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Review RecipeThe Only Macaroni Salad Recipe Youโll Ever Need

There are summer side dishes that just never go out of style—and macaroni salad is one of them. It’s the bowl that gets scraped clean at potlucks, picnics, and family barbecues. This version leans creamy, tangy, and just a little sweet, with a dressing that clings to every noodle.

We’ve tested more versions of macaroni salad than I’d like to admit, and this one hits all the right notes: creamy but not heavy, tangy with a touch of sweetness, and balanced so you keep going back for just one more spoonful.
Best Macaroni Salad Ingredients

For The Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mix-ins like eggs, red onion, celery, red pepper, carrots, or peas are optional—but highly encouraged.
Pasta Substitution
If you don’t have elbow macaroni on hand, feel free to use other short pasta shapes such as penne, rotini, or fusilli. These pasta shapes will work just as well and provide a different texture to the salad.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make ahead: Assemble up to 24 hours in advance. The flavor deepens as it chills.
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container up to four days.
Not freezer-friendly: The creamy dressing won’t hold up to freezing.
Serving Ideas
This macaroni salad works for almost any occasion:
- Holiday buffets alongside turkey or ham roast
- Work lunches with sandwiches or wraps
- Comfort-food dinners with meatloaf or fried chicken
- Casual potlucks and family dinners, any time of year
4 Steps To The Best Elbow Macaroni Salad
- Cook macaroni just past al dente so it can soak up all that dressing goodness. Drain and rinse.
- Whip up the dressing – mayonnaise, relish, Dijon, vinegar, sugar, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Toss the cooled pasta and your favorite chopped veggies into the dressing until everything is glossy and coated.
- Cover and chill at least an hour. This is the part where the flavors get acquainted.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skimp on the salt in your pasta water. It’s the difference between bland noodles and a salad people actually remember.
- Rinse the pasta. Normally it’s a pasta crime, but here it’s the move—it keeps the salad creamy instead of gummy.
- Tiny veggie dice. Nobody wants a forkful of just raw onion. Keep those pieces small so every bite is balanced.

More Pasta Salad Recipes
- Pesto Pasto Salad
- Loaded Pasta Salad
- Dill Pickle Pasta Salad
- BLT Pasta Salad
- Salad Supreme Pasta Salad

Best Macaroni Salad Recipe with Mayo
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional for boiling the pasta according to package
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Macaroni Salad
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni noodles, about ¾ of a 16-ounce box
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced ½ inch (from ½ large pepper)
- ½ cup celery, sliced ¼ inch thick (from 1-2 large stalks)
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced ¼ inch (from ½ medium onion)
- ¼ cup carrot, finely shredded (from 1 large carrot)
- 1 large hard-boiled egg, finely chopped
Instructions
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, granulated sugar, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside while preparing the macaroni salad ingredients.
- To a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the elbow macaroni noodles for 9-11 minutes or just until al dente. Drain then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking of the noodles.
- To a large mixing bowl add the rinsed elbow macaroni noodles, red bell pepper, celery, red onion, carrot and hard-boiled egg.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl and gently toss to combine all the ingredients and evenly coat with the dressing. You can reserve ¼ cup of the dressing to stir in after refrigeration if needed to restore creaminess to the macaroni salad before serving.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend and the salad to chill slightly before serving.
- When ready to serve, stir in any reserved dressing (if needed) prior to transferring to a serving bowl.
Video
Notes
- The dressing can be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated in a covered container prior to use in the recipe for easy preparation.
- White vinegar can be substituted for the apple cider vinegar in the dressing. If making this substitute, you may want to add an additional 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar to balance the flavors.
- You can purchase hard boiled eggs from your local deli or make them up to 3 days in advance of using them in this recipe.
- The hard-boiled egg can be omitted or doubled based on personal preference, especially if you’re serving someone who prefers it egg-free.
Comments
Debra says
Looks awesome
Jackie Paxton says
I would add dill pickles or cucumbers and serve it with anything bbq
Linda says
There are so many fresh veggies out there right now with farmers markets, that I’d add any that look good, like fresh tomatoes.
Donna B Reidland says
My mom made great pasta salads but I never quite mastered her dressing. This recipe sounds amazing, especially the dressing so, I plan on trying it very soon.
Richella J Parham says
This looks so good! I’ve pinned it to my Side Dishes board.
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