This Hawaiian Mac Salad is creamy, perfectly seasoned, and tastes like the real deal. Bring a taste of Hawaii to your table with simple ingredients and a soft, sweet-tangy flavor that keeps people coming back for seconds.

A white bowl of Hawaiian mac salad on a checkered dish towel with green onions and a wooden spoon nearby.

The macaroni salad on a Hawaiian plate lunch is just as important as the protein next to it, whether kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, or otherwise. It’s creamy, simply seasoned, and has that signature soft texture that sets it apart from old fashioned macaroni salad. A little sweeter, a little richer, and one of my favorite favorite summer pasta salad recipes for cookouts and potlucks.

The good news is it’s easy to make at home with elbow macaroni, grated carrot, green onion, and a creamy mayo-based dressing. Active prep takes about 30 minutes, then it chills for an hour to let the flavors come together. Make it the night before and it tastes even better the next day.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Authentic flavor at home. The creamy texture and signature sweet-tangy dressing, made with simple grocery store ingredients.
Only a handful of ingredients. Simple pantry and fridge staples are all you need.
Better the next day. This is the rare recipe that genuinely improves with time in the fridge, which makes it perfect for cookouts and potlucks.
Perfect for summer gatherings. A backyard BBQ, luau, or cookout side that everyone goes back for.

Ingredients for Hawaiian Pasta Salad Recipe

This section includes ingredient notes and substitution options. Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Labeled ingredients on a marble counter: green onions, milk, elbow macaroni, mayonnaise, sugar, carrots, apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper.

Elbow macaroni: The classic shape for this salad. Cook it a full minute past the package directions for that authentic, slightly soft texture.
Green onions and carrots: The carrots add a bit of sweetness and a pop of color, while the onions provide a fresh, crisp bite.
Apple cider vinegar: We drizzle this over the hot pasta while it’s still warm, so it absorbs into the noodles as they cool. Don’t skip this step! It’s what gives the salad extra flavor.
Mayonnaise and whole milk: Use Hellmann’s or Best Foods for the most authentic flavor. Half goes into the dressing before chilling, and the other half gets stirred in right before serving to keep it extra creamy. The milk thins it out, making it pourable.
Seasoning: Salt, black pepper, and granulated white sugar.

How to Make Hawaiian Style Mac Salad

This section shows you how to make the recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions. For the full printable recipe, see the recipe card below.

Step 1: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the elbow macaroni until very tender. I aim for about 1 minute longer than the package directions to give the salad its classic soft, creamy texture. Drain well.

Step 2: Transfer the cooked pasta to a large bowl and immediately drizzle with the apple cider vinegar. Stir to coat and let it sit for 15 minutes. Don’t rush this step!

Apple cider vinegar being poured from a small glass bowl over cooked elbow macaroni in a large glass mixing bowl.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups of the mayonnaise, the whole milk, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the grated carrots and sliced green onions to the cooled pasta. Pour the dressing over the top and stir gently until everything is evenly coated.

Creamy dressing being poured over cooked macaroni, shredded carrots, and green onions in a large glass bowl.

Pro Tip:

Grate the carrots finely. Large carrot shreds stand out too much and don’t blend into the salad the way they should.

Step 4: Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This gives the pasta a chance to absorb a lot of the dressing as it chills, which is exactly what you want.

Step 5: Just before serving, stir in the remaining ½ cup of mayonnaise. This is the step that brings it back to that perfectly creamy consistency after chilling. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Top-down view of a white bowl of creamy macaroni salad on a checkered dish towel with green onions and a wooden spoon on the side.

How I Shred the Carrots

I use the grater attachment on this veggie chopper to shred the carrots for this recipe. It gives me that fine shred that blends right into the salad, and it’s much easier than using a regular box grater. Every piece is dishwasher safe, which makes cleanup easy.

Carrot being shred with veggie chopper / grater.

Storage

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The dressing may separate slightly as it sits, so be sure to give your Hawaiian style macaroni salad a good stir before serving. You can also add a small spoonful of mayo if it needs loosening up.

