Nothing says summertime eating like a serving of classic macaroni salad with eggs and crisp vegetables dressed in a simple and creamy — but still light — mayonnaise dressing for any picnic, potluck, or barbecue.
Sometimes you just don’t mess around with the classics. Much like my Grandma’s Potato Salad (THE BEST) and my Creamy Coleslaw, there’s no bells and whistles to this traditional macaroni salad recipe.
I’m not reinventing the wheel here, and that’s exactly why it’s a timeless favorite. This macaroni salad was born after years of suffering through versions that were too dry, too plain, or too heavily loaded with a goopy, flavorless mayo dressing that coated the macaroni like oil on a dipstick and likely came from a pre-packaged box from the deli counter.
This macaroni salad is everything those others were not. First off, it’s homemade and dressed just right with a tangy but light mayo mixture.
The pasta is neither clumpy nor starchy, but smooth and satisfying with every bite. It’s simple but well-seasoned—everything you want in a creamy macaroni salad.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- Cook the macaroni al denté as you would your favorite Italian pasta. Overcook it and you’ll end up with mushy bites that won’t stand up to the mixing with the vegetables.
- Rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process and remove some of the starches created from cooking.
- Pickle juice is my big secret! The dressing for this salad is a mayonnaise base that’s been thinned out with pickle juice reserved from the sweet pickles added to the salad.
Ingredients in Macaroni Salad
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Short macaroni of your choice — I use ditalini (these extra short tubes) but classic shells or elbow macaroni works great too.
- Hard-boiled eggs — In my humble opinion, mayo-based salads always taste better with a touch of a hard-boiled egg.
- Veggies — A blend of finely chopped celery, bell pepper, and red onion add flavor and lots of crunch.
- Mayonnaise — Choose a quality bottle for a rich and creamy salad.
- Sweet pickles (sweet gherkins) — I always use sweet pickles, so if you use another style, taste test it to your liking. If you’re not a fan of pickles, you could substitute vinegar or lemon juice.
- Dijon mustard — Deepens the flavor of the dressing without making it taste like mustard.
- Sugar — When mixed with the mayo and pickle juice, it gives it an almost Miracle Wihp-esque flavor.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper — Season the salad again before serving.
How to Make Macaroni Salad
- Cook the noodles so they have some bite to them. Watching your cooking time and cooking to the package directions should ensure the perfect al dente bite. And to be sure, taste test every minute or so when coming to the end of your cooking time.
- After cooking, rinse the macaroni so it doesn’t stick. The macaroni salad trick I learned from my mom is to rinse the pasta after cooking and drain it really well so there’s no residual water lurking in the pasta nook and crannies. As the pasta cools, toss it a bit with your hands or a spoon so it stays loose and doesn’t clump together.
- Add the pickles, peppers, eggs, and celery. Transfer the drained pasta to a large bowl. Add the eggs, celery, red bell pepper, red onion, and sweet pickles.
- Whisk together the dressing. I like to combine the macaroni salad dressing in a separate bowl to ensure it’s mixed fully before tossing with the pasta.
- Stir it all together. Add the dressing to the macaroni and fixings, and toss until everything is evenly coated. Sprinkle with fresh parsley to add a little color if desired.
- Refrigerate for the flavors to meld. This salad tastes best when it’s had some time in the refrigerator for the flavors to meld and the mayo sauce to permeate the noodles.
FAQs
Go for it! I use Miracle Whip in my potato salad recipe, but prefer richer mayo here. If using Miracle Whip, taste the dressing before adding any sugar to see if the extra hit of sweetness is needed.
If your salad tastes even remotely bland, it probably needs more salt. You’ll want to salt the pasta water generously so the plain noodles are properly seasoned.
The dressing also needs a good amount of salt, *and* you’ll possibly need to salt the finished salad again after it’s chilled in the fridge.
You’re working with a full pound of pasta, plus lots of raw veggies, all of which needs salt to bring out their flavors.
The mayonnaise lends the dressing inherent creaminess, but the real secret lies in rinsing the pasta after cooking. This removes some of the excess starch from the pasta, which tends to make macaroni salad sticky rather than creamy.
Storage and Make Ahead Tips
Once tossed with the creamy dressing, this simple macaroni salad should be eaten within 3 to 4 days.
You can definitely make it ahead of potlucks, holidays, and bbqs.
In fact, I recommend chilling it for at least an hour before serving, or make it the night before for the best, flavorful taste. And always remember to taste again before serving to decide if more salt and pepper seasoning needs to be added.
What to Serve with Macaroni Salad
Think barbecues, picnics, and of course, fried chicken! Here are a few mains to serve along with this classic side.
