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.
Stefanie
Amazing!!!! I just made the salad for a barbecue gathering and it is the best macaroni salad we’ve ever tried! All of my guests are asking for the recipe. 🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was such a hit, Stefanie! 🥰
Kayleen
Great recipe! Love the texture the veggies add. It’s also more flavorful than most macaroni salads I’ve had. My only suggestion would be to make extra dressing if you plan to make this in advance. I made it yesterday for today but the macaroni ended up absorbing a lot of the dressing and was on the dry side, so I made another half batch to fix it.
Heidi Fosse
Love this recipe! Spot on with all the flavors going on.
Debra Kendall
My husband Loves macaroni salad but he is really picky when it comes to me trying a new recipe. He loves this macaroni salad. It was also a big hit at a Church Luncheon!
Leah Hendriks
My previous Mac salad recipe was so bland. This one is amazing! Another reviewer felt it was a bit tangy, but I didn’t find that to be the case at all.
My only changes were sweet bread and butter pickles because I didn’t have gerkins, apple cider vinegar per the Note section, simply because I love apple cider vinegar, and an equal amount of monk fruit instead of the sugar (they taste the same).
The only problem I had was waiting for it to chill for an hour. I ate a bowl immediately because it was that good!
Thank you so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you found our recipe, Leah! Thanks so much for letting us know how those substitutions worked for you. Enjoy ☺️
Heidi Fosse
I have been substituting a couple Truvia packets for the sugar and it tastes great!
Fredrick Ward
One of the best tasting and easiest
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you think so, Frederick! Enjoy 😊
Annie
This is by far the best macaroni salad I’ve ever made and now it’s the ONLY recipe I use!
Susan
This macaroni salad recipe is “delicious and simple to prepare”! My husband, who is not a fan of macaroni salads told me, “This is the best macaroni salad I have ever eaten!”
KD
can I use sweet relish instead of pickles?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Absolutely! Enjoy 😊
Frank E Reynolds
I can’t wait to try it. Can I add canned tuna?
Sam
Hi Frank! You could add canned tuna if you’d like. 🙂
Lori Kixmiller
I made this for my family BBQ, I’d post a picture but it’s gone! Delicious to say the least!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for the review, Lori! We’re so happy it was a hit! 😊
Diane
I’m going to make this using the diced cheese, how much do you suggest using? Thank you very much!!
Maria A Gentz
first time trying and I’m absolutely in love … for all futures macaroni salad this is my go-to thank you. highly recommend ❤️
Rita P
Just made this and it’s been our go to Mac salad recipe for a couple years now. I just can’t see me making any other recipe ever again even though I have separate all of this out for my families preferences, no onion for one, dill pickles vs sweet but we eat it all up!
Lois Heichberger
I doubled this recipe and still used less vinegar and sugar bc of the pickle juice. But even so, you don’t want to omit the sugar, even just 2 tsp make a huge difference in a dbl recipe!! This is tangy so be careful with vinegar!! I also omited Dijon, all garlic powder, and pepper flakes. I did not use hard-boiled egg in salad, but did mash 2 egg yolks into the dressing. (Only bc I didn’t have my favorite brand of Mayo handy..). It may seem like I didn’t use the recipe, but I did like the bell pepper, celery, onion, and added a med grated carrot, the sweet gherkins. I liked the enhanced sauce-like Mayo Dressing mixed separately for the Macaroni Salad!! I like my Mac Salad after the chill comes off from the Fridge. And liked the Salad better the next day, making it the evening prior for a Memorial Day Celebration. It mellows the flavors, even tho I rinse my sweet onions before adding. Use the finer dice the recipe recommends. Looks so pretty!! 4 out of 5 Stars bc I think some additions were overkill (garlic, Dijon, eggs,…). I also added extra diced celery instead of slicing it. And carrot adds extra color.
Jayson
We normally don’t eat sweet pickles with anything but now I have another recipe to use them up on besides potato salad. Excellent recipe, thank you! I added 5 slices of thick cut bacon cooked crispy in the oven and chopped. Sharp Cheddar is also a hit but honestly this recipe needs no additions.
Marianne
It’s a lot of prep work but probably the best macaroni salad I’ve ever had.
Lois Heichberger
Marianne – it is a lot of prep work, especially bc I was also making a huge Pork Shoulder Roast with Crackling(Boston Butt with fat cap and skin intact. So glad I . Ade a day ahead of time asI would not have finished or had time to mellow of I waited until the day of the Celebration!! A few tweaks, esp less vinegar bc it is quite tangy!!
Melinda
Made this last minute for a change of holiday plans and it turned out so so good. I highly recommend this recipe. My family loved it and gobbled it up. What makes it awesome? Most items you will already have in your kitchen. It takes an hour to marinate. I’ve never added eggs or sweet gherkins before following this recipe, but I am so glad I did. The dressing is also a vital key to the salads success. I did not add the garlic or hot pepper flakes because of family requirements, otherwise followed the recipe to a T – total winner!