Secret Ingredient Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad – creamy, dreamy Hawaiian-style macaroni salad with a secret ingredient that may surprise you!

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

One of our favorite parts of visiting Hawaii is ordering a mixed plate lunch that includes traditional Hawaiian macaroni salad. For years, I have tried homemade versions, but they have always fallen flat for me and seemed to be missing that certain umami flavor. I tried adding freshly grated onion, soy sauce, and even garlic to the dressing but nothing was quite right. Then I noticed one of our favorite restaurants, Ono Hawaiian BBQ, macaroni salad had something combined with the dressing that seemed to be very finely shredded meat. The website noted that their macaroni salad contained tuna. That was it, tuna was the secret ingredient my homemade version of Hawaiian mac salad was missing. It added that savoriness and texture that had been missing. So, in addition to tuna, good quality mayonnaise, whole milk, and slightly overcooked macaroni are the secrets to a really good Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.

Ingredients for Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

• Elbow Macaroni – seasoned with salted water while cooking and slightly overcooked. Soft instead of al dente so that it absorbs more of the dressing.
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Apple Cider Vinegar – combined with the macaroni while it’s still hot to keep it from curdling the milk in the dressing.
• Mayonnaise – good quality mayonnaise, like Best Foods or Hellmann’s.
• Milk – whole milk recommended for the best consistency.
• Sugar – a small amount of sugar to balance the flavors.
• Tuna – the secret ingredient. Canned albacore tuna packed in water, drained, and broken down with a fork until it has a very fine texture.
• Carrots – freshly shredded with the large holes of a box grater.
• Green Onions – Finely diced.

How to Make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

1. Prepare Pasta – Start by cooking the macaroni according to package directions, but season the cooking water with kosher salt and extend the cooking time to 10 minutes.
2. Drain Pasta – Drain the pasta and toss with apple cider vinegar. Let macaroni cool for 10 minutes while preparing dressing.
3. Make the Dressing – Prepare dressing with tuna. Set aside and refrigerate one cup of dressing to combine with macaroni before serving.
4. Stir Dressing and Macaroni Together – In a large bowl, combine macaroni with mayo dressing (minus the reserved cup of dressing), carrots, and green onions and refrigerate for at least one hour.
5. Add Reserved Dressing – After one hour, or when ready to serve, combine reserved one cup of dressing with macaroni salad and serve.

Recipe Tips

• Season the Pasta While Cooking – use a tablespoon of kosher salt added to the water after it starts boiling to season the pasta water.
• Overcook the Macaroni – slightly overcooking the macaroni makes it very soft and allows more of the dressing to absorb into the pasta.
• Toss the Hot Pasta with Vinegar – apple cider vinegar is a simple but key ingredient for balancing the flavor of the macaroni salad. Allowing it to absorb into the hot pasta separately will protect the milk in the dressing from curdling.
• Break Up the Tuna – use a fork to break up the drained tuna into very fine pieces so it can mix into the dressing.
• Add the Dressing in Two Steps– to ensure the macaroni salad is extra creamy, reserve a cup of dressing to stir in right before serving. The pasta will absorb the flavors of the dressing in the first step and will get that super creamy texture in the second step.

I like to serve this inspired by the Hawaiian plate lunches with Hawaiian chicken and scoops of freshly cooked white rice. Serve with fresh pineapple for dessert! This is the perfect recipe to bring to a barbecue. Easy to make ahead and always a hit!

More Hawaiian Inspired Recipes

• Slow Cooker Hawaiian Shoyu Chicken
• One Pot Hawaiian Moco Loco