This island-inspired pasta salad blends creamy Hawaiian-style mac salad with sweet pineapple, crisp veggies, and a rich teriyaki twist. It’s sweet, savory, tangy, and absolutely perfect for cookouts, luau nights, or tropical comfort food cravings.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
- 1 cup cooked ham, diced
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
- 1/4 cup green onions, sliced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni until very tender, Hawaiian-style. Drain and rinse lightly with cool water.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Add the cooked macaroni, pineapple tidbits, diced ham, carrots, celery, and green onions to the bowl.
- Fold everything together gently until fully coated in the creamy teriyaki dressing.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the flavors can soak into the pasta.
- Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the top just before serving for extra island-style flavor and crunch.
Pro Tip:
For the ultimate Hawaiian takeout-style texture, slightly overcook the macaroni by 1–2 minutes—the creamy dressing clings better and gives that authentic island comfort-food feel.