This easy and creamy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a perfect side dish for any occasion. Made with simple ingredients like tender elbow macaroni, tangy mayonnaise, and crisp vegetables, it’s a quick and flavorful addition to barbecues, picnics, or potlucks. Customize with your favorite add-ins for extra flair!
Ingredients Needed
- 4 cups elbow macaroni
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon red wine or distilled vinegar
- 3 teaspoons sugar (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- Plenty of black pepper
- 1/4 cup milk (plus more if needed)
- Splash of pickle juice (plus more to taste)
- 3 whole roasted red peppers, diced (or pimentos)
- 1/2 cup black olives, finely chopped
- 6 sweet/spicy pickle slices, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 green onions, sliced (white and dark green parts)
How To Make Best Macaroni Salad Recipe
- Cook the macaroni: Boil the macaroni in lightly salted water following the package instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to cool down. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add enough milk to make the dressing pourable, and a splash of pickle juice for extra flavor. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside.
- Toss the macaroni with dressing: Place the cooled macaroni in a large bowl and pour in three-fourths of the dressing. Toss to coat evenly, and add more dressing if desired. The dressing will be a bit thin but will thicken as the salad chills.
- Add vegetables and seasonings: Stir in the diced roasted red peppers (or pimentos), chopped olives, diced pickles, and sliced green onions. Add more ingredients if you like. Adjust the flavors by splashing in more pickle juice, if needed.
- Chill: Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving. Top with extra sliced green onions before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Cool the macaroni properly: After cooking the macaroni, make sure to rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. This prevents the pasta from getting mushy and helps it hold up well in the salad.
- Adjust the dressing consistency: If the dressing seems too thick, add a little more milk or pickle juice to make it pourable. The dressing should coat the pasta well, but not be too runny.
- Let it chill: For the best flavor, refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving. Chilling allows the flavors to blend together, making it even tastier.
- Customize the ingredients: Feel free to adjust the veggies and seasonings to your liking. Add more roasted red peppers, olives, or pickles to create the perfect balance of flavors for you.
- Taste and season as you go: Don’t forget to taste the salad before serving. Add extra salt, pepper, or pickle juice if needed. This ensures that the salad is seasoned just right.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Put leftovers macaroni salad it in an airtight container. Store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers macaroni salad in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, or warm on the stove over low heat with a splash of milk to restore creaminess for 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 serving (based on 6 servings total)
- Calories: 464
- Total Fat: 33g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Cholesterol: 4mg
- Sodium: 353mg
- Potassium: 107mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 36g
- Dietary Fiber: 2g
- Sugars: 4g
- Protein: 6g
More Pioneer Woman Recipes:
Pioneer Woman Best Macaroni Salad Recipe
Description
This easy and creamy Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a perfect side dish for any occasion. Made with simple ingredients like tender elbow macaroni, tangy mayonnaise, and crisp vegetables, it’s a quick and flavorful addition to barbecues, picnics, or potlucks. Customize with your favorite add-ins for extra flair!
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni: Boil the macaroni in lightly salted water following the package instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water to cool down. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add enough milk to make the dressing pourable, and a splash of pickle juice for extra flavor. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside.
- Toss the macaroni with dressing: Place the cooled macaroni in a large bowl and pour in three-fourths of the dressing. Toss to coat evenly, and add more dressing if desired. The dressing will be a bit thin but will thicken as the salad chills.
- Add vegetables and seasonings: Stir in the diced roasted red peppers (or pimentos), chopped olives, diced pickles, and sliced green onions. Add more ingredients if you like. Adjust the flavors by splashing in more pickle juice, if needed.
- Chill: Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving. Top with extra sliced green onions before serving.
Notes
- Cool the macaroni properly: After cooking the macaroni, make sure to rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking process. This prevents the pasta from getting mushy and helps it hold up well in the salad.
- Adjust the dressing consistency: If the dressing seems too thick, add a little more milk or pickle juice to make it pourable. The dressing should coat the pasta well, but not be too runny.
- Let it chill: For the best flavor, refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving. Chilling allows the flavors to blend together, making it even tastier.
- Customize the ingredients: Feel free to adjust the veggies and seasonings to your liking. Add more roasted red peppers, olives, or pickles to create the perfect balance of flavors for you.
- Taste and season as you go: Don’t forget to taste the salad before serving. Add extra salt, pepper, or pickle juice if needed. This ensures that the salad is seasoned just right.
Pioneer Woman Best Macaroni Salad Recipe