Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe – if you can’t be in Hawaii whip up this simple pasta salad! This recipe uses only a few simple ingredients to create a creamy, no-frills macaroni salad that is the perfect side dish for any summer cookout. Elbow macaroni, grated onion, mayonnaise, carrots, celery, salt, and black pepper. Great with grilled chicken, pulled pork, burgers, hot dogs, and more!
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Pin This RecipeClassic Hawaiian Mac Salad
This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad was inspired by our meal at Duke’s in La Jolla, CA. Almost every dish was served with this no-frills macaroni salad. One bite and you will know why! This recipe is super simple to make and only uses 5 ingredients. Macaroni, onion, carrots, celery, and mayonnaise. SO creamy and delicious! This is the perfect side dish for any summer cookout! Whip up a batch ASAP!
How to Make Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad
This pasta salad is effortless to make with only a few simple ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add macaroni noodles and cook 1 to 2 minutes more than the box directions. Drain and set aside.
Using a box grater, grate a white onion and some carrots. Chop celery into small pieces. Combine grated onion and its juices, shredded carrots, chopped celery, and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Add cooled pasta and stir well. Season with salt and black pepper. Cover the bowl and refrigerate before serving.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- For an authentic local style dish, cook the macaroni until it is soft and fat, a few minutes more than the time listed on the box.
- You can cook the pasta al dente if you prefer.
- This recipe uses grated onion. Not minced, chopped, or sliced onion. You need to use a box grater to finely grate the onion. You want to use the grated onion AND the onion liquid in the recipe.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of mayonnaise to your personal preference.
- Variations/Additions:
- watercress
- hard-boiled eggs
- pickle relish
- apple cider vinegar
- ham
- shrimp
- tuna
- pineapple
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
What to Serve with Pasta Salad
This simple side dish is a staple at our house. Throw a big scoop of this pasta on your lunch plate with some Teriyaki Chicken or Kalua Pork and rice. The flavors go perfectly with burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, and pork chops. Don’t forget the Hula Pie for dessert!
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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Ingredients:
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- ¼ cup finely grated onion
- 1 or 2 carrots grated
- 1 or 2 ribs celery diced
- 2½ cups mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add macaroni noodles and cook 1 to 2 minutes more than the box directions. Drain and set aside.
- Using a box grater, grate a white onion and carrots. Chop celery into small pieces.
- Combine grated onion and its juices, shredded carrots, chopped celery, and mayonnaise in a large bowl. Add cooled pasta and stir well. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate before serving.
Notes:
- For an authentic local style dish, cook the macaroni until it is soft and fat, a few minutes more than the time listed on the box.
- You can cook the pasta al dente if you prefer.
- This recipe uses grated onion. Not minced, chopped, or sliced onion. You need to use a box grater to finely grate the onion. You want to use the grated onion AND the onion liquid in the recipe.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of mayonnaise to your personal preference.
- You may need to add more mayonnaise after the salad has been sitting in the fridge.
- Variations/Additions:
- watercress
- hard-boiled eggs
- pickle relish
- apple cider vinegar
- ham
- pineapple
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Steph
Remember this recipe.
Pin this recipe to your favorite board now to remember it later!
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