This Hawaiian macaroni salad is a summer staple that tosses noodles and shredded veggies in a sweet-and-tangy mayo-based dressing. This crunchy-meets-creamy combo makes it a crowd-pleasing side dish for picnics, backyard BBQs, or any grilling season get-together. I love how I can make it hours ahead of time.
I get hyped for grilling season every single year. There’s nothing quite like grilling in the sunshine for my family and friends. And the spread is only ever as good as the sides, which is why you’ll always see my Vinegar-Based Coleslaw and this Southern-Style Potato Salad at all of my barbecues.
Hawaiian Pasta Salad
Authentic Hawaiian macaroni salad is a budget-friendly comfort food that grew out of Hawaii’s “plate lunch” culture, AKA the cooling, creamy dishes that perfectly balance heavy, smoky meats like Kalua pork. Traditionally, it’s made by tossing elbow macaroni, finely grated carrots, and onions in plenty of mayo, salt, and pepper.
That simplicity is what sets it apart from your typical American macaroni salad, which is usually loaded with mustard, pickles, chunks of veggies, and so on. In Hawaiian-style macaroni salad, there aren’t a bunch of competing ingredients. It’s all about the sweet, tangy mayo-based dressing and soft yet satisfying texture, making it a big hit with the kids.
What I love most about this pasta salad is how it actually gets better as it sits. I always tell people to let it hang out in the fridge for a few hours, or even overnight, so the macaroni can soak up the dressing and the flavors can mellow out. Bonus: prepping it ahead makes hosting the BBQ so much less stressful. All you have to do is just pull it out of the fridge when the meat is ready!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pasta – I use elbow macaroni since it’s the traditional choice. Any small tubular pasta shape will work, such as ditalini or small shells.
- Vegetables – I shredded a sweet onion (like a Vidalia), carrots, and celery. I also like adding sliced green onions for pops of extra flavor.
- Mayonnaise – I use my Homemade Mayonnaise, which is surprisingly easy to make and way better than store-bought.
- Half and Half – It thins the dressing without taking away from its richness.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Its tangy, fruity, and acidic flavors cut right through the rich mayo-based dressing.
- Sugar – I went with granulated white sugar, but light brown sugar or cane sugar also works.
- Seasonings – Just kosher salt and black pepper.
How to Make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Cook the pasta: First, I boil the macaroni in a large pot of salted water. Once cooked, I drain the pasta and rinse it under cold running water.
Toss: I transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. I toss everything together until the noodles are coated in the creamy dressing.
Season and chill: I taste the salad and season it with salt and pepper as needed. I’ll either serve the pasta salad right away or chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Chef Tip + Notes
I almost always aim for al dente when I’m cooking pasta, but not here. If you ask any local about Hawaiian pasta salad, they’ll tell you to cook the noodles thoroughly. I followed the maximum cooking time on the package to make the noodles soft enough to soak up the dressing without turning mushy.
- Rinse the noodles: I don’t usually rinse cooked pasta, but I recommend it for this salad. The water quickly cools the noodles and washes away the excess starch that would normally turn the macaroni salad into a sticky brick in the fridge.
- Easy shredding: Shredding the vegetables with a box grater is great, but a food processor fitted with a shredding blade is the easiest method.
- Go heavy on the dressing: I know it might look like a lot of dressing at first, but trust the process. The macaroni will absorb a lot of the moisture as it chills in the fridge.
- Chill time: I always refrigerate pasta salad for at least 1 hour before serving. This gives the pasta plenty of time to fully absorb the dressing and for any bitterness from the raw veggies to break down into something sweet and mellow.
- Add more: I’m not opposed to upgrading this Hawaiian macaroni salad with add-ins, like hard-boiled eggs, canned tuna, bacon, diced red bell peppers, peas, a spoonful of sweet pickle relish, or a dash of sweet paprika.
Serving Suggestions
This salad is always a hit at summer barbecues. Both adults and kids love those creamy, tangy flavors, especially served alongside my smash burgers, grilled BBQ chicken, or a hot dog slathered with mustard and relish. You can’t go wrong serving it alongside a smoky, juicy pulled pork sandwich—the creamy macaroni salad is the perfect match for the rich barbecue flavors.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: For the best flavor, make this macaroni salad a few hours in advance or the night before serving. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, and do not leave it out for more than 2 hours.
How to Store: Cover the salad and keep it in the fridge for 3 days.
More Summer Salad Recipes
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- ½ cup peeled and shredded sweet onion
- 2 shredded ribs of celery
- 3 peeled, shredded carrots
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated or light brown sugar
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onions
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- ¼ cup half and half
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Cool the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water according to the package instructions.
- Drain and cool under cold water.
- Add the cool, strained pasta to a large bowl along with the remaining ingredients.
- Mix thoroughly until combined.
- Adjust any seasonings and serve or cover and store.
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe