You can’t have a BBQ party or a potluck without some delicious Macaroni Salad. No need to get it at the store because it is so easy to make with a few simple ingredients. This is our favorite Macaroni Salad full of red onions, celery, bell peppers, herbs, and of course, delicious creamy dressing.
There are a few more BBQ sides you will need for the backyard party so don’t forget the Southern Potato Salad, Cajun Corn Salad, and Italian Tortellini Salad.
MACARONI SALAD
It’s officially the start of the barbecue season and we are ready to have our weekly cookouts. Okay, so there is nothing official about when to start the season but I say if the weather is warm and sunny, it’s the start. The weather has been absolutely beautiful and I fire up my grill every weekend.
No matter what you’re grilling for the summer gathering, you need to have some sides to go with those big, juicy grilled steaks, burgers, and hot dogs. Family and friends expect to see the classics like potato salad, coleslaw, and of course, pasta salad. It’s the quintessential summer cookout sides that many people take very seriously.
To satisfy everyone’s preference, I like to have a few different options but never do I NOT have a macaroni salad. It’s a staple at every BBQ, every potluck, every summer picnic, or a day at the park. This is our favorite recipe that features fresh vegetables, tender macaroni, fresh herbs, and of course, creamy dressing.
MACARONI SALAD VS PASTA SALAD
Now, the big question is, will you serve pasta salad or macaroni salad at your next cookout? What is the difference between pasta salad and macaroni salad?
Simple answer: mayonnaise or no mayonnaise.
Traditionally, the difference between the two was in the way you dressed the salad. Macaroni salad featured small pasta like ditalini or small elbow macaroni and creamy, mayonnaise based dressing. Pasta salad, on the other hand, would have larger pasta like rotini or fusilli and dressed with an oil and vinegar based dressing.
INGREDIENTS IN MACARONI SALAD
Ingredients in macaroni salad could truly be endless. I’ve seen some recipe that have everything but the kitchen sink in it, or maybe I just didn’t notice the kitchen sink. In my family, we like to keep it pretty simple to let pasta shine and get some help from fresh, crunchy vegetables and smooth, creamy dressing.
Pasta – of course you should start with pasta. Choose a smaller pasta like elbow macaroni or ditalini. (I don’t love orichette in a macaroni salad because they tend to stick together and don’t mix evenly with the dressing.)
Vegetables – let’s start with the classics, you should definitely throw in some red onion, bell pepper, and celery. All three will give the salad a pleasant crunch and a burst of sweetness.
Herbs – I like to add some green onions, fresh parsley, and fresh dill weed as well. My grandmother never served a salad without fresh herbs (and sometimes green onions) in it and it always brightened up the flavors.
Dressing – I love this macaroni salad dressing! It’s a simple mix of mayo, sour cream, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
Pickles or No Pickles?
My husband hides the jar of pickles whenever I’m getting ready to make macaroni salad. He insists that sweet pickles or relish overpower every other flavors in the salad and I agree. When I add sweet pickles, that is all I can taste and it changes the flavor of the dressing too.
I’ve even surveyed several friends and family, to see if they like pickles or relish in macaroni salad and most of them said that they prefer without. So if you’re with us, put away the jar of pickles for another time. But, if you truly love those macaroni salad with pickles, feel free to add about 1/2 cup of finely diced sweet pickles.
How To Extend Life Of Fresh Herbs:
Fresh herbs truly provide the best flavor but I know it can be a pain to buy a bunch of parsley and dill weed for one recipe. Personally, I can totally use up a bunch of parsley in a week but I do have a couple of tricks that will help extend their life.
You can either freeze them, or keep them fresh in the refrigerator. To freeze herbs, make sure to wash them first and spread them out on a paper towel to dry off the water. Mince them and place in a freezer zip-lock bag. Get all the air out, seal, and freeze.
The best way to keep the herbs fresh for about a week to ten days is to store them in the refrigerator, in a zip-lock bag. Wrap the whole bunch in a damp paper towel first and then place it in the bag. Close and keep in the refrigerator.
HOW TO MAKE MACARONI SALAD
This is a really easy recipe that you can make in 30 minutes. Cook pasta according to the box instructions and dice the vegetables and herbs while it’s cooking. Whisk ingredients for the dressing together and check you Instagram because pasta is still cooking. When pasta is finally ready, drain it and let it cool so it’s not scalding hot.
Mix pasta with vegetables and herbs and then pour in the dressing. Give it a good mix to make sure that all the ingredients are evenly coated with dressing. Cool mixed salad in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.
MAKE IT AHEAD
Pasta and macaroni salads are wonderful recipes to make ahead. I actually prefer to make macaroni salad the night before because all the ingredients have a chance to mix and mingle and marinate with each other. Pasta soaks up all those tasty flavors and tastes so much better a few hours after you make it.
Just make sure to keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it You don’t want to leave a creamy salad out at room temperature for a long time.
Store all the leftovers in the refrigerator too. When properly stored in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator, macaroni salad should last 3 to 4 days.
MORE BBQ SIDES RECIPES TO TRY
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Tortellini Salad
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Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb uncooked macaroni pasta
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 3 short celery ribs
- 1/4 cup diced green onion
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp minced fresh dill weed
Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt more or less to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to box instructions.