This salad does not freeze well. The mayo-based dressing breaks down when frozen and thawed, resulting in a watery, separated mess.

Recipe Tips

Overcook the pasta slightly. Now this might go against everything you know about pasta. But for a classic Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe, soft noodles are the goal. Forget the al dente for today, they should be tender all the way!
Dress the pasta while it’s hot. The vinegar needs to go on while the macaroni is still warm, so the noodles can absorb it. Cold pasta won’t absorb it the same way, and you’ll end up with a flat-tasting salad sitting in a pool of vinegar.
Layering the mayo matters. Adding all the mayo upfront means the pasta absorbs most of it while chilling, and you end up with a dry salad. Reserving that last ½ cup to stir in before serving is what keeps it perfectly creamy.
Season generously. Macaroni soaks up salt as it sits. What tastes well-seasoned right after mixing may need another pinch before serving, so always taste and adjust before putting it on the table.
Make ahead: This salad tastes even better after sitting overnight. If you’re making it for a cookout, potluck, or backyard luau, this is a great one to prep the day before.

A wooden spoon lifting a scoop of creamy mac salad with shredded carrots and green onion from a clear glass bowl.

Serving Suggestions

In Hawaii, mac salad is a regular menu item on a plate lunch, served alongside white rice and a protein. It pairs best with sweet, smoky, or BBQ-style mains. You can’t go wrong with some of my favorites:

Additions and variations

Swap the vinegar. White vinegar can be used in a pinch. Apple cider vinegar does provide a slightly more rounded flavor, however.
Add extra veggies. A couple of ribs of finely diced celery make a great addition for a little extra crunch. Some people also add a small amount of finely grated onion in place of or alongside the green onion.
Milk options. Whole milk gives the creamiest result, but 2% works fine. Avoid skim as it makes the dressing too thin.
Add protein. Stir in diced ham, shredded rotisserie chicken, or hard-boiled eggs to make it more of a main dish.

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Recipe

A wooden spoon lifting a scoop of creamy Hawaiian mac salad with shredded carrots and green onion from a bowl.

Recipe

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Hawaiian Mac Salad

Author: Jaclyn

Prep: 20

Cook: 10

Chill Time 1

Total: 1 30

This creamy Hawaiian mac salad has the soft texture and sweet-tangy flavor of a real plate lunch side. Easy to make ahead and even better the next day, it's a family favorite for cookouts, potlucks, and backyard luaus.

Ingredients

▢ 1 pound elbow macaroni
▢ ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
▢ 2 ½ cups mayonnaise, divided (I recommend Hellmann’s or Best Foods)
▢ ¾ cup whole milk
▢ 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
▢ 2 carrots, peeled and grated
▢ 4 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions, until very tender. Drain well.
1 pound elbow macaroni
Transfer the hot pasta to a large bowl. Drizzle with apple cider vinegar and stir to coat. Let sit for 15 minutes to absorb the vinegar and cool.
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 cups of the mayonnaise, whole milk, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
2 cups mayonnaise, ¾ cup whole milk, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
Add the grated carrots and sliced green onions to the pasta. Pour the dressing over the top and stir gently until evenly coated.
4 green onions, 2 carrots
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Before serving, stir in the remaining ½ cup mayonnaise.
0.5 cups mayonnaise

Notes

I recommend Hellmann’s or Best Foods mayonnaise for the best flavor.
Cook the macaroni about 1 minute past the package directions. Soft noodles are the goal.
Don’t skip drizzling the apple cider vinegar over the hot pasta. The warm noodles absorb it as they cool.
Grate the carrots finely on the small side of a box grater so they blend into the salad.
Reserving the last ½ cup of mayo to stir in before serving keeps the salad creamy after chilling.
This salad tastes even better the next day, making it a great make-ahead side for cookouts and potlucks.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Stir well before serving as the dressing may separate slightly. Does not freeze well.