If you're craving a tasty side dish that's a staple in Hawaiian cuisine, then you'll love my Hawaiian Macaroni Salad recipe. This salad is perfect as a side for a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch - it's super creamy and perfect with white rice!
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 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!
Notes
PRO TIPSOvercook the pasta: To achieve the perfect texture, you need to overcook the pasta by 3-4 minutes past the instructions. This will give the macaroni a soft, creamy texture that's perfect for absorbing the flavors of the other ingredients.Add apple cider vinegar: Adding apple cider vinegar to the macaroni after it's cooked and cooled will give the dish a tangy, slightly sweet flavor that's a signature of macaroni salad from Hawaii.Use Best Foods or Hellmann's Mayo: When you are making Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, you only have one (two) options when it comes to what type of mayo to use - it has to be Best Foods or Hellman's (they're the same company but known as different brands in different parts of the United States). They both have a creamy texture and a rich, tangy flavor that complements the other ingredients perfectly. Furthermore, this specific flavor is a signature of Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, so you can't use anything else!Chill before serving: I recommend you let the macaroni salad chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. This will allow the flavors to meld together and give the dish a creamier texture.Reserve some mayo: Once the Hawaiian Macaroni Salad has chilled and it is ready to serve, I would add in a little bit more mayo. You may find that your macaroni salad has dried out a little bit in the refrigerator. You can 'refresh' it by adding more mayo (as much as you prefer, as you should adjust to your preferred consistency).
Storage Instructions
I like to make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad on the day I plan to eat it.However, if you want to make it ahead, it can keep in your refrigerator in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Once you are ready to eat or serve it, I recommend using extra mayo to 'refresh' the salad. It will likely dry up a little bit, sitting in the refrigerator, so I like to add in more mayo to get it back to the consistency I like. Use as much or as little mayo as you need to get it to the consistency of your preference.