Hawaiian Mac Salad

This classic Mac Hawaiian salad with a creamy and spicy seasoning and fresh and fresh vegetables makes the perfect side for the Kalua pig, the Huli Huli chicken or any other smoked or grilled barbecue meat you love to do.

A bowl of macaroni salad. The overlap of the text reads "Hawaiian -style Mac salad" above, e "Hey Grill Hey" in conclusion.

Hawaiian -inspired Mac salad

Add a little Aloha Spirit to your next hob with my Hawaiian -inspired Mac salad. This bright and creamy side brings the vibrations of an authentic Hawaiian plate lunch directly to your courtyard. With a rich and spicy seasoning that balances the creamy mayonnaise with bright vinegar, this is not your typical side of pasta. The delicate crew of grated red onion creates a satisfactory contrast against creamy dressing and the Mac.

As a couple with the smoky Kalua pig, the sweet taste -flavored hull chicken or your favorite grid creation, this Mac Hawaiian salad provides that authentic taste of the island.

Mac salad ingredients

My Mac Hawaiian salad uses only a handful of simple ingredients, so you probably already have everything at your fingertips. Just in question, here’s what you need:

1 pound Elbow macaroni noodles (cooked up to very soft, 12-14 minutes)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ cup red onion (grated)
¼ cup carrots (grated)
1 cup mayonnaise (Best Foods or Helmann’s)
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepperto taste

To get that authentic Mac for lunch, the mayonnaise brand is important! I only recommend using Best Nings under true Masase (Helmann is depending on where you live). This is the only mayonnaise truly approved by Hawaiian for the Mac salad I know. Save the light mayonian or replace this time.

A header of several bowls and batteries of raw ingredients, including noodles of raw pasta and condiments.

Variations and substitutions

Now, let’s talk about creating this Mac salad. While I love this recipe to capture those authentic Hawaiian flavors, there is always room for playing with flavors and ingredients. Turn on your creativity and try these tasty twists:

Mac base salad: Although this recipe uses minimal ingredients, you can make it even simpler. Cook your favorite noodles, then add mayonnaise, grated carrots and a little salt and pepper for the dressing. It will not have the same depth of flavor, but it will have enough has to make you pass.
Additional components: Don’t be afraid to mix things. This recipe is inspired by traditional Hawaiian flavors, but I put around it. Feel free to do the same. Many Mac salad recipes include chopped eggs. You can use my smoked eggs, if you want a smoky flavor layer.
Change the noodles: The more traditional Salads of Mac Hawaiian require noodles macaroni in elbow. Some recipes use large elbows for an extra surface. I used cavalatopi for the same reason, but I can go with any noodle of pasta you love.

A hand holding a bowl of seasoning in position while another hand drips the grated carrots in the seasoning.

How to prepare the Mac Hawaiian salad

The creation of this outline inspired by the island is wonderfully simple, but the results are absolutely attractive. Prepare to make the Mac salad more creamy and compelling that will all have your kitchen to ask for the recipe:

Make the dough. Start by cooking the macaroni of the elbow until it is perfectly soft and tender, about 12-14 minutes. This is longer than you normally cook the pasta, but the extra-moorbid consistency is the secret of my Mac Hawaiian Salad allowing the noodles to absorb all that creamy and spicy seasoning.
Make the dressing. While your pasta cools, use a whip To mount the lush seasoning. The velvety Mayo base is illuminated with a vinegar punch, smooth with milk and balanced with only a touch of sugar. The vibrant grated carrots and the red red onion create a dressing that perfectly balances the creamy, the picky and thinly sweet with fresh and crunchy bites.
Combine and arrange. Pour that luxurious condiment over the hot pasta and fold it gently so that every noodle is covered in creamy goodness. While cooling the refrigerator, the flavors merge and intensify, the dressing penetrates the pasta and the consistency becomes silky. Trust me on this, your patience will repay in deep layers of flavor.
Serve and have fun. Once your noodles have time to absorb the seasoning and all flavors get married, your salad is ready to serve. Add a generous scoop next to your favorite island inspired meat and have fun!

