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Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (L&L BBQ Copycat)

This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a magnificent side dish for all the cookouts and picnics. It’s the perfect mac salad that can be made completely ahead of time!

Close-up of a white dish filled with creamy Hawaiian macaroni salad garnished with chopped parsley.
If you’re on the fence about macaroni salad, give this super easy recipe a try for your next cookout or picnic.

Why This Recipe Stands Out

Here’s why you’ll love it:

  • Simple Ingredients: This Hawaiian macaroni salad requires only a handful of ingredients that are easy to find.
  • Flavor Packed: This mac salad is ridiculously flavorful! It brings all the island vibes to your plate, like this Maui Chicken Tacos.
  • Make-Ahead Friendly: It tastes even better when the flavors are allowed to meld together overnight. It’s the ideal make-ahead party recipe!
  • Perfectly Creamy: Using real mayo makes it unbelievably creamy and delicious, like our Rotisserie Chicken Salad!
  • Pairs Perfectly with BBQ: This macaroni salad is the ultimate side dish for all your favorite BBQ recipes, like this Grilled Teriyaki Chicken.

Key Recipe Ingredients

Overhead shot of a bowl with ingredients to make Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.
  • Elbow Macaroni – Elbow macaroni as they’re the perfect shape to hold the delicious dressing.
  • Whole Mayo – We’re using real, whole mayo for its creaminess. It’s the star of our dressing, giving the salad its rich, velvety texture.
  • Onion and Green Onion – Make sure to finely mince the onion and thinly slice the green onion.
  • Shredded Carrots – We add these for a pop of color and a hint of sweetness. They also add a nice crunch.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS

Here are some of our favorite substitutions and variations:

  • Different Pasta: Our recipe calls for elbow macaroni, but feel free to use any small pasta shape for this salad.
  • More Veggies: Customize it by adding other veggies. Red or yellow bell peppers can add a nice crunch and color, as they do in our Mexican Street Corn Salad.

STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Boil macaroni until tender. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain well.
  2. Combine all remaining ingredients with cold, cooked macaroni and toss well. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.

HOW TO PREP AHEAD

Take a look at our best prep-ahead strategies for this recipe:

  • Entirely Make-Ahead: This salad can be a day in advance. Simply follow the recipe, toss all the ingredients together, and store it in the fridge. Give it a good toss before serving.
  • Prep the Ingredients: You can also prep the ingredients in advance. Cook and cool the macaroni, mince the onion, and shred the carrots. Store these separately in the fridge and combine when ready to serve.
A white plate filled with creamy Hawaiian macaroni salad topped with chopped fresh parsley.
This creamy, easy macaroni salad is superb alongside your favorite BBQ meats and veggies!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH Hawaiian Macaroni Salad

Appetizer

Main Dish

Drinks

Dessert

  • This easy One Bowl Yum-Yum Cake is ultra moist and fits the tropical theme. It’s shocking how tender and tasty this cake is, given that it needs no oil or butter.
  • Feel free to find your favorite sweet treat to serve up (or ask someone else to bring it!).

Commonly Asked Questions

Why do you rinse the macaroni with cold water?

Rinsing the macaroni with cold water after cooking helps to stop the cooking process and removes excess starch.

What type of onion is best for Hawaiian macaroni salad?

It’s best to use a sweet onion. The mild and sweet flavor of the onion complements the other ingredients without being too overpowering. You can also use a regular yellow onion if you prefer.

Can I use any type of mayonnaise?

While you can technically use any type of mayonnaise, we recommend using real, whole mayo for the best flavor and texture. It will give your salad that classic creamy and tangy flavor that makes it so delicious.

How long does Hawaiian macaroni salad keep?

Hawaiian macaroni salad can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just make sure it is stored in an airtight container to maintain its freshness and flavors.

Did you make this?

Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!

A white plate filled with creamy Hawaiian macaroni salad topped with chopped fresh parsley.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (L&L BBQ Copycat)

4.80 from 75 ratings
This Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is so good, it’s addictive. Easy to make, feeds a crowd, and tastes awesome. Don’t be surprised when people go back for seconds and thirds of this mac salad.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

  • ½ lb elbow macaroni
  • ¼ cup onion, minced
  • 2 TB shredded carrots
  • 1 cup mayonnaise, real, whole mayo
  • ¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ tsp white pepper
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • freshly chopped parsley , optional, for garnish

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of well salted water to boil. Cook macaroni until tender, according to package instructions. Drain, rinse thoroughly with cold water; be sure to drain well.
  • Combine remaining ingredients with the cold, cooked macaroni. Toss to combine well. Chill 2-3 hours or overnight. Toss again right before serving.

