Macaroni Salad
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This macaroni salad has all the appeal of the old-fashioned, mayo-dressed version but with a few updates to make it taste brighter and better.
Macaroni salad is a must-have side dish at summer picnics, BBQs, and potlucks—right alongside coleslaw and a classic potato salad. This version has all the appeal of the old-school mayo-dressed classic but with a few updates—sour cream, Dijon mustard, fresh basil, and loads of crisp, crunchy veggies—to make it taste even better. The sour cream and mustard add a slight tang, while the basil and veggies bring in fresh summer flavor.
The secret to the perfect creamy texture is thinning the dressing with a bit of water, so it coats the pasta without getting too clingy. Keep in mind that the dressing thickens and is absorbed by the noodles as the salad sits, so while you can prep all the components ahead, it’s best to toss everything together right before serving. This macaroni salad recipe pairs nicely with burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, baby back ribs, or grilled BBQ chicken.
Table of Contents
“This is my go to macaroni salad…I make it with different veggies each time depending what I have and it’s always good.”
What You’ll Need To Make Macaroni Salad
- Elbow macaroni, cavatappi, farfalle, or fusilli pasta: These shapes are ideal for pasta salad because their ridges, twists, and curves hold onto the creamy dressing and other ingredients, ensuring every bite is flavorful. Their small, bite-sized pieces also make them easy to eat.
- Mayonnaise: Forms the base of the creamy dressing. Be sure to use a good-quality brand, such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Sour cream: Adds a tangy creaminess that complements the mayo.
- Sugar: Balances out the tanginess with a touch of sweetness.
- Dijon mustard: Provides a subtle tang and depth of flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adds acidity and brightness to the dressing.
- Water: Helps thin the dressing to achieve the perfect consistency.
- Onion powder: Lends a mild onion flavor without overwhelming the dish.
- Carrots, Celery and Bell Pepper: These veggies add color, sweetness, and crunch.
- Scallions: Lends a mild onion flavor and a pop of green.
- Fresh basil: Adds fresh, herby flavor that brightens up the salad.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until tender according to package instructions (about 1 minute past al dente).
While the pasta boils, prep all the add-ins.
Drain the pasta in a colander and let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
Whisk until combined.
Add the cooked pasta, carrots, celery, bell pepper, scallions, and basil to the bowl.
Stir until evenly combined.
Serve immediately or let sit for up to an hour at room temperature before serving. Keep in mind that the dressing will thicken a bit as it sits.
How To Make Macaroni Salad Ahead
The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; the pasta, vegetables, and basil can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Before serving, bring all of the components to room temperature. Add the dressing to a large bowl and whisk to loosen, then stir in the pasta, vegetables and herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.
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Macaroni Salad
This macaroni salad has all the appeal of the old-fashioned, mayo-dressed version but with a few updates to make it taste brighter and better.
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni, cavatappi, farfalle, or fusilli pasta
- 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1¼ teaspoons salt, plus more for cooking the pasta
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup finely diced or grated carrots, from 1 to 2 carrots
- ¾ cup finely diced celery, from 2 to 3 celery stalks
- 1 red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, finely diced
- 6 scallions, light and dark green parts, finely sliced
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until tender (about 1 minute past al dente). Drain and let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, salt, pepper, and onion powder.
- Add the cooked pasta, carrots, celery, bell pepper, scallions, and basil to the bowl and stir until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the salad immediately or let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature before serving. (Keep in mind that the dressing will thicken and get absorbed by the noodles as the salad sits.)
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated; the pasta, vegetables, and basil can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Before serving, bring all of the components to room temperature. Add the dressing to a large bowl and whisk to loosen, then stir in the pasta, vegetables and herbs. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve.
- Update Note: In response to feedback from readers, this recipe was retested and updated on &frac73;/22 to include less sugar.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Calories: 336
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 268 mg
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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It’s always a great day when a new recipe is published on Jenn’s website!! I made exactly as printed and it’s pretty.stinkin.delish!!!!
This is a very good recipe has lots of flavor but I found the sugar to be a little bit too much, I even put less sugar in then the recipe called for and felt that you could use about quarter of the sugar for the salad. I will definitely make this again!
Excellent macaroni salad but a little too sweet for me. I will definitively do it again with half the sugar.
Great for summertime 🙂
Thanks !
I saw a salad similar to this on Family Dinner with Andrew Zimmern. I started searching for a recipe for the details that were omitted.
I added red onion and substituted Butter Milk for the water and it added a common flavor. Many in the family don’t like a Mayo-ie flavor.
I added a couple of fresh Mozzarella balls cut into 1/4″ +- squares.
I didn’t add any sugar and it still has a slightly sweet but savory taste.
I have 15 family coming for 4th of July dinner today and I not sure there will be much left. My wife and I keep sampling it and then smile.
Thanks for posting your creation. I will bookmark your site for future delights.
Usually not a fan of cold macaroni salad but this is different! I wanted to try it to go with your smash burgers and it turned out awesome. Love your recipes!!
This salad is great! I wanted a recipe for a good macaroni salad but never found one. This is it. It tastes great with BBQ chicken or pork. Leftovers were excellent cold and straight from the fridge. Thank you!
This looks terrific! We have a pretty strong aversion to celery in our household but I still want to make this. Any suggestions on what to use instead?
Hi Alice, You can add another bell pepper – would be nice in a different color.
Jicama
This really looks great. I’m fixing it for the Fourth of July. Thanks
I enjoyed the flavor very much, the veggies and the basil gave it depth. The only thing I would change is the amount of sugar, it was a bit too sweet for me. Other than that, this recipe is a keeper!
I love the comments and ideas from people who made this, so helpful. Jenn’s recipes are fantastic, easy, and dependable, and I know this is FIVE STARS as written.
Two changes I made for those who care:
I started by making the dressing first, so to give it marinating time as Jenn suggested. I HALVED the dressing as I only had so much Mayo on hand. I substituted the sour cream for grass fed probiotic Greek yogurt which I wasn’t concerned about, it worked great, and I did not need to add the water to recipe it called for. I substituted 2 TBSP monk sugar(comes from monkfruit) for the cane sugar. I’ve only ever used Monk Sugar in my coffee. For those not familiar, it has zero calories and carbs and is the healthier sweetner on the market that won’t mess with blood sugar, do the research for those interested. Once all was prepped, rather than throwing everything together at once, I made a little bowl of pasta, veggie and dressing for me to taste, refrig, and taste again. As Jenn mentioned in one of her replies, she does not rinse the pasta, I couldn’t agree more, dressing will stick better. I walked away and overcooked it by 60 seconds. Anyway, now that I have everything prepped, I can make one with Tuna and maybe hard boiled egg, ect ect. All kinds of variation to work with here, it’s very forgiving! THANK YOU JENN!