• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads (Yeast & Quick Breads)
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact/Work with Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Macaroni Salad

    Published: May 19, 2018 by Sam Merritt • 1,391 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe
    The Best Macaroni Salad

    This is a classic, tasty, and oh-so easy macaroni salad recipe! Made with classic ingredient staples including celery, red pepper, and onion and dressed up in a simple creamy mayo-based dressing, this is guaranteed to be a hit at every cookout and potluck this year!

    Be sure to check out the easy video that shows step-by-step how to make this recipe!

    A heaping bowl of homemade macaroni salad

    We have had a non-stop week of rain here.

    Zach’s first two softball games of the season have been rained out and I’m beginning to forget what the sun looks like (I’m only slightly dramatic I promise 😉). I am completely over it. I’m ready for summertime sunshine and cookout weather, and with Memorial Day weekend just around the corner I’m taking the opportunity to prepare and share my all-time favorite macaroni salad recipe, even if it is grey and gloomy outside.

    I’ve shared a few of my summertime salads, including my favorite broccoli salad and ramen noodle salad, but this one may just be my favorite.

    Macaroni salad is a party/potluck/cookout staple, no get-together is complete without a giant chilled bowl, and today I’ll show you how I make my favorite recipe and the perfectly creamy, slightly sweet dressing that goes along with it.

    Macaroni salad ingredients

    What Ingredients are in Macaroni Salad?

    Different macaroni salads contain different ingredients, but my staples include:

    • Elbow macaroni (obviously 😉)
    • Sweet pickles
    • Red pepper
    • Celery
    • Red onion
    • Hard boiled eggs or shredded or diced cheddar cheese
    • A homemade mayo-based macaroni salad dressing

    You can obviously add your favorite additional add-ins or make substitutions (I know some people prefer sliced green onions to red onion and some people like to add paprika to their dressing), but this if my favorite combination and I really recommend you try it out exactly this way at least once for yourself.

    The dressing I just mentioned is what really sets it apart from other potluck recipes you might have tried. It provides just the right amount of creaminess — the noodles are coated in just enough sauce and are neither dry nor are they drenched in the dressing. It’s also just slightly sweetened thanks to the addition of some sweet pickle juice and a pinch of sugar.

    How long can you keep Macaroni Salad?

    Macaroni salad will keep for up to five days when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This is a great salad for making in advance (I actually recommend chilling for at least an hour before serving) and serving at picnics and potlucks, but try not to leave it out at room temperature (or worse, in the heat!) for very long as the salad dressing base will not keep well in the heat.

    Macaroni salad with mayo-based dressing

    This macaroni salad recipe is a favorite to serve alongside my favorite BBQ pulled chicken and a plate full of deviled eggs (you’re already going to be boiling eggs anyway, might as well make enough for deviled eggs while you’re at it!).

    When I shared my deviled egg recipe, so many of you shared your favorite methods for cleanly peeling fresh eggs, and I appreciated those tips so much and have tried many of them. I’d love to keep the conversation going here if you would share your favorite egg-peeling methods in the comments!

    How Do You Make Homemade Macaroni Salad?

    YouTube video

    If you enjoy watching these videos, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be notified each time I publish a video!

    Macaroni Salad

    Macaroni Salad

    How to make the BEST Macaroni Salad! This recipe can easily be doubled to serve a crowd.
    4.97 from 1395 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 7 minutes minutes
    Chilling Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 22 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 cups
    Calories: 408kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz dry macaroni noodles (227g)
    • ½ cup finely diced sweet gherkins usually 4-6 sweet gherkins for me (80g)
    • ¾ cup finely diced red bell pepper about ½ pepper (100g)
    • ⅓ cup thinly sliced celery about 1-2 stalks (55g)
    • ⅓ cup finely diced red onion (45g)
    • 2 large hard boiled eggs, finely diced

    Macaroni Salad Dressing

    • ¾ cup mayonnaise I use olive oil mayo (175g)
    • ¼ cup sour cream (70g)
    • 2 Tablespoons sweet pickle juice
    • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar*
    • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
    • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional

    Instructions

    • Prepare macaroni noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water, then drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and gently stir so the noodles don't stick together as they sit.
    • In a large bowl, combine macaroni noodles, sweet pickles, red pepper, celery, red onion, and eggs. Stir until well-combined. Set aside and prepare your dressing.

