Mom’s Macaroni Salad has been a staple at our family gatherings for as long as I can remember. Made with tender pasta, crisp veggies, and a creamy, flavorful dressing, this classic recipe is the kind of comfort food that brings everyone back for seconds. Whether it’s a backyard cookout, a holiday spread, or a potluck, this easy macaroni salad is always the first to disappear!
In This Post
What Makes This Macaroni Salad So Special?
It’s simple, delicious, and honestly, it reminds me of home. While my Mama was not a fancy cook, she was really good at combining just the right flavors. Her Southern Potato Salad and Egg Salad Sandwiches are testaments to her creativity, and those recipes have stood the test of time.
How Do I Prevent Macaroni Salad From Becoming Dry?
This is the #1 question people have about making the best macaroni salad. To prevent the salad from drying, thoroughly coat the pasta with the dressing. If I’m making it ahead of time, I save a little extra dressing to pour on right before serving. If the salad has been refrigerated and seems dry, a splash of cold water or a drizzle of olive oil can help moisten it.
What Goes In Macaroni Salad?
- Elbow Macaroni – Macaroni noodles hold the sauce just right! Shell noodles, bowtie, rotini, penne, or a combination will also work well.
- Vegetables – Red onion and celery add the perfect crunch and tang to this pasta salad. I add fresh parsley for the finishing touch.
- The dressing – You will need mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, parsley, salt, white sugar, and black pepper.
Make It Your Own: Variations And Additions
When it comes to getting creative with this easy macaroni salad recipe, you can also experiment and personalize this dish:
- Veggies: Add diced red bell peppers, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, or asparagus. You can also add sweet pickles, dill pickles, or sweet pickle relish.
- Add Some Protein: Diced grilled chicken, cooked shrimp, crumbled bacon, tuna, or hard-boiled eggs,
- Creamy Dressing Varieties: While mayo is a common base for macaroni salad dressing, you can get creative by adding different creamy dressings like my Creamy Vinaigrette or Green Goddess Dressing for a delicious twist.
How To Make Macaroni Salad
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions, drain it, and rinse it with cool water. Add the pasta to a large bowl along with the celery and onions.
- In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise mixture ingredients.
- Pour the macaroni salad dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle on fresh parsley and store until ready to serve.
Donya’s Success Tips
- If onions are too strong, soak them in water and pat them dry before using. This will mellow the flavor.
- Cook, drain, and rinse the pasta in cold water. This will stop the pasta from cooking and wash off the extra starch.
- Mix the dressing in a jar. Adding the ingredients to a mason jar is the best way to make a creamy dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions With Answers
Yes, that is the beauty of this recipe! It is easy to make and simple to double or triple, and you can also make it at your convenience for potlucks or cookouts
Pasta salad can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container or a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Make sure to toss it before serving, as some of the dressing may have settled.
If you need more “big batch” recipes, try my Salad For A Crowd or Fruit Salad For A Crowd for family gatherings, cookouts, and potlucks.
What To Serve With Homemade Macaroni Salad
There are many main dishes and ways to serve classic macaroni salad. It can be paired with an Easy Crock Pot Beef Roast, Air Fryer Chicken Legs, or Oven Baked BBQ Chicken for dinner. For a lighter meal, you can have it with Ham Salad, Tuna Salad or Air Fryer Hot Dogs.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
If you tried this Macaroni Salad Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked elbow macaroni (1 box)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 cup red onion – chopped
- 3 ribs celery – cleaned and chopped
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons parsley – chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Per instructions on pasta box, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to water and add pasta. Cook 8-9 minutes for al dente tenderness. Drain pasta and rinse with cool water.
- To a large bowl, add pasta, red onion and celery. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or lidded jar, add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix together until creamy. Pour dressing over pasta and veggies. Mix gently making sure all pasta is coated with dressing. Sprinkle on parsley and taste, then adjust seasoning.
- Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
Keep leftover pasta salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Before serving, give it a quick toss—some of the dressing may settle at the bottom. Mix-In Ideas for Extra Flavor
Veggies: Toss in diced red bell peppers, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, or blanched asparagus for color and crunch. A spoonful of sweet or dill pickles—or a little relish—adds a tasty tang. Add Protein: Make it more filling with grilled chicken, cooked shrimp, crispy bacon, tuna, or chopped hard-boiled eggs. Switch Up the Dressing: Traditional mayo is always a classic, but try it with my Creamy Vinaigrette or Green Goddess Dressing for a fresh and flavorful twist.
Nutrition
Donya's Top Ten Summer Recipes!
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OMG, this was delicious. My husband is super picky about his macaroni salad (he only likes the one made by his family, lol) so I don’t really make macaroni salad often. I had a craving and made this for the two of us for a summer cookout with my family. My husband said it’s better than the one he grew up eating and asked me to make for our next get together with his family, lol! My new go to recipe. Give this a try, you won’t be disappointed!
Carrie! You are the best. Thank you so much for the comment and the great rating. I am so glad that your husband liked the salad.❤️
So glad you are here,
~Donya
Delicious and supper easy salad. Feeds a crowd.
Thanks, Bev!
~Donya
Why are the nutrition count so high on this Mom’s Macaroni recipe? We love your recipes but are confused by the sat-fats in this recipe.
Hey Nancy.
Sorry for the confusion. I had fixed the numbers on the nutrition count on the recipe. From time to time, the recipe card does something funny with the calculations.
I hope you’ll give the macaroni salad a try. So glad you are here!
~Donya
I loved the macaroni salad with canned tuna that I had at a local restaurant that is now closed. Is this the basic recipe and then add canned tuna? Or is there another recipe with a different dressing?
Hey there!
That’s a really good question! Now, I am not quite sure what dressing your local restaurant used for their macaroni salad, but the dressing in this recipe uses ingredients that are popular for tuna salad so I imagine it would go well with Tuna. If I were you, I would add your canned tuna to the bowl with your cooked pasta during step 2, and then mix in your dressing as per the directions. You might want more or less dressing depending on your preference, so you can just experiment to find a happy medium. Please let me know how this goes and how you like the recipe, I am very curious. Thank you so much for you interest in this recipe, I appreciate your support!
~Donya
Looks delicious! What brand of mayonnaise do you use?
Hey Megan!
I use Hellman’s. It the BEST.
Enjoy the recipe.
~Donya
This sounds like a salad that would be very good and feed quite a few. I would like to know how many this recipe will feed?
This recipe should feed about 12 to 14 people.
Enjoy!
~Donya