Super easy to make with elbow macaroni, mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, onion, carrots, and basic spices…. this popular pasta salad is the perfect blend of sweet, tangy, and savory. It is a side dish that is perfect for all kinds of occasions and one of our favorite Hawaiian foods of all time. Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, also known as Hawaiian Mac Salad is a side dish traditionally served on lunch pate in Hawaii with the bold flavors of BBQ. It is a very simple salad recipe with only a few ingredients. Macaroni Pasta, sliced carrots, mayonnaise, Onion, vinegar, milk, salt, black pepper powder, and a little sugar Easy dishes like this Hawaiian Macaroni salad are exactly what I want for lunch or dinner when the weather starts to warm up. It’s so full of amazing flavor, and it’s such a simple dish to make, too! We are obsessed with this mac salad in our family! It’s the perfect side dish to bring to a potluck, serve at a cookout with friends, or for any gatherings. I love how the rich, tangy sauce coats pasta that contrasts with the crunchy bits of carrots and onion. There aren’t any tropical flavors involved; it’s just a fun, tasty side dish to bring to your next cookout or potluck. You might be thinking then how this recipe is a Hawaiin recipe? There is no pineapple or ham added to this recipe! Hmmm…. My friend, adding ham or pineapple to something does not make it “Hawaiian Food”. They make this salad with very minimal ingredients and of course without pineapple and ham in it. And since there are many different types of mac salad in the world, you can also call this – Hawaii’s mac salad, Hawaii-style mac salad, or even mac salad from Hawaii.
Why you’ll love this recipe?
It is simple, so creamy, so delicious, and SO addicting!It’s a perfectly spiced and ideal side dish for backyard cookouts, potlucks, or the iconic Hawaiian plate lunch.Incredibly Easy to Make! This recipe only takes 15 minutes from start to finish!Perfect for all age groups.A budget-friendly, crowd-pleaser and can be made ahead of time.
Ingredients required
Pasta – Elbow-style macaroni is classic for Hawaiian mac salad, but you can also use any other short pasta you like or sub in gluten-free pasta if needed.Vegetable – A few grated carrots and green onion add a little texture & some color. You can use any onions. You can also add celery.Mayonnaise – Do not skimp on this ingredient. I am using vegan mayo as we don’t eat eggs. But you do eat eggs; I would recommend you to use Best Foods or even for the stronger bolder taste of Dukes Mayo is wonderful.Sugar – This recipe uses a little bit of sugar. It helps balance the richness of the mayo dressing and the tang from the vinegar.Vinegar – I have used rice vinegar. Apple cider vinegar and white vinegar can also be used.Milk – I used whole milk. But this could easily be made with cashew milk or almond milk to make it vegan.Spices – We need only salt and black pepper powder.
Step-by-step process
Cooking pasta
Cook the elbow macaroni pasta for 1-2 minutes more than the cooking time listed on the package. Drain the elbow macaroni. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes.Tip – You want slightly overcooked macaroni for mac salad. The soft texture is a signature of Hawaii’s mac salad. It also helps the macaroni better absorb all the flavors.
Instant Pot Directions
Pour water into Instant Pot Pressure Cooker and add macaroni making sure to spread evenly on the bottom.Close lid and set to Manual/Pressure Cook on high for 4 minutes with a 10-minute Natural Release (NR) and then Quick Release (QR) the remaining pressure.Rinse pasta under cool water and drain.Take the pasta into a big mixing bowl. Toss with vinegar. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
Make dressing.
While pasta cools, whisk together mayonnaise, milk, salt, black pepper powder, and granulated sugar until smooth.Now add grated carrots, green onions, and mayo dressing and toss to ensure everything is coated.
Chill and serve.
Cover it and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Add more milk if necessary, only a splash at a time. Enjoy!
The dressing for this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad had to be thin enough to soak into the pasta,To prevent the vinegar from curdling the milk, always add the vinegar directly over the hot macaroni, stir the mixture, and let it cool.Don’t use Low-fat milk or mayonnaise. It will make the dressing less creamy and too thin.To make this Hawaiian mac salad extra creamy, use half and half instead of milk.
More Salad recipes
Green goddess saladBalela saladSouthwest saladClassic pasta salad
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