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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is made using simple pantry ingredients to create an ultra creamy macaroni salad with an island twist! This no-frills, simple pasta salad is an easy recipe to make for a cookout, barbecue, summer gathering, or luau.
For more tastes of the Hawaiian islands be sure and try my Hawaiian Poke Cake, Hawaiian Sloppy Joes, and Slow Cooker Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken with Coconut Rice.
Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad
Cold pasta salads are one of my very favorite side dishes to serve during the summertime. Wether it’s at a family gathering, a luau-themed party, or a summer cookout – a cold pasta salad is a necessity!
This authentic hawaiian macaroni salad is a simple, no-frills, no extra stuff type of pasta salad that has THE BEST creamy dressing. The little added touch of sugar makes it stand out from the rest and transports you straight to the islands.
Soft pasta noodles, shredded carrot, and a sweet and tangy dressing give this salad that “authentic” taste and texture. Serve it cold and watch it disappear!
Simple Ingredients
- Elbow Macaroni
- Mayonnaise : Mayo serves as the creamy base for the dressing, and provides richness and a smooth texture to coat the macaroni noodles in. It’s best to use a good quality brand of full-fat mayonnaise for the best flavor and rich thickness. I recommend using Hellman’s brand or Best Foods brand.
- Whole Milk : Thins out the mayonnaise while maintaining the creamy consistency of the dressing. It also helps make the dressing lighter and pour pourable, ensuring it blends well with the other ingredients.
- Apple Cider Vinegar : Adds a tangy flavor that helps balance the richness of the mayonnaise. It also helps tenderize the pasta and vegetables, and enhances their flavors.
- Granulated Sugar : The secret ingredient to this Hawaiian pasta salad! Don’t skip it.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
- Shredded Carrots : One whole carrot that has been peeled and grated (on a box cheese grater) is what you will need to make this Hawaiian-style macaroni salad.
- Celery : Finely diced celery adds crunch and texture.
- Sweet Onion : Finely chop a sweet onion or you can use a box cheese grater to shred it/grate it instead.
- Green Onions : These are an optional garnish for the top of the macaroni salad for serving.
How To Make Classic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the dry elbow macaroni and cook according to the package instructions until soft (don’t cook to al dente, as true Hawaiian macaroni salad has a softer texture). Drain noodles well, but do not rinse, and set it aside to cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper until smooth and combined.
Add the cooled elbow macaroni, grated carrot, celery, and onion into a large bowl. Stir everything together until combined.
Pour the creamy dressing over top and stir everything together until well combined and the macaroni is coated well in the dressing.
Cover the salad, with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours before serving. Refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance (overnight) to allow the flavors even more time to meld together and for the salad to chill thoroughly.
Before serving, stir the salad again to redistribute the mayonnaise dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed and add a touch more mayonnaise or milk to moisten the salad back up (this is especially important if refrigerating overnight as the salad can dry out slightly).
Serving Suggestions For Hawaiian Mac Salad Recipe
There are so many ways to serve this Hawaiian macaroni salad! For a taste of the aloha state try serving it as a hawaiian plate lunch – complete with a scoop of rice, some cold macaroni salad, and meat of choice on the side. Some fabulous meat options include :
- Huli Huli Chicken : This is a tropical chicken that is loaded with flavors of the islands. Try this Huli Huli Grilled Chicken or Crockpot Huli Huli Chicken.
- Kalua Pork
- Teriyaki Chicken : Try some Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, One Pan Chicken Teriyaki, Teriyaki Chicken Rice Bowls, or Sheet Pan Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetables.
- Hawaiian Sloppy Joes : I always make this Hawaiian Mac salad as a side dish to Hawaiian Sloppy Joes.
This macaroni salad is also a popular side dish choice for a summer cookout and summer BBQs. Serve it alongside some hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled meats, or this Hawaiian Burger recipe.
Recipe Tips
- Use A Box Grater : Do not buy the shredded carrots from the grocery store! They are too long and thick in texture and won’t go well in this creamy salad. Use a box grater (like the kind you would use to grate cheese) to shred a carrot. You can use the smaller side or the larger side of the box grater – depending on the texture you want.
- Good Quality, Real Mayo : Because the mayonnaise is the base of the creamy dressing it’s so important to use real mayo and a good quality mayonnaise that you love the flavor of. Mayonnaise is something that I never buy store brand/generic brand because they just don’t have that same rich and creamy taste as the name brand does. Use Hellmen’s or Best Foods brand for the best taste in the mayonnaise mixture.
- Don’t Skip The Sugar : I know it’s weird to have sugar in a savory pasta salad but trust me, you need it! A little sugar goes a long way in giving the macaroni salad a slightly sweeter flavor and it pairs well with vinegar and rich mayonnaise in the dressing. Hawaiian food is usually on the sweeter side and this traditional hawaiian macaroni salad is no different. So use the sugar and don’t skip it.
- Store Leftovers : Keep any remaining hawaiian Mac salad inside the bowl, covered with a lid or plastic wrap, and store in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Or you can remove the macaroni salad to an airtight container to store leftovers. The pasta does soak up any moisture so be sure to give it a good stir to remoisten everything back up, or add some additional mayonnaise or a splash of milk to help moisten up leftovers.
- Can I Make It Ahead of Time? : Yes you can if needed. I actually prefer this salad after it’s been in the fridge for about 6 hours. It allows enough time for the flavors to meld, the pasta to soften, and for the creamy dressing to soak into the pasta noodles. You can refrigerate it overnight, but I find that the salad is just kind of drier after that long in the fridge. Leftovers are fabulous! However, for serving, I like to serve it after about 6 hours in the fridge.
- Onion : You can finely dice the onion into really small pieces or you can grate the onion using a box grater for a finer texture. Either way works fine.
- Soft Noodles : For a authentic hawaiian macaroni salad make sure you are cooking the noodles until soft and not to al dente. Traditionally pasta is cooked to al dente but for this salad, we want the softer noodles that will soak up all that dressing. I cook the macaroni for about 2-3 minutes past the al dente time given on the package directions.
More Pasta Salad Side Dishes To Try
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Ranch Pasta Salad
- Coleslaw Pasta Salad
- Easy Italian Pasta Salad
- Deviled Egg Pasta Salad
- Mexican Pasta Salad
- Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
- Tri Color Pasta Salad
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 box (16 oz) elbow macaroni
- 1 large carrot (peeled & grated)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion (or grated onion)
Creamy Dressing
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the dry elbow macaroni and cook according to the package instructions until soft (don't cook to al dente, as true Hawaiian macaroni salad has a softer texture).Drain noodles well, but do not rinse, and set it aside to cool to room temperature.1 box (16 oz) elbow macaroni
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, kosher salt, and black pepper until smooth and combined.2 cups mayonnaise, 1/4 cup whole milk, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the cooled elbow macaroni, grated carrot, celery, and onion into a large bowl. Stir everything together until combined.1 large carrot, 1/2 cup finely chopped celery, 1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onion
- Pour the creamy dressing over top and stir until everything is combined well and the macaroni is coated in the dressing.
- Cover the bowl, with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours before serving. Refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance (overnight) to allow the flavors even more time to meld together and for the salad to chill thoroughly.
- Before serving, stir the salad again to redistribute the mayonnaise dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed and add a touch more mayonnaise or milk to moisten the salad back up (this is especially important if refrigerating overnight as the salad can dry out slightly).
Nutrition
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