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
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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.
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How long can you keep macaroni salad? Up to 5 days in the fridge.
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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.
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Calories in macaroni salad – 319 kj as a side dish
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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:
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Equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream OR yogurt
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Cider vinegar – essential touch of tang!
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Dijon Mustard – flavour and thickening
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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:
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bacon
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egg
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pickles
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roasted red peppers
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chicken (try my Chicken Pasta Salad recipe)
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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
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Coleslaw
- Potato Salad and Lemon Potato Salad
- Pearl Couscous Salad <– personal fave!
- Wild Rice Salad <– reader fave!
- 12 Minute Sun Dried Tomato Couscous Salad
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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!!!!).
Jen says
This was OUTSTANDING! What a great recipe. Hubby and kids loved it. Thanks Nagi!
Kerstin says
Made this for a big BBQ for my daughter’s 21st. Had the following conversation a dozen times: “Try the mac salad.” – “Thanks, but I am not a fan of pasta salads.” -“Just try a little and see.” – “No, really, it’s just not my thing.” – “TRY IT!!” (I can be quite scary) – ..- carefully eats a little … – “Wait, this is great! How, what, where, …? Can I have the recipe?”
Also made the chorizo bites, and had to send the link to your website to literally every single guest :))
Elle says
I only added 1 tbsp to the water when cooking the pasta, as I thought it was enough. In the end I needed to cook more pasta (without salt) and make up another batch of the dressing without salt as it was too salty. End product was lovely and enjoyable! We had it with the oven baked pork ribs with home-made bbq sauce and bbq corn! I’m even trying out the freezing option!
Victoria H says
This recipe as written is fantastic- I added a chopped crisp apple and some old white cheddar cubes which knocked this dish out of the park. Will be adding this to my summer rotation for certain!
Diana says
Hi Nagi, big fan here.
I read in a previous comment that you use cooking salt in all your recipes, but can you specify the actual salt? Is it kosher or diamond crystal? TIA.
Nagi says
I use cooking salt (the Australian name for it). The equivalent in North America is kosher salt Diana! N x
Nadja says
I made this for a family dinner & it was a hit, everyone loved it! The sauce is so creamy & flavourful!
I made sure to cut my veg super thin & that complemented the salad big time!
10/10
Nagi says
I’m happy that you enjoyed it Nadja! N x
Yves Vrancken says
Absolutely love it, but I do wonder how big your celery stalks are, seeing that you only need one to get a cup full? I need about 4-5. Same for the green onion, by the way. Haha.
Either way, really delicious!
Elzita B says
I thought I had a winning macaroni salad, but WOW this one knocks it out the park. Amazing recipe as always Nagi!
SG says
Making a Nagi’s NYE feast for the family tonight – oven baked BBQ ribs with coleslaw, macaroni salad and grilled corn. This macaranoi salad converted my husband who previously refused to touch macaroni salads. Now he’s requesting it! Also share Barb’s comment – veg content is fantastic. Thanks as always Nagi.
Nagi says
You are making me hungry! N x
Danae says
Can you use apple cider vinegar instead of cider vinegar?
Nagi says
Hi Danae – they are the same thing so yes! N x
Barb says
I love that you are heavy on the vegetables in this salad!
Jeannine says
Isn’t 1 1/2 tbsp to much salt for 8 oz pasta? Or am I misreading it?
Nagi says
That’s the salt for 5 litres of cooking water…it will mostly be poured out after cooking. N x
Christine Cheshire says
I need to give this 10 stars, not 5! This is now our most favorite macaroni salad. I make it a lot and my hubby loves it too. He never liked macaroni salad as much as he does now. I make this with marinated rosemary chicken kabobs and it is a wonderful meal to share. Thanks, Nagi!
Christine Cheshire says
Just made this today to go with burgers and it is awesome! I may have to lower the vinegar just a touch for my hubby though, Include this in your cookbook and please add Dozer to your cookbook too! Thanks, Nagi!
Maureen McMaster says
I just love this recipe,and so easy to make.
Virginia Hosken says
Never buying it again. This is awesome.
John says
So easy to make and tastes a treat! Thx Nagi.
John says
Ooh, I only used double the creamy mayo in the fridge and left out the yoghurt! Next level 🤣🤣
Nicole says
What type of salt do you use in your recipes? I used standard table salt and this tasted really salty, we couldn’t eat more than a couple bites each.
Nagi says
Hi Nicole, I use cooking salt – so the grain is more coarse. If using table salt, you’ll need to cut the amount that I state in half otherwise it’s going to be too salty. N x
Bridget says
Over the last 45 years of cooking, I have NEVER made a macaroni salad that I liked until I found this recipe!
It’s all the things a macaroni salad should be; creamy, tangy, crunchy, and a tiny bit sweet. I feel as if I’ve discovered something magical…this salad makes me so happy.
Thanks Nagi!
Emma Maree Anderson says
Made this last night. Quick, easy and delicious. Makes enough for lefts over too in our family. Thanks Nagi