Best Macaroni Salad
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 10, 2025 
The Best Macaroni Salad Recipe – This classic southern macaroni salad recipe has a few surprise ingredients to give that perky, super-addictive flavor we all know and love, a zesty twist. It’s the perfect make-ahead side dish for your next picnic or potluck!
The Best Macaroni Salad Recipe
How to describe this Macaroni Salad…. Well, it’s ridiculously addictive carby goodness.
In all honesty, I’m usually not a fan of macaroni salad. Most recipes I’ve tried over the years have been too sweet, too mayonnaisey, too bland, or too dry and clumpy. But not this one.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
I recently visited a barbecue restaurant and decided to try their macaroni salad. I was pleasantly surprised by the zesty flavor and silky texture. It still wasn’t life-changing for me, but it did inspire me to come home and make a version I could really enjoy.
This “Best Macaroni Salad” recipe might be better titled “The Only Macaroni Salad Recipe You’ll Ever Need” because it is truly the only version I’ve ever tasted or made that I get excited about. In fact, it’s hard not to eat it right out of the serving bowl.
So, what’s the secret to a crave-worthy macaroni salad recipe?
It takes the right blend of ingredients to create a salty, slightly-sweet bite that is balanced in spice and tang. A little hot sauce, scallions, garlic, and rich fatty bacon balance out the tendency for this pasta salad to be too sweet.
However, the addition of roasted red peppers, pickle relish, and, perhaps surprisingly, kale, all offer intense flavor and color that has staying power, making this recipe a marvelous make-ahead and leftover dish.
Macaroni Salad Ingredients
Along with the traditional mayo-based dressing and elbow macaroni, I like to add:
- Roasted Red Peppers – Slightly acidic, with a smoky-sweet taste.
- Sweet Pickle Relish –For a tangy-sweet flavor
- Scallions – The perfect amount of onion taste
- Cooked Bacon – Salty, bacon-y goodness goes well with anything.
- Garlic – Who doesn’t love garlic? It enhances any dish.
- Hot Sauce – Choose your favorite kind!
- Kale – Let me explain…
Kale In Macaroni Salad?!
Kale has a sturdy consistency and holds up well even with a heavy dressing. Including it in the salad adds a hearty texture with a slightly earthy flavor. Look at the kale – It’s a pop of color that doesn’t wilt down like most fresh herbs.
How To Make Macaroni Salad
- Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water, then transfer it to a large bowl.
- To make the macaroni salad dressing, mix together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small dish.
- Combine the pasta and dressing. Then add the chopped roasted red peppers, kale, cooked bacon, pickle relish, and scallions.
- Toss well to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve, and enjoy this mac salad recipe cold.
Find the FULL Macaroni Salad Recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Serving Suggestions
The texture of this salad is creamy-smooth, with little pops of crunch mingled throughout. It’s perfect for barbecues, picnics, and potlucks served alongside…
- Caramel Brownies (Stuffed!)
- The Best EASY Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (No-Chill!)
- Creamy Sausage Cheese Dip
- Chipotle BBQ Chicken Skewers Recipe
- Bread and Butter Sweet Pickles
- Homemade Dill Pickles
- Ham and Cheese Red Bell Pepper Sandwiches
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken
- Brisket Recipe Oven Method
Macaroni Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni pasta
- 12 ounces roasted red pepper, (1 jar) drained and chopped
- 3/4 cup kale, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise, could be low fat
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, I used Frank's RedHot
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions, usually 7-10 minutes. Then drain and rinse with cold water.
- In a medium bowl mix the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.
- Pour the macaroni in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top. Then add the chopped roasted red peppers, kale, bacon, pickle relish, and scallions.
- Toss well to coat. Then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes!!! This recipe can be prepared up to 4 days in advance of serving. Make sure to cover it well and refrigerate. Serve chilled.
Due to the mayonnaise and fresh ingredients, it is not recommended that you freeze this dish.
If you can’t stand pickles, you can leave them out.
Then, if you feel the salad needs a little acidity, add rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it tastes right to you.
Absolutely! Simply omit the cooked bacon to create a vegetarian-friendly version of this Easy Macaroni Salad.
Simply substitute your favorite gluten-free elbow pasta for traditional macaroni to create a gluten-free version. Just remember, gluten-free pasta does not hold up as long as pasta made with wheat, so be sure to eat it the day you make it.
Sure! You can substitute spinach or parsley for the kale. Although one of my kids hates kale, they never detect it in this recipe.
Honestly, it’s just a matter of personal taste. You can use any mayonnaise brand you like, whether it’s Hellmann’s, Miracle Whip, or an Olive oil-based Mayonnaise!
Looking for More Scrumptious Macaroni Salad Recipes and Pasta Salads?
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Check the printable recipe card below for the perfect side dish nutritional information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber, vitamin c, and calcium percentages.
Would it be okay to use can albacore tuna in this recipe, or do you have a macaroni & tuna salad recipe??
Hi Johnnie!
You could add tuna in this recipe. However, we also have a tuna pasta salad recipe you might like: https://www.aspicyperspective.com/tuna-pasta-salad-olives-capers/