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?
If you enjoy watching these videos, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel to be notified each time I publish a video!
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.
Bryce Lacroes
I am having trouble on finding sweet pickle juice…Is there a place I can buy it or a recipe where I can make it??
Sam
Hi Bryce! I’m not sure I’m understanding here. I just buy a jar of sweet pickles and use the juice from that. 🙂
Megan
Thanks, going to make this today as I have all ingredients and am cooking eggs now, just added a few extra for the salad… was making deviled eggs.. lol I let the 3 year old peel the eggs, he’s been doing it for a year now and is pretty good at it. I bring my eggs up to a slow boil and cook for about 8 minutes. Get a spoon, pull an egg out of the water and move quickly to the side. if the egg drys at the count of 3… done enough. move to sink and drain, crack all of them and let air cool ( few more cooking minutes while cooling off). Crack rest of the way by rolling on the counter. Hand them off to the 3 year old and let him have at it. Very rarely does he have trouble with the peel not peeling.
Sam
I hope you love it! It’s great to have a little helper around. 🙂
Dowe
Just made it as written, delicious! Thank you! 💗
Teresa
Made the recipe exactly as stated, but omitted sugar and replaced sweet pickles and pickle juice with Clausen dill pickles and pickle juice and it was fantastic!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Teresa! 🙂
Lucy
The best macaroni salad!! I substitute the sweet pickles with dill pickles and use less sugar than stated. I also added paprika for a little spicy and turned out great. Thank you so much for sharing.
Darlene
Can I omit the sweet pickle juice? Is there a substitute? I have everything else on hand and don’t want to go shopping haha
Sam
You can omit it if you don’t have it. 🙂
Teresa Congdon
Looking for a great macaroni salad recipe and I am drawn to yours. The only thing is the sugar and sweet pickles. Can I substitute dill? I just don’t like sweet pickles in my cold salads. Frankly, I don’t care for them out of my salads. I use dill pickles in my potato salad, chicken salad and tuna salad. Anyone used to sweet pickles are hesitant, ahem dad, end up with seconds, at least. Actually, I’m questioning the sugar in the dressing more so, as it may change the consistency? The actual diced pickles shouldn’t matter…
Sam
Hi Teresa! You can substitute the dill pickles here and you can leave the sugar out if you’d like. 🙂
Teresa Congdon
Thank you! I never liked sweet cold salads, so I’m very grateful for your response! I am going to make this recipe tomorrow and I will let you know the results the following day, after the flavors meld over night…
Again, very grateful!
~Teresa~
Jan MacKrell
I haven’t had a single issue peeling hard boiled eggs since I started cooking them in my Instant Pot. The shells come right off and not a bit of egg is wasted. Perfect every time!
Vicki L.
Made a double batch today! Best macaroni salad I ever had. It’s easy to make and delicious!
Melody
This looks great! What brand of olive oil mayo did you use? I was thinking of using the Primal Kitchen brand.
Sam
Hi Melody! I use either Kraft or Hellman’s but it’s really a personal preference here. 🙂
Ruth
This was amazing. Didn’t want to make the ‘same old same old’ macaroni salad and found this. I didn’t have a red pepper but didn’t matter. Left out eggs and put in cheddar cheese. So good. My new ‘go to’ salad
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Ruth! 🙂
Tracy McClendon
OMG the sauce was incredible. Picky eaters at my house so I added some veggies and left some out. My husband loved it!
Sam
So happy to hear the macaroni salad was such a hit, Tracy! 🙂
Janet@thehallz.com
This is a great recipe and so easy!! We served it at Thanksgiving and it received rave reviews!!!! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Janet! 🙂
elsa estrada
can the sour cream be omitted?
Sam
Hi Elsa! You can but the macaroni salad won’t be as flavorful and creamy. Alternatively you could substitute plain greek yogurt. 🙂
Clark
Most people overcook the eggs. I put the eggs and a little vingar . Why? Because my mom did. Cover with water and bring to boil and turn the heat way down for 14 minutes. Drain the water and cover the eggs with ice cold water as soon as pocciblw. for at least 10 minutes. I crack the rugs and roll them up the side of the sink.Sells case to get off. Recipe look great..
Kara Higginbotham
My mom said the vinegar was so the shells would separate easier from the egg. The Fast cool down in an ice bath keeps the yolks from turning green on the outside. She was a chemistry teacher so has credibility. Lol.
Teresa
The ice bath also stops the cooking process…
Donna Cutler
To hard boil “perfect” eggs. Place uncooked eggs in a vegetable steamer over gently boiling water. Cover pot with a lid. Cook over a slow boil for 15 minutes.
Remove steamer and eggs, pour out hot water, place eggs in dry pan, replace lid and vigorously shake. Run cold water over cracked eggs and shells will magically slip off. You will have lovely eggs ready to chop, fill, etc.