This Hawaiian-style Mac Salad is a super easy side dish that’s perfect for any plate lunch or bbq! This recipe only takes 30 minutes to prep and uses pantry ingredients to create a creamy, no-frills macaroni salad that is the perfect side dish.
Follow these straightforward recipe steps to bring a taste of the islands to your next gathering!
Table of Contents
About This Hawaiian-Inspired Recipe
When it comes to BBQs, I’m a real side dish girly. As much as I love a grilled main course, I’m really here to make a plate filled with all my favorite sides.
This Hawaiian-style mac salad is at the top of my list! I have been making this recipe for years, but it’s taken me a while to truly perfect the ratio of ingredients. Now, I’m so happy to share this recipe with you!
My version of Hawaiian-style Mac Salad uses al dente shellbows or lumache pasta with a classic mayo-based dressing with grated carrots, a bit of green and yellow onion, and some togarashi and furikake to finish.
While these aren’t strictly traditional, Hawaiian cuisine is an amalgamation of cuisines from Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines, and Portugal. Using the togarashi and furikake, which are staples in Japanese cooking, just felt right!
History of Mac Salad on the Island
Hawaiian macaroni salad has a unique history that dates back to the early 1900s when the first waves of Portuguese immigrants arrived in Hawaii to work in the sugar cane fields. The immigrants brought with them their love of pasta salads and soon began adapting their traditional recipes to the local ingredients available in Hawaii.
The dish gained popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly as a side dish for plate lunches, which are a staple of Hawaiian cuisine. Over time, the dish has evolved, with various additions and modifications made to the original recipe.
Today, Hawaiian macaroni salad is widely enjoyed throughout the islands and beyond, and is known for its creamy texture, tangy flavor, and unique blend of ingredients.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Traditional mac salad is a recipe with important cultural history to many Hawaiians and others with Hawaiian heritage. This recipe is not meant to be authentic! For an authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad recipe rooted in family history, check out this recipe from Jess at Plays Well With Butter!
Key Recipe Ingredients
full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Pasta. Any elbow-shaped pasta will work! For this recipe, I used Lumache (aka shellbow) pasta and I really loved the shape and texture.
- Mayonnaise. Best Foods or Hellman’s is the play here. They make this recipe absolutely perfect.
- Onion. Yellow or sweet onion is best for grating so that it won’t be too sharp tasting.
- Green onion. A bit of green onion mixed in is a must.
- Carrot. Finely grated carrot is a classic ingredient.
- Rice wine vinegar. Vinegar isn’t strictly traditional, but I find that the bit of acidity balances the flavor of the sauce.
- Milk. Also not traditional, but I find that having a slightly thinner sauce leaves the mac salad moist even after refrigerating for several hours.
- Togarashi. Togarashi is a Japanese spice blend that consists of chili pepper, among other flavors. You can find it at your local Asian market or even the Asian aisle of a well-stocked grocery store.
- Furikake. Another Japanese seasoning mix made of dry seaweed, sesame, and bonito flakes. It adds lots of umami flavor.
Recipe Modifications
Make it vegan: This recipe can easily be made vegan by swapping in your favorite vegenaise. Skip the furikake if you plan to make this version, unless you can find a vegan variety.
Add some meat! Some crispy spam or bacon would take this mac salad to the next level.
Mix in some veggies. While this isn’t traditional, you could mix some veggies into this mac salad like bell pepper, snap peas, peas, etc.
Needed Tools
How to Make Hawaiian-Style Mac Salad
- Prep the veggies. Both the carrot and the yellow onion need to be grated using the fine side of a box grater.
Jenny’s Tip: For a less potent onion flavor, lay the grated onion on a paper towel and ring out the onion juice before adding it to the recipe. That being said, the onion flavor mellows out as it sits!
- Make the dressing. Simply whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, grated onion and carrot, green onion, vinegar, sugar, togarashi, and furikake. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cook the pasta until al dente. You’ll want to generously salt the pasta water so the pasta is also seasoned. Drain the pasta in a colander, then rinse under cold water to prevent it from cooking past al dente.
- Assemble and refrigerate. Toss the cooked pasta with the mac salad-style dressing and pop it into the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Giving mac salad a couple of hours in the fridge really allows the flavors to meld. Make sure to stir every so often to keep the salad creamy!