    For the dressing

    • To prepare your macaroni salad dressing, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, red wine vinegar, sweet pickle juice, sugar, dijon mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper (if using) in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk until ingredients are well-combined.
    • Pour dressing over your macaroni salad ingredients and toss until well-combined.
    • For best flavor, cover bowl and allow macaroni salad to chill for at least one hour. Stir once more before serving and enjoy!

    Notes

    *If you don't have red wine vinegar on hand, white wine or apple cider vinegar would also work well.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 408kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 463mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 884IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Macaroni Salad in a serving dish

    More Sides Recipes

    • Overhead view of a bowl of Mexican street corn salad in a blue serving bowl.
      Mexican Street Corn Salad
    • Close-up view of a Mexican street corn pasta salad topped with cilantro, jalapeno, cotija cheese, and chili powder.
      Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad
    • Bowl of pasta salad made with tri-color rotini, veggies, and feta cheese.
      (The Best) Pasta Salad Recipe
    • Bowl of homemade refried beans topped with cheese and cilantro.
      (Easy!) Refried Beans Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Paula

      August 27, 2025 at 4:20 pm

      5 stars
      THE Best Marconi Salad by far! Thank you !!

      Reply
    2. Leisa Chamberlain

      August 22, 2025 at 7:43 pm

      5 stars
      The best macaroni salad I ever made! And friends and family agree.
      Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe!

      Reply
    3. careco

      August 21, 2025 at 2:24 pm

      5 stars
      best macaroni salad!

      Reply
    4. Ashli Anger

      August 18, 2025 at 2:44 am

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe, I add little cubes of cheddar cheese to mine.

      Reply
    5. Jodie

      August 12, 2025 at 3:26 am

      Can I use dijon mustard instead of regular and can I use garlic powder instead of granulated? I live in Thailand and some things are hard to find

      Reply
    6. Laurie L Nylund

      August 10, 2025 at 8:09 pm

      5 stars
      Quick and easy to make, especially in the morning of hot days. I always reserve 1/4 of the dressing to add to the salad shortly before serving. This is the best macaroni salad recipe, though being a Wisconsinite, I do add some small cubes of cheddar to the salad usually.

      Reply
    7. Bill Pennewell

      August 09, 2025 at 12:50 pm

      Hi, love your recipes and all the information that goes with them! I do have a question. I am a single guy. I have made this salad, other salads, and other recipes you have posted, but I end up having to eat them for a week or so. I have tried cutting this recipe in half, but it doesn’t taste the same. Do you have any thoughts on what seasonings or ingredients I need to adjust above or below half measurements to make a reduced-size portion taste the same as the full version? I have been experimenting, but not foodie enough to know what I am doing! Any help would be appreciated.

      Reply
      • Sam Merritt

        August 09, 2025 at 10:02 pm

        Hi Bill! I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed everything so much! For this recipe in particular, you should just be able to half every ingredient with success. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Artie

      August 05, 2025 at 12:07 pm

      5 stars
      I quadruple this and make it with two pounds of macaroni and my kids eat it with their lunch for several days after. It just gets better in the fridge. I do substitute honey so as to avoid the refined sugar and I prefer balsamic to the red wine vinegar but otherwise a very good foundation for a great American mac salad.

      Reply
    9. Ginny McCloskey

      August 02, 2025 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      First time I made this macaroni salad. I’m always apprehensive when trying new recipes. Awesome. Simply awesome. Took me a little while rechecking the ingredients and measurements, but so worth it. Can’t wait for guests to arrive. So happy!!!

      Reply
      • Scott Whitehead

        August 05, 2025 at 5:28 pm

        5 stars
        Substituted Heinz Sweet Relish for the Sweet Gherkins. Also added a tsp.of celery seed. My wife & friends absolutely loved it.

        Reply
    « Older Comments
    4.97 from 1395 votes (807 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Warm Weather Recipes

    Mason jar of homemade raspberry sauce topped with fresh raspberries.

    Raspberry Sauce

    Close-up shot of ramen noodle salad.

    Ramen Noodle Salad

    Collage of strawberry recipes including strawberry sauce, strawberry cake, strawberry shortcake, strawberry tart, and strawberry frosting.

    Strawberry Recipes

    Overhead view of a blueberry cream cheese pie in a graham cracker crust.

    Blueberry Cream Cheese Pie

    Slice of blueberry pie with a lattice crust on a white plate.

    Blueberry Pie

    Overhead view of a cup of dirt pudding with one bite missing.

    Cup of Dirt Recipe

    More Summer Recipes

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    © 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.