This easy Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe turns a few simple, pantry staple ingredients into a creamy, sweet and tangy macaroni salad. It’s a perfect make-ahead side dish for cookouts, potlucks, or whenever you need a low-effort dish that everyone will love.
If you’re looking for a quick and crowd-pleasing summer side, this easy Hawaiian macaroni salad is a must-make! It’s made with tender pasta, shredded carrots, and a creamy, slightly sweet and tangy dressing—all with minimal prep.
This pasta salad is a perfect make-ahead side dish because it tastes even better after chilling in the fridge. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or just want something simple to serve alongside main dishes like kalua pork, this classic-style Hawaiian macaroni salad delivers every time.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Milk: Whole milk will give you richer, creamier macaroni salad. You can use a lower fat perfect milk if you prefer.
- Mayonnaise: Use your favorite mayonnaise.
- Sugar: You can adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.
- Veggies: Feel free to adjust the amount and type of add-ins.
How to make Hawaiian macaroni salad
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Whisk 1 cup milk, ⅔ cup mayonnaise, sugar, pepper, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Step 2: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium-high heat. Adding salt to the water helps to flavor the pasta.
Step 3: Add macaroni, and cook until very soft, about 13-15 minutes. The pasta will better absorb the other ingredients if it is very soft. Drain macaroni and return it to pot.
Step 4: Add vinegar and toss until the vinegar has been absorbed.
Step 5: Transfer the macaroni to a large bowl, and let the macaroni cool for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Stir in the mayonnaise mixture until macaroni is well coated. Let macaroni cool completely.
Step 7: Add the green onions, grated carrots, celery, remaining ⅓ cup milk, and remaining ⅔ cup mayonnaise to bowl with macaroni mixture, and toss combine.
Step 8: Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days before serving.
Easy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups whole milk divided
- 1 ⅓ cups mayonnaise divided
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt plus salt for cooking pasta
- 10 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and shredded
- 2 celery ribs finely chopped
Instructions
- Whisk 1 cup milk, ⅔ cup mayonnaise, sugar, pepper, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over medium-high heat.
- Add macaroni, and cook until very soft, about 13-15 minutes.10 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
- Drain macaroni and return it to pot.
- Add vinegar and toss until the vinegar has been absorbed.1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- Transfer the macaroni to a large bowl, and let the macaroni cool for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the mayonnaise mixture until macaroni is well coated.
- Let macaroni cool completely.
- Add the green onions, grated carrots, celery, remaining ⅓ cup milk, and remaining ⅔ cup mayonnaise to bowl with macaroni mixture, and toss combine.2 green onions, 1 medium carrot, 2 celery ribs
- Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days before serving.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @i_heart_eating and follow on Youtube @katedean and Pinterest @katedean for more!
Storage
Store the Hawaiian macaroni salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up 3 days when properly stored in the fridge.
The sauce will continue to soak into the pasta as it sits, so you may want to prepare extra if making it ahead of time.
More pasta salad recipes!
If you’ve tried this Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
You can subscribe to receive my latest recipe newsletters or follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for even more delicious food.
Reader Interactions
Leave A Reply!
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Love this recipe?
Share your thoughts below and let’s chat! Make sure to connect with me on your favorite social platform below and show me what you made!