Macaroni Salad
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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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
OMG!!!! Made it exactly like the recipe. I am the camp cook when my 2 sister’s and their husbands go camping. Always trying guniea pig recipes. The bomb! We all loved it!!
THE BEST!! So good and so easy to double!! Ive been asked to bring this to all the cookouts!
Had a lot of macaroni left over, decided to try your recipe. Made as written but did not have enough sweet pickles so added sweet pickle relish to the dressing and used white wine vinegar. Husband approved. Excellent. Will make again. Thank you😀
We’re happy you found our recipe, Lisa! So glad you both enjoyed 😊
I made this tonight and it was amazing! I followed the recipe except I substituted some homemade zucchini relish for the pickles.Best macaroni salad. Period.
I used dill instead iof sweet pickles, omitted the sugar. It is the best macaroni salad I’ve ever had! Thanks so much for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it, Lori 🥰
Great recipe! There was a little too much dressing for the 8 oz of noodles. I like a little kick to my food, so added 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper to the dressing. Also, added 1/4 cup of parsley to the noodles. Delicious! And great feedback from my guests!
Awesome macaroni salad! Creamy, tangy with some crunch. I made it exactly as the recipe was written except I added a little more macaroni noodles since 8oz didnt look like enough. I’m glad I did otherwise I would gave had too much dressing. Super yummy!!
I did like the recipe. I made almost exactly, but didn’t have red bell pepper so I used what I had which was green. I did not add the eggs, I just never cared for it in my macaroni salad. Over all its a good basic macaroni salad.
We’re glad you liked it, Linda 😊
Omg this recipe was the 💣 bomb best Mac salad I fixed
Loved the recipe
Reminds me of growing up we had this salad at every bbq. Made exactly as ours!! Thank you
I’m not a fan of onions or celery so I substituted with radish for the crunch! It turned out SO good, my family loved it 💖
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Emily! 😊
I have been making this for a few years now. My mom and dad always request it. Yummy!
Yummy. Made as written. Thinking about adding some chopped parsley just because it will go to waste otherwise.
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Amanda!
I’ve made this twice in one week best macaroni salad ever from one guest. I added 1 /4 cup chopped fresh basil. And 1 /2 cup shredded carrots. Took this recipe to the top ..
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That’s great, Gail! Thanks for letting us know how it went 😊
This came out really delicious and creamy. I was clearing out the pantry and fridge so I used hamburger pickles a d yellow peppers in place of the pickles, and used pickled bell peppers. We have a larger family, so I doubled the recipe. It still game out excellent.
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Doug! Thanks for trying our recipe 🙂
I made this salad for a family gathering recently. I wanted something different from what I usually make (tuna macaroni salad) as my niece is vegan. Well, I was pleasantly surprised as were the rest of my family. This is definitely delicious. I am making it again and bringing it to a friend’s next week. I am confident it will be a hit. Probably my new go to. ty
We’re so happy it was a hit for your family, Eileen! Thanks for trying our recipe and coming back to leave a review 🥰
8 ounces uncooked pasta?
Yes! You’ll cook the pasta in the first step of the recipe 😊
This is amazing! I didn’t have sour cream so I used plain yogurt and it still turned out great!