toss to combine and allow it to cool. You can speed up the cooling process by placing it in the refrigerator.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, whole milk or half-and-half, grated onion, light brown sugar, black pepper, and kosher salt.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta, grated carrot, and diced celery. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Refrigerate the salad for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. Stir well before serving. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes:
- Cook the pasta fully. For this salad, the noodles should be soft. Overcook them a little bit even! In the end, it all comes down to your personal preference, but you should avoid al dente pasta for cold salads most of the time.
- Chilling is important. Before serving Hawaiian pasta salad, you want to chill it for a minimum of 1 hour. Even better, let it chill for 4 hours, or overnight. If the salad seems dry after refrigerating, stir in a little bit more milk and/or mayo.
- Vegan Macaroni Salad. Replace the mayo in this recipe with your favorite vegan mayonnaise. Instead of milk, use your creamiest unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk. Cashew milk and oat milk are good choices.
- To Store: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This salad can also be made up to 3 days ahead of time if needed.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Tjarda Murray says
An amazingly nice and refreshing pasta salad. Recommend it.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for leaving such kind comments!
malady says
I have never tried putting the vinegar on the raw noodles and then cooling them down, I will give this a try. It does make sense to do this to make a tangier taste.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Yes, the vinegar is what makes this pasta salad special. Enjoy!
Thomas Small says
fantastic recipe just love it thank you very much for this fantastic recipe
Diana says
Happy to hear you liked it! Thank you for the positive review, Thomas!