Hawaiian Mac Salad is the cornerstone of a good “plate lunch,” i.e. a bed of rice, a scoop of mac salad, and a heaping serving of a meat dish like lau lau, kalua pork, or huli huli chicken. In other words, it’s a peak highlight of Hawaii’s food scene (with the exception, perhaps of the mountains of delicious and cheap poke).
For me, mac (“macaroni”) salad was the unexpected MVP of our first trip to Hawaii––it seems so unassuming, but the brilliance of Hawaiian mac salad is that it’s not a gloopy, undifferentiated mayonnaise-y mess like what you might find on the mainland. It’s a wonderfully complex carb-tastic side-dish, augmented with chunky potatoes which give it lots of texture and body and a subtle vinegary sweetness which makes it a main event in and of itself, not just a side. In short, mac salad is everything you could want as the highly valued sidekick on your plate lunch.
On our most recent trip to Maui, here are the ways this irrational love for Hawaiian mac salad manifested itself…
- When we did have mac salad for a plate lunch shared among my sister and two cousins, I was verging on wolfishly protective over the small scoop of mac salad it came with.
- Was at a restaurant with a huge plate of food and a dwindling pile of mac salad. Proved my glutton status by ordering another scoop of mac salad. Proceeded to neglect the rest of my dinner and just eat the mac salad.
- Went to Foodland to see if they sold house-made mac salad. They did not. Tragic. But we did salvage these trips with poke. Lots and lots of poke.
- Ate a mountain of mac salad at the luau we went to, augmented with small piles of everything else (which in total ended up being an absurd amount of food). People in the buffet line stared with zero shame as I scooped–also with zero shame.
So, for anyone else who has returned from a Hawaiian vacation and is searching for the elusive taste of paradise, here’s our version of a Hawaiian mac salad recipe!
You’ll need:
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 cups mayonnaise (It’s a lot. Adjust to taste.)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 1 carrot, grated (about 1 cup)
- 1 very small onion, grated
- Salt to taste
Boil the macaroni and the potatoes in two separate pots simultaneously. Cook the macaroni until it’s fully softened—not necessarily al dente. Cook the potatoes until fork tender. In a separate bowl, mash the potatoes into a coarse mash. It should be about half chunky and half smooth.
Next, mix the dressing: add the mayonnaise, milk, cider vinegar, and sugar.
In a large bowl, mix the boiled macaroni with the peas, carrots, and grated onion. Pour the dressing in. Mix thoroughly. Now add the mashed potatoes.
Add salt to taste.
Serve with tasty slow cooked BBQ, grilled meat, or a big scoop of Spam Fried Rice! Stay tuned for that recipe in a couple of days!
~Aloha~
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 cups mayonnaise (It’s a lot. Adjust to taste.)
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1-2 tablespoons cider vinegar (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1½ cups frozen peas
- 1 carrot, grated (about 1 cup)
- 1 very small onion, grated
- Salt to taste
- Boil the macaroni and the potatoes in two separate pots simultaneously. Cook the macaroni until it’s fully softened—not necessarily al dente. Cook the potatoes until fork tender. In a separate bowl, mash the potatoes into a coarse mash. It should be about half chunky and half smooth.
- Next, mix the dressing: add the mayonnaise, milk, cider vinegar, and sugar.
- In a large bowl, mix the boiled macaroni with the peas, carrots, and grated onion. Pour the dressing in. Mix thoroughly. Now add the mashed potatoes. Add salt to taste.
Tanya says
Great recipe! I have been looking for one that is sort of a cross between macaroni and potato salad. The version we are most familiar with (from many trips to Kauai as well as local Hawaiian restaurants here in CA) involves only macaroni and dressing (mayo, milk, vinegar, sugar, seasonings) along with just the slightest whisper of shredded carrot and green onion. Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Judy says
Great, Tanya, let us know how you like it.
Kelly says
Made this for a party.
I may or may not have eaten most of it.
Thanks for another great recipe.
Kaitlin says
Hahahah sorry we missed your comment back in June, Kelly!
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. :P
Schultzy says
Greetings from Minnesota (home of Spam) Good recipe! I noticed the dressing is about the same as my potato salad or mac salad (peas and cheese) dressing. Never thought to combine the 2. Mashed potatoes really make this work!
Thanks for all your work on this great site.
