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'." It's pretty true about us mainlanders though! Anyhow, she thankfully gave me her family's recipe for Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (everyone has their own version) and I still make her recipe after all these years and everyone raves over it!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
It's a macaroni salad recipe that is particularly popular in the Hawaiian Islands and is often served as a side to Kalua pork.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Add in the shredded carrots, diced shallot and boiled eggs.
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.
Pour over noodles and stir. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
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!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
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
- ⅓ 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
Nutrition
Originally published: May 2016
Updated and republished: Mar 2022
Jennifer Jonea
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!)
alice shearer
If theres no pineapple in Hawaii macaroni salad its not Hawaii
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Not true at all. Have you ever actually eaten in Hawai'i? I promise you that pineapple doesn't go anywhere near Mac Salad.
Carlee
I definitely give this recipe a 10 out of 10!
Matthew Flanagan
This looks so yummy! Will update when I've tried it 🙂
Gina M Davis
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!
Cynthia Palmer
my brother and his family lives in Hawaii, I may have to send him this recipe to try.
Vasily
Thanks!
Linda
Well I made this and it didn't last long at our BBQ so I guess you could call it a hit. LOL
Janet Torres
i like all the recipes , too many favorites to pick just one ..
Donna
What happened to your friend Leilani?
Brandie @ The Country Cook
She moved back to Hawai'i, got married and now runs a successful business there. And she still makes her famous Mac Salad recipe!
The Erlybird
When I saw the headline, I thought, "Macaroni salad with pineapples!" Well, I was absolutely wrong! Ha! This sounds divine - thank you for sharing!
Ronnie Waters
I thought the same thing !