This Simple Macaroni Salad Recipe is filled with all the classic ingredients, tossed in a creamy sauce and perfect for summer potlucks and parties!
I love making this macaroni salad to go along with my Crispy Fried Chicken for an easy summer dinner.
This classic Macaroni Salad is always the first thing to go, and people are always asking for the simple recipe, so here it is!
Macaroni Salad Ingredients
Macaroni salad is comprised of three main components: macaroni noodles, add-ins and the dressing.
The best part about macaroni salad, in my opinion, is that you can add in whatever you like to make it completely unique to your taste. Here are some of my favorite add-ins…
- Chopped Celery
- Diced Red Onion
- Finely Chopped Red Bell Pepper
- Frozen Peas (they defrost when added)
- Cubed Sharp Cheddar Cheese (you can also use shredded cheese)
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Diced Ham
- Cooked Bacon
- Shredded Carrots
- Pickles
As you can see, there are several options available for sprucing up your macaroni salad. Feel free to toss in whatever you like!
How To Make Macaroni Salad
BOIL MACARONI
Start by boiling your elbow macaroni noodles until they are tender to the bite. Quickly drain the noodles then run cool water over them to stop them from cooking any further.
COMBINE ADD-INS
Gather all your macaroni salad add-ins and toss them in a large bowl with the cooled and drained noodles.
MAKE THE DRESSING
Whisk together the creamy sauce and stir everything together. Keep the salad chilled until ready to serve.
Creamy Macaroni Salad Dressing Recipe
Now that you have your noodles and all your add-ins in the bowl, it’s time to whisk up that super easy, finger-licking good dressing!
- Whisk together mayo, white vinegar (you can also use apple cider vinegar for a little added sweetness), sugar, dijon mustard (I like one with a little more kick to it), salt, pepper and just a little bit of sweet pickle relish.
- Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and stir to coat the ingredients evenly.
- Chill the mixture until ready to serve, make sure to stir again before serving.
Tips and Make Ahead
What Can I Use As A Mayo Substitute?
Instead of using all mayo, you can use half plain greek yogurt and half mayo. Or you can try using half sour cream and half mayo.
PRO TIP: I wouldn’t recommend omitting all of the mayo because that is what helps keep this macaroni salad nice and creamy.
Can Macaroni Salad Be Made Ahead?
YES! In fact, I think this salad tastes even better the second day, once the flavors have had a chance to blend together.
Store the salad in an air-tight container in the fridge and make sure to stir again before serving.
More Simple Pasta Salad Recipes to Make
Looking for more pasta salad recipes for your next bbq or potluck? I’ve got you covered with these delicious recipes…
- Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad – a creamy and tangy pasta salad.
- Greek Pasta Salad – cool and refreshing with a punch of flavor.
- Italian Pasta Salad – a classic combination of summer flavors with a delicious dressing.
- Shrimp Pasta Salad – creamy pasta salad with little shrimp and cucumbers.
I’m confident you’re going to get RAVE reviews with this simple and easy Macaroni Salad Recipe at all your potlucks!
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Simple Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. elbow macaroni noodles, uncooked
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup cubed sharp cheddar cheese
For the Dressing:
- 1 cup mayo
- 1/4 cup distilled vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the noodles according to package instructions, then drain and rinse with cool water. I like to add a few ice cubes to the noodles while running cool water over them to help cool the noodles faster. Drain and add pasta to a large bowl.
- Add in the diced celery, red onion, red bell pepper, peas and cheese.
For the Dressing:
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the dressing into the large bowl and stir to coat evenly. Keep the salad covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, Can I add caned tuna to this salad?
Hi, Can I add caned tuna to this salad?
Ho, can I add caned tuna to this salad?
Made this exactly as directed, and it was the best macaroni salad I’ve ever had! And that says a lot! I definitely think adding diced eggs and ham would be a great touch.
Made this recipe and we love it. Did add some extra onion and celery. The dressing is really good, didn’t have relish so just chopped dill pickle and it worked perfectly.
I did make it easier by buying the small containers of celery, red onion and mixed peppers already chopped which made a big difference in time. They worked perfectly. Also only used about half a teaspoon of sugar.