A bowl of sauce poured into a bowl of pasta noodles.

Susie’s Mac Salad Pro Tips

The recipe card alone will give you a fantastic salad for every occasion, but I want to help you deliver a knockout side. Here are my best tips to bring out your Mac Hawaiian Salad to your next hob:

Let it settle down: Give your Mac Salad Time to relax in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. This rest period allows flavors to merge together and the pasta to absorb all that creamy goodness.
Over Cook the noodles: This is not your typical pasta salad! Cook those elbows a few minutes after al dente (12-14 minutes) so that they are beautiful and soft. The slightly too cooked pasta will absorb milk and dressing better, creating that authentic Hawaiian consistency.
Red onion: For that perfect balance of acute flavor and beautiful color, attack with the red onion. It adds the right amount of bite and visual charm that yellow or white onions cannot match.
Season in phases: Add a pinch of salt to the water of the pasta, then taste and regulate the seasoning again after mixing the dressing. This layered approach guarantees that Mac salad is perfectly seasoned rather than only on the surface.

What to serve with mac salad

Do you want to complete your Hawaiian -style macaroni salad with a full dish lunch? Create a steam cooked white side, then take a look at these recipes Hey Grill Hey to round off things.

Meat

This Mac Hawaiian salad is the perfect fresh and creamy side dish for any meat that you can smoke or grill, but where it really shines is next to the traditional Hawaiian proteins. Take a look at my smoked Kalua pig or the Huli Huli chicken, if you want to prepare it.

Dessert

When you guess a cooking in the courtyard, nothing happy your guests at home happy as a dessert tailor -made to integrate your protagonist dish. Both my pineapple of the Piña Colada grid and the pineapple grilled with brown sugar make a perfect sending of Luou.

A wooden spoon mixes a cold salad in a glass bowl.

Deposit and duration of conservation

This Mac Hawaiian salad is easily held in the refrigerator, making it perfect for the preparation of meals or enjoying the leftovers of your barbecue in the courtyard:

Refrigeration: Keep your Mac salad in an airtight container or Gallon zip bag in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3-4 days. The flavors actually continue to develop overnight, making it even more delicious the next day.
Not suitable for the freezer: Due to the mayonnaise -based dressing, this salad does not freeze well. The good news is that this recipe does not take much time to put together, so making it the day of not a big problem.
You need cold leftovers: Remove the Mac salad from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before serving so that the profile and consistency of the flavor can revitalize.
Riding of the leftovers: If the Mac salad thickens in the refrigerator (which is normal since the pasta absorbs the seasoning), simply mix a small splash of milk to report that creamy consistency.

Simpler recipes for barbecue salad

After tasting how incredible this Mac Hawaiian Salad is with your favorite savory meats, you will always need it. Fortunately for you, I have dozens of fresh, crunchy and refreshing salads perfect for any meal for barbecue. You can find them all in the Hey Grill Hey app. For now, take a look at these famous lateral salad recipes:

Easy Hawaiian Mac Salad

Follow the recipe card to prepare this Mac Hawaiian salad for your next barbecue, So give a 5 -star review and tell me how yours came in the comments. Do not forget to take some photos of the spreads inspired by the island so you can share them with mine Facebook AND Instagram pages. I love to encourage you as you become a BBQ hero in the courtyard.

Cook the pasta. Make the pasta until it is very soft, 12-14 minutes.
1 pound macaroni noodles
Make the dressing. Combine all the mayonnaise, milk, apple cider vinegar and sugar in a small bowl, so beat until everything is incorporated. Add the grated onions and carrots, then mix until mixed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup of red onion, ¼ cup of carrots, 1 cup of mayonnaise, ½ cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, salt and pepper
Add the dressing and pasta. Pour the dressing on the Noodles of Macaroni, then mix gently with a wooden spoon until everything is incorporated.
Cool, serve and have fun. Put the mixed salad in the refrigerator to cool for an hour or 2. Serve your Mac salad with a little Kalua pig or grilled pineapple and have fun.

Nutritional information is calculated automatically, so they should be used only as approximation.