This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
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!
Just what I was looking for. Went with this recipe for the ratings and sure glad I did. Didn’t add onions only because we don’t like them raw.
Thank you for the great recipe. I used large elbow macaroni and decided to start with half of the mayonnaise mixture and I’m really happy I did that. As someone who has never been to Hawaii, less mayo tastes perfect to me. Looking forward to trying this again with Greek yogurt. Happy 4th!
Mince the onions and microwave on high a few minutes until opaque. Cool then add to salad. Gotta have the onions, man.
I used yellow grated onion and it made the whole thing bitter and inedible. I’m going to have to throw it out. 🙁 Maybe I used a bad onion? Or should it have been red onion?
That is so strange! I have used yellow onion before and I don’t get a bitter taste. Maybe it was a bad onion!
You could use any Mayo you’d like, Hellman’s just has the best flavor and consistency for this recipe but definitely experiment with others to find the best for you!
can you miracle whip instead of mayo?
You can, it is just not authentic that way.
I use Japanese kewpie Mayo and rice wine vinegar in place of regular Mayo and apple cider vinegar which is a little more authentic. Absolutely delish!
I made this for a Memorial Day barbecue last month, and it was awesome. We like it best with a small amount of teriyaki sauce drizzled over the top. Yoshida’s Gourmet Teriyaki works great. Also made it with plain almond milk in place of regular milk for my son who has a dairy allergy and it was delicious. Also used 1/4 cup of finally chopped shallots in place of onion. Yummy. Will make it again soon. Thank you for your recipe!!!
Hawaii has Maui onion , closest thing to it I found is a good Vidalia. Last resort … A nice sweet purple (Red) onion
I made this exactly as written using Hellmans. I don’t like it at all. I’m used to Miracle Whip, which probably explains it. I know a lot of people are anti Miracle Whip, and mayonnaise snobs. But not me.
Miracle Whip would work! Sorry you didn’t like the Hellmans!
Great recipe but the 2.5 cups mayo would have been way too much. I put 1.75 cups and it came out delicious! Also, I made it GF and vegan (used Banza chickpea elbow macaroni, unsweetened coconut milk, vegan mayo).
Thank you for sharing your gluten free and vegan substitutes!
Then you don’t have a Hawaiian Macaroni salad, but some kind of vegan spinoff and entirely different., you’ve totally altered all the key ingredients that make a Hawaiian Macaroni salad what it is. I live in Hawaii and for one, a lot of mayonnaise is exactly what folks love about it!
That is so true! its the only way to make it subsituting the recipe is not Hawaiian style
From waianae Pokai Bay area 🙂
Agree about the mayonnaise. I used 2 cups and it was still a bit too much for my liking.
I’ll still make the recipe again though, just with less 😉 Thank you, Erica!
Love this. Lived in Hawaii for 5 years so remember it well!
Sometimes I add little salad shrimp right before serving. Yum!
Adding salad shrimp is a great idea. Thank you for sharing and for rating this recipe!
Just made this and even the taste I snuck to check for salt and pepper levels was amazing. I can’t wait until it has chilled and the flavors mingle properly. The tips in the comments section were gold. I’ve attempted this before and wasn’t so thrilled, but this time I’m very hopeful. Chilling the macaroni, carrot, onion and vinegar before mixing in the dressing was what I’d missed in the past. Incredibly helpful hint you might want to add to the recipe?
Thank you so much for sharing! I just changed the verbiage in the recipe to be more clear.
What am I doing wrong? This is a delish authentic recipe and I’ve made it several times but every time the sauce curdles and does not stay creamy like the picture. Even if I cool it in the fridge for several hours. It’s still yummy but does not look very appetizing.
Are you cooling the noodle and vinegar mixture in the fridge before adding the mayo? The hot vinegar is what curdles the sauce most of the time. I would suggest refrigerating the noodles for longer if you are having trouble with curdling. Hope this helps!
There is a trick to making authentic Hawaiian mac salad. One is to use a cheap brand of macaroni not the premium brand. You want to cook the macaroni until it is fat and soft. Hawaiian macaroni is not al dente. If you want to keep the salad from drying out. Either keep the salad in a storage bag with the air sucked out or put a layer of saran wrap right on top of the salad in the bowl (cling it tightly to the salad so there is no air space. This will keep the salad from drying and browning.
