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American · Pacific Island

Hawaiian macaroni salad

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Soft elbow macaroni in a rich, tangy mayonnaise dressing with grated carrot and onion — the creamy side that comes with every Hawaiian plate lunch.

Hawaiian macaroni salad is an American salad from United States, ready in about 4 hours 22 minutes and made with dried pasta and mayonnaise. It serves 8 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
12 min
Rest
4 h
Total
4 h 22 min
Serves
8
Level
Beginner
Calories
337

Ingredients

8 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Boil the macaroni (opens in a new tab) in salted water for 2–3 minutes longer than the packet says, so it is fully soft. Drain well.

    Pasta boiling in a pot of water
    How it looks · Photo: Gianpiero Ferraro on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    While still hot, toss the macaroni (opens in a new tab) with the vinegar and the grated carrot (opens in a new tab) and onion (opens in a new tab); the warm pasta drinks up the vinegar. Leave to cool for 10–15 minutes.

    • 3 min

  3. Step 3

    Whisk the mayonnaise (opens in a new tab) with the milk (opens in a new tab), sugar (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab). Fold half into the cooled macaroni (opens in a new tab) with the celery (opens in a new tab), if using.

    • 3 min
    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight — the pasta (opens in a new tab) absorbs the dressing. Before serving, stir in the remaining dressing until creamy and loose.

    • 2 min

    Food safety: Mayonnaise-dressed salads should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 32 °C).

About this dish

Origin
Hawaiʻi, United States · Well documentedThe standard scoop of 'mac salad' served with Hawaiian plate lunches.More food from United States
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Salads · Side dishes · Pasta
Cooking method
Boiled
Taste
creamy, mild, tangy
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Budget-friendly · Child-friendly · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with
Dried pasta · Mayonnaise · Apple cider vinegar · Milk · Sugar · Carrot
Techniques
Boiling

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom milk
  • Contains: Eggsfrom dried pasta, mayonnaise
  • Contains: Wheatfrom dried pasta
  • Contains: Glutenfrom dried pasta
  • May contain: Mustardfrom mayonnaise
  • Contains, can be adapted: Celeryfrom celery

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

337 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 131 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 6%
  • Carbohydrate 31%
  • Fat 63%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy337 kcal257 kcal
Protein5 g3.8 g
Carbohydrate25.9 g19.8 g
Net carbohydrate24.6 g18.8 g
Sugars2.8 g2.2 g
Added sugars0.5 g0.4 g
Fibre1.3 g1 g
Fat23.5 g17.9 g
Saturated fat3.9 g3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol14 mg11 mg
Sodium496 mg378 mg
Salt equivalent1.2 g0.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
130 mg
Calcium
31 mg
Iron
1.2 mg
Magnesium
20 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
75 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
127 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: celery.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Holding back half the dressing until serving keeps it creamy rather than dry.

Common mistakes

  • Cooking the macaroni al dente — the Hawaiian style is soft, almost plush.

Serve with

  • With kalua pork, teriyaki chicken or loco moco and two scoops of rice.

Food safety

  • Mayonnaise-dressed salads should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour above 32 °C).

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days in the fridge; loosen with a splash of milk.

Variations

  • Potato-mac salad: Fold in diced boiled potato and chopped hard-boiled egg.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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