Hawaiian Potato Mac Salad
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Sep 2, 2026 
Why choose between potato salad and macaroni salad when I can have both? My Hawaiian Potato Macaroni Salad combines tender chunks of potato and pasta with sweet peas and carrots in one rich and creamy side dish. I love how easy it is to make for a Hawaiian-inspired plate lunch, cookout, or any family dinner that needs a hearty make-ahead side.
Creamy comforting Hawaiian Style Potato Macaroni Salad is the perfect side dish to add a little aloha to your table! One thing I always look forward to when we vacation in Hawaii is the potato salad. Yes, I love the fresh fish and poke, the towering shaved ice, and the fruit smoothies. Yet it’s the hearty comfort foods you find on a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch that really get me excited. At Hawaiian delis, you will find potato salad and you will find macaroni salad. Yet most commonly, you find a Hawaiian potato mac salad combo with all the best attributes of both! Here you get tender bits of potato, so soft they break down into the dressing. Then you get firm, yet silky, macaroni pasta holding little pockets of dressing in each tube. That is why this potato salad recipe is the absolute best! The surprise ingredients you don’t often find in either potato salad or pasta salad recipes are peas and carrots. The sweetness of the peas and carrots, along with a touch of allspice, brings all the ingredients together into a salty-sweet side dish that makes you want to pull up a bowl and face plant into this Hawaiian mac salad!
Sandee – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love this salad. Tastes like the one my mom made growing up and I have tried to imitate for years. This is definitely IT! She would sometimes add tiny canned shrimp to it. So yummy!
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Easy to Customize – I love this side dish favorite, because although the ingredients are combine to replicate the traditional Hawaiian salad, you can add and omit things as you like. Like with my deviled egg potato salad, you can add more mayo to make it creamier, skip the relish to reduce the sweetness, or add a bit of crushed red pepper flakes to add some kick!
Big Hawaiian Flavor – If I close my eyes when I taste this cold potato dish, I’m right back on a Catameran with my flippery feet hanging over the edge, eating my island lunch plate… Which includes: this salad, rice, ahi poke, lomi salmon, kalua pork, poi, and sometimes Hawaiian bread. It’s the perfect dish to bring to a summer potluck or luau!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Russet potatoes – I like using russet potatoes because their fluffy, starchy texture blends into the creamy dressing so well. I peel and chop them into small, bite-sized pieces so there’s a little potato in every forkful.
- Elbow macaroni – Classic elbow macaroni is my go-to for Hawaiian-style potato macaroni salad, but any small pasta shape that holds onto the creamy dressing will work. Be careful not to overcook the pasta… You want it tender but not mushy.
- Shredded onion – I shred the onion rather than chopping it so I get plenty of zesty onion flavor without large, crunchy pieces. It practically melts into the creamy dressing and flavors the entire salad.
- Shredded carrot – Carrots add a little texture, natural sweetness, and pretty color.
- Frozen peas – I love the little pop of sweetness and color that peas add to this salad. Frozen peas work perfectly here, and there’s no need to cook them extensively before adding them.
- Scallions – Freshly chopped scallions give the salad another layer of mild onion flavor and a bright pop of green.
- Mayonnaise – Mayo is what brings everything together into that rich, creamy dressing. Full-fat mayonnaise gives me the creamiest texture and richest flavor, although low-fat mayo works if you prefer a lighter option.
- Sweet pickle relish – A little sweet relish adds just the right amount of tangy sweetness and gives the dressing more personality. I make sure to get a little of the pickle juice in there, too, for extra flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar – This splash of acidity is important because it cuts through the richness of the mayonnaise and balances the sweeter ingredients. A little goes a long way!
- Yellow mustard – I use classic yellow mustard for a subtle tang and extra depth, plus it gives the creamy dressing a hint of color without overpowering the other flavors.
- Ground allspice – This is my little unexpected addition! Just a touch of allspice adds warm, aromatic flavor and makes the dressing taste a bit more interesting and complex.
How To Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Cook the potatoes – I cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large stockpot. Then I add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by about 1 inch. Starting with cold water helps the potatoes cook more evenly instead of getting soft on the outside before the centers are tender. I set the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, I add 1 tablespoon of salt and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes.
Add the macaroni – After the potatoes have cooked for 5 minutes, I stir the macaroni directly into the same pot. I love this method because it saves me from dirtying another pot! I continue boiling everything for another 6-8 minutes, until the macaroni is al dente and the potatoes are fork-tender. Keep an eye on the potatoes toward the end… You want them soft and creamy but not falling apart.
