Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (VIDEO)
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This is how to make an authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, island-style – and it’s been approved by my many Hawaiian readers! It’s super easy but there are a key ingredients to get that distinct island taste – make sure to check out all of my tips below!
Watch the Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe Video Below!
A Note from CJ
The Best Hawaiian Macaroni Salad!
My love for Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (Mac Salad) comes from my many visits to Hawaii, where the highlight of my day would be a plate lunch with a scoop of mac salad! This authentic island-style recipe hits the spot, especially with Chicken Katsu and Katsu Sauce, Mochiko Chicken (sometimes Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) and white rice! It’s also serve it at barbeques with Grilled Wings, Grilled Thighs, or Korean Marinated Short Ribs (LA Galbi)!
Hands down the BEST mac salad recipe! I followed the instructions exactly and it was perfect. My family devoured this at a bbq and asked for the recipe… They thought they didn’t like mac salad until they tried this!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- elbow macaroni – for mac salad just like you had in Hawaii, you must use elbow macaroni.
- apple cider vinegar – a splash of apple cider vinegar is key – it gives the dish a tangy, slightly sweet flavor that’s a signature of mac salad.
- Best Foods or Hellmann’s Mayo – for Hawaiian mac salad, you need to use Best Foods or Hellmann’s mayo only.
- onion, carrot, scallions – the vegetables should be finely grated, shredded, or chopped into bite-sized pieces so they are slightly smaller than the elbow macaroni.
- canned tuna – I personally love mac salads with tuna added (shout out to Sparky’s in Maui!) – but you can leave it out if you prefer.
How to Make Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Overcook the macaroni and season the pasta: Cook the macaroni in salted boiling water for 3–4 minutes longer than the package instructions until it’s soft and slightly overdone. This step is key to achieving that signature texture found in authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad. The pasta should be “fat” and tender so it can fully absorb the dressing later. After draining, toss the hot pasta with apple cider vinegar to give it a light tang that balances the rich, creamy mayo base.
Combine the ingredients to make the Hawaiian Mac Salad: In a large bowl, combine the cooled pasta with mayo, finely chopped onion, carrot, scallions, tuna, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and white pepper, then fold in the pasta until everything is evenly coated for that perfect creamy macaroni salad texture. Cover and refrigerate your Hawaiian Macaroni Salad for 1–2 hours to let the flavors meld. Just before serving, mix in the reserved ½ cup of mayo to keep it rich and creamy.
PRO TIPS
CJ’s Recipe & Storage Tips
Overcook the Pasta – you need to overcook the pasta by 3-4 minutes past the instructions to give the macaroni a soft, ‘fat’ texture – this will help the pasta absorb the flavors of the other ingredients.
Chill Before Serving – let the macaroni salad chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. This will allow the pasta to aborb more flavor and the dish will meld together longer for a softer texture.
Reserve Extra Mayo – Once the Mac Salad has chilled and is ready to serve, I would add in a little bit more mayo. The macaroni salad will have dried out a little bit in the refrigerator – add a bit more mayo right before serving to make it creamier.
Storage – Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (Mac Salad) tastes best served the same day – store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
If you tried this Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (Mac Salad) or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2.5 cups Best Foods or Hellmann's Mayo, (reserve 1/2 cup to achieve desired consistency after refrigerating)
- 1/2 cup onion, finely grated
- 1/2 cup carrot, shredded
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 1 can canned tuna, about 5oz
- 2 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Cook macaroni in salted boiling water 3-4 minutes past instructions for al dente. The pasta should be soft, as it will firm up once mixed and cooled in the fridge.
- Once the macaroni is drained and cooled, add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and mix into the pasta to absorb.
- Add the mayo, onion, carrot, scallions, tuna, egg, black and white pepper, salt and mix thoroughly.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until chilled. Add the reserved 1/2 cup of mayo to the salad, or enough to achieve your desired consistency. Serve with your plate lunch and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad recipe was originally posted in April 2023, and updated in November 2025.
Sooooo good, I’ve made this over and over. Great for weekly meal preps
It’s delicious and tasty!
Used this for a beach theme potluck! Really liked how the apple cider vinegar gave it a little twang! The dish was liked by everyone with no leftovers for me! 🤣. Great recipe!
Great recipe and easy directions! Delicious!
Just made this for a memorial day weekend block party! I used big macaroni so had to split the recipe into 2 bowls but it still came out SO good! Instead of 5 cups of mayo we did 2 cups of kewpie mayo into each bowl and it still is super creamy. Overall a delicious side dish and we expect many compliments all thanks to you!
This was so delicious! I made it as a side for loco moco and everyone enjoyed it. I love the addition of tuna (I’m not sure if I’ve had a Mac salad with tuna before). I will continue using this recipe whenever I make Hawaiian dishes. Thanks!
This is the one I’m used to eating at Hawaiian BBQ restaurants. Spot on.
Thanks for the kind review, Mike!
I make this as meal prep for work lunches! Absolutely delicious!
I lived on Oahu for 7 years and loved the mac salad as part of plate lunches! This recipe took me back to my fun college days there! Sooooo yummy!
This was an excellent dish! I have had a few different Mac Salads but this one was top notch!! Love it and will definitely make it over and over again. ♥️