Southern macaroni salad is a classic side dish that's perfect for your next picnic. This cold pasta salad is filled with macaroni, diced vegetables, and eggs coated in a creamy and flavorful dressing.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Tangy, savory, bright.
Texture: Tender macaroni and crunchy fresh veggies like celery, bell pepper, and red onion are tossed in a creamy homemade dressing.
Make ahead. Macaroni salad is easy to make a day ahead of time.
Great for: Parties, picnics, holidays, barbecues.
Serve with: Oven Baked Ribs or Grilled Bison Burgers
Similar to: Classic Pasta Salad and Southern Potato Salad
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Macaroni - Can be substituted with any other medium sized pasta. Farfalle or shells are great alternatives.
- Mayonnaise - I recommend a creamy, tangy mayonnaise like Duke's brand for best flavor and texture.
- Vegetables - Celery, red onion, and bell pepper add flavor and crunch to the salad. I don't recommend omitting these ingredients entirely. Red bell pepper can be substituted with green, yellow, or orange bell pepper. If you'd like to add an extra southern touch, substitute the red bell pepper with pimientos instead. Red onion could be substituted with a sweet onion or Vidalia onion. For a little heat, add some diced jalapenos.
- Lemon - Lemon juice is added to the dressing for a bright, fresh flavor.
- Hard boiled eggs - If you don't prefer egg in your macaroni salad, they can be omitted without affecting the recipe. Optionally, add two diced eggs to the salad and reserve one for slicing and placing on top as a garnish.
- Dijon mustard - Adds flavor and a bit of tang to the dressing. Dijon mustard can be substituted with yellow mustard.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika add flavor to the dressing. I don't recommend omitting these ingredients.
- Parsley - Optional, adds brightness and visual appeal to the finished salad.
How to make macaroni salad
- While your macaroni cooks, add dressing ingredients to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add mix-ins (celery, bell pepper, onion, and egg) and cooked macaroni.
- Toss to combine.
- Stir until ingredients are evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips and tricks
Salt your pasta water - This helps flavor your pasta as it boils, adding extra flavor to your macaroni salad.
Drain pasta well - Drain your macaroni and allow it to come to room temperature before combining your salad ingredients. Wet macaroni can make the dressing runny, and hot macaroni can melt the mayonnaise, making it oily.
Pat rinsed vegetables dry - After washing vegetables, pat them dry thoroughly before chopping. Wet vegetables can make the dressing runny.
Dress your pasta at room temperature - This gives your pasta a chance to soak up some of the dressing while it sets. Cold pasta doesn't soak up dressing as well as room temperature pasta.
Storage
Macaroni salad will keep for 3 to 5 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. It can sit out at room temperature for up to 2 hours before requiring additional refrigeration.
Frequently asked questions
Macaroni salad will get runny if wet ingredients are added to the salad. This includes freshly boiled macaroni or freshly rinsed vegetables. Drain your macaroni for a few minutes before adding to the salad and pat vegetables dry before chopping.
Yes, mayonnaise can be substituted with miracle whip if desired.
Macaroni salad can sit out for 2 hours before requiring additional refrigeration. If the location is hot (90 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter) or in direct sunlight, I'd reduce that time to 1 hour. Any food that has been sitting out longer than this should be discarded.
Yes, macaroni salad is a great side dish to make a day ahead of an event. Store it in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator until just before serving.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Southern Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (226 g) uncooked macaroni
- 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ½ medium red onion, diced
- 1 cup (226 g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente pasta. Drain, rinse with cold water, and allow to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, add mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. Whisk to combine.
- To the dressing add macaroni, onion, celery, bell pepper, and eggs. Toss until evenly coated.
- Pour macaroni salad into a serving dish and top with chopped parsley. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Storage: Macaroni salad will keep for 3 to 5 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and can be made up to a day ahead of an event.
- Garnish: Optionally, reserve one hard boiled egg to slice and use as a garnish on top along with a sprinkling of paprika.
- Refrigeration: Macaroni salad can sit out for up to 2 hours at room temperature (1 hour if temperatures are 90 degrees F and above) before requiring additional refrigeration.
I made this recipe exactly as written and it was phenomenal!! 100% this is my new go-to macaroni salad recipe! So good!
This recipe is absolutely delicious. I did substitute a grated shallot for the onion but everything else is perfect!
I used whipped salad dressing and honey mustard and water chestnuts instead of celery and some diced ham . It was Delicious!!! Thank You for posting this recipe.
Did you really make this with just 1 cup dry elbows?
Hi Lynn, this recipe calls for 8 ounces of uncooked macaroni by weight. I'd estimate that equals about 2 dry cups when measured by volume.
My new favorite! Love the crunch of the veggies in every bite.
Very tasty. I added some Old Bay seasoning to give it a little different flavor which worked well
Will make again!!
Just Like My Grandmother's.... But I Did Add 1 Tbs Of Pickle Relish To It Only Because That's What She Did. Awesome Recipe‼️
Add some chopped tomatoes and you have my sisters Mac salad. It was always in the fridge if you came to visit along with a baked ham. Good memories
Was looking for an easy and tasty pasta salad to take camping. So delicious. I will be making this again. I thought 1 cup of macaroni wasn’t enough but it is more than enough (small Pyrex bowl size). Thank you for sharing your receipe.
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! When you say 1 cup, were you making a half recipe? This recipe calls for 8 ounces of macaroni (by weight), which would be about 2-ish cups measured with a dry measuring cup.
This is the best macaroni salad that I have ever had. My husband ate it for a snack instead of getting a dessert. You have to try this recipe. You will not regret it. Make sure to add that lemon because it gives it a Tangy taste.
Very good, but added velveta cheese & sweet relish.
I added cubed pepper jack cheese with the diced jalapeños. Everyone loved it and it was gone by the end of the night. Thank you!
I made this tonight, super yummy, easy and filling.
I wonder about adding pickles….
Thoughts?
Yes, pickles or relish would make a great addition to macaroni salad! I'd start with 1/2 cup of chopped pickles and add more as desired.
I made this today and didn’t have Dijon and the regular mustard made it too tart. I added the sweet pickle relish and we loved it! Glad I saw that comment. Thanks!
The first time I made this my husband, granddaughter and myself devoured the entire bowl at dinner! Then I made this for a party and everybody raved about it. My daughter was there and she usually doesn't eat macaroni salad but she tried it and loved it. Now she requested it be served for Christmas dinner instead oif the mac and cheese.
Not a fan of mayo, can I use sour cream instead
I haven't tried this recipe with all sour cream before, I've done half and half with mayo/sour cream, and also used plain Greek yogurt. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
This salad got rave reviews from the whole family. Thanks!
I added ham and broccoli, too! It was delish!
Great Salad. One of the best I have ever made. Thanks!!
Can a little honey be added to mixture for a little sweetness?
I haven't tried it myself, but I'm sure it could be whisked into the dressing! I'd start with a teaspoon and taste test to see if you'd like it sweeter.
This is the best macaroni salad I’ve ever had. I added sliced Spanish olives and it was delicious! Thank you for this keeper.
First timer making Mac salad. This is awesome! Added 6 oz of tuna and sweet relish.
1st time making and was a hit
Yummy I used green onion instead and 1table spoon of lemom
I used pimiento instead of bell pepper. Turned out fantastic!
Glad you enjoyed the macaroni salad, Carolyn!