Macaroni Salad - Kristine's Kitchen (2024)

This macaroni salad recipe is my grandma’s recipe, and we all know that grandma’s recipes are the best. 😉

I grew up eating this creamy pasta salad at our family’s 4th of July get-togethers, summer BBQ’s and Sunday dinners. Not only is it a tried-and-true favorite recipe in my family, but the comments below show that it’s become a trusted favorite in many readers’ homes as well.

Make it Ahead: It Tastes Even Better on Day 2 and 3

One of my best tips for success with this recipe is to make it ahead of time – at least a few hours ahead, but a day ahead is even better. As the macaroni salad chills in the fridge, the flavors develop and meld together, making the salad even tastier.

Macaroni Salad Ingredients

• Pasta: I use ditalini pasta because that’s what my grandma always used, but any short pasta shape will work. Elbow macaroni is a common favorite for macaroni salad.
• Red Bell Pepper: A chopped red bell pepper adds color, flavor and crunch. You could also use a yellow or orange bell pepper.
• Celery: For more crunch! Chop the celery up finely because small bites of celery are best here.
• Red Onion: The red onion is a nice contrast to the sweetness from the pickles and dressing. Chop the onion up finely so that it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients.
• Sweet Pickles: Sweet pickles are a classic macaroni salad ingredient. Trust me when I say they go perfectly in this salad!
• Hard Boiled Eggs: I’ve always make my macaroni salad with egg, just like potato salad. Cook the eggs using my stovetop hard boiled eggs recipe, or my Instant Pot hard boiled eggs recipe.
• Dressing: My homemade macaroni salad dressing is made with mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. I use just enough mayo to coat the pasta without making the salad overly mayonnaisey. If you like a really creamy salad, try making 1 1/2 times the dressing recipe.

How to Make Macaroni Salad

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for the full recipe with measurements.

1. Cook the pasta. Once it’s cooked to al dente, drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water. Let the pasta cool.
2. Chop the other ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the red bell pepper, celery, onion, pickles and hard boiled eggs.
3. Make the dressing. Whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt and pepper.
4. Combine it all together. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl with the chopped ingredients. Pour on the dressing and stir until everything is well combined.
5. Chill. Chill the salad for at least 2 hours before serving to let the flavors develop.
6. Serve. Right before serving, garnish with chopped fresh parsley and/or a sprinkle of sweet paprika.

Tips for the Best Macaroni Salad

• Cook the pasta in salted water to flavor it right from the start.
• Don’t under-cook or over-cook the pasta. Cook it until it is al dente, which means it is soft but has a very slight bite to it.
• Rinse the pasta with cold water after it cooks, then drain it well. The cold water rinse stops the cooking process and begins to cool the pasta.
• To keep the macaroni from absorbing all of the dressing, let it cool completely before mixing in the dressing. Stir the pasta every once in a while as it cools to keep it from clumping together. To speed up the cooling process, you can spread the pasta out in a 9×13-inch baking dish or on a baking sheet.
• Chill the macaroni salad for at least 2 hours before serving. I know I said this above, but it’s worth repeating because it’s very important for the best-tasting macaroni salad.

More Favorite Salad Recipes

Complete your summer BBQ menu with one or two of these favorite side dishes, and you’ll have a meal worthy of any summer cookout!

• Fruit Salad
• Cucumber Salad
• Southwest Quinoa Salad
• Green Salad
• Broccoli Salad
• Watermelon Salad