Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Our classic Hawaiian macaroni salad is a great side dish or potluck option full of veggies, pasta, and sweet dressing.

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This Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe has been passed down from generation to generation, and now it’s our turn to share it with the world. Simple ingredients combine to create this fun tropical salad loaded with tender noodles and veggies smothered in a creamy dressing.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Ingredients

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You’ll need:

For The Macaroni Salad:

• 16 ounces of elbow macaroni, cooked to al dente according to box directions, drained
• ½ cup of finely grated carrots
• ¼ cup of grated sweet yellow onion
• 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper

For The Dressing:

• 2½ cup of mayonnaise
• ½ cup of whole milk
• 2 teaspoons of granulated sugar

PRO TIP:

Any mayonnaise will work in this great recipe, I chose the lighter Kraft Mayo, but some swear by Dukes.

Substitutions And Additions

MIX-INS: You can add diced ham, finely diced celery, green onions, juicy pineapple, or even green peas to your authentic Hawaiian mac salad.

PASTA: You can use any short pasta noodles such as rotini, fusilli, or cavatappi in place of the macaroni noodles in this incredible salad.

How To Make This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe

STEP ONE: While the cooked, drained macaroni noodles are still hot, add the warm pasta, grated carrots, grated sweet onion, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Gently stir to incorporate the salad completely. Cover the mixing bowl and let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

STEP TWO: Using a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, and sugar until smooth.

STEP THREE: Gently fold the dressing into the macaroni salad. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours up to overnight. Before serving, gently stir the macaroni salad. 

How To Serve This Simple Macaroni Salad

This Hawaiian-style macaroni salad would be the perfect side dish to bring to a potluck. Add our cucumber salad or potato salad for another great addition to the menu. This salad would be tasty any time of year, whether for a summer barbecue or holiday gathering.

Pasta salad recipes are the way to go when feeding a crowd. Check out our dill pickle pasta salad and Caprese pasta salad that you can whip up in a flash.

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Storing This Hawaiian Salad Recipe

IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of this creamy mac salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

IN THE FREEZER: We would not recommend freezing this Hawaiian pasta salad.

Add a little bit of tropical flavors of the Hawaiian islands to your pasta salad with this authentic Hawaiian macaroni salad. With a handful of ingredients and a tangy dressing, you’ll have a creamy side dish.

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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

5 from 1 vote

Our classic Hawaiian macaroni salad is a great side dish or potluck option full of veggies, pasta, and sweet dressing.

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 35 minutes minutes

Servings 10

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Ingredients

  

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Macaroni Salad

• 16 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked according to box directions, drained
• ½ cup carrots, finely grated
• ¼ cup sweet yellow onion, grated
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Dressing

• 2½ cups mayonnaise
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Instructions

 

• While the cooked, drained macaroni is still hot, add the cooked macaroni, grated carrots, grated onion, apple cider vinegar, kosher salt and pepper to a large mixing bowl. Gently stir to completely incorporate the salad. Cover the mixing bowl and let the mixture sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Using a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk and sugar until smooth.
• Gently fold the dressing into the macaroni salad. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours to overnight. Before serving, gently stir the macaroni salad.

Notes

• Any mayonnaise will work in this great recipe, I chose the lighter Kraft Mayo, but some swear by Dukes.
• Follow the directions on the macaroni package for the cooking time of the pasta. You’ll want it to be al dente and not too soft.
• Just before serving, if the macaroni salad is a bit stiff, you can stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 601mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1126IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg

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