A macaroni salad is a must-have side dish when feeding a crowd. Tender elbow noodles soak up the sweet and tangy ingredients while colorful chopped vegetables add a delightful crunch to each serving.
Recipe Science
- Cooking pasta slightly past al dente causes more starch to release and the cell structure to loosen. The porous surface soaks up more of the dressing for a better-seasoned, flavorful salad.
- Marinating the pasta and vegetables with the seasoning mixture allows the noodles to absorb flavor before adding the dressing.
- Mayonnaise adds richness and helps the dressing cling to the pasta, while sour cream lightens the texture and adds tang.
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Featured Comment 21
“I am almost 65 years old and this is the best macaroni salad I have ever had. This is better than any store brand. I will never buy macaroni salad again.”—Linda B.
Why It Works
Stop buying the drab and heavy store-bought macaroni salad and make your own! This homemade version boasts a punch of sweet and tangy flavors infused in the noodles, tossed in a luscious mayonnaise dressing. I like to cook the pasta just past al dente, but not mushy, so the noodles absorb the pungent and savory flavors better.
Freshly chopped vegetables add tiny bursts of flavor and dimension. It’s the perfect contrast to the soft noodles. Don’t worry, this recipe makes plenty of servings, as it’s hard to have just one scoop. This cold pasta salad pairs perfectly with barbecued meats, grilled vegetables, and sandwiches. For a tropical twist, try my Hawaiian macaroni salad!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pasta: Elbow macaroni is the most common noodle used for macaroni salad. This short-cut pasta with a hollow center allows more dressing to coat the surface area while capturing the dressing inside. This yields more flavorful spoonfuls.
- Vegetables: To break up the richness of the macaroni salad, I like to add a colorful variety of vegetables. Red bell pepper, red onion, celery, carrots, and dill pickle are chopped into tiny pieces and are added in equal amounts. This gives just the right amount of crispness without overpowering the recipe.
- Herbs: Fresh parsley and chives (or green onion) add a nice herbaceous note to balance the creamy dressing.
- Seasoning: Apple cider vinegar, pickle juice, honey, and Dijon mustard add a sweet and pungent taste. Garlic powder, salt, and pepper add a savory dimension.
- Dressing: Mayonnaise provides a rich emulsion of oil and egg yolk that clings to the pasta, while sour cream adds a slightly tangy flavor and a lighter, silkier texture.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This classic macaroni salad recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Pasta Swaps: Other types of pasta, like ditalini, small shells (conchiglie), or orecchiette, work well too.
- Add Protein: Chop up and mix in a hard-boiled egg for a richer taste. Dice up some smoked turkey, bacon, ham, salami, or cheddar cheese. Add fish, such as in my tuna macaroni salad recipe.
- Vegetables: Add boiled and diced russet potato for a potato salad-style pasta. Try grilled corn, zucchini, peas, diced sweet pickles, or cucumber.
- Herbs: Add basil, tarragon, or green onions. Add dried Italian seasoning for a bold flavor.
- Spices: Add sweet or smoked paprika, onion powder, cumin, coriander, curry powder, cayenne, or chipotle. Hot sauce or Sriracha can make it spicy.
How to Make Macaroni Salad
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Cook the pasta in a generous amount of salted water for a more savory taste. Aim for just past al dente, which is a few extra minutes more than the manufacturer’s recommended time. The texture should be soft throughout, but not mushy. Don’t worry, the pasta will firm up a bit as it cools down in the refrigerator.
Ingredient Chemistry: The more sticky starches released during cooking, the more of the sweet and tangy dressing can be absorbed.
Step 2: Drain and Rinse the Noodles
Step 3: Add the Vegetables
Adding the vegetables, herbs, and seasonings early gives them time to release moisture and flavors into the mix. Letting the mixture sit for about 5 minutes lightly softens the crunchy ingredients through osmosis, while also allowing the vinegar, pickle juice, and mustard to begin infusing the pasta with bright, tangy notes. This early seasoning step creates a more flavorful and well-balanced salad, without relying solely on the dressing.
Step 4: Add the Mayonnaise and Serve
If the vinegar and seasoning are mixed with the mayonnaise and sour cream first, this can dull the taste of the dressing. The fat in mayonnaise makes it difficult for your taste buds to detect the flavors of the vinegar and seasonings. To avoid this, mix-in the mayonnaise and tangy cream last.
The dressing will lightly coat each noodle, but shouldn’t dry it out as it sits. The dressing will thicken slightly more over time as the fats solidify in the refrigerator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do not mix hot pasta with the mayonnaise, as this could cause the emulsion to break and create a greasy texture. To immediately stop the cooking process, drain and rinse the boiled noodles with cold water for at least 1 minute. Shake off the excess water, but keep the noodles damp so that they don’t stick together before mixing with the dressing.
