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 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
Nutrition
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.
Vonda Lunsford
Can you add peas?
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Linda
Delicious! Pasta salad ingredients may vary to taste, but if the dressing isn’t good – meh! This recipe was perfect and u will make it again!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy you enjoyed it, Linda! 🥰
Dawn
Delicious!
Jennifer Butler
I am in the middle of making it now and was surprised to see it only calls for a half box of macaroni because it seems like a LOT of dressing. But with all the rave reviews, I’m guessing that is the right amount of macaroni!
Susan Pedersen
the best.!
so easy !
Tina
This was absolutely delicious!! Hubby said it was the best macaroni salad he has ever had. Our dinner guest said it was amazing!
Lesli N.
Excellent recipe! This was my first time making macaroni salad and it turned out way better than I expected.
Greta
BEST Mac Salad EVER!! Surpisingly easy and the flavor is fantastic!!! Everyone loved it, 3 people asked for the recipe! Follow the tips, they made a great difference. Thank you Chef Sam
Janine
It is delicious. And different from the usual. Others have said it comes across overly mayonaise-ey. That was not my experience. With mine, what predominated and gives it its unique character was the garlic powder. And I had even used a light hand with it — i.e., a modest 1/8 tsp rather than a heaping 1/8 tsp.
The garlic powder i think is what makes it addictive. For awhile. This is the perfect recipe for parties or to bring as a guest when you want to wow people. They will love it. But on the other hand, to make macaroni salad for myself at home, the garlic powder aspect after a while became a bit much and I wished for more ordinary macaroni salad.
Amy Dupree
This is the only macaroni salad that is made in my house. I can see why it’s #1 on Google! I’ve been making this for a year now and my husband LOVES it!!!
Thanks for sharing this with us, Sam! It’s a winner 🏆
Ferry Damsgaard
Just made this recipe and I love it 😊
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Ferry!
Deb
My family loooooved this macaroni salad! My son is gluten sensitive so I used Jovial gluten free macaroni instead and honey in place of the sugar because the honey was already on the counter. The dressing is wonderfully creamy, sweet but not too sweet as some of the grocery prepared macaroni salads. I don’t know if leftovers would keep longer than a day Ours were scarfed up the next day. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We are so happy it was such a hit, Deb! Thanks for the review 🩷
Susan
I love this recipe!
Tina
Can you double all the ingredients to double the recipe? Have a big family function coming!!
Sam
Sure thing!
Betty
I have made this several times and is always a winner with everyone!