Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Updated
Updated
This iconic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is served across all the Hawaiian Islands on lunch plates and food trucks. I fell in love with it on my first trip and have been making it ever since. The unique taste takes me back every time I eat it; tangy, sweet, and very creamy. Perfect for backyard summer cookouts or anytime throughout the year.
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5 STAR REVIEW
Easy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe
My daughter’s friend has parents who own a Hawaiian BBQ place and I used to beg her to bring me home some of this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad until they showed me how to make it myself.
Macaroni salad is absolutely iconic in Hawaii and is a lunch plate and food truck staple. If you ever travel to Hawaii, you will see it offered on the menu frequently, which is how we first fell in love with it. You’ll typically be served a large ice cream scoop serving of this salad alongside other typical Hawaiian dishes, with some steamed white rice.
To make this an authentic Hawaiian macaroni salad, you’ll need to set aside a bit of time as you’ll need to gradually add the dressing to the pasta, stirring frequently as it slowly cools to room temperature. It may seem like a bit of an unusual method (and I’ve provided the lazy version instructions below too, ha) but trust me—when you have your first bite of this tangy, creamy salad, it will be worth it!
Tips for Beginners
- Cook the pasta to your preference. The locals typically overcook the pasta until it’s really soft and plump, which helps absorb the dressing. Staying true to the authentic salad, that’s how I’ve written the recipe, but I usually cook the pasta until just tender. This is a matter of personal preference. Try it both ways and you decide!
- Use regular mayo. Don’t use low-fat milk or light mayonnaise. It will make the dressing less creamy and too thin. The heavy cream and whole milk, however, can be replaced with half-n-half.
- Add the vinegar before the creamy dressing. To prevent the vinegar from curdling the milk, always add the vinegar directly over the hot macaroni, stir the mixture, and let it cool.
- Chill for several hours. While you can technically serve this after letting it chill in the fridge for as little as an hour, I recommend giving it at least 4 hours.
- The quicker way to make Hawaiian macaroni salad. The authentic way to make this salad is by letting the vinegar-soaked pasta cool, then adding the dressing in increments. This allows the pasta to absorb the flavors of the vinegar and dressing. BUT If you’re in a pinch for time (or lazy HA!), you can stir in all the dressing, let it cool a bit, and then cover and chill until ready to serve. The flavors won’t be as deep, but it’s still good!
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD
- 1 lb. dry elbow macaroni pasta
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated or shredded finely
- ¼ cup grated onion
- 4 scallions, diced small
FOR THE DRESSING
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups mayonnaise, Best Foods mayonnaise (or Hellman’s brand)
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
OPTIONAL ADD-INS
- 2 cups small cubed fried SPAM
- crushed pineapple, drained and blotted dry
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 5 scallions, diced
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the macaroni according to package directions, except tack on an additional 3 minutes until it's fat and soft. Drain and then dump it back into the pot, off the heat. Pour the apple cider vinegar evenly over the top and gently stir until the pasta absorbs the vinegar. Stir in the carrots and onion. Cover and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooling, make the dressing. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Remove the lid from the pasta pot and pour in HALF of the dressing.
- Gently toss to coat, then place the lid back on and let stand for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, so the pasta can absorb the dressing.
- Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl, then pour the remaining dressing over the top along with the scallions and stir to combine.
- Let it cool for another 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (ideally at least 4 hours).
- Gently stir before serving, adding in 1 to 2 tbsp milk, if needed, to thin it out a bit.
- Garnish with small diced scallions and enjoy cold.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Step by Step
Prepare the pasta: Cook 1 lb. macaroni according to the package directions, then tack on an extra 3 minutes to cook until it’s fat and soft. Drain and return to the pot, off the heat. Pour ¼ cup apple cider vinegar over the pasta, gently stir to help the pasta absorb the vinegar, then stir in 1 grated carrot and ¼ cup grated onion. Cover and cool for 10 minutes.
Make the dressing: Whisk together 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 2 cups mayonnaise, 1 tbsp granulated sugar, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp paprika in a bowl until smooth.
Add the dressing to the salad: Pour half of the dressing into the salad, toss to coat, then let stand with the lid on for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to help the pasta absorb the dressing. Transfer to a mixing bowl, then top with the remaining dressing as well as the scallions. Stir, then let cool for another 20 minutes at room temperature.
Chill: Cover the salad and refrigerate for at least an hour. Stir, adding in more milk if needed. Garnish with diced scallions and enjoy cold.
Optional Add-Ins and Variations
There are many variations on Hawaiian mac salad—some include a mix of cooked potatoes & macaroni (like a combo of potato salad and macaroni salad), and some mix in chopped hard-boiled eggs, cooked peas, cubed ham, or tuna for more protein.
I love it with pan-fried cubed SPAM, which is very popular in Hawaii and so yummy. Don’t knock the SPAM until you try it! It really does add another layer of flavor. However, locals don’t usually include any of these ingredients and they definitely don’t include pineapple or ham like Americans do on Hawaiian Pizza.
That said, here are some optional add-ins:
- Fried spam (my favorite!)
- Crushed pineapple
- Celery ribs
- Sriracha sauce or Tabasco (for a spicy kick)
- Cooked potatoes (reduce the amount of macaroni)
How to Store Leftovers
Hawaiian macaroni salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just be sure to keep it covered or in an airtight container. Give it a good stir before serving and note you may need to add a splash more of whole milk if the noodles have absorbed the sauce.
What to Serve with Macaroni Hawaiian Salad
For a classic Hawaiian plate lunch, pair this with crunchy chicken katsu, savory teriyaki chicken, or this knock-your-socks off Hawaiian chicken (aka Huli Huli Chicken) and steamed white rice. I also love to serve it up at summer BBQs. It goes so well with everything from burgers and hot dogs to baby back ribs and grilled chicken.
Perfect. Unfortunately, I am the only one who likes macaroni salads, so just make 1/4th recipe. Works out great.
Made this and served with grilled baby back ribs. We all loved it. It’s nice to have a different type of macaroni salad to bring to potlucks. Thanks for sharing!
I would call this the real deal. I go the tradition route of cooking the mac a little longer. I love this recipe.