Make the dressing – Meanwhile, I combine the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish (including those flavorful juices!), apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, allspice, ½ teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. I stir until the dressing is completely smooth. Then I finely shred the onion and carrots. Shredding them is key because it distributes their flavor throughout the salad without leaving large, crunchy pieces.
Mix the salad – I drain the potatoes and macaroni in a colander, then transfer them to a large salad bowl. I add the shredded onion and carrots, peas, and scallions, then pour the creamy dressing over everything. I gently fold it all together until evenly coated, taking care not to mash the potatoes.
Chill before serving – Finally, I cover the potato macaroni salad and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours. Don’t skip the chilling time! It gives the pasta and potatoes time to soak up the dressing and allows all those sweet, tangy, savory flavors to meld together. If I can plan ahead, I make this salad a full day before serving because I think it’s even better on day two.
Expert Tips
Start the potatoes in cold water – I always start potatoes in cold water rather than dropping them into boiling water. This allows the centers and outsides to cook at a more even rate, so you don’t wind up with potatoes that are falling apart on the outside but still firm in the middle.
Keep those potato cubes consistent – Try to cut the potatoes into fairly uniform 1-inch pieces. This is especially important here because the potatoes and macaroni finish cooking together. If some potato pieces are much larger than others, they may still be firm when the pasta is ready.
Don’t overcook the macaroni – Since the macaroni continues to soften as it absorbs some of that creamy dressing, I pull it off the heat when it’s just al dente. Overcooking it initially can leave you with a mushy salad after several hours in the refrigerator.
Give it plenty of chilling time – Four hours is my minimum, but this is one of those wonderful recipes that actually gets better overnight. The macaroni and potatoes absorb some of the dressing while the onion, relish, allspice, and other flavors have time to meld. If I’m serving it for a party, I prefer to make it the day before.
Storage
For picnics and cookouts, I like to put out a smaller serving bowl and keep the rest refrigerated, replenishing it as needed.
I keep any leftovers covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. I like to give the salad a good stir before serving it again, since the dressing can settle and thicken as it chills. This is not a recipe I recommend freezing. Use it or lose it, friends!
Serving Suggestions
As mentioned above, I like to serve it with all sorts of Hawaiian lunch plate specialties. Here are a few more island favorites…
Frequently Asked Questions
Both potato salad and macaroni salads tighten as they sit. If you find your salad is watery, one of the issues could be the type of potato you used. (Pick a starchy potato for this recipe, like Russets.) After draining the potatoes, if they still seem watery, place the waterless potatoes back on the stove for a few minutes to steam away any excess moisture.
Allspice adds a touch of exotic flavor to this Hawaiian mac salad. It is an ingredient often used in Polynesian, Caribbean, and other tropical cuisines. If you are nervous about the flavor, you could add half the allspice, then add more later if you think it needs more.
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More Side Dish Favorites
Hawaiian Potato Mac Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 12 ounces dried macaroni noodles
- 1/2 cup shredded onion
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 10 ounces frozen peas
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 2 1/2 cups low fat mayonnaise
- 1 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large stock pot. Fill the pot with cold water until it is one inch over the top of the potatoes. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt. Then set the timer and cook the potatoes for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir in the macaroni noodles and continue boiling for 6-8 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mix the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish including juices, apple cider vinegar, mustard, allspice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Stir until smooth. Then use a grater to shred the onions and carrot.
- Drain the potatoes and macaroni in a colander and place in a large salad bowl. Add in the onion, carrots, peas, and scallions. Pour the dressing over the top and mix until well combined.
- Cover the potato macaroni salad and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. If you have time to make it ahead, it tastes even better on day two! Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.
great easy to make
Hi Ronald,
I’m thrilled the Hawaiian Potato Mac Salad was easy to make! Thanks so much for the five-star review.
love it easy to make
Delicious 😋
Love this salad. Tastes like the one my mom made growing up and I have tried to imitate for years. This is definitely IT! She would sometimes add tiny canned shrimp to it. So yummy!
Delish!! In case anyone is worried about the allspice, I believe it is an ingredient in some relish recipes so it works in this. I was out of carrots but had a red pepper. That was the only substitution I made. Going to make for coffee hour at church along with asian meatball sliders. Also for our upcoming salad luncheon. Love a recipe I can make ahead. Thank you!!
Best macaroni salad I’ve ever tasted, it’s heaven in every bite!!
I would never have thought all this stuff would work together. It is absolutely amazing!!
I made this for myself, it’s great. I would rate it more if I could, definitely recommend
My family loves and requests this recipe frequently. It makes such a big batch it is great to use for a dinner side dish for a few days!