For a flavorful macaroni salad, I prefer a blend of salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and fresh herbs like parsley and chives. A little dill pickle juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, and mustard add just the right balance of tanginess, sweetness, and depth to brighten up each bite.
Macaroni salad can be served right away, although I’ve noticed that the taste improves even more after a day, as the dressing has more time to marinate and infuse into the pasta. This dish can be prepared up to five days in advance, making it ideal for meal prep, parties, and potlucks. The fat in the dressing keeps the noodles evenly coated and prevents them from drying out.
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If you tried this Macaorni Salad, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Classic Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 4 quarts water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- ⅓ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup celery, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup carrots, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup dill pickle, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta – In a large pot bring water and 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Cook pasta until slightly softer than al dente, about 6 to 7 minutes.
- Drain & Rinse the Noodles – Drain using a colander and rinse with cold water until cool, about 1 minute. Briefly drain excess water as the noodles should be slightly wet. Then add pasta to a large bowl.
- Add the Vegetables – Add and stir in the bell pepper, celery, onion, carrots, dill pickles, dill pickle juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, mustard, parsley, chives, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the Mayonnaise & Serve – Stir in the sour cream and mayonnaise until combined. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired. The salad will become thicker as it sits for about 10 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Recipe Yield: 9 cups
- Serving Size: ¾ cup
- Storing: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Stacey says
LOVE ALL of your recipes. HUGE fan. Appreciate you sharing all of your culinary knowledge. Love this recipe. I even added some cheddar (adore cheese). Great job. Thank you
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your support, Stacey! Always happy to help you in your culinary adventures. I love that you added cheese to the macaroni salad!
Judy says
I will definitely be making this during BBQ season. I watched the video and it looks over the top yummy.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Judy! It’s so great hearing from you! I can’t wait for warmer weather for BBQ season to enjoy macaroni salad too.
Katie says
Just made this for the fam. It was a hit. Creamy and little tang with crunch of fresh celery, onion and carrot…all very good. Thank you! It made a big amount so we will be thanking you again a few more times this week.
Judy says
I cannot wait to make this Jessica!
Jessica Gavin says
Can’t wait to hear what you think about the salad, Judy!
Anita Adams says
Tried this recipe and absolutely loved it. Only change I had to make was to sub plain greek yogurt for sour cream b/c it was all I had. I’m new to your page and appreciated the way you explain things just enough…chopping all the veggies finely made a huge difference. Will be making this again for sure! I also only had vidalia onion instead of red and chose to only use pickle juice and not add the pickle as my family isn’t super keen on dill pickles. It was just enough tang for our liking. Other than that I followed your instructions exactly and yummmm!
Jessica Gavin says
Great to have you, Anita! I love all of your substitution suggestions for the macaroni salad, I’m sure it will be helpful for others!
Shirley says
Almost like mine except so many people don’t like bell peppers so I don’t use them nor do I use carrots. I do add sliced olives (any kind) and hard cooked eggs. So good. As usual you do a wondrous job.
Mel says
Phenomenal. Even with some major substitutions (whole wheat pasta, vegan mayo and sour cream) it won over my skeptical roommate. His only request for next time is that I add more red peppers. Definitely a keeper.
Jessica Gavin says
Great job, Mel! So happy the everyone enjoyed the pasta salad.
Linda Bentz says
I am almost 65 years old and this is the best macaroni salad I have ever had. This is better than any store brand. I will never buy macaroni salad again.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much, Linda! I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the macaroni salad recipe.
Meg Houghton says
Hi, I think you may have meant to say, “A few *LESS* minutes (cooking time) than manufacturer’s recommended time”…As ‘al dente’ means “with bite,” so that means a little more on the FIRM side.
Jessica Gavin says
Thanks Meg! Always a great idea to test before the indicated doneness on the package.
Sherry Isojima says
I love your recipes because they’re simple and easy to follow. Your explanations are so succinct. You’re fantastic!!!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much Sherry!
Gloria J Reese says
Hi Jessica,
I’m vegan but this looks so good I can use vrgan sour cream and mayo. I love the techniques you share. Thank you
Char says
This salad is delicious! I am not a big fan of pasta salads but decided to try this recipe (exactly as stated) for my loved ones. We loved it and I enjoyed all the
“wow’s”. Thanks Jessica. I have made many of your recipes with great success.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback, I’m so happy to hear that the family enjoyed the recipe!