- Mains — Best Ever Grilled Chicken, The Best Garlic Burgers EVER, Juicy Grilled Pork Chops, Buttermilk Chicken Tenders
- Sandwiches — BLT Sandwiches, Club Sandwich, Ham Salad Sandwiches
- Sides — Fried Green Tomatoes, Grilled Corn, Grilled Vegetable Skewers
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a 
star rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
THE BEST Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 pound ditalini pasta , or other short pasta or shell
- 3 hard-boiled eggs , diced
- 2 celery ribs , minced
- 1 red bell pepper , seeded and minced
- ¼ red onion , minced
- ¼ cup sweet pickles (sweet gherkins) , chopped
Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped parsley if desired.
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to the package directions, Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cooled. Shake the colander to toss the pasta, and drain for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally.
- Transfer the drained pasta to a large bowl. Add the eggs, celery, red bell pepper, red onion and sweet pickles.
- In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, pickle juice, sugar, and Dijon mustard; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add to the macaroni and toss until evenly coated.
- Season with more salt and pepper to taste then refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to add a little color if desired.
Nutrition
More Potluck Side Dish Ideas
- Homemade Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Coleslaw
- BBQ Baked Beans
- Creamy Waldorf Salad
- Classic Three Bean Salad
- Red Potato Salad
- 20 Potluck Side Dishes For The Classic Summer BBQ
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Kathy P
Growing up in the 50s and 60s, my mother made macaroni salad like this regularly – all the family begged her for it often. The main thing I remember her telling me as a child was her secret, like you, of adding pickle juice to the dressing, but since she’s long gone now I’m fuzzy on the exact ingredients and proportions. Finding your recipe has made my day, can’t wait to make it. Thank you!
So good to hear you found a recipe similiar to your family fave! I hope it lives up to your expectations!
Gail C.
I made this yesterday using the 1/2 size because it’s just the two of us. It is delicious! Best macaroni salad I think I’ve ever had. I used Miracle Whip and left everything else the same.
So glad you enjoyed it Gail! Thanks for the 5 stars!
Brandi
Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe! I have made it probably 20 times & receive the best compliments each time! And, it is super convenient to adjust the serving size!
So glad it works so well for you Brandi.
Patricia Carr
The salad is great. However, 15-minute prep time is really misleading. I have been cooking for 60 years; I’ve written two cookbooks and have a cooking blog. There is no way in God’s green earth this salad can be in the refrigerator in only 35 minutes.
Erin
So good and easy – and everything was in my pantry. I didn’t have bell peppers, but I substituted some really finally chopped carrot and extra celery, super delish.
So glad you enjoyed it Erin! Thanks for the comment and 5 star rating!
Christine
i doubled this recipe for a cookout and it was an absolute hit. Several people asked for the recipe and everyone raved about it. I have found my go-to pasta salad recipe! thanks!
Hayley
Thank you for taking the time to share this with us, Christine! We’re so glad to hear it was a hit (it’s one of our favorites too). :)
Jill McMichael
Made a double batch for a pool party tomorrow, tastes pretty good! I can’t wait till tomorrow to try a bite after all the flavors have melted together
Hayley
We hope you love it as much as we do, Jill!
Raymond
This very similar to how my mom made hers. The only difference is that she also added flaked solid white tuna to it.
Hayley
Awesome! We bet it would be tasty with tuna added. :)
Laura
I have a question about the pickle juice called for in the recipe. Did you use sweet pickle juice or dill pickle juice?
Hayley
Hi Laura! We just use sweet pickles (sweet gherkins) and sweet pickle juice. We hope you enjoy!
Mark
Very good recipe, made it tonight. I only used 1 tsp of sugar and felt that was just right. This is a simple easy recipe that is really good. I plan to add a cup of frozen peas next time. In fact, this is a great recipe to use when you want to add tuna or salad shrimp. Thanks for a keeper.
Glad you enjoyed Mark!
Michele Zamora
This was a huge hit!! Everyone loved it. It is easy an quick to make. This will be my go to recipe for the summer BBQ’s.
Happy to hear it was a success!
Dale Davis
I made this recipe for a friend of mine that had never eaten macaroni salad. Because there was so much I had enough for several of my neighbors, They thought it was very good.
I made it with gluten free elbow macaroni, white sweet onion and a bright orange pepper. None of my neighbors are gluten free
It will be my recipe for macaroni salad.. Excellent.
Glad it was a success Dale!
Sydney
Wow! This is the perfect mac salad recipe! I added more mustard, a handful of chopped pepperoncinis with some juice and held off on the onion. So dang good. My husband cannot stop raving about it.
So glad you enjoyed it Sydney! Thx for the rating and comment.
Vicki Faison
Absolutely the best recipe for macoroni salad. Do not substitute any ingredients; follow the recipe and you will love it!
I’m glad you enjoyed it Vicki!