Macaroni Salad makes a terrific summertime lunch and is made for taking to gatherings. Simple to prepare and as diverse as you want it to be, this is a great classic pasta salad.
With a pasta salad dressing made with a combination of mayonnaise and yoghurt, it’s still beautifully creamy with all the flavour and less guilt! For a healthier option, try this Macaroni pasta salad with a mayo-free Creamy Lemon Dressing or Ranch Dressing!
Macaroni Salad in a bite
- What is Macaroni Salad made of? Cooked macaroni, shredded carrot, green onions, red peppers/capsicum and celery tossed in a dressing made with mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar and garlic powder.
- How long can you keep macaroni salad? Up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Do you serve macaroni salad hot or cold? It’s best served at room temperature or ever so slightly chilled. But not cold, straight out of the fridge.
- Calories in macaroni salad – 319 kj as a side dish
- Can you freeze macaroni salad? Yes, because it’s mostly pasta. Thaw naturally (do not microwave thaw) and toss well before serving.
Macaroni Pasta Salad
It’s difficult to imagine a summer with Macaroni Salad. Like Coleslaw, it’s a summertime staple. The pasta salad you keep in your fridge for a quick side for meals and to put in your lunchbox.
While it’s tempting to take the easy route and pick up a tub from the deli, too often they are overly mayo-heavy, too sweet, too sour, or dripping with watery dressing.
So skip store bought and make your own – it’s so simple and tastes so much better!
Lighter, flavour packed Dressing for Pasta Salad
I like to have a lot of dressing because it makes pasta salads moist and juicy. But using just mayo is too oily. So I always lighten up mayo dressings with either sour cream or yoghurt, then add a nice amount of seasoning so no one would even notice that it’s got less fat in it!
Here’s what goes in my creamy pasta salad dressing:
Equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream OR yogurt
Cider vinegar – essential touch of tang!
Dijon Mustard – flavour and thickening
Seasonings – Sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper
Regular readers know how much I love my sauces and that extends to salad dressings. No pasta salad recipe of mine will ever be lacking in Dressing!
And that’s why this Macaroni Salad stays nice and moist – because there’s plenty of dressing!
Wondering if Macaroni Salad is good or bad for you?
While you get some nutrition from the vegetables the reality is that Macaroni salad is heavy on carbs from the pasta and fat in the dressing. For a healthier option, try this with a mayo-free Creamy Lemon Dressing or Ranch Dressing!
Macaroni Salad Add-in options
I’ve kept this recipe classic. So as much as I was tempted, I resisted all my favourite add-in possibilities including:
bacon
egg
pickles
roasted red peppers
chicken (try my Chicken Pasta Salad recipe)
olives
Make a great summer meal for your family and friends by serving this pasta salad on the side of BBQ Pulled Pork, BBQ Beef Brisket, some BBQ Pork Ribs or Sticky Country-style Chicken! – Nagi x
MORE SUMMER SALADS to take to gatherings
Pearl Couscous Salad <– personal fave!
Wild Rice Salad <– reader fave!
Browse all Pasta Salads and Rice Salad
Macaroni Pasta Salad
Watch how to make it
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Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 250 g / 1/2 lb macaroni elbow pasta
- 1 1/2 tbsp salt (to cook pasta)
- 1 cup celery , finely sliced (1 stalk)
- 3/4 cup red capsicum / bell peppers , finely diced (1 small)
- 3/4 cup green onions , finely sliced (1 large stem)
- 1 medium carrot , grated (using standard box grater)
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann's, Best Foods, S&W or other whole egg mayonnaise)
- 1/2 cup yoghurt or sour cream , full or low fat
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Bring large pot of water to the boil – 4 to 5 litres / quarts. Add salt then add pasta. Cook per packet directions.
- Drain pasta then cool.
- Meanwhile, mix Dressing ingredients in a bowl.
- Place pasta in a bowl. Add remaining Macaroni Salad ingredients. Pour over Dressing.
- Toss. Adjust salt / sugar / sour (vinegar) / mayo to taste.
- Set aside for at least 20 minutes. Then serve at room temperature (not cold). It’s great the next day too!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
When I leave Dozer indoors when I’m out all day and it’s been raining (damn that dog door!!!!).
Hi Nagi, is the 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt right to cook the pasta? Seems a lot. 🙂
Yep! Always salt the water!
Was really good and simple. I used half the sugar and no salt for the dressing as the pasta was seasoned with salt. Added a little more mayo and cider at the end and used spicy mustard instead of Dijon because that is all I had. Came out great. Unsure why she said to sure room temp but I served it cold because I prefer it that way. We loved it.
