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.
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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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Wow! I haven’t made macaroni salad for years (possibly even decades … ) and this was the first one that came up in the search results – I never made it to my usual sites (never been here before, either). This is just the sort of “different” I was looking for. Maybe my foodie sons (one is a chef himself) will stop telling Mom she can’t cook. Ah, well, one can always hope.
I try to keep to the written version the first time, and check reviews. I still made it fairly close, but subbed yogurt for the sour cream since I don’t have any. The red pepper made a big visual difference.
To quote, I’ll be back (and that is attributed to General MacArthur, from World War II – not Arnold).
Husband-approved. Scratch that. Husband-preferred!
About to put the salad together and I am EXCITED! Anyone made it and added sharp cheddar cubes?
Yes to the cheese. We also add hard boiled eggs, sliced olives & some chopped pickles. This salad is like a meal after adding all that stuff. 😋
Another MRS? Yes. I added those ingredients as well, but no pickles. I’ll try that next time.
Yes – we like cubes of cheddar in macaroni salad. So good! 😊
Doubled the veggies and did half the sauce to start with more on the side available for others. So good. Usually I don’t love mayo dressings, but this is awesome. Thanks for another great recipe!
I make this salad every couple of weeks. It truly is a better macaroni salad! Thanks for the great recipes! Jan
This is my go to macaroni salad especially for the dressing. I make it with different veggies each time depending what i have and it’s always good. Frozen peas (1cup) and bacon crumbles, red onion, carrots…it’s all good. I make the entire dressing the day before and then mix the day of.
My 14 year old daughter made it and we all thought it was delicious. I don’t like macaroni salad and I thought it was delicious
I made this delicious recipe for a work potluck. Five people wanted the recipe! The only change I made was to mix it with half the dressing right away, then the other half right before serving. It was perfect! I also used Campanella pasta shape. Great recipe, Jen!
Big hit at our house! This is a great Mac salad. I did sub out the basil and used cilantro.
Another 5 star recipe. Thank you.
This is now the only macaroni salad recipe I will ever use! It tastes so nice and balanced, not overly sweet and it still has a tang! Only think I omit is the basil because my husband isn’t the biggest fan of the herb. It stores well in the fridge and tastes just as fresh with each plating.
Made a half batch tonight (twice within a month!) and I can’t wait to dig in at dinner.
This is a great recipe to keep in your pocket for a potluck!