- Drain cooked pasta and let it cook until no longer scalding hot.
- Dice all vegetables and herbs while pasta is cooking and whisk all ingredients for the dressing in a separate bowl.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pasta vegetables, and herbs and mix.
- Pour dressing into the bowl with the pasta and mix everything together until dressing is evenly incorporated throughout.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer the salad into a food storage container with a lid. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Mary says
Made this Mac salad for my grandsons wedding 2weeks ago. I made it for 50+ people.
What a hit it was. Making a small batch for Labor Day.
Thanks
Gigi says
We add 1 or 2 chopped hard-boiled eggs and a cup of tiny shrimp to the salad along with chopped cucumber. Herbs include dill, tarragon, chives, and thyme. For us, macaroni salad is second only to potato salad. ?Both are indispensable to our family barbecues.
Jullie Fillippi says
I usually use Paula Dean’s recipe for macaroni salad but decided to try this one. Pretty sure this will be my new go to for macaroni salad. The next time I will skip the dill, as hubby not a huge fan ( I only used 1/2 amount this time for this reason) Although he is on his second serving currently.
LyubaB says
I am so glad you both liked it, Jullie!
Emily says
Best macaroni salad ever. My friend made this for a potluck and I insisted she share her recipe with me and she sent me a link to this page! It is to die for!!
LyubaB says
Aww, thank you, Emily! I am so happy to hear that! 🙂
Rachelle Gnagnarelli says
This is by far the best macaroni salad Ive ever tasted! Had it at a party and that person added small cubed cheddar cheee to it as well. I hunted her down to get the recipe and she told me to find it on Will Cook for Smiles. Truly Delicious.
LyubaB says
Thank you for such a sweet complement! I am so glad you liked it!
Jessica says
Best pasta salad I have ever had by far!!. I also got the recipe from my friend who made it.Only pasta salad recipe I will make now. I add some extra veggies, cheese cubes and bacon. This dressing has perfect ratios so it isn’t too sweet or tangy like other recipes. HIGHLY recommend.
LyubaB says
Thank you, Jessica! I am so glad you liked it!
Tom Lynch says
wonderful, wonderful dish. I grew up eating “noodle salad”, I don’t think my mother (born in 1905) even knew the word “pasta”. We ate noodles. When I married I discovered that my wife’s family also made a similar dish that included canned tuna. When I started making it I slowly added in some black pepper, minced or grated onion, and celery. Lots of celery. (in-laws didn’t like any spiciness.) But one thing I never thought of was changing the dressing: Mayo (actually miracle whip) and a little garlic powder and sweet paprika. Your dressing was a revelation. WTF have I been thinking?
Making the dish: salad ,added canned tuna, otherwise followed the recipe. Dressing: I committed one of the cardinal sins of cooking: I “assumed” that I had sour cream in the fridge. Oops! No sour cream, but i did have buttermilk. I used about 2 ounces and that gave the dressing just enough tang without thinning it out too much .
I hope I haven’t driven you batshit with this screed. More TMI: ‘m a 72 year old man that did all my family’s cooking for 45 years. No formal culinary training, no restaurant experience. I’m not a particularly creative cook, but I think I’m good at adapting recipes and substituting ingredients to fit my taste,
LyubaB says
I loved this story, didn’t make me crazy at all. I find a lot of joy in cooking with my family and I am sure you do as well! 🙂
Linda Carpenter says
Not sure about the brown sugar. Wouldn’t it be too sweet?
LyubaB says
I promise it’s not too sweet!
Sue Hennessey says
The pop ups on Pinterest are really pissing people off. It takes twice as long to make anything because they hide the ingredients and everything else. Il may have to go back to buying cook books. I don’t have a printer so I canlt print them out. I’m really gettining turned off of Pinterest .
LyubaB says
I am so sorry, Sue! You can come to my site through google and not use Pinterest.
Frances Ross says
I made this for supper tonight. I thought about splitting the recipe in half since there is just two of us, but decided to go with the whole recipe. I didn’t have dill or parsley, so did with out it. My husband is on his second helping and loves it. I wasn’t too sure about using sour cream, or the brown sugar…but glad I did! Thank you so much for sharing this.
LyubaB says
Thanks, Frances! I am glad you tried it out and liked it!
Shirley says
Will definitely try your macaroni salad recipe for a side dish at Easter dinner excited to try.Thanks for sharing
LyubaB says
I hope you love it, Shirley!
Valerie Foley says
I made this recipe for Easter Day and turned out so good. Everyone love it. I added a yellow pepper and fresh peas also ham. Truly delicious.
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked it, Valerie! Thanks for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Julia says
Made this and I was not disappointed. Very. delicious macaroni salad recipe. Thanks.
LyubaB says
Thanks, Julia! I’m glad you liked it!
Luis lopes says
Exceptional salada, para service quente ou frio
LyubaB says
Thank you 🙂
Gerri says
This is almost the exact way I make macaroni salad, except the dressing is much more elaborate than mine. I use Hellman’s and that’s all. I’ve made it like this since I was in high school. My Mom put tomatoes in — but my kids don’t like them..