Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is creamy, delicious and made with simple pantry ingredients. This pasta salad is the perfect side dish to make this summer.

Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe:

This Hawaiian Macaroni is a simple pasta dish that is great served with all your summer barbecues. There is no tropical flavors in this pasta dish, just simple pantry ingredients.

During the summer, we make a lot of Macaroni Salad Recipes and potato salads. They are an easy side dish to all of our grilled meats and they are easy to make. This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is packed with simple flavors.

What makes this authentic pasta salad stand out is the minimal ingredients that are used. The locals in Hawaiian love this pasta salad and now you can easily make it where ever you live.

What is Hawaiian Macaroni Salad?

This macaroni is made mainly with pasta and mayonnaise and it originates in the Aloha State. This pasta salad has been around since the 1900s and was introduced when macaroni was mixed with mayonnaise.

Hawaiian mac salad is a popular menu item still in Hawaii. It is served with your plate at lunch with your favorite meat or other Hawaiian food.

Ingredients: 

• Macaroni Pasta 
• Apple Cider Vinegar 
• Grated Carrots (peeled and shredded) 
• Green Onions (thinly sliced) 
• Mayonnaise (Hellman’s or Best Foods Real Mayonnaise) 
• Milk 
• Sugar 
• Black Pepper 
• Salt 

How to Make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad: 

• Step 1 – Cook Pasta – Cook the pasta based on the pasta instructions to al dente.  Drain the pasta.  Rinse with water.  
• Step 2 – Toss Pasta with ingredients – Place in a large mixing bowl.  Pour the vinegar on top and toss in the shredded carrots and onions.  Set aside to cool.  
• Step 3 – Make the Dressing – In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk and sugar.  
• Step 4 – Mix Dressing and Pasta – Pour the dressing mixture over the pasta salad.  Gently toss to coat the ingredients with the dressing. 

• Step 5 – Season Pasta Salad – Season with salt and pepper.  
• Step 6 – Cover and Serve – Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (you can refrigerate overnight).  Stir before serving and serve cold.  Enjoy!  

Can you make ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this simple pasta salad ahead of time. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. If the pasta salad seems a little dry, just mix together mayo and milk. Then gently fold back in with the pasta ingredients.

This allows the pasta salad to turn back to be a creamy pasta salad.

Recipe Tips:

• Mixing Bowl – We recommend using a large bowl to combine the pasta with the creamy dressing. This allows for the sauce to full cover the cooked pasta.
• Cooking Pasta – Make sure to cook pasta according to package. We like the pasta to be al dente. Allow pasta to cool before mixing in the other ingredients.
• Make Ahead – We really like to make this pasta ahead of time so the ingredients marinate together. It gives it so much flavor and perfect for any gathering.
• Refrigerate Pasta – If you make the pasta salad on serving day, make sure to allow the pasta to refrigerate. We recommend placing in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This helps the ingredients to combine and gives it the best flavor. It is best to allow it to chill overnight.
• Mayonnaise – Since mayonnaise is the main ingredient in the dressing recipe, we recommend using the Real mayonnaise. It will give you better flavor than whipped mayonnaise.

Substitutions and Additions:

• Macaroni – We used elbow macaroni in this recipe. You can use other types of small macaroni options.
• Add in Vegetables – This pasta salad is known for being a very simple side dish. But if you prefer, you can add in white grated onion, celery, fresh crab or relish. But these items are not necessary.
• Greek Yogurt – To try and make this pasta dish a little healthier, you can substitute the mayo for Greek Yogurt. But keep in mind it will change the taste.
• Milk – If you prefer, you can substitute the milk for other options. We have not try it with an almond milk or a cashew milk but some recipes say it turned out delicious.
• Boiled Eggs – You can also add in chopped boiled eggs if you prefer. They are not necessary for this salad but some recipes add it.

What to Serve with Hawaiian Macaroni Salad?

This macaroni salad is delicious served with many different meats. These are some of our favorites.

• Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – We love grilled boneless chicken thighs and they are inexpensive to serve your family or a crowd. The cooking time is less than 20 minutes total for a super quick dinner idea.
• Pulled Pork Sandwich – Make a batch of pulled pork sandwiches for a delicious option to serve with this pasta salad. This recipe is so easy to make in the crock pot.
• Grilled BBQ Teriyaki Chicken – This is one of my family’s favorite recipe. The recipe is easy to make and the chicken is loaded with flavor.

How to Store Leftovers:

Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  

Print Recipe for Hawaiian Macaroni Salad:

More Macaroni Salad Recipes:

• Greek Pasta Salad Recipe
• Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe
• Dill Pickle Pasta Salad Recipe