The Best salad!!!
YES FIVE STARS FOR THIS ONE, BORN AND RAISED IN HAWAII MOST DRIVE-INNS, AND RESTRUNTS MAC SALAD DID NOT HAVE VINEGER AND SUGAR CAUSE NOT ALL LIKE THE SWEET SALAD IDEA BUT ITS GOOD., MAC SALAD IS LIKE CHICKEN RECIPE’S THERE IS A MILLION OR MORE WAYS TO MAKE IT. TRY THIS AT YOUR NEXT BAR-B-Q ADD CRISPY BACON BITS ALONG SIDE YOUR BAKE BEANS OOH YAH. YOU CAN HAVE ALOT OF FUN WITH MAC SALAD. ALOHA
Thank you so much for your comment, and the five stars! Adding crispy bacon bits is a fabulous idea. Will definitely be trying that next time I make this. 🙂
Loved this! Tasted just like the one from Hawaiin Bros.
This is a fantastic recipe. Can’t wait to make it all summer long!
Exactly how i remember it from Honolulu. We have a Hawaiian joint next to the base here, also coincidently in Utah that makes it. Meh…tasteless.
This is so yummy. Just what I was looking for. I also make your regular macaroni pasta salad all the time. It’s my go to, and my hubby’s absolutely favorite. You gals are pasta salad queens!
what makes this hawaiian?
It is a recipe that the locals make in Hawaii!
What do you think will happen since I forgot to add the onions carrots and vinegar when it was hot. I added them after it was cooled
I am not sure! What ended up happening?
It looked very authentic but tasted a little too mayo-y to me. i know the main ingredient is mayo, but at the restaurants where it’s served you hardly get the mayo flavor.
Love it! Tastes just like what I had in Hawaii. It is so nice to run into no-fuss “copycat” recipe. Will make it again for sure!
So ono reminds me of home
Add Hard Boiled Eggs (3) Finely Chopped
To Your Mixture
It’s good . And I hate it when people don’t follow the recipe then comment. I’m from the south and I added about 3 table spoons of pickle relish , it was on point . Take it for what it’s worth . It’s still a good recipe as is ,
I have made this several times and it passed my husband’s test; he grew up in Hawaii.
I put my cooked macaroni (with the vinegar, carrots, onion) in the fridge for about an hour or so, then I take it out and add most of the dressing and put it back in the fridge. About 15 minutes before serving I add the rest of the dressing and it is nice and creamy.
There may be different versions of “authentic” but this one was spot on for what I have had in Hawaii. Don’t listen to the haters.
With all due respect, I love & make many of your recipes, but this recipe is not (The Authentic) “Hawaiian Macaroni Salad”. The ratio of dressing to 1 lb. of macaroni is incorrect, a few ingredients are left out, some other ingredient amts. are incorrect for 1 lb. of macaroni, & lastly – the final mixing method: You’re supposed to add your one (‘RESERVED’ Cup) of dressing to the macaroni salad AFTER you let the Salad sit in the fridge for at least 1 hr., then mix it in & serve the salad. I have no doubt that the recipe which I received from my mom is authentic, b/c mom received it from her native Hawaiian next door neighbor (nicknamed Hawaiian Rose), back in 1969 – when my mom was a brand new bride. Her salad is truly phenomenal, and it’s always present at backyard cookouts. Not to worry, it’s always quickly devoured, before it can go bad.
Would you be willing to share her recipe? 🙂
Yes I second Bobbie!
I’m born and raised Hawaiian from Oahu now living in CO and would love to try out the recipe your mom got!
Hope you share the ono love of the great Hawaiian mac salad. CheeeOOoOO
Perhaps you should just use her recipe if it’s as amazing as you claim it to be. People make/cook/bake different ways, it doesn’t make it incorrect or less authentic just because it is not exactly like your mother’s neighbor or who ever else…you’re just being rude!
Pretty much. Thanks for saying that.