Kaitlin says
Thank you! Also, MAC SALAD WITH PEAS & CHEESE YUMMMMM
Lori says
Apparently, if you even mention the word “spam” in your post, Pinterest won’t go there! :(
Sarah says
wooooow. Good to know. Jeez. Thanks Lori!
Diana says
What can I use instead of cider vinegar? I don’t want to purchase cider vinegar just for this recipe.
Kaitlin says
Just a little white distilled vinegar should work fine, Diana. Or you can omit!
Natalie says
I love when we go to travel to some places and fall in love with their food and also be inspired by them.
This dish looks really nice and also includes most of my favourite ingredients!!
I’d like to try this asap xD
Kaitlin says
Thanks, Natalie! Hope you enjoy it! :)
Debbe Lee says
For every potato you add to the salad, add the same number of hard boiled eggs (chopped). Our ohana also add a can of flaked tuna; it’s wonderful with the mayonnaise in the salad. Aloha and keep up the great work of providing us with recipes!
Kaitlin says
Aloha, Debbe!! Thanks for those adds, I have a feeling I would love the addition of hard-boiled eggs. Macaroni salad + potato salad + egg salad = mac salad gone wild. <3
pamela rollins says
Since this is Hawaiian, would adding crushed pineapple be a viable option?
Love your site, so informative and always fun to read.
Thanks
Kaitlin says
Hey Pamela, You can definitely give it a whirl with a small batch! If you like it toss more into the rest of your batch! Experimentation is the mother of all tasty foods, after all. Cheers!
Michele says
Aloha
We like to add hard boiled eggs and thinly sliced cucumbers ( soak in salt water then rinse thoroughly) Auntie Jeans special trick.
Kaitlin says
Alohaaa~ sounds like a good way to make it a full meal!
Toni Jean says
I need to make this mac potato salad version! It sounds amazing!
I always add hard boiled eggs to potato salad — and when i am feeling particularly festive I also make deviled eggs to nestle on top of the salad. Has the same rich salty creamy sweet going for it! :P
Ana says
Reminds me of the kinds of “salads” we would have at birthday parties growing up in Hong Kong. My family background is Macanese, so our birthday parties had all kinds of interesting dishes. The original fusion food movement! We used Miracle whip instead of mayo, and also added diced apples along with the other ingredients, but did not mash the potatoes. Not sure if that recipe was influenced by the British style salads. Sounds kind of strange, but it was a favorite and oddly satisfying.
Kaitlin says
Hi Ana, interesting! Never heard of those fusion salads coming out of Hong Kong, but it makes total sense!
Ana says
It is the cuisine of Macau. A little Portuguese, a little Chinese and some English thrown in there for good measure. Grew up eating all these great “fusion” dishes. I don’t think the phrase was quite in vogue at that time.
Ana says
Let me correct that. Probably applies more to the Macanese population that lived in Hong Kong. My mother was born and raised in Macau before she moved to Hong Kong to find work like so many others before her. My mixed up cultural heritage.
You should definitely investigate Macau. Forget the casinos and go to old Macau, like a bit of Europe in Asia.
Susan Caughman says
This sounds truly disgusting. I trust your judgment so the question is: what about this recipe makes it tasty? The vinegar/sugar sweet and sour?
Amy says
I wouldn’t knock it until you try it Susan! Sometimes the tastiest dishes don’t look that great (see: every and all hotdishes). I personally love mac salad, can’t wait to try this recipe out.
Kaitlin says
Truthhhhh, Amy. Truth. ;)
Ti says
I haven’t tried this exact recipe but I have had plenty of Mac Salad and it’s the sweetness that makes it good. You don’t taste the potato at ALL. It lends texture to the dish.
Kaitlin says
Agreed, Ti! :)
Chi-Sum says
On course,there is no shame when it comes to a good meal..err side dishes…side meals or in your case Mt. Sides ? I distinctively remember a terrible experience I had with a macaroni salad from a KFC reststop after an eight drive. I may have been partially traumatized now that I look back on it…
Kaitlin says
MT. SIDES = MY MAC SALAD PHILOSOPHY. Thank you for giving it a name. ;)
Logansver Iline says
Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe..
I like this a lot..
And I will definitely try this..
Pasta is my favorite dish ever.
Kaitlin says
You’re welcome! :) Pasta’s definitely way up there for us too <3