With elbow macaroni, cheddar cheese, and veggies in a creamy dressing, this Easy Macaroni Salad is just the thing to take to all of your summer BBQs, potlucks, and parties. Quick and easy to prepare!
The Best Macaroni Salad Recipe
When we need a quick side dish for a cookout, picnic, or to go with a dinner of hamburgers or BBQ, I go for this easy macaroni salad recipe. It is super fast to put together and nothing beats fresh, homemade macaroni salad!
My favorite thing about this recipe is probably the dressing. My biggest complaint with any macaroni salad is always that the dressing is too “heavy” and/or lacking in flavor. With a combination of vinegar, mayo, and Dijon plus fresh dill, this salad is creamy but not heavy and bursting with flavor.
Looking for more great summer sides? Check out my Cucumber Tomato Salad, Easy Orange Creamsicle Salad, Dill Pickle Pasta Salad, and Black Bean and Corn Salad recipes too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Easy Macaroni Salad
Here are a few reasons why I think this might just be the best macaroni salad recipe out there.
- Quick and easy. This salad comes together in practically no time at all. I like to be chopping and dicing while the macaroni is boiling, which means the hands-on time for this recipe is well under 30 minutes.
- Perfect balance of flavors. The dressing is made with a combination of mayo, apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard. It’s creamy and slightly sweet with a bit of tang and spice to keep it from feeling heavy.
- Easy to customize. I stick with peas, pepper, and onion as my mix-ins but you can easily adjust this recipe to include the veggies you prefer.
- Perfect for potlucks. This is one of my go-to recipes for taking to summer potlucks and BBQs. I love making it the day before so I can just grab the bowl and go.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this macaroni salad recipe. You can find the exact measurements in the printable recipe card below.
- Macaroni – Classic elbow macaroni is my go-to.
- Cheese – I like cheddar in my macaroni salad but feel free to use a blend.
- Veggies – Red onion, celery, red bell pepper, and frozen peas add color, flavor, and texture to the salad.
- Mayonnaise – The base of the dressing.
- Apple cider vinegar – Thins the dressing and adds a tangy flavor.
- Spices & herbs – Fresh dill, salt, and pepper.
- Sugar – Helps to balance out the other flavors.
- Dijon mustard – Adds a bit of heat and earthy flavor to the dressing.
How To Make Macaroni Salad
This easy macaroni salad recipe comes together in a few simple steps. You can find printable directions in the recipe card below.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Cover and refrigerate.
- Make the macaroni. Cook the macaroni to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Combine the ingredients. Toss together the macaroni, cheese, and veggies. Whisk the dressing then pour it over the top. Toss to combine.
- Enjoy. Chill until serving.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few things to keep in mind when making this macaroni salad recipe.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. You want to cook the pasta to just al dente and be sure to drain and rinse it immediately, to prevent it from continuing to cook. No one likes mushy macaroni salad.
- Adjust the flavor of the salad dressing. Feel free to omit the fresh dill, if you’re not a fan. You can also swap the apple cider vinegar for white vinegar or omit the vinegar and replace it with a few spoonfuls of sour cream.
- Customize the add-ins. The peas can be easily omitted, as can any of the other veggies. If you like eggs in your macaroni salad, feel free to add in some chopped hard boiled eggs. Sweet pickles and celery also make great additions.
- Chill before serving. While you can technically serve macaroni salad immediately, I recommend letting it chill for a few hours in the fridge. This gives the flavors time to meld and the dressing time to absorb into the macaroni.
Serving Suggestions
This macaroni salad makes a great addition to potlucks and summer BBQs. I love to pair it with grilled meats, whether that’s hot dogs and hamburgers, steak, or chicken skewers. It’s also great with Dr Pepper ribs and pulled pork sandwiches.
Proper Storage
Due to the mayonnaise in the dressing, be sure to keep the leftover macaroni salad chilled. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. Serve the salad cold.
More Side Salads To Try
- Loaded Broccoli Salad
- Creamy Bow Tie Pasta Salad
- Watermelon Salad
- Cowboy Pasta Salad
- Big Mac Salad
- Loaded Potato Salad
Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese cubed
- 1/2 red onion peeled and minced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 cup frozen peas thawed
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Cover and refrigerate while you move on to the next steps.
- Boil the elbow macaroni according to the package directions just until al dente. Pour the macaroni into a colander to drain and immediately rinse with cold water to cool down the macaroni and prevent it from sticking.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together the cooked macaroni, cubed cheddar cheese, minced red onion, diced celery, diced red bell pepper, and the thawed peas.
- Whisk the dressing well, then pour it over the macaroni salad; toss to combine.
- Serve immediately or keep chilled until serving.
Last Step:
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9 comments on “Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe”
Super easy and yummy. I love things like this since I am vegan. Dukes plant based mayo worked great too with the zing it has already.
Thanks Sarah!
Was delicious, I did add celery and 4 hard boiled eyes. Will make it again!
Hard boiled eyes? Lol!
Great recipe; the celery is missing in the ingredient list…
Can you use dill in the spices isle? In a jar
Sounds delicious. Celery is not listed among ingredients but is mentioned in directions. How much celery?
I used 3 medium size stalks (ribs)
Mac Salad