This recipe is a favorite of mine. It is very simple but the different vegetables with the pasta makes it an excellent salad. That it keeps more than a week for more than a week it’s an added bonus.
We have tried many of the recipes and prefer them because there is not a long list of ingredients and they can be easily adapted to the spiciness that we like.
I’ve never used peas in my salad do you have to cook them first?
No just frozen. They will defrost in salad, keep it cool and add a sweet crunch
Goodness, it just a little chopping. So yes indeed, for most folks it’s extremely simple.
Made as written it’s delicious
This is what you idiots call simple?
Yes, Jason. It is.
Really??? You couldn’t understand something so you decide your review is to be cruel. Why didn’t you ask whatever it is you had an issue with? There is some chopping and mixing in this salad but it’s still so very simple and delicious
Wow! You miserable POS! That you would even comment like that go resolve your issues elsewhere!
Goodness, it just a little chopping. So yes indeed, for most folks it’s extremely simple.
Honeychild, aren’t you precious!?
Yes, it’s simple. All ingredients are basic staples. You cook 1 item by simply filling a pot with water and setting a timer. You spend 5 minutes chopping a couple veggies, maybe 3 minutes whisking together the dressing. Other than I’d add the comments to add the dressing to the hot pasta for better flavor, then wait for 5 to 10 minutes before adding the veggies, you’re done. It just sits in your fridge and chills for an 1 hour and can be made up to 24 hours ahead of serving. VOILA – food for 10! Add in a protein like cold chunks of cooked ham, chicken or turkey and its a meal onto itself. I use a different recipe but this one is very similar. (I’m southern: I add a jar of diced pimentos, and pickle juice if it’s too dry.)
I made this recipe as a side dish for my bake chicken thigh and I love it. I cannot wait to hear my family comments. I did not add celery because I did not had but I add some green onions from my garden. Thank you for sharing.
This was really good but VERY sweet. I think half the sugar would have been about perfect
I’m wondering if you used Miracle Whip instead of Mayo? That might be where the extra sweetness came from?
This was an absolute hit. I added cubed ham… about a cup and I used honey mustard.
This will always be my go to salad. So simple and quick to make.
Did you use honey mustard in place of the mayo or in place of all the dressing ingredients? TIA
Made this recipe for a church gathering. Everybody loved it!!!!!
Can you do lemon juice instead of vinegar and if so how much?
My add in is 4 chopped hard-boiled eggs and substitute pickle juice for the vinegar!!!
This is the best dressing for macaroni salad!
Thanks for posting this recipe.
BTW, I used the “1/2 mayo, 1/2 sour cream” recommendation.
Every recipe I have tried of yours has been a winner. Thank you! You are my go to girl!
Could you leave out the relish? We don’t like it, so it’s never on hand.
Yes, you can leave it out. It will change the overall taste of the recipe, but if you’re not a fan of relish, I don’t think you’ll miss it.
We made this recipe just as directed. We loved it and had to share the recipe with other family members that ate with us. The leftovers were gone with a day.
It will become a summer staple in our house
Hey there,
How many people do you think this will serve?
Made this as the recipe called for, no meat. I did make it for another meal and I added cooked scallops and shrimp for a total meal along with some french bread. This was served to some ladies after a trail ride. It worked beautiful and was great. It held up nicely for a late start on eating and the ladies were delighted with a lite type meal. Thank you very much for another great recipe.
Delicious and easy.
Made it today to go with dinner. Used 1/2 mayo and 1/2 sour cream
Thank you!!
Can I use dill relish instead of sweet?
I have used both…I believe it’s a matter of preference for taste.
I made it yesterday for Thanksgiving. It is gone today. Will make it again & again. Loved it!
Took me an hour, but I’m not experienced. Tasted really good 🙂
This made my simple salad into THe Bomb Salad. Thank you for this recipe. I might try this on cereal. LOL
Wben I use regular plain yogurt I either stir in the whey or pour it off. For this salad, I think I’d pour off the whey.
In any case, I wouldn’t substitute yogurt for all of the mayo.
