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Macaroni Salad is the creamy, crowd pleasing side dish that disappears first at every cookout, loaded with sweet peas, crunchy celery, bell pepper, and chopped egg in a tangy dressing. I made a giant bowl of it for a *Memorial Day backyard party* and it vanished before the burgers were even off the grill, right alongside our classic potato salad.
Boil the macaroni, whisk the creamy dressing, toss it all together, and let it chill for the best picnic side ever.
Macaroni Salad Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 476kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Creamy, tangy, savory with sweet peas and a paprika finish
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our marinated green bean salad
Quick Answer
Cook elbow macaroni until al dente, drain, and rinse under cold water. Whisk together a creamy dressing of mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, dijon, salt, pepper, and paprika. Combine the cooled macaroni with peas, red bell pepper, onion, celery, and chopped hard boiled egg, then toss with the dressing. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors meld.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Rinsing the macaroni cold stops the cooking. A cold water rinse halts carryover cooking so the noodles stay firm instead of turning mushy, and it washes off surface starch so the dressing coats cleanly.
- Cooking to al dente holds up overnight. Slightly firm noodles keep their bite even after soaking in dressing in the fridge, which is exactly why this salad is better the next day.
- Mayonnaise plus dijon and lemon balances the richness. The mustard and fresh lemon juice cut the heavy mayo with tang, so the dressing tastes bright and creamy instead of greasy.
- Paprika adds color and warmth. A half teaspoon of paprika gives the dressing its signature warm tint and a subtle savory depth without any heat.
- Chilling melds the flavors. Thirty minutes in the fridge lets the noodles absorb the dressing and the vegetables release their flavor into the salad, so every bite tastes seasoned through.
- Sweet peas and crunchy celery add texture. The pop of sweet peas and the crunch of fresh celery and bell pepper keep the creamy salad from feeling one note.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is the ultimate make ahead side. Stir it up the night before and it only gets better, which makes it the easiest dish to bring to a potluck, barbecue, or Sunday dinner.
- Creamy, tangy, and loaded with goodies. Sweet peas, crunchy celery, bell pepper, and chopped egg in a dreamy dressing means every forkful has something going on. The same crowd pleasing energy as our homemade buttermilk ranch.
- Feeds a crowd for pennies. A box of macaroni and a few pantry staples stretches into a big bowl that feeds the whole family with leftovers for lunch.
Key Ingredients
- Elbow macaroni: The classic shape that catches the creamy dressing in every little curve. Cook it to al dente so it holds up after chilling.
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base of the dressing. Use a good full fat mayo for the richest, most classic deli style flavor.
- Sweet peas: Canned sweet peas drained well add little pops of sweetness. Thawed frozen peas work too if you prefer a firmer bite.
- Red bell pepper, celery, and onion: The crunch trio. Small diced bell pepper, thinly sliced celery, and finely chopped white onion keep the salad fresh and crisp.
- Hard boiled eggs: Chopped eggs make the salad heartier and add that classic deli macaroni salad richness, the same trick we love in our five bean salad.
- Lemon, dijon, and paprika: Fresh lemon juice and dijon brighten the mayo, while paprika gives the dressing its warm color and savory finish.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Add protein. Fold in diced ham, cooked shrimp, or shredded chicken to turn this side into a full lunch.
- Swap the pasta. Elbow macaroni is classic, but small shells, ditalini, or rotini all work beautifully and catch the dressing just as well.
- Lighten it up. Swap half the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt or sour cream for a tangier, lighter dressing.
- Add pickle or relish. A spoonful of sweet pickle relish or chopped dill pickle gives the salad a tangy deli twist.
- Make it a combo. Serve it next to our classic potato salad for the ultimate two salad picnic spread.
How to Make Macaroni Salad
- Cook the macaroni according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and run cold water over the pasta to stop the cooking, then drain well.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, minced garlic, dijon, salt, pepper, and paprika until smooth and creamy.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled macaroni, red bell pepper, onion, peas, chopped egg, and celery.
- Pour the dressing over the top and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, then garnish with parsley and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Salt your pasta water well. Seasoning the macaroni as it cooks builds flavor from the inside out, so the finished salad does not taste bland.
- Rinse the macaroni cold. Cold water stops the cooking and washes off surface starch so the dressing coats instead of turning gluey.
