Macaroni Salad
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This macaroni salad is a fresh spin on the old-school classic. A few simple upgrades to the creamy dressing dial up the flavor, while a generous mix of crisp veggies adds color and crunch. It’s bright, refreshing, and just the thing for warm-weather cookouts or picnics.
Macaroni salad is a must-have side dish at summer picnics, BBQs, and potlucks—right alongside coleslaw and a classic potato salad. This one has all the appeal of the old-school version, but with a few updates to make it even better: an extra-creamy dressing and plenty of crisp vegetables for freshness and crunch.
The secret to the perfect creamy texture is thinning the dressing with a bit of water so it coats the pasta without getting too clingy. Keep in mind that the dressing thickens and is absorbed by the noodles as the salad sits, so while you can prep all the components ahead, it’s best to toss everything together right before serving. This macaroni salad recipe pairs nicely with steakhouse burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, baby back ribs, grilled chicken or BBQ chicken.
“This is my go to macaroni salad…I make it with different veggies each time depending what I have and it’s always good.”
What You’ll Need To Make Macaroni Salad
- Pasta: Select elbow macaroni, cavatappi, cellantani, farfalle, or fusilli pasta. These are ideal for pasta salad because their ridges, twists, and curves hold onto the creamy dressing and other ingredients, ensuring every bite is flavorful. Their small, bite-sized pieces also make them easy to eat.
- Mayonnaise & Sour Cream: Form the base of the creamy dressing. Be sure to use a good-quality brand, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Sugar: Balances out the tanginess with a touch of sweetness.
- Dijon mustard: Provides a subtle tang and depth of flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds acidity and brightness to the dressing.
- Onion powder: Lends a mild onion flavor without overwhelming the dish.
- Carrots, Celery, And Red Bell Peppers: These veggies add color, sweetness, and crunch.
- Scallions: Lend a mild onion flavor and slight crunch.
- Fresh basil: Adds fresh, herby flavor that brightens up the salad.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Boil the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender according to package directions, about 1 minute past al dente. While it boils, prep the veggies. When it’s finished cooking, drain the pasta and let it cool to room temperature.
Pro tip: You can be generous with the salt. Salting the water seasons the pasta from within, which adds flavor to the salad.
Step 2: Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and onion powder until smooth. Whisking the dressing separately ensures it’s completely smooth and evenly seasoned before it coats the pasta and vegetables.
Step 3: Put it all together. Add the cooked pasta, carrots, celery, bell pepper, scallions, and basil to the dressing in the bowl.
Step 4: Mix and serve. Stir the components until evenly combined. Serve the macaroni salad immediately or let sit for up to an hour at room temperature. The dressing will thicken a bit as it sits.
Pro tip: If you’d like to get a head start, the dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead, and the pasta, veggies, and basil can all be prepped a day in advance. Just be sure to store each component separately.
More Salads You’ll Love
Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 16 oz macaroni, cavatappi, farfalle, or fusilli pasta
- 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1¼ teaspoons salt, plus more for cooking the pasta
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup finely diced or grated carrots, from 1 to 2 carrots
- ¾ cup finely diced celery, from 2 to 3 celery stalks
- 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, finely diced
- 6 scallions, light and dark green parts, finely sliced
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until tender (about 1 minute past al dente). Drain and let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Add the cooked pasta, carrots, celery, bell pepper, scallions, and basil to the bowl and stir until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the salad immediately or let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature before serving. (Keep in mind that the dressing will thicken and get absorbed by the noodles as the salad sits.)
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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My husband just announced that your macaroni salad is better than our favorite deli’s that I’ve been trying to recreate for years!! I would definitely call that a success for you and me as well!
Thanks Jenn for making me look like a rock star!
This is the best macaroni salad ever!!! Follow the recipe exactly and it’s perfect!! I love all your recipes!! The best!!
Excellent flavor! We loved it and will definitely make again and again!
Thanks Jen! ❤️
I added double the celery and bell pepper for crunch, and used Mexican table cream instead of sour cream for a milder taste. It was delicious!
I just made it. It’s very delicious. This will certainly be my new go-to -recipe for macaroni salad. i do not really like basil, so I left that ingredient out. Thank you for this recipe!!!
I hadn’t had macaroni salad since I was a kid, and didn’t really have fond memories of it. Perhaps my tastes have matured, but I found this recipe to be excellent! So flavorful, and plenty of room to experiment with added veggies. Next time, I’ll halve or even quarter the recipe for two of us. Thanks as always, Jenn.
Best macaroni salad ever! Keeps very well in the refrigerator afterwards. We ate the last of it three days after preparing. It was still delicious. Will never buy from the grocery store again! Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
Quick question: any specific reason to allow pasta to cool rather than rinsing with cold water?
Thanks Chuck
Hi Chuck, It’s fine to rinse it in this case.
5 star. Had a taste one day for old-fashioned macaroni salad. So I saw yours and read it. Sounded great and it was far better than any I have ever eaten. Kept eating it till it was gone. Kept making excuses to eat some more. Going to make it again tomorrow. Thanks. Love everything I have ever tried of yours. Elyse
I made this recipe and it turned out perfectly! It was delicious. I’m only an average cook but I find your recipes easy to follow. Love the step by step. The ingredients are usually easy things people have in their kitchen.
This is the best macaroni salad recipe I have tried. It was very tasty, very easy, and although the pasta soaked up the sauce a bit, it was still very good days later.