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.
Georgia Villa
Holy mackerel. This salad is sooo good. I doubled the recipe and had a little taste (it’s for Easter at the woods with family mañana). Hands down the best I’ve ever tasted. I followed the recipe and made no alterations. It’s perfect how it is. It’s definitely not sweet like some reviews said, it’s perfect. Thank you for sharing. 😍
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Gerogia! 🙂
Romy
Made this twice now and it’s a family keeper. I used white onion instead of red. No egg. Better the next day to allow all ingredients to marry
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Romy! 🙂
Stephanie
I made this macaroni salad yesterday and tasted it after chilling it for 4 hours. It was good, but I tried it again today and it was delicious! Great recipe and I would recommend making it the night before you serve it so the ingredients have time to blend together nicely for a great flavour.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Stephanie! 🙂
Terry
I just made this and it is the best! I couldn’t stop eating it. I know it will taste better tomorrow. Just the right combination if ingredients. Thanks for such a good easy recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Terry! 🙂
Darlene
Best macaroni recipe I’ve found yet!!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Darlene! 🙂
Ruth M Porter
WESOME MAC SlD receipe
PEnny
Really good! I didn’t use all the dressing though. Next time I would use more macaroni.
Wes
Just amazing!
Tina Conroy
The best! And I’ve tried them all. Perfect balance of flavors.
Marie S
I don’t usually like sweet. But made this for my husband. And I love it and so did my husband. It’s amazing.
Joanne McKenney
This is the very best macaroni salad I have ever made! I used 11.5 oz of pasta, but all remaining ingredients stayed as written. Absolutely delicious, I urge you to try it if you’re on the fence. The additions to the pasta seem so simple but somehow together they make magic! The only macaroni salad I will ever serve. Thank you!
Sam
Thank you so much, Joanne! I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Renee
This the first one i actually ever made a couple weeks ago. It is sooo good we are addicted to it i have made at least 4 times in the last 3 weeks. I used miracle whip because that is what i use and added shredded cheese it is so good. I doubled recipe just so it lasts a little longer
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Renee! 🙂
Jan Perlman
Just the right amount of sweet and dressing so that the salad is neither swimming in it nor too dry. Delightful!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jan! 🙂
Siriwan
Today was my second time made this recipe, my husband loves it and cant stop complimenting.
Thank you Sam!:)
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Michelle
You asked for egg peeling comments- I love my instant pot for boiling eggs! They practically peel themselves🤗
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for sharing, Michelle. 🙂
Mike
A good macaroni salad. Tasty, exactly as followed. Thank you for sharing my now favorite.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Mike! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Arlen
I made it today and my husband and i loved it! Delicious!! I use left over chicken instead of egg. Since I don’t have red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar, I used rice wine vinegar instead. And I use sweet green relish too. Thanks for the recipe.
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Arlen! 🙂
Siriwan
This recipe is sooo good!! Everyone in my family loves it.I will save this recipe and use it again for sure.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy to hear how much everyone enjoyed it, Siriwan! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Siriwan
I made this again, I made 4 times of this recipe in last 20 days.love it.
Sam
That is so awesome! 🙂
Ginny Malara
This is THE BEST macaroni salad and dressing. Great flavor and creaminess that doesn’t vanish. I refrigerated the noodles ahead of adding the dressing. Maybe that helped reduce the noodle absorption of the dressing? I also skipped the eggs—less work 🙂 and reduced the sugar just because I nearly always do that. And I once, as you recommended, substituted Greek yogurt because I was out of sour cream.. Beautiful.
Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for trying my recipe, Ginny! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Liz
Just 8oz of macaroni? Is it really enough? Did anyone adjust and add more? This sounds so delicious and I want to make it for the Super Bowl.
Sam
Hi Liz! I just used 8 oz. It makes a good bit of macaroni salad, but you can always increase the recipe to feed a crowd. 🙂
Miss G
Made this today and it was delicious! Just the taste I was looking for. Thanks! ☺️
Sugar Spun Run
That is so wonderful. I am happy you enjoyed it! 🙂