A lighter version of the plate-lunch essential, this Hawaiian Mac Salad requires just a few ingredients for a side dish that is bursting with flavor!
I grew up with a pretty privileged childhood. (That would change drastically when I became a teenager, but that’s a story for another day.)
My family went to Hawaii for two weeks every summer. Oahu became my second home in many ways because my dad was a semi-professional surfer. Although all Hawaiian beaches are absolute paradise, I’m sure, Oahu is the mecca for surfers. The waves are the best in the world.
But that wasn’t why I looked forward to Hawaii every summer. Of course, the beaches were great. But you could probably guess that, even as a little girl, I craved the food I would eat there. Shave ice was magic–pillowy and sweet, nothing like any shaved ice you’d get here. Even the pizza tasted better there.
The best, though, is the plate lunch special. It’s usually some kind of teriyaki-style meat, rice, and the most decadent mac salad you can imagine. Everything about it is incredible, but that mac salad is the stuff of dreams!
How to make hawaiian mac salad
Let’s talk about the two main ingredients–pasta and mayonnaise. Those are difficult to make lower in points and calories, even if you use whole wheat macaroni and light mayo. I didn’t want to take away from the flavors I love, so I tried to balance this in the best way possible. I think I made it as light as possible without sacrificing too much of the original flavor.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni (whole wheat preferred)
- light mayo (Best Foods/Hellman’s is the best option)
- grated carrots
- grated sweet onion
- apple cider vinegar
- sugar
- almond milk (or other plan-based milk, to lower calories)
- salt and pepper
Serve with your favorite BBQ meat and a green veggie for the perfect plate lunch! Use this recipe as a base for lots of other add-ins, if you like. The salad would be great with extra veggies, like broccoli, tomatoes, corn, etc. You could also add in some shredded chicken for a complete meal!
This was the spread Jeff and I had for 4th of July. Jeff’s famous smoked wings were delicious, as always, but we kept coming back to that mac salad. It was the star of the show!
more BBQ favorites
- Citrus Marinated Chicken (El Pollo Loco CopyCat)
- All-In-One Burgers
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Easy Coleslaw
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you make it, be sure to tag me on Instagram or Facebook (@litecravings) and use the hashtag #litecravingsrecipes. I sometimes miss a tag here or there, but I always check in on the hashtag.
Hawaiian Mac Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained (whole wheat preferred)
- 1 cup freshly grated carrot (about 2 large carrots)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated sweet onion (usually about 1/2 of a medium Maui onion)
- 1 cup light mayo (Best Foods/Hellman's)
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp sugar of choice (I used honey)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt, depending on how salty you like it
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Grate carrots and onion in a large bowl. Mix in cooked macaroni.
- Mix in all dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl: mayo, vinegar, sugar, almond milk, salt, and pepper, including macaroni.
- Fold about 2/3 of the dressing into the macaroni and vegetables. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Reserve extra dressing.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. It's better if you let it marinate for at least an hour or overnight. When ready to serve, fold in remaining dressing to make it extra creamy.
I LOVE hawaiian macaroni salad but knowing it’s heavy on the Mayo I usually skip this as a side. I was a bit skeptical if I would like this and BOY OH BOY was this delicious. So creamy and perfect sweetness!!! Loved this and will keep the recipe handy as my family loves eating Hawaiian bbq.
Thank you Geri!!!
I am so excited to try this! I do have one question.. do I measure the 8 ounces as dry or cooked?
8 ounces dry. Hope you like it!