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can assemble the mac salad several hours or even one day in advance. Just know that the pasta absorbs the dressing so you may need to add a little extra mayo and milk to keep it creamy.
Recipe Tips to Remember
Don’t overcook the pasta. While it may be common to cook the pasta so that it’s super soft, I find that it falls apart and absorbs too much of the sauce. I always prefer a slightly al-dente pasta to overcooked!
Use quality mayonnaise. Best Food or Hellman’s (depending on your location) is always the way to go! It’s my absolute favorite mayonnaise and has the perfect tangy flavor. Duke’s is also a great option.
Mix the pasta with the dressing right after rinsing. So that the pasta doesn’t dry out, mix it with the dressing right after rinsing.
Is your dressing watery? You either used a low-quality mayonnaise OR you didn’t drain the pasta well enough after rinsing it with cold water.
How Long Does This Last in the Fridge?
Like most pasta salads, Hawaiian-style macaroni salad can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
That being said, if your pasta salad has been sitting out all day when it’s warm out, it’s better not to keep it. Any mayonnaise-based pasta salad shouldn’t be left out for more than 2 hours before refrigerating again.
What to Serve with Hawaiian-Style Mac Salad
There’s something about Hawaiian-style Mac salad that just pairs so well with grilled meats at a bbq! It’s a match made in heaven. While I could happily make a meal of mac salad, here are my favorite entrees to serve it with:
- Banh Mi Hot Dogs
- Grilled Ribeye with Chimichurri
- Grilled Salmon Skewers
- Grilled Gyros
- Grilled Lemongrass Chicken
- Grilled Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches
- Grilled Cheeseburgers
- Grilled Kalbi Short Ribs
More Easy Pasta Salads to Try
- Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
- Grilled Veggie Pasta Salad
- Italian Grinder Pasta Salad
- Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Caprese Orzo Salad
Next time you need a pasta salad recipe that will have your guests raving, give this Hawaiian-Style Mac Salad a try! It’s perfect for any backyard bbq and pairs perfectly with so many different foods. If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
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Hawaiian-Style Mac Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz elbow-style pasta
- 1 2/3 cups mayonnaise (we love Hellman's or Best Foods)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 small yellow onion*
- 1 small carrot
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
- 1 1/2 teaspoons togarashi , optional
- 2 teaspoons furikake , optional
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Grate the veggies. Using the medium or fine side of a box grater, grate the carrot and yellow onion and transfer to a mixing bowl. See below notes on reducing onion flavor, if desired.
- Make the dressing. In a mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, milk, grated onion, green onion, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, togarashi, furikake, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well-combined.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling bowl. Add the pasta, stir well, and simmer until just barely past al-dente, but not overcooked.
- Drain and rinse the pasta. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water until the pasta is cool.
- Mix and refrigerate. After rinsing, immediately mix the pasta and grated carrots with the dressing, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, tossing periodically to keep the pasta from drying out. Serve the mac salad topped with more green onion, togarashi, and furikake, if desired.
Notes
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Rate & Review This Recipe
This is not Hawaiian Mac salad.
This is twisted to haole style
Jackie,
I appreciate your comment, but if you had read through the post I very clearly state that this recipe isn’t intended to be authentic. This is my take on a Hawaiian-style mac salad–even the name is titled to make it clear that this salad is simply in the style of that particular macaroni salad. I have also linked to a recipe from a Hawaiian creator with her version of this recipe if you’re looking for authentic.
I’ve removed your star rating because it’s clear you didn’t make the recipe and came instead to pick a fight. I have great respect for the cultural significance of this recipe and have also placed a disclaimer at the top that is recipe is only meant to be inspired by a cuisine I love. Have a great day!
This recipe is also pretty good.
Update: This is still a very good recipe. I’ve made it three times in three weeks, partly because I had a few potlucks to go to and partly because what the hell else am I going to do with furikake and togarashi. Each time I received compliments on it, though I did not accept them (it’s your recipe after all). I enjoy that it doesn’t have a vinegar tanginess that other pasta salads have. Nor does taste like pure mayonnaise.
Thrilled you have been enjoying it!