Notes

  • Cooking pasta in salted water can make a big difference in the flavor of your macaroni.
  • Rinse cooked macaroni thoroughly with cold water. This helps to remove excess starch and stop the cooking process, keeping your macaroni tender and preventing them from sticking together.
  • Chill your macaroni salad for at least 2-3 hours or overnight after mixing all the ingredients. This allows the flavors to meld together and gives you that classic Hawaiian macaroni salad flavor.
 
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating. We ❤️ hearing from you! 
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Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 21.1g | Saturated Fat: 3.3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 11.6mg | Sodium: 353.9mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 2.7g
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian American
Diet: Vegetarian
Method: Stovetop

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4.80 from 75 votes (55 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




49 comments

    • Jenny
    • 4 stars

    I’ll probably end up adding more Mayo or maybe some celery to make it less salty.. or I’m gonna mix it with white rice later for Hawaiian bbq anyway.. otherwise it’s a good easy recipe! I just wish I eyeballed my salt to taste instead lol

      • Amy Dong

      Thanks, Jenny! Be sure to use kosher salt vs. table salt, as kosher salt is much less salty by volume.

    • Jen
    • 5 stars

    A year ago we moved to a state that doesn’t have a Hawaiian BBQ Restaurant. We’ve been craving L&L so bad! This weekend I embarked on creating my own copycat versions of their food.
    Their Mac salad was sooo good!
    I don’t recall the Colo locations using green onion, like this recipe calls for, however, that being said, this was excellent. My hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed it. And it only lasted a couple of days. It was the perfect accompaniment to our Hawaiian BBQ feast! The recipe is a keeper for sure. No need to look any further. Thank you so much!

      • Amy Dong

      Yay, we’re SO happy you all loved this, Jen! 🙂

        • Jen
        • 5 stars

        I’ve now made this 5 times in about 5 weeks . We love it! The reason I’m on this page today is to share the recipe with a friend that loved it yesterday at the church BBQ
        Side note – I also use Kosher salt and find the proportions to be perfect. Kosher salt has definitely improved my cooking!

        • Amy Dong

        Aww, that makes me super happy to hear, Jen! 🙂

    • Jan

    This looks good. I haven’t tried it yet but I’m going to.
    Stupid question. Why is it called Hawaiian Macaroni Salad.
    I mean no disrespect but it looks like “regular” macaroni salad.
    Just wondering.

      • Amy Dong

      Great question, Jan. In Hawaii, this type of macaroni salad is extremely popular. It tastes different from classic macaroni salad, and is often served on a “plate lunch” with a protein like teriyaki chicken. Enjoy!

        • Jan

        I think you can probably disregard my first reply.
        As I looked at the ingredients again, I believe it’s the mayo. That’s the only difference I see.
        I could be wrong.

        • Caroline

        I was born and raised in Hawaii, and one thing I think is done with the Mac Salad is use a tiny bit of minced real or imitation crab meat; or a tiny bit of tuna, like traces. So you wouldn’t notice it, but it’s in the mix, enhancing flavah. :). I think many also lightly sprinkle a combo of the salt, white pepper in a bit of vinegar onto the noodkes when they are newly drained and still hot… so a layer of flavor gets incorporated into the noodle.

    • Dennise
    • 5 stars

    @chewoutloud I have made this twice in the last two weeks. The first time, I made a lb of Mac noodles and found your recipe. It was super simple and easy, I love the easy 1x, 2x, 3x option and ingredients update! My husband practically finished it on his own in a few days. My almost 3 yr old loved it. We were out for 2 days and I made another batch after telling the neighbors how good it was and offering to drop some off. Now, it’s overnight in the fridge, I can’t wait to see how it turned out again! We have dinner guests and there won’t be leftovers this time (another 2x batch)

      • Amy Dong

      That’s SO great to hear, Dennise! 🙂 🙂

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