Hi Amanda, you could definitely serve it cold, I just find that the pasta softens slightly when room temp. I’m so happy you loved it though!
Great basic recipe – I agree, I definitely prefer it room temperature rather than right out of the fridge!
Made this exactly to recipe except used about a 1/4 of a sweet onion grated cause I didn’t have shallots/green onions. Also made another batch of another recipe that used pickle juice and relish instead of vinegar, plus less dressing. 5 of 7 people including me preferred your recipe over the other recipe.
Awesome John, I’m so glad you liked it – N x
I used German mustard, tomato, and Persian cucumber. turned out great!
Sounds fantastic Michelle!
Nagi, thank you for another five star recipe! I used German mustard in place of Dijon because it is all I had. It turned out great! excellent recipe. This will be a weekly staple this summer.
That’s great Michelle!
This is a very good site. I live in Winnipeg Canada and it’s mid March and we still have 2 feet of snow on the ground but I’m already planning a bunch of summer menus from your site. Particularly the Arabian Nights feast. Thanks for the inspiration.
You’re so welcome Tim, hopefully the warm weather comes soon for you!
Absolutely delicious! Thanks Nagi!! Added egg, bacon and chicken!! 😃😃 Great for school lunch… although I had to pick out the capsicum as my boys are not fans!!!
Everything is better with bacon! Sounds delicious Rachel ❤️
Love macaroni salad, never use mayonnaise . . .amazing what one can do with yogurt and other dressings . . . this a lovely version I have just put on tomorrow’s lunch plan . . .
Yes, greek yogurt is amazing in dressings!! I hope you love this one!
Hi Nagi,
Made this recipe today and it was so gooooood! 👍
Thank you for sharing such an easy & great tasting recipe!
Thank you,I love love it 😊.
So good! I skipped the sugar as I am a diabetic & added a smidge of horseradish for kick. Loved it! Thank you 🙂
Thank you – I was looking for a pasta salad recipe! 🙂
You’re so welcome Aneta!
Nagi, your salads have made my summer – from the quick, delicious corn salad, this noodle salad and, the star among the salads, the wild rice salad, cannot say how happy and grateful I am – LOTS of sharing, was the star of the party with the wild rice salad – and this one, perfect for German salad and Wuerstchen (smoked warmed sausages)
Thank you!!
Kea
PS – AND my dogs love them too – sorry cannot post pictures of my dogs eating broccoli salad!
Awww I wish I could see the photos!! Are you in Instagram? If so, please tag me!! N x
Hi Nagi,
My daughter Muireann and I just made Your macaroni salad and it was absolutely gorgeous, I mean just fabulous!
Love, Love, Love, Your Recipies!💕
That’s great to hear Monica! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
I have a great Mac salad recipe, but when I saw this I thought “what the heck, let’s try something new”. Well this is my family’s new favorite. The sauce really makes it. 5 thumbs up!!
Wow…absolutely delicious and perfect. I have been looking for a recipe and none have worked out until now. Thank you 😊
Just thought I would tell you recipetineats is the best. Keep up the excellant job.
I hate premade macaroni salad I always find it to sweet or it has a weird metallic taste. I was concerned with how much salt was being used so I made sure to make it before hand like you said. After a couple of hours the salty taste definetly diminished and by the next day it was completely gone and absolutely delicious. I did have to make extra sauce because the noodles absorbed all of the original sauce overnight but that’s okay because I love extra sauce on anything and it never compromised the flavour. This recipe is definetly being saved for future use.
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this Erin!! I personally always find store bought too sweet and way too much dressing! 🙂 N xx
This is a very flavorful macaroni salad! I love the 50/50 mayo/sour cream for the dressing. I already do this with chicken salad. I was not in the habit of salting my pasta water…but I am now. Subtle flavor boost. I do prefer a creamier salad, and would start with 1/2 cup each of mayo and sour cream, and tweak the other ingredients accordingly. This one is a keeper!
That’s so great to hear Paulain! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it! N x
I love your Macaroni Salad recipe which I make in the summer to go with BBQ’s. I love the idea of Mayo & Sour cream or yogurt as it is nice & creamy. As a variety I often use Cubed Ham & grated cheese, it makes a lovely salad. Love your ideas.
Thanks Beth!! Love hearing about your additions! N xx
I just love pasta.. Thanks for this delicious recipe. Keep it up
You’re most welcome! So glad you enjoyed it! N x