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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
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!
It’s like I just had a plate lunch at Land L!
Perfect! So glad you liked it!
I don’t know if this is authentic hawiian or not but it tastes great. I don’t like mac salad but I like this recipe alot!
DO NOT COOK TO PACKAGE DIRECTIONS!! you need to overcook the pasta just a bit for authentic Hawaiin mac salad….
Hawaiian 🌺 style
Thank you for the recipe. I veganized this and it turned out great. Hellman’s vegan mayo and Silk unsweetened cashew milk. I also halved the recipe since it was just weeknight dinner at home.
Thank you for sharing this! I will add your comment to the recipe for other people who might want to make it a vegan dish.
I wish I knew somebody like you who could help me with all that!
Can a person used to the regular, American diet notice the difference much?
I love this as I was looking for a vegan version! Was just going to veganize it myself but made me happy to see someone else already had 🥰
Didn’t have a grater and used a food processor. The carrots and onions added a nice texture. Overall, this is my favorite recipe so far! The vinegar adds the extra kick.
Delish!! Waiting the 24 hours is painful but critical to develop the proper flavor. I tried it right away and was afraid I wasted my time. Waited until it was in the fridge for a few hours and it was a little better but, TODAY (24 hours later) IT’S PERFECT!!
I used Best Foods Light Mayo (all I had on hand) and thought it was very good. I’ll make it with Original Best Foods Mayo for special occasions but this works fine for me.
Thanks!
EXCELLENT! The recipe was precise. Thank you fo sharing. May you be abundant in all facets of your life.
Best mac salad recipe. Threw a few fresh salad shrimp in just befoe serving. Perfection. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
You don’t chop onions you grate them. That is the way I was taught in Hawaii.
This recipe was on point and reminded me of home. Thank you! My Mac salad came out perfect. This was the first dish that was cleared up when I hosted a party. I paired it with chicken katsu and rice and everyone loved it!
You have to have celery bits in real Hawaiian macaroni salad.
This recipe is spot on! Simple and so delicious! We spent 2 weeks on The Big Island and Oahu and this takes me right back to the islands.
This white was trying to recreate my wife’s paulan macaroni salad so I found this recipe to help with what I remembered her mother did. The only difference was instead of apple cider vinegar they use Soy Sauce but everything else was spot on . it tasted just like her mothers so thanks for the help
So glad it worked out so well, and that you were able to re-create your mother-in-law’s recipe! I haven’t tried it with soy sauce before– that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Not being a Hawaiian native, I care more about taste than absolute authenticity, but I made this after being impressed with all the comments from Hawaii locals … and the “In Hawaii it’s all about the mayo.” statement in the overview. 🙂 Initially I added half the mayo/milk … but the full amount is fine (of course!), since the macaroni absorbs so much of it.
I did want a bit of freshness and texture, so I added about a half-cup of chopped celery and apple … and next time I may dice rather than shred the carrots.
Thanks for the warning to avoid pineapple. 🙂 (I also resisted my wife’s suggestion to add some mango.) But I’m thinking that some shredded coconut might give this a little more tropical flair.
Many thanks for posting this recipe. — Mike in San Jose
Thanks, I love the variations you took on it!
It might be just me, but this is like eating a big bowl of mayonnaise. I love mayo but this is just too much without enough other flavors to offset. Not saying it is a bad recipe at all. Just saying it’s not my cup of tea.
It is heavy on the mayo – but that is Hawaiian Mac Salad. It is better after it chills and the macaroni absorbs some of the mayonnaise. You can always cut back on the mayo in the recipe. If it dries out, you can stir in a little milk before eating. Sorry you didn’t love it. 🙁
I was born in the Islands and although our family moved to the mainland while I was young, every birthday party, wedding, funeral, graduation, or other family gathering always included my mom’s mac salad. When I saw this recipe, I had to try it. I made it exactly as described and it brought tears to my eyes when I tasted it…it is absolutely authentic, just like my mom’s. I just made it for my husband’s family reunion and they all loved it! This is a keeper. Thank you for posting!!!
Hi Dee- Thank you so much for this wonderful comment! This is exactly why we do what we do. We love hearing when our recipes bring back fond memories. I am so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe. Thanks again for taking the time to come back to share your story with us!
Love this! Whenever I order Hawaiian BBQ I order extra mac salad, and this recipe is spot on for me!
Can’t have Hawaiian BBQ without mac salad, right? So so good! Thanks for the 5-stars!
Add a bit of teriyaki sauce gives it a bit of a Hawaiian taste!
Ooh I have never heard of doing that before! I am sure it is delicious since I love taking a bite of mac salad along with the teriyaki chicken 🙂
One of the first meals I had at my (to-be) mother-in-laws was a cold Mac salad with flaked salmon. After 47 years I still make it for him every summer all summer long. Have to try your version, we just won’t tell my mother-in-law.
oooh that actually sounds delicious! If you try our version your secret will be safe with us 😉 we won’t tell her. 😀
This is a GREAT recipe!
I use a few things to create my own version of a PotatoMac-
reminiscent of Da Kitchen in Oahu: add half a bag of green peas (frozen, cooked), several potatoes peeled, cubed, and boiled in salted water, 1 hardboiled egg (chopped), a splash of Kikkoman teriyaki. I cook the macaroni fully, no al dente! Your Apple cider vinegar helps “set” the ingredients. It’s crucial to grate the yellow onion-they will be hidden, but so flavorful! This recipe with just a little milk is perfect; some recipes call for “1/2 milk, 1/2mayo” ratios and I find that is too much milk and not enough mayo. Once the mayo sauce or dressing is mixed, it IS best to FOLD the mixture in the macaroni with other ingredients as mentioned ESPECIALLY if making PotatoMac to prevent overblending. In terms of seasoning, it is best to SLIGHTLY “stir and taste”, adding small amounts of salt and pepper as you go. The flavors will form more in fridge, and you can always add more LATER if needed after setting for 8-12 hours. Scallions can be added for garnish if desired. Every person I have given this to has become addicted – it looks so simple, very easy to make, and not many people have eaten it before with regular meals, but they love it as a unique side dish. I will NEVER be able to recreate the exact perfect side that Da Kitchen served with their full plates, BUT it’s a good variation of goodness that will REMIND you of Ha-Vi-Ee. Enjoy and thank you for a super basic macaroni salad recipe that is delicious and wonderful AS IS or a great base to customize. Superb!
Can you give me a rough estimate of “salt and pepper to taste”? I have NO idea what the correct taste is, help!
I would say maybe a teaspoon of each and then taste it and add more as needed! It really is about what you think tastes good!
I fell in love with the Maui version of mac salad which has potatoes & macaroni with cold, green peas in it along with the mayo.
Interesting- what restaurant in Maui did you try this in? Would love to try it!
Erica: I am amazed at the number and variety of replies! This is what I’ve been looking for, as our local Hawaiian restaurant serves the best macaroni salad! But my wife doesn’t like this salad. What can I do about that? (I’m betting you have an answer!)
Marty- haha you know me all too well 😉 I’m so excited for you to try this recipe and see how it compares to your local place. Please come back and let me know how it turns out! 😀 – Erica
One thing that I noticed that no one mentioned here is that on every table in every restaurant in Hawaii is Tabasco sauce. This salad is great with some Tabasco sprinkled on top, if you like that kind of thing.
YUM! I like the idea of adding a little Tabasco to the top. Sounds delicious!