Creamy, Classic, and Budget-Friendly: The Ultimate Macaroni Salad (original) (raw)

I think it’s safe to say Macaroni Salad is a summer potluck or BBQ staple. Like, if I turned up and didn’t see a big ol’ bowl of classic macaroni salad on the table, I’d honestly be a little concerned. It’s cold, creamy, carby, and totally nostalgic. The kind of side dish that just belongs next to grilled burgers or veggie skewers. It’s also super cheap to make, which I really appreciate. But this easy mac salad isn’t just good for gatherings, it’s also a great side to meal prep for your lunches for the week!

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“This recipe is amazing! I had my first bite and said “wow” out loud. My partner who normally doesn’t like any sort of mayo based dressings loved it too. I cut the sugar back a tiny bit (added about 2 tsp instead of 1 tbsp) but that’s just preference. Will definitely be keeping this in the summer rotation! Thanks Beth :)”

Sam

Easy Recipe for Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad starts with one of my favorite budget-friendly staples: macaroni, of course. It’s a creamy pasta salad at heart (and there are a lot of ways to make it), but here’s how I like to do it. I mix in celery, bell pepper, and red onion for crunch and color, plus a couple of hard-boiled eggs to make it more filling. The dressing is that classic deli-style combo of mayo, Dijon, sweet pickle relish, a splash of vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and salt and pepper. It’s classically creamy, sweet, tangy, crunchy, and delicious. 🤤

Cost 4.15recipe/4.15 recipe / 4.15recipe/0.52 serving

Macaroni Salad is an easy and inexpensive classic for potlucks, summer BBQs, or an easy side dish for dinner.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

• ▢ 2 hard-boiled eggs ($0.58)
• ▢ ½ red bell pepper ($0.75)
• ▢ ½ red onion ($0.49)
• ▢ 2 ribs celery ($0.20)
• ▢ 8 oz. (220 g) macaroni (uncooked, $0.56)

Dressing

• ▢ 1 cup (230 ml) mayonnaise ($1.16)

• ▢ 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.18)

• ▢ 1 Tbsp sweet pickle relish ($0.08)

• ▢ 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.10)

• ▢ 1 Tbsp granulated sugar ($0.01*)

• ▢ ½ tsp salt ($0.02)

• ▢ ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, $0.02)

• Chop the salad ingredients, so they're ready to go. Dice the hard-boiled eggs, bell pepper, onion, and celery.

• Boil the macaroni until tender, then drain it in a colander. Briefly rinse the pasta with cool water to cool it off.

• While the macaroni is boiling, prepare the dressing. Stir together the mayonnaise, Dijon, relish, red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper.

• Combine the cooled and drained macaroni, egg, bell pepper, celery, and onion in a bowl. Pour the dressing over top, then stir until everything is well combined and coated in dressing.

• Serve the macaroni salad immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

* There are two main camps when it comes to macaroni salad: sweet and not so sweet. I like mine with just a touch of sweetness to balance the acidity and creaminess of the dressing, so that’s what you’ll get with this recipe. If you like yours sweeter, you can simply add more sugar to taste (up to about ¼ cup sugar).

Serving: 0.75cupCalories: 332kcal (17%)Carbohydrates: 25g (8%)Protein: 6g (12%)Fat: 23g (35%)Sodium: 385mg (17%)Fiber: 2g (8%)

The nutrition data is automatically calculated using all ingredients listed on the recipe card, including any listed as optional. Percentages are of daily value.

How to Make Macaroni Salad Step-by-Step Photos

Gather all of your ingredients.

Prep the add-ins: Start by dicing two hard-boiled eggs (here’s a tutorial on how to make hard-boiled eggs, if needed), ½ of a red bell pepper, ½ of a red onion, and 2 ribs of celery.

Cook the pasta: Next, boil 8 oz. elbow macaroni until tender. Drain the pasta in a colander and rinse briefly with cool water to cool down the pasta.

Prepare the dressing: Combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 Tbsp sweet relish, 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper.

Assemble the salad: Add the cooked and cooled macaroni to a large bowl along with the chopped egg, bell pepper, celery, and red onion.

Pour the prepared dressing over the salad in the bowl.

Serve: And now your macaroni salad is ready to eat! Make sure to keep it in the refrigerator if you don’t plan to serve it right away, and give it a good stir again just before serving.

I absolutely love the bite of the red onion in this recipe. It adds a really nice contrast to the creamy dressing. But if you’re someone who doesn’t love that sharp, raw onion flavor, try soaking the chopped onion in cold water for about 10 minutes before mixing it in. Just make sure to drain it well and pat it dry with a paper towel so it doesn’t water down the salad. This trick takes the edge off without losing any crunch!

What Else Can I Add to Macaroni Salad?

This homemade macaroni salad is another one of those great catch-all recipes. You can add all sorts of ingredients for color, texture, and flavor. Here are some add-in ideas I love:

• Cheddar cheese cubes
• Broccoli florets
• Peas
• Black olives
• Shredded carrots
• Diced ham
• Chopped parsley
• Leftover grilled chicken
• Diced dill pickles
• Crispy air fryer bacon crumbles

Serving suggestions

I love serving this macaroni salad with our grilled sausage and peppers packet for an easy summer dinner. It’s also great alongside chicken burgers or smoky mushroom kebabs…anything off the grill, really. And if you’re putting together a spread, don’t forget the potato salad! Add a simple fruit dip for dessert, and you’ve got a meal that’s totally family-friendly and perfect for a casual get-together with friends.

Storage Instructions

Macaroni salad can be kept in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days. The macaroni will continue to absorb moisture as it sits in the refrigerator, so you may find it gets a little drier each day. If taking your mac salad to a potluck or BBQ, make sure to not let it sit out at room temperature for more than two hours.

Our Macaroni Salad recipe was originally published 6/22/22. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 8/2/25.

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Beth MoncelI’m a food lover, number cruncher, and meticulous budgeter. I love science and art, and the way they come together when I cook. I love to create, problem solve, and learn new things. Making great food is my passion, my purpose, and my favorite thing to share with others.More About Beth