Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
Escape to paradise with Hawaiian Macaroni Salad! Elbow noodles mingle with savory ham and vibrant veggies, all tossed in a sweet & tangy pineapple dressing!
Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad
This quick and easy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe is inspired by my favorite dish at our local Hawaiian restaurant.
A few years ago a Hawaiian restaurant opened up in our town, so of course we had to try it out right away! My favorite things on the menu were the Spam “sushi” and the pasta salad.
Not gonna lie…I could have eaten the entire order of Hawaiian mac salad!! It was SO good!!
This recipe is a recreation of what you’d find in a restaurant that serves Hawaiian style plate lunches. These meals usually include a protein, a scoop of white rice, and a generous scoop of macaroni salad. Delicious and filling!
This classic macaroni salad recipe has a creamy dressing that’s both tangy, sweet, and so addicting you’ll want to have seconds and even thirds! This pasta salad is so delicious, you’ll want to serve it as a side dish at all the summer cookouts, parties, and picnics this summer!
Tip: Serve this side with our Hawaiian-inspired Huli Huli BBQ Ribs!
What is Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Made of?
Traditional Hawaiian macaroni salad is very simple and consists of only a few ingredients. It starts with elbow macaroni and sliced carrots and a sweet and sour mayonnaise-based dressing.
From there, you can customize with added protein (such as cubed ham) or even extra veggies.
We did add ham to our recipe, as well as sliced pineapple and cucumbers. This makes the dish hearty and satisfying, with a burst of sweet pineapple that is brings it all together.
I won’t claim that this is a 100% authentic recipe, but it is lovingly inspired by my favorite dish at our local Hawaiian joint! It is the next best thing to the getting the real thing!
Related: Be sure to try our Hawaiian Sliders too! It’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog!
Ingredients
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- 4 cups Cooked Elbow Macaroni — prepared according to package directions
- 1/2 cup Pineapple Chunks — drained (you can save the juice for the dressing)
- 1 cup Cubed Cooked Ham or Spam
- 1 Carrot, shredded
- 1/2 of a Cucumber, sliced
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
For the Pineapple Dressing:
- 1/2 cup Pineapple Juice (or liquid from canned pineapples)
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 TB Apple cider vinegar
- 1 TB Sugar
Handy Kitchen Tools
Instructions
You’re going to LOVE how easy this recipe is to whip up!
- Add to the cooked macaroni, pineapple, ham, carrots, and cucumber to a large bowl.
- In a separate small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the pineapple juice, mayo, vinegar, and sugar. Taste and adjust as necessary to get your preferred sweetness.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta, then toss until the dressing evenly coats all the macaroni.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Video Demo:
Prep Tips
- Pasta – This dish is traditionally made with elbow macaroni. When following the package directions, I recommend cooking al dente, as the noodles will soften the longer they soak in the dressing.
- Storage – Because this recipe contains mayonnaise, you’ll want to keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve. When serving, you don’t want to leave it out at room temperature for more than an hour or two. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. I find that it tastes even better on day two because all the flavors start to meld together!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Cook the Pasta Ahead of Time?
Instead of cooking only the pasta ahead of time, I’d recommend making the entire dish. Macaroni salad is perfect the make the day before you plan to serve it, and keep refrigerated. The flavors only get better overnight!
If you just make the pasta by itself and keep refrigerated, there is a chance that the noodles may stick together.
How Do You Cool Down Pasta for Pasta Salad?
When planning your cooking time, allow yourself 20-30 minutes to cook and cool the pasta. After that, it should only take a couple minutes to mix everything together.
TIP: Prep your veggies while the pasta cooks to save time.
While the pasta cooks, prep a large bowl of ice water. After you’ve cooked the pasta, place it in a colander to drain the hot water. Then dunk the colander of pasta in the cold water bath — just for a minute — then drain again.
This should chill the pasta so it’s ready to mix.
Related: Try this Creamy Bacon and Tomato Pasta Salad too! It’s a recipe that’s been passed down for generations in my family!
Hawaiian Pasta Salad Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad with Pineapple Dressing
Equipment
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Small Mixing Bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked pasta
- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
- 1 cup cooked ham cubed
- 1 carrot shredded
- 1/2 cucumber chopped (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the Pineapple Dressing:
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar to taste
Instructions
- Add macaroni, pineapple, ham, carrots, and cucumber to a large mixing bowl.
- In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the pineapple juice, mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar.
- Pour the dressing over the pasta and toss until evenly coated.
- Finish with salt and pepper, to taste.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin our Classic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe on Pinterest:
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Hi! Thanks for sharing this great salad recipe. I tried this last weekend for my guests & they loved it.
This is not Hawaiian macaroni salad, it doesn’t have sweet and sour based sauce.
Hawaiian macaroni salad only has Bestfoods mayo, salt, msg white pepper, celery, shredded carrots. Tuna and or hard boiled eggs is an option.
Sweet and sour is HAOLE STYLE
Thank you for providing more specific information for the name – when I update the post I will include. I used the general Hawaiian macaroni salad as the title because it is how I learned the recipe and how a lot of people will search for it. But I always appreciate more cultural context!
I made this but honestly it has very little flavor. You don’t even taste the pineapple.