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 poke).
My Favorite Food in Hawaii?
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. Its subtle vinegary sweetness 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 a luau, augmented with small piles of everything else. 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!
Hawaiian Mac Salad Recipe Instructions
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~
Hawaiian Mac Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 3 medium russet potatoes (peeled and cut into large chunks)
- 2 cups mayonnaise (or 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 small onion (grated)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- 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.
nutrition facts
I have always considered my potato salad to be the best in the universe but really wanted to try this one. Humbly I kneel and pass my crown and sceptre to you. I made a few changes (doesn’t everyone tweak?) I like salad extra sweet so that soupcon of sugar became a half cup. Scallions not onion (low FODMAP), A couple chopped hard boiled eggs. A handful of grated cheddar (it looked like the carrot). It was the best EVER. The tips on cooking / mashing potatoes (I didn’t have the russets I thought I had but yukons worked great!!) and the doneness of the pasta were tips that apply to any recipe!
I did quality assurance (:P) every couple hours and you could taste how quickly the flavors married together. I divvied it up for my friends to take home – and they opened their baggies to scrape a remaining tablespoon from the mountain they started with on their plate to make sure no scrap was left behind. I am eagerly awaiting my morning after breakfast of more mac n pasta salad!! Thank you so much!!
(PS I was astonished that a couple of low reviews were in here. Obviously not everyone was ready to humbly hand over their crown!) <3
Wow, thank you, Toni Jean! This is high praise :) I’m so thrilled you and your friends loved it!
This was a good recipe. One tip/trick I learned along the way was to pour the milk and vinegar separately on to the noodles while they are still hot then add the other ingredients in after the noodles cool. Gives the flavor to the noodles but keeps the mushy Mayo texture from getting thinned by the vinegar.
Thanks, Jos! That’s a great tip!
Kaitlin, this was wonderful. I had a half pound of macaroni left in the bag and scaled down all the other ingredients to 2/3 as well. Totally satisfying and delicious carb feast, and I hope you’re ignoring all the glum souls who made an account just to be unkind.
Thanks, Nikita! :) I appreciate your kind words
Could you sub the milk for almond milk or something similar?
Hi Becca, I haven’t tried it, but that should work as it’s a relatively small amount. One other food for thought on those kinds of substitutions–as someone used to eating plant-based, I wouldn’t object to something like–I sometimes make cream pastas with oat milk roux, and that puts the milk much more front and center than this recipe–but the carnivores might wrinkle their noses at that kind of thing. My tip would be to add 1/2 the amount of almond milk and mix it in to see what it does, and then add more as needed.
NO Way is this Hawaiian Mac salad. I usually agree with all your recipes and tips .. but as a native of Hawaii I gotta vent about this one. sounds and looks awful ..
Dear Micki,
I was born and raised in Hawaii. Not everyone in Hawaii makes mac or potato salad the same way…it’s based on “their “ taste. However, why don’t you show some Aloha instead giving this person a one star or even sharing your own mac salad recipe that you love.
Thank you, Kel :)
Hi Kaitlin –
After reading Sarah’s Travel Diary to Oahu, I longed for Hawaiian style pork & made it in the slow cooker for Memorial Day. What can be better than adding this mac/pot salad. Both are easy to make and can feed many. Just add a couple more veggie dishes and fresh pineapple and it’s a perfect meal.
My mac salad didin’t taste like the Hawaiian style that we longed for & this recipe is Ono (delicious). I think the key is the milk and mashing the potatoes for the added creaminess.
Everyone is really enjoying this today already, as we remember and thank those that served for our country.
Mahalo!
Thank you so much for your comment, happy Memorial Day and happy (almost) summer! Hopefully with more Mac salad in our futures… :P
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!
Great, Tanya, let us know how you like it.
Made this for a party.
I may or may not have eaten most of it.
Thanks for another great recipe.
Hahahah sorry we missed your comment back in June, Kelly!
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. :P
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.
Thank you! Also, MAC SALAD WITH PEAS & CHEESE YUMMMMM