If I substitute yogurt for some of the mayo, is there any reason it has to be Greek?
I find Greek yogurt bland (and needlessly expensive); my preference is for Dannon regular lowfat plain yogurt, which I find tangy.
I prefer Greek yogurt for it’s consistency. You could also use plain regular yogurt, but the dressing will be much thinner.
Miriam, if you want to used Dannon regular yogurt for past of the dressing, Early in the day pour it into a sieve lined with a coffee filter. Let it sit in the fridge over a bowl. Much of the excess liquid will strain off, then just discard that. It makes a nice, thicker yogurt for any of your sauces. I do this for tzaziki sauce for Greek/meat and veggie dishes. Shawn, BTW, been cooking for a LONG LONG time and for the past several years, this is my go-to mac salad recipe! Love it and your videos!
Can I send you a salad recipe simular but better?
Definitely! Send it to: shawn@iwashyoudry.com Thanks!
Can you share John Michael Johnson’s recipe???
Have you ever tried plain yogurt instead of mayo?
I would use plain Greek Yogurt in place of the mayo, but I probably wouldn’t replace it all with the yogurt, maybe just half. The mayo helps give it that creamy texture.
I wish there was something else that could give it the same creaminess Without using mayo. We have one kid who’s allergic to egg so he can’t eat it.
Use a vegan mayo
Vegan Mayo! It tastes just exactly the same and no eggs in it
no sugar, relish or vinegar in mine, and I add diced spam, diced boiled eggs, diced tomatoes and add a little milk it the dressing is to thick.
Omitting the sugar, relish and vinegar would make the dressing much thicker… but I’m glad you were able to make it work with what you had on hand!
Any suggestions for a mustard substitute or can I just omit completely?
You can omit it.
This recipe is great! Only thing I added was an extra 1/2 cup mayo, and extra black pepper; just because I like it! The recipe itself is very delicious!!! Thanks
Another great add-in is black olives!
Love that idea! My kids adore black olives!
So good!!!! Summer Favorite!
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed it!
I don’t like sweet macaroni salad. Can I omit the sugar?
You could omit the sugar, although I don’t find this salad really sweet. I think the sugar balances out the acidity in the mustard, pickles and vinegar. Mix up the dressing without the sugar and give it a taste. If you think it needs a little something to balance out the acidity, try adding in a little sugar at a time until it tastes to your liking.
What does the distilled vinegar and sugar do to this receipe?
The vinegar helps give the dressing it’s consistency as well as help flavor it.
The BEST macaroni salad! This will be my go-to recipe from now on. I can’t wait to share it with friends and family.
That’s great to hear! So glad you enjoyed it Lindsay!
Would we be able to omit the cubed sharp cheddar cheese? Will that take away from the recipe?
Thanks!
You can leave it out, no problem!
Would we be able to omit the cubed sharp cheddar cheese? Will that take away from the recipe?
Thanks!
What do you think about using bacon bits instead of ham.
The recipe doesn’t call for ham, but I’m sure bacon bits would be a lovely addition!
What happens if made more than a day in advance?
In my opinion the dressing gets a little too thin if made too far in advance. You could always mix the dressing separately and add just before serving!
This is the best classic macaroni salad I’ve ever had, let alone made. Already in my recipe database. Can’t wait to try more of your stuff!
So glad you enjoyed it Emily!
Can you omit the pickle relish?
Yes, you can. It will change the flavor of the dressing though.
I found the dressing far too thin.
Hi Shawn! Made this recipe to go with some chicken avocado burgers and we really loved it! I had it the next day with lunch and it still held it’s creaminess. It was so smooth and delicious! It’ll be in the summer rotation for sure 🙂
Sharing with my friends today!
Sweet! So glad you enjoyed the recipe Marc!
Can you use Salad Dressing(Miracle Whip) instead of Mayo or Yogurt and make it sort of sweet and no mustard but eggs,peas,ham,sweet relish or chopped sweet pickles
Hi Susan, you can definitely substitute Miracle Whip for mayo if that’s what you prefer! Enjoy!
Sounds delish !