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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (+Video)

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is unlike any other pasta salad! Macaroni noodles in a sweet and sour creamy dressing with shredded carrots!

A HAWAIIAN ISLAND FAVORITE RECIPE

I had a friend, Leilani, who made it her goal to educate folks on all things Hawai’i. She was born and raised there. She would always joke about our (and by “our” – I mean us mainlanders) use of pineapple. “Mainlanders think that just cause you put pineapple in something, it automatically becomes ‘Hawaiian’.” I have been educated on this by Hawaiian readers over the years so I try to bear that in mind when creating recipes. Leilani thankfully gave me her family’s recipe for Hawaiian Macaroni Salad and I still make her treasured recipe after all these years!

overhead photo of macaroni salad in a white bowl.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

What is Hawaiian Macaroni Salad?

It’s a macaroni salad recipe that is particularly popular in the Hawaiian Islands and is often served as a side to Kalua pork (recipe from Onolicious Hawai’i – a fantastic resource for all things Hawaiian by Native Hawaiians)

How to make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad with tuna?

A lot of people enjoy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad with tuna. It’s very easy to add tuna to this recipe. Prepare as written then stir in a can of drained tuna. If you prefer a lot of tuna, add two cans.

What makes Hawaiian Mac Salad different from other macaroni salads?

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is very basic in that there are not a lot of add-ins like green peppers, etc. It usually only has shredded carrots added. The sauce is also more like a sweet and sour dressing rather than just a standard mayonnaise dressing. However, I learned that everyone in Hawaii has their own way of making mac salad as we do here on the mainland.

What do you serve with Hawaiian Macaroni Salad?

It is traditionally served with Kalua pork. Any type of pulled pork will go great with this or some BBQ ribs or a traditional Hawaiian favorite, Huli Huli Chicken.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad shown in a white bowl with a dish towel in the background.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR HAWAIIAN MACARONI SALAD: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • elbow macaroni
  • shredded carrots
  • shallot
  • boiled eggs
  • mayonnaise 
  • milk
  • seasoned rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar) 
  • sugar
  • salt and black pepper
  • celery seed
elbow macaroni, shredded carrots, shallot, boiled eggs, mayonnaise, milk. seasoned rice vinegar, sugar, salt and black pepper, celery seed.

HOW TO MAKE HAWAIIAN MACARONI SALAD:

Boil macaroni according to box directions until al dente: about 9 minutes. Drain noodles, rinse under cold water until cool then put into a large bowl. 

cooked noodles in a large glass bowl.

Add in the shredded carrots, diced shallot and boiled eggs. 

diced boiled eggs, shredded carrots and diced shallots added to bowl with cooked macaroni.

In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper & celery seed. Whisk together until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 – 3 minutes.

dressing ingredients added to a bowl.

Pour over noodles and stir. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

dressing mixture added to macaroni noodles in a large glass bowl.

Or, cover with plastic wrap and pop it into the fridge until ready to serve!  For a full Hawaiian meal experience, give this Huli Huli Chicken a try!

Hawaiian Mac Salad in a shallow white bowl on a white wooden surface.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad recipe

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (+Video)

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is unlike any other pasta salad! Macaroni noodles in a sweet and sour creamy dressing with shredded carrots!
5 from 17 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 16 ounce box macaroni noodles
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 3 Tablespoons finely diced shallot (or sweet onion)
  • 2 boiled eggs, diced
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • cup whole milk
  • 2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed (optional)

Instructions

  • Boil macaroni according to box directions until al dente; about 9 minutes. Drain noodles, rinse under cold water until cool then put into a large bowl. 
  • Add in the shredded carrots, diced shallot and boiled eggs. 
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper and celery seed. Whisk together until sugar is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
  • Pour over noodles and stir. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Video

YouTube video
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Sodium: 404mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Originally published: May 2016
Updated and republished: Mar 2022

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Recipe Rating




17 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I do add pineapple to mine and small chunks of Spam or ham. Love this salad the most of all of them. I also hate people saying it is Hawaiian just because you added pineapple. LOL! My heart is in Hawaii. My birthplace. Leilani was suppose to be my name but they changed it at the last minute. If you do not try this salad boy are you missing out.

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe was a weekly meal for the group. They loved it thank you for sharing
    Five stars two thumbs up they never had it before thanks. Your recipes are easy delicious fast.

  3. 5 stars
    Oh my gracious this is so good! I think it actually tastes better than the Mac Salad we ate in Hawai’i (no offense to my native Hawaiian friends!)

  4. 5 stars
    Brandie, just wanted to let you know we made this and loved it. This dressing is SO good!! So much better than just plain ole mayonnaise!

  5. When I saw the headline, I thought, "Macaroni salad with pineapples!" Well, I was absolutely wrong! Ha! This sounds divine – thank you for sharing!