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Hawaiian-Style Mac Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
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Hawaiian-Style Mac Salad

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This easy Hawaiian-style Mac Salad (Macaroni Salad) is the perfect side dish recipe 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.

This popular side dish is a staple in Hawaiian cuisine and is perfect for potlucks and barbecues. Follow our easy-to-follow recipe and bring a taste of the islands to your next gathering.

Hawaiian-Style Mac Salad

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.

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!

Hawaiian-Style Mac salad

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: Hawaiian-style 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!

How to Make Hawaiian-Style Mac Salad

Hawaiian-style mac salad is so easy to make and only takes 30 minutes!

Tools Needed

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Pasta. Any elbow-shaped pasta will work! For this recipe, I used Lumache (or 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 classic.
  • Carrot. Finely grated carrot is classic.
  • 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.

The Process

  1. 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.
  2. Make the dressing. In a mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, milk, grated onion and carrot, green onion, vinegar, sugar, togarashi, furikake, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well-combined.
  3. 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.
  4. Drain and rinse the pasta. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse with cold water until the pasta is cool.
  5. Mix and refrigerate. After rinsing, immediately mix the pasta with the dressing, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, tossing periodically to keep the pasta from drying out. Serve Hawaiian-style mac salad topped with more green onion, togarashi, and furikake, if desired.

Recipe Tips

There are a lot of ways to prepare Hawaiian-style Mac salad, but here are my tips for making this recipe perfect every time!

  1. 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!
  2. Rinse your pasta. While I don’t usually advise rinsing pasta, pasta salad is different! Rinsing the pasta after cooking cools it down and removes excess starch and stops the cooking process.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Refrigerate for a few hours. Giving Hawaiian-style 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.

Storage Instructions

Like most pasta salads, Hawaiian-style Mac 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. A mayonnaise-based pasta salad shouldn’t be left out for more than 2 hours before refrigerating again.

Hawaiian-Style mac salad

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:

Recipe Modifications

I love this Hawaiian-style mac salad recipe as is, but there are so many ways to dress it up!

Vegan Hawaiian-Style mac salad: 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 Hawaiian-style 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.

Hawaiian-style Mac Salad FAQs

Can Hawaiian-style mac salad be vegan?

Yes! Just swap in your favorite vegenaise and skip the furikake as it has bonito flakes in it.

Can I make Hawaiian-Style mac salad ahead of time?

Yes! You can definitely make it 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.

How do I keep Hawaiian macaroni salad from getting too watery?

Use high-quality mayo! My favorite brand is Best Foods/Hellman’s which gives the mac salad a super creamy texture. Make sure to drain your pasta well before adding it to the dressing.

Hawaiian-style mac 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!

More Summer Side Dish Recipes to Try

Dressed Up Baked Beans
Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
Cucumber Yogurt Salad
Caramelized Onion Dip

This post may contain affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.

Hawaiian-Style Mac Salad
Side Dish

Hawaiian-style Mac Salad (Macaroni Salad)

This easy Hawaiian-style Mac Salad (Macaroni Salad) is the perfect side dish recipe 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.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 – 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 12 oz elbow-style pasta
  • 1 1/2 cups Hellman's or Best Foods mayonnaise
  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 small yellow onion*
  • 1 large 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 and carrot, green onion, vinegar, sugar, 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 with the dressing, cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours, tossing periodically to keep the pasta from drying out. Serve Hawaiian-style mac salad topped with more green onion, togarashi, and furikake, if desired.

Notes

I used Lumache (or shellbow) pasta for this recipe, and the shape was perfect! It held the dressing really well.
I love onion flavor and the grated onion definitely adds some. To reduce the onion-flavor, rinse the grated onion and wring out the liquid in a paper towel before adding it to the dressing. 
If you are planning to make this recipe ahead of time: the pasta will continue to absorb the dressing as it sits. You may need to add a little extra milk and mayonnaise before serving to keep the pasta creamy. 

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  1. 5 stars
    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.

    • 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!