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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.
And If you follow a vegan or healthy diet, we’ve added alternate ingredients that will allow you to enjoy this macaroni salad recipe.
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.
Healthy 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:
Loco Moco
Chicken Long Rice
Hawaiian Teriyaki Chicken
Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki
Spam Musubi
Haupia
Malasadas
Chocolate Haupia Pie
Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Video
Equipment
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
- 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!
We’re having a Moana birthday party r about 30-40 guests. How many times the recipe should I make. There will be other food of course.
That sounds so fun, Sue! It’s always hard to judge how much people will eat at a gathering like this. Our Hawaiian Mac Salad recipe serves 10 with approximately 1/2 cup servings (an adult size serving). I’m always nervous about running out of food, and as a result I almost always have leftovers. I would prepare 3x the recipe if you are serving mostly adults. If a majority of your guests are children, I would go with 2x the recipe and I think you’ll have plenty. Having said that, this salad is delicious leftover, so making extra might be a good thing!
Similar to my mom’s recipe, growing up on Kauai and Oahu….the difference is the addition of canned tuna….am over eighty years old, and tried the recipe…after letting it sit for the required time to blend flavors, I still had to go ahead and add the tuna. My Hawaiian grandmother liked to add celery too, although we kids didn’t like it included. Good recipe and tastes authentic.
Delicious! I added finely chopped celery for crunch, and topped with green onions. Also used Duke’s mayo because that’s what I had on hand. Big hit!
My sister made this for my birthday and it was a hit! My husband is an islander and he loved it!
This was perfect with our favorite breakfast. Macaroni, White Rice, Fried Spam and an easy over egg.
A co-worker brought it for a potluck and I had to have the recipe and my daughter is part Hawaiian so that even makes it better
Mahalo nui loa Erica for posting this authentic Hawaiian mac salad recipe. Adding anything but some diced potatoes to their “2 scoops” would render this just any other macaroni salad. Now, I just need a scoop of sticky rice and some grilled teri or huli huli chicken or kalua pork and you’ve transported me back home to Maui. It’s onolicious!
I am planning on making this for a party this weekend. Few questions-what type of onion is best to use? Can I used preshredded carrots? Will it taste OK with Best Food light mayo? Thanks!
We like to use sweet onions or yellow onions! Pre-shredded carrots work great. That is not the mayo choice we recommend but yes, it will still taste good!
Oh sistah, dis bugga ono! I tried the recipe! Winnas! Mahalo
We love your recipe – thank you! In a pinch one time I used the Trader Joe’s mayo and it was actually quite good.
My husband is Hawaiian and this is pretty close to what we get when we go to Hawaii and what his mom makes. She does put in a small drained can of tuna which I think makes it more authentic, but when I make it here on the mainland for friends, I put in a small can of drained chicken instead. also as a tip make a little more dressing than you need if you’re gonna keep it overnight and serve it the next day and add another half cup to a cup of dressing
I have probably commented here before, because I’ve been making this Mac salad for YEARS—and it gets rave reviews every time!!! It’s so simple, yet absolutely delicious! Even when I run out of something (this time it was celery🙄), it is totally delicious! Thanks for a fantastic recipe! I agree with the poster who serves this with huli huli chicken—yum!! This time mine is going to a party, where I’m also bringing some buffalo chicken salad sliders. 😋
Hah!! I looked through older comments, and I DID post…on May 31, 2017. 🤣🤣
Well, it is THAT good!! 🥰
Thanks for being a long-time fan!! 🙂
Love this recipe and really would like to try but at the insistence to only use Hellman’s mayonaise, is it ok to use Organic Hellmans?
Sure!
I made this exactly as stated. It was in the fridge for 4 hours before serving. It was the closest tasting to what I get at L&L Hawaiian BBQ in California. I do know they add a very small amount of some type of fish (anchovies?) to theirs but this recipe was so good it didn’t need the additional fish.
This is now my only recipe when making Huli Huli chicken plate. Thank you!
I lived on Maui for 30 years. If there’s fish in any Hawaiian mac salad it will be tuna, never anchovies.
Great, pure, recipe. Consider Dukes mayo if you can find it. Easily as good as Best Foods. I
put a tiny bit of celery, finely chopped for the crunch. Thanks!
Amen Dukes Mayo is better than Hellman’s!! Go south! We know our mayo
So good and totally on point! If you want to reduce the mayo amount, you can always substitute 1 cup pasta water for 1 cup mayo and still get the same creaminess
You can also reduce fat and calories by subbing some blended cottage cheese as well! I PROMISE you would NEVER know it was in there! 👍
I moved to Hawaii recently but have visited the islands many times. An aloha plate with rice and Mac salad is a staple. While you often find some that include potato, I’m not a fan of potato. When I saw this recipe, I was excited to give it a try and it did not disappoint. I made the recipe as described and added celery. It came out delicious. I actually don’t think I’ve had one as good on the Big Island since we moved here. Thank you!
So glad you loved it! Thanks for the review!
KTA Supermarket Deli department makes a really ono mac salad!
I was a little skeptical about making this because it was so simple. But it was perfect. 10 out of 10 for sure! Make the Huli Huli Chicken and Kalua pork to go with it. Delicious!
I added celery, red and yellow bell peppers and upped carrots and onion to 1/2 cup, so all vegetables were a half cup, I’m from the south so Dukes mayonnaise. Exceptional flavor with that island sweet tangy . Love it, go to macaroni salad.
What can I use as sugar substitute and how much? Thank you.
We haven’t tried any sugar substitutes for this recipe. Let us know how it turns out if you try one!
It’s delicious just the way you say to make it. I did add a few tablespoons pineapple juice from the can, because my Hawaiian friends suggested it, delicious!