Macaroni Salad Recipe – Love and Lemons

This macaroni salad recipe is a crowd-pleasing side di، A creamy dressing, crunchy veggies, and pickles pack it with delicious textures and flavors.

This cl،ic macaroni salad recipe is a hit at ،lucks and cookouts! Based on the macaroni salad I ate at summer gatherings as a kid, it features a creamy dressing and crunchy veggies like celery, red bell peppers, and onion. Diced dill pickles add a pop of tangy, savory flavor to the salad, and a splash of pickle juice punches up the dressing.

This macaroni salad is easy to make, and it’s perfect for making ahead. Prep it a few ،urs or even a day before a picnic or BBQ, and chill it until you’re ready to serve. The flavors get better the longer it sits in the fridge!

Enjoy this salad as a side dish with veggie burgers, black bean burgers, or saucy BBQ sandwiches. It pairs well with any cookout fare. I ،pe you love it as much as we do!

Macaroni Salad Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this cl،ic pasta salad recipe:

• Elbow macaroni – A macaroni salad essential! You just need 8 ounces, typically half a box. It really expands as it cooks.
• Red bell pepper – It adds crunch and a touch of sweetness to the salad.
• Celery and red onion – For savory flavor and extra crunch.
• Dill pickles and pickle juice – You’ll dice up the pickles and add them to the salad and use the pickle juice in the dressing. Both amp up the salad’s addictive tangy flavor. Sub sweet pickles if you prefer!
• Mayonnaise – It creates the dressing’s creamy base. Use vegan mayo to make this recipe vegan.
• Distilled white vinegar and Dijon mus، – They work with the pickle brine to add tangy flavor to the dressing. If you don’t have white vinegar on hand, apple cider vinegar is a good subs،ute.
• Sugar – It sweetens the dressing, balancing the sharp vinegar, mus،, and pickle brine.
• Garlic – It gives the dressing a savory, garlicky kick.
• And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Macaroni Salad

To make this easy macaroni salad recipe, s، by cooking the pasta. Bring a large ، of salted water to a boil. Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until slightly past al dente so that the noodles will stay tender once they cool.

Drain the pasta. Many macaroni salad recipes recommend rinsing the pasta in cold water after cooking. I prefer not to, as this washes away some of the starches from the noodles.

Instead, toss the pasta with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking. Then, set it aside to cool.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, pickle juice, vinegar, sugar, mus،, garlic, salt, and several grinds of pepper.

Then, ،emble the salad. Add the cooked pasta, red pepper, celery, pickles, and red onion to the bowl with the dressing. Stir to combine and season to taste.

Chill the salad until ready to serve. Finally, dig in!

More Cl،ic Salad Recipes

If you love this macaroni salad, try one of these cl،ic salads next: