Ono Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe: Taste the Aloha

If you’ve never tasted a Hawaiian macaroni salad, you are missing out on a lot. And if you’re one of the lucky ones who get to taste this delight, it is pretty safe to assume that it has been one of the many things you miss about Hawaii. This Ono Hawaiian macaroni salad recipe is there to save you from your misery.

There is no cooking, except for the macaroni. Vinegar provides a deep, complex, and acidic flavor, while mayonnaise is there to help, as is the case with most salads. Let’s take a look.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tips
• Ono Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Macaroni — 1 pound.
• Apple cider vinegar — 2 tbsp.
• Carrots — 2 pcs., shredded.
• Onion — ¼ cup, shredded.
• Mayonnaise — 3 cups.
• Milk — ¼ cup.
• Sugar — 2 tsp.
• Salt and pepper — to taste.

Instructions

1. Cook the macaroni in a pot, following the package directions.

2. Drain the macaroni once it’s been cooked.

3. Transfer the macaroni to a mixing bowl, and drizzle some vinegar on top. Follow by adding the onion and carrot.

4. Combine the milk, sugar, and mayonnaise in another bowl, and mix well.

5. Coat the macaroni with the mayonnaise mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Chill the mixture overnight, covered.

Substitutions

• Mayonnaise — It is best to stick with mayonnaise, but if you want to substitute, try sour cream or Greek yogurt, in a 1/1 ratio. Note that Greek yogurt is thicker, so the texture might differ a bit.

• Sugar — The amount of sugar used in this recipe for Ono Hawaiian macaroni salad is not much, but it still provides a noticeable sweetness. Still, if you’re not one of those with a sweet tooth, you could even omit sugar completely. Brown sugar would be another option, providing an even deeper flavor.

• Apple cider vinegar — In this recipe, vinegar is the one that makes the real difference, not specifically apple cider vinegar. It wouldn’t kill your dish to go with white vinegar or rice vinegar, and maybe even champagne vinegar.

Variations

• Meaty — If you’d rather have your macaroni salad a bit meaty with some added protein, you might want to consider adding some ham, bacon, or tuna to the mix.

• Saucy — Everything tastes better when coated in your favorite sauce, and this macaroni salad recipe is no exception. The usual salad coatings like Caesar would be fine, but you might want to try Ranch and Thousand Islands, as well.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups.

• Cooking pot.

• 2 mixing bowls.

Storage

• Transfer any leftover macaroni salad to an airtight container and store it in your fridge, where it will last for up to five days.

• To freeze, store the leftover macaroni salad in your freezer, in an airtight container, where it will last for up to three months.

Tips

• The pasta — Cooking the macaroni al dente will help, as this way it will be much softer and will absorb the dressing much better and easier. Although this one might seem small, the dressing is everything.
  Another important point is mixing the pasta with the sauce while the former is still warm. It’s even better if the pasta is hot, not warm.