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!
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.
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.
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?
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Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 8 oz macaroni noodles (227g)
- 1/2 cup finely diced sweet gherkins usually 4-6 sweet gherkins for me (80g)
- 3/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper about 1/2 pepper (100g)
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced celery about 1-2 stalks (55g)
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion (45g)
- 2 large hard boiled eggs, finely diced
Macaroni Salad Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise I use olive oil mayo (175g)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (70g)
- 2 Tablespoons sweet pickle juice
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar*
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 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
Nutrition
Shannon says
Absolutely delicious! Even my picky eaters loved it! I did leave out red onion, bc they won’t eat that, and added onion powder instead. Turned out great! Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run says
That is wonderful, Shannon! I am so glad everyone enjoyed it! 🙂
Mark says
Really the best Macaroni salad Dressing. Never thought I could do without bottled salad dressing as an ingredient but this is so much better and great consistency too!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you found the dressing to be better than the store-bought version that you are used to, Mark, and that you really enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for trying it and for commenting. 🙂
Kriszti says
My new favorite! The whole family loved it.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that it was a hit, Kriszti! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Aleisha Glendenning says
By far the best I’ve ever had!
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Aleisha! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Kathy Hapney says
This Macaroni salad is delicious!!! I Have added it to my personal cook book And this Is the way I will make my macaroni salad from now on…. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe, Kathy! 🙂
Trudy says
I have to say that was one on the best macaroni salad’s I have ever made. Followed your recipe 100% and very glad I did
Thanks
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed it, Trudy! Thank you for trying my recipe. 🙂
Steve says
Insert raw eggs into BOILING water!!!!
If so, the egg starts to hard boil and not adhere to the shell. 7-10 min and drain. You can share them around in the pot and typically they’ll break up nicely, sometimes the WHOLE, entire, SMOOTH egg with actually slide out if the shell. Otherwise. Cold stream of water, slightly sliding/pulling the shell and RARELY do they nit cone out whole, clean & smooth.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thanks for sharing your method, Steve! I appreciate it! 🙂
Molly says
Super good and easy!! Made mine with apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar and it turned out great. Perfect for camping and get togethers.
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the salad, Molly! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Stephanie Youngblood says
It was yummy. My only problem was 2 days later , the pasta had absorbed a lot of the dressing. How do you prevent that?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Stephanie! I am glad that you enjoyed the salad. If you prefer it to be creamer, next time you can increase the dressing amount. 🙂
Margie says
I like to save some of the dressing for when I eat the leftovers just in case the macaroni noodles absorb all of the dressing. This way I don’t have too much dressing on the pasta on the first day that we eat it.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe!
Sugar Spun Run says
That is a great pointer, Margie! Thank you for sharing. I hope that you enjoy this recipe when you do try it. 🙂
Rebecca says
Will the dressing still taste good if I leave out the pickle juice? I can’t use pickle juice or my husband won’t eat it. Any suggestions for a Substitution in place of the pickle juice?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Rebecca! Not a fan of pickles! oh, no! You can omit the pickle juice. Taste it and if it needs it, add a bit more vinegar. I hope that you enjoy it! 🙂
Sybil says
I’ve got dill but no sweet pickles. Ok?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Sybil! Dill pickles will alter the taste of the salad quite a bit and it will not be as sweat and tanging. Others have used dill pickles as a substitute and have enjoyed it. With that being said, I hope that you do too! 🙂
Jayn says
I used smoked cheddar instead of eggs and got a delish bacon(y) taste.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thanks for sharing, Jayn! I hope that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Linda says
Absolutely delicious
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Linda! I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed the macaroni salad. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Libby says
Delicious & the best Macaroni Salad ever!
Only thing missing was bacon & if it was ever possible the bacon made it taste over the top
Thank you for sharing.
A keeper recipe for sure
Sugar Spun Run says
Bacon sounds like the perfect addition for next time, Libby! Thank you for trying my recipe, I am so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Cheri Gross says
I made your macaroni salad and I love it except I put too much sugar in it and it’s still pretty sweet. What should I use to calm the sweetness down?
Sam says
Hi cheri! A bit more salt or vinegar might help to tone down the sweetness a bit, but it depends on how much was accidentally added.