About this recipe
This old-school macaroni salad is exactly what you want sitting next to a pile of BBQ ribs on a paper plate. It’s cold, creamy, and heavily features that slightly sweet tang from the pickle relish. I’ve tried the fancy, modernized versions, but they just don't hit the same. Sometimes you just need the classic stuff that everyone actually wants to eat. Best of all, this recipe requires zero weird ingredients and is fully ready in 55 minutes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
It tastes just like the classic deli counter version, but a hundred times fresher.
The dressing uses standard pantry staples—no need to run to the store for weird ingredients.
Ingredients
Macaroni salad
- 3 cups cooked elbow macaroni, cooled (about 8 oz dry pasta)
- 1/2 cup celery (finely diced)
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper (finely diced)
- 1/3 cup carrot (shredded or finely diced)
- 1/4 cup red onion (finely diced)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, optional)
Creamy dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Ingredient Notes
Mayonnaise
Use real, full-fat mayonnaise for the best texture. Now is not the time for the fat-free stuff.
Sweet Pickle Relish
This brings the classic sweetness and tang. You can swap in dill relish if you really hate sweet pickles, but it totally changes the vibe.
Equipment
Large pot
For boiling pasta
Mixing bowl
A large one for tossing
Colander
For draining and rinsing
Whisk
For the dressing
Instructions
Cook and cool the macaroni
Cook the elbow macaroni in heavily salted boiling water until it hits a perfect al dente. You want it cooked through but not completely mushy, since it's going to soak up the dressing later. Drain the pasta and immediately run it under cold water in a colander. This completely stops the cooking process and rinses off the surface starch so it doesn't turn into a sticky brick.
10 minute timer
Mix the dressing
Grab a large mixing bowl and whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, and apple cider vinegar. Add the sugar (if you like a little extra sweetness), salt, and black pepper. Keep whisking until the mixture is totally smooth and glossy. Give it a quick taste—you can always add a pinch more salt if it needs it.
Add the vegetables
Dump the finely diced celery, red bell pepper, carrot, and red onion right into the bowl with your dressing. If you're using parsley, toss that in too. You want all these pieces chopped pretty small. Huge chunks of raw onion throw off the whole texture of the salad.
Toss with macaroni
Add your cooled, thoroughly drained macaroni to the bowl. Use a large spatula to fold everything together until the pasta and vegetables are completely coated in the creamy dressing. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl so no dressing gets left behind.
Chill before serving
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. It needs to chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and the pasta soak up some of that dressing. Right before serving, pull it out and give it a good stir. If it seems a little dry, just fold in an extra spoonful of mayo or a splash of milk.
30 minute timer
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overcooking the pasta
Mushy elbows will disintegrate when you fold in the heavy dressing. Cook them just until al dente.
Skipping the cold water rinse
If you don't rinse the pasta, the residual heat keeps cooking it and the starch glues the noodles together.
Tips
- Dice your vegetables smaller than you think you need to. You want a little crunch in every bite, not massive chunks.
- Make sure the pasta is completely drained of water before adding it to the dressing so it doesn't get watered down.
Variations
Spicy Macaroni Salad
Add a few dashes of hot sauce and some diced pickled jalapeños to the dressing.
Substitutions
- You can swap up to half of the mayonnaise with plain whole-milk Greek yogurt if you want a slightly lighter dressing with more tang.
What to Serve With It
Pile this next to grilled burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, or practically anything that comes off a grill.
Make Ahead
Prep in advance
This is actually better when made a few hours in advance. Keep it tightly covered in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
Storage
Refrigerator
Keep your leftover macaroni salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer
Do not freeze this. The mayonnaise-based dressing will completely separate and the pasta will turn to absolute mush when it thaws.
Refreshing Leftovers
The pasta acts like a sponge in the fridge. If you're serving it the next day, just stir in a tablespoon of milk or mayo to loosen the dressing back up.
Recipe Notes
Pasta literally drinks dressing as it sits in the fridge. That's totally normal. Just stir it well before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 1/8 of recipe
- Calories
- 315
- Protein
- 6g
- Carbohydrates
- 34g
- Fat
- 18g
- Fiber
- 2g
- Sugar
- 5g
- Sodium
- 430mg
FAQ
Can I make creamy macaroni salad ahead of time?
Yes. Macaroni salad is a great make-ahead side. Make it a few hours ahead, keep it chilled, and stir before serving.
Why is my macaroni salad dry?
Pasta absorbs dressing as it sits! Stir in a small spoonful of mayonnaise, milk, or pickle juice before serving to loosen it back up.
What goes well with macaroni salad?
Macaroni salad goes well with grilled chicken, burgers, hot dogs, BBQ ribs, sandwiches, and simple cookout meals.
Recipe Card
Creamy Macaroni Salad
A classic creamy macaroni salad with elbow pasta, crunchy vegetables, and a simple tangy dressing.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 8
- Category
- Cookout Side Dishes
- Cuisine
- American
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Cost
- Budget-friendly
Ingredients
Macaroni salad
- 3 cups cooked elbow macaroni, cooled (about 8 oz dry pasta)
- 1/2 cup celery (finely diced)
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper (finely diced)
- 1/3 cup carrot (shredded or finely diced)
- 1/4 cup red onion (finely diced)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped, optional)
Creamy dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook and cool the macaroni: Cook the elbow macaroni in heavily salted boiling water until it hits a perfect al dente. You want it cooked through but not completely mushy, since it's going to soak up the dressing later. Drain the pasta and immediately run it under cold water in a colander. This completely stops the cooking process and rinses off the surface starch so it doesn't turn into a sticky brick.
- Mix the dressing: Grab a large mixing bowl and whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, and apple cider vinegar. Add the sugar (if you like a little extra sweetness), salt, and black pepper. Keep whisking until the mixture is totally smooth and glossy. Give it a quick taste—you can always add a pinch more salt if it needs it.
- Add the vegetables: Dump the finely diced celery, red bell pepper, carrot, and red onion right into the bowl with your dressing. If you're using parsley, toss that in too. You want all these pieces chopped pretty small. Huge chunks of raw onion throw off the whole texture of the salad.
- Toss with macaroni: Add your cooled, thoroughly drained macaroni to the bowl. Use a large spatula to fold everything together until the pasta and vegetables are completely coated in the creamy dressing. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl so no dressing gets left behind.
- Chill before serving: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. It needs to chill for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and the pasta soak up some of that dressing. Right before serving, pull it out and give it a good stir. If it seems a little dry, just fold in an extra spoonful of mayo or a splash of milk.
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