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.
Molly
Oh yum! Just made and took a taste test. Delicious. I don’t care for pickles much so omitted them. I did have some sweet pickle relish (for my hubby!) and used the juice out of it. I also threw in a piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast cut up in chunks. So happy I fell onto your recipe on pinterest! It is a keeper.
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this macaroni salad, Molly! Thank you so much for commenting 🙂
Menunell
Easy way to peel eggs, put a few in quart jar 1/2 full of water cover shake jar take out peel start all over till you have peeled all your eggs.
Beth
I have made this mac. Salad for years, my mom made it a lot, that’s where I got the receipe, if someone is true cook they can go wild with it can add so many things.
Now my husband loves maki g it too.
But thanks for it anyway.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy it so much, Beth! 🙂
Nancy Kahmar
how do I get the recipt? need now
Sam
Hi Nancy, it’s right here on this page, you actually would have to have scrolled past it to leave this comment 🙂
Patt
I like grape tomatoes and thawed frozen peas in mine. Just a suggestion.
Sam
That sounds delicious, Patt! Thanks for the suggestion! 🙂
Dave
Omg to die for
Sam
I’m so glad you like it, Dave! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
Rosemary Colvin
My macaroni Salad was great Thanks So Much
Evelyn
I made the macaroni salad and I love it. It came out delicious I will do it again
Thank you
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Evelyn! 🙂
Keith White
I added bacon bits and tiny shrimp. Tasted so good. Thanks Keith
Sam
My husband would say, “You can never have enough bacon!” I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Marle
I made this recipe for our Christmas lunch and everyone loved it! This one is going in my recipe collection to make again!
Sam
Yay! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you, Marle 🙂
Nikki
I made this today as my father in law had a Christmas Eve tradition of having sliced ham for sandwiches and various salads and it was sooo good. I will be saving this recipe for sure.
Sam
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed, Nikki! Thank you for commenting 🙂
KRP
This was a hit! I added a little more salt, pickle juice and crushed red pepper. Made it the night before and the flavors were even better the next day.
Sam
So glad to hear you enjoyed! 🙂
kassid
thank u for dkz amazin trecipie
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it! 😊
Nadine
Soooooo good! I made this tonight and loved it. I’m wondering if it would be as good with light mayonnaise or light sour cream. Seems high in fat and I have enough of that (hehe). I sprinkled a little curry powder and paprika on it too.
Sam
I have made it with olive oil mayo and it was every bit as good. It will turn out, it’s just a matter of personal taste in this case. ☺️
Nadine
Thank you
denise
I thought this was an excellent macaroni salad. I did use bread and butter pickles, as I didn’t have the other, and it still turned out great.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for commenting, Denise! 🙂
Lin
WoW! This was amazing. It was so good and so simple to make. I actually followed the directions (which I usually don’t do). Only thing I changed was I used bread & butter pickles because the gherkins I bought tasted yucky and not sweet at all…not like I remembered them. It came out great but I felt the need to add black olives because I add them to everything and I think I could go either way with adding or not adding. The recipe sounds like it needs more things in it but is doesn’t. It is a perfect blend of ingredients and dressing. Thank you so much. (I already ate too much of it, it was THAT good, you know “I’ll just have a little more…a little more…holy cow I ate half…”…lol
Sam
Thank you Lin! I am so glad you enjoyed it! I know how it goes when you want “just a little more”. 😂😂😂
Lesley
Excited to try your recipe this weekend for my sons bday party!
Do you think bacon bits would go well in it?
Sam
I think bacon bits would be a great addition!
Keith White
I added bacon bits and tiny shrimp. Tasted so good. Thanks Keith