- Make extra dressing. Pasta soaks up dressing as it chills, so hold a little back and stir it in right before serving if the salad looks dry.
- Chill before serving. At least 30 minutes in the fridge lets the flavors meld. Overnight is even better for a deli style macaroni salad.
- Drain the peas and pasta well. Excess water thins the dressing, so drain everything thoroughly before tossing.
- Taste and adjust at the end. Cold dulls seasoning, so taste after chilling and add a pinch more salt, pepper, or lemon if it needs a lift.
- Bring it to the cookout. Keep it cold in a cooler and it is the perfect partner to our homemade barbecue sauce spread.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Macaroni salad is the classic sidekick to anything off the grill. Pile it next to our southern fried chicken, burgers, or barbecue ribs for the full picnic plate, and round out the spread with a bowl of classic potato salad.
For a summer cookout, set this creamy salad alongside grilled hot dogs slathered in homemade barbecue sauce, a tray of deviled eggs, and a pitcher of batch mojitos for the grown ups. It holds up beautifully on a buffet table all afternoon.
Leftovers keep for days and make the best quick lunch. Scoop a generous helping next to a sandwich, or pack it in a container for a work lunch that beats anything from the deli counter. A handful of candied grapes on the side makes it feel like a treat.
Macaroni Salad FAQs
The best pasta for macaroni salad is classic elbow macaroni because its curved shape catches the creamy dressing in every bite. Small shells, ditalini, or rotini also work well if that is what you have on hand.
Macaroni salad is best made a few hours ahead or even the night before so the flavors have time to meld in the fridge. Chill it for at least 30 minutes before serving for the best texture and taste.
If your macaroni salad turns out dry, the pasta has soaked up the dressing as it chilled. Whisk up a little extra mayonnaise with a splash of lemon juice and stir it in just before serving to bring back the creaminess.
Yes, you can use thawed frozen peas or fresh cooked peas instead of canned. Frozen peas give a firmer, brighter bite, while canned sweet peas are softer and sweeter for a classic deli style salad.
Macaroni salad keeps in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Because it contains mayonnaise and egg, do not leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours at a picnic or cookout.
Macaroni salad does not freeze well because the mayonnaise dressing separates and the pasta turns mushy when thawed. It is best enjoyed fresh from the fridge within a few days of making it.
Other Recommended Picnic Salads and Sides
If this Macaroni Salad was the first bowl emptied at your cookout, drop a star rating and tell us what you added to the mix. Snap a picture for Pinterest so everyone can see that creamy goodness.
Building a full picnic spread, our classic potato salad recipe brings the same creamy crowd pleasing magic with tender potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and a tangy mustard mayo dressing that belongs right next to this macaroni salad on every summer table.
Serve a scoop of our creamy side with our buffalo chicken sandwich recipe, tangy, spicy, tender pulled buffalo chicken piled on soft brioche buns with ranch and blue cheese, an easy slow cooker game day dinner.
Round out the cookout plate with our smoky BBQ kielbasa, smoky savory sausage glazed in sweet BBQ sauce and charred on the grill, an easy 3 ingredient smoker recipe for any cookout.
For another crowd pleasing potluck side, do not miss our copycat KFC coleslaw.
Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 cups dry macaroni noodles
- 3/4 cup small-diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
- 1/2 cup canned sweet peas drained well
- 3 large eggs hard-boiled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks thinly sliced
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish
For the dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and run cold water over the pasta to stop the cooking; drain well.2 & 1/2 cups dry macaroni noodles
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, dijon, salt, pepper, and paprika in a medium-sized bowl.1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Lemon juice, 1 clove garlic, finely minced, 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Add the bell pepper, onion, peas, egg, celery, and macaroni pasta in a large mixing bowl. Top with the creamy dressing and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary to your personal preferences.3/4 cup small-diced red bell pepper, 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion, 1/2 cup canned sweet peas, 3 large eggs, 2 celery stalks
- Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Give it a good stir, add to a serving bowl, and serve with parsley garnish, optional.fresh chopped parsley
Notes
- This makes a large batch, but you can easily double it to feed more or halve the recipe.
- Tons of custom options, see my tips above on that.
- Great for a make-ahead side dish.
- Do not freeze.
- Make extra dressing if you are not planning on eating this at one sitting.
Nutrition
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