This easy Macaroni salad is a classic summer side dish you can make ahead the night before! Made with a creamy, tangy dressing and plenty of ways to customize the salad to make it your own.

overhead view on bowl with macaroni salad

I may not usually be the biggest fan of mayo-based salads… But sometimes you cannot mess with the classics! This macaroni salad tastes like all of my childhood memories about picnics, potlucks and summer barbecues. Nothing beats that!

This classic macaroni salad

comes together in a snap!
is made with a creamy, tangy dressing that takes minutes to prepare
can be customized with hardboiled eggs, chopped chicken, cooked shrimp, canned tuna… to your heart’s desire!
is a great dish to make the night before, so you don’t need to stress around in the kitchen while your summer party is in full swing

Ingredients in macaroni salad

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.

ingredients for classic macaroni salad with text labels — What you need to make macaroni salad: Cooked & cooled macaroni, celery, carrot, red pepper, red onion, mayo, mustard, sour cream, pickles, pepper, salt, sugar and garlic powder.

Ingredient notes

Macaroni: Any short, small, tubular pasta can be used – elbow macaroni, Ziti, Ditalini, spirals, small shells. They all work! Just technically not macaroni salad anymore 😉
Mayo: If you really despise mayo, feel free to use Greek yogurt instead. The taste will be different, but still good.
Vegetables: Feel free to swap out any vegetables you don’t like. Great alternatives are peas, corn, green onion, other color peppers…
Pickles: If you don’t like pickles, feel free to leave them out. You’ll need to add white vinegar to the dressing instead of pickle juice, otherwise you won’t get the tangy flavors.

How to make macaroni salad

collage of steps to make macaroni salad — Steps to make macaroni salad: Combine the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Add all salad ingredients, then toss well. Chill until ready to serve!

overhead view on bowl with macaroni salad on placemat

Recipe tips

Adjust the amount of mayo to get the creaminess of your salad just right!
If you make the salad ahead of time and refrigerate it for a few hours, chances are the macaroni soaked up some of the dressing. It helps to add more mayo and pickle juice to make it creamy again.
Make sure you don’t overcook the macaroni, or the salad comes out soggy. I also always drain the macaroni immediately into a colander when they’re just done and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Make ahead instructions

You can make the salad up to a day ahead. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salad for up to a day. Let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes, then adjust mayo and pickle juice to taste before serving.

More easy summer salads

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