Hawaiian Mac Salad (Local-Style Macaroni Salad)
from Jess Larson, https://playswellwithbutter.com/
Few local-style Hawaiian dishes are more iconic than mac salad! My Mom (born & raised in Honolulu) makes the best Hawaiian Macaroni Salad this side of the Pacific. Her easy recipe folds perfectly cooked pasta into a creamy mayonnaise dressing with grated carrot & fragrant spices – an ideal side dish for a classic plate lunch, summer cookouts, potlucks, & so much more.
The Iconic Plate Lunch Staple: Hawaiian Macaroni Salad My Mom was born and raised in Honolulu, where Macaroni Salad is absolutely ICONIC. Aside from rice, it’s probably the most popular side dish on the islands. [See below for a copycat recipe for Zippy’s mac salad that seems to be a more mainstream recipe in Hawaii.]
Why is Macaroni Salad So Popular in Hawaii?
Mac salad is a staple of the plate lunch, an affordable meal that traces back to the plantation fields of the early 1900s.
Native Hawaiians and migrant laborers from Japan, Korea, and China often packed lunches of meat dishes from their homeland alongside a scoop of white rice. It was hearty, cheap, and good fuel for a day’s work.
It’s said that Hawaiian macaroni salad made its way onto the plate lunch once Europeans introduced dry elbow macaroni and mayonnaise to the islands. Locals quickly adopted these ingredients because mac salad was affordable, not perishable (unlike a potato salad), and easy to make at home. It’s also a creamy palate cleanser that balances a variety of salty, sweet, boldly spiced proteins. Today, restaurants and street vendors always serve plate lunch with a generous scoop of Hawaiian macaroni salad along with meat and rice.
But her recipe does stray from tradition slightly in 2 ways:
- EXTRA SPICES. Mom uses the littlest bit of paprika and turmeric, which creates an eye-catching orange hue. We’re obsessed with the extra flavor they provide! [From what I have read, Hawaiian Mac Salad includes grated onion. This recipe uses onion powder.]
- AL DENTE PASTA. While classic Hawaiian macaroni salad is made with well-cooked, soft, and tender noodles, Mom’s uses al dente elbow macaroni for a satisfying bite.
Of course, you can easily omit the spices for a more classic appearance and cook the pasta longer for more traditional texture. See below for a copycat recipe for Zippy’s mac salad that seems to be a more mainstream recipe in Hawaii.
Mom likes to use Lawry’s seasoned salt in her mac salad, which is not traditional but we think it’s the secret ingredient that makes her recipe so special and crave-worthy. I don’t stock my kitchen with Lawry’s, so you’ll see this mac salad recipe uses a blend of garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne pepper to replicate its spiced flavor.
The one ingredient that is an absolute non-negotiable in this Hawaiian mac salad recipe is mayonnaise – specifically Best Foods Mayonnaise (or Hellman’s if you live in the Midwest or on the East Coast). It’s the same product! The name just differs based on what region of the country you are in.
8 ounces dry elbow macaroni or short pasta of choice
1 medium carrot, peeled as desired and grated
1 cup Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise (also known as Best Foods Real Mayonnaise in Hawaii and on the West Coast)
Lawry’s seasoned salt substitute:
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
up to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
kosher salt and ground black pepper
Boil the macaroni: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, generously salt the water. Add in the pasta and cook to al dente, according to package directions. Drain the pasta, rinsing with cold water, and set aside.
Assemble the macaroni salad: Add cooled elbows to a large mixing bowl with the grated carrot, mayonnaise, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, turmeric, and cayenne (if using). Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper, as desired. Stir to combine, seasoning with additional spices and/or salt as needed.
Serve immediately, garnished with finely sliced green onions or chives as desired. In Hawaii, mac salad is often served plate lunch-style, alongside rice with local favorites like shoyu chicken, kalua pig, teriyaki beef, kalbi, etc. Enjoy!
It’s best to assemble this thick and creamy mac salad right before serving. If mixed too early, the pasta really soaks up the mayo, which impacts the overall texture of the mac salad. If you want to make mac salad ahead of time without impacting its creamy, dreamy texture is to toss the cooked pasta with the carrot, sugar, and spices. When you’re ready to assemble, simply fold in the mayonnaise – easy!
Yield: serves 4-6
Zippy’s Mac Salad - Copycat
from https://mykitcheninthemiddleofthedesert.wordpress.com/
I have been searching the internet for years trying to unearth the recipe, only to find others doing the same. At one spot, I found a letter that was sent to the Zippy’s Customer Service Manager, and the response was just a list of the ingredients, along with an invitation to the recipient to “experiment with it”. Well, guess what I did, and I got it!
FMM: Zippy’s is a fast food chain that offers several plates, such as the Chicken Katsu plate that comes with breaded boneless chicken cutlets that are deep-fried, two scoops of rice and one of mac salad. She mentions that it may seem like a lot of mayonnaise, but that it works. If I tried this recipe I would cut back on the mayonnaise and add more if needed.
1/4 lb. Elbow Macaroni, cooked past al dente, so that they are fat and soft
1/2 C. Best Foods Mayonnaise (or Hellmann’s if you’re in the East, no substitution)
1/2 Tbsp. prepared Mustard (I used Dijon ’cause that’s what I had in the ‘fridge)
1 Tbsp. White Onion, finely grated, juice and pulp (I used a microplane)
2 Tbsp. Carrot, finely grated
2 Tbsp. Celery, finely diced
Salt and Pepper to taste (I used about 1/8 tsp of each)
Combine all ingredients but the Macaroni in a large mixing bowl.
Prepare the pasta as directed on the package. Test the pasta to make sure that it is past al dente, nice and soft but not falling apart. Drain well. While still warm, toss gently with the dressing and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Enjoy this with your favorite Hawaiian BBQ, steamed white rice or a tossed green salad and you’re now a local my friend! We call that a plate lunch in Hawaii. Gotta’ have my two scoops rice, mac salad and some kind of meat. It could be Beef, Pork, Chicken, Fish or for the vegetarians, Grilled Tofu.
