This Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe is an easy pasta salad made with cook pasta noodles, onions, carrots and a creamy salad dressing. It's great to serve as a side dish for picnics, potlucks and barbecues.
Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Overview
This is a classic cold pasta salad, similar to traditional macaroni salad that is perfect to serve with hamburgers or steak. First, the pasta is cooked and rinsed under cold water. Next, it's mixed with grated carrots, chopped onion, scallions, chopped celery, and tossed with white vinegar.
A creamy dressing is made using mayonnaise, milk, sugar, minced onion, salt and pepper. This is tossed with the pasta salad which is then chilled in the fridge for 4 hours before serving.
Recipe Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked elbow macaroni
- ½ cup grated carrots - about 1 large carrot
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped scallions (green onion) - about 6 stalks
- 2 celery ribs - chopped small (about ¾ cup)
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
Dressing:
- 2 cups mayonnaise - or miracle whip
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp dried minced onion
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
How To Make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
STEP 1: Cook 1 lb elbow macaroni in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain.
STEP 2: Add the 1 lb cold cooked pasta, ½ cup grated carrots, ½ cup chopped onion, 1 cup scallions (green onions), and 2 chopped celery ribs to a large bowl. Drizzle the 2 Tbsp white vinegar overtop and toss everything together.
STEP 3: In a small bowl together the dressing: Add 2 cups mayonnaise, ¼ cup milk, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp dried minced onion, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Mix together.
STEP 4: Now pour the creamy dressing over top and mix together.
STEP 5: Cover the salad with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for minimum 4 hours. Give a quick stir just before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Because this salad is served cold, it can be prepped the night before and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Any shape of pasta noodles will work for the recipe. They do not need to be macaroni style.
- Cook pasta al dente (soft but still a bit firm) so that it isn’t too mushy.
How To Store Leftovers
- Leftover pasta salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up 3-4 days but tastes best when served within 1-2 days.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked elbow macaroni
- ½ cup grated carrots - about 1 large carrot
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped scallions (green onion) - about 6 stalks
- 2 celery ribs - chopped small (about ¾ cup)
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
Dressing:
- 2 cups mayonnaise - or miracle whip
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp dried minced onion
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook 1 lb elbow macaroni in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain.
- In a small bowl together the dressing: Add 2 cups mayonnaise, ¼ cup milk, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 tsp dried minced onion, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper. Mix together and set aside.
- Add the 1 lb cold cooked pasta, ½ cup grated carrots, ½ cup chopped onion, 1 cup scallions (green onions), and 2 chopped celery ribs to a large bowl. Drizzle the white vinegar overtop and toss everything together.
- Now pour the creamy dressing over top and mix the salad together.
- Cover the salad and let chill in the fridge for minimum 4 hours. Give a quick stir just before serving.
Nutrition Info
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.
