There’s a clear difference between a basic bland macaroni salad and a flavor packed Southern Macaroni Salad. With the creamiest flavorful dressing and crunchy veggies, this macaroni salad will be your new go-to summer side dish.
This sweet and creamy macaroni salad is packed with elbow pasta, bell peppers, sweet pickles, and a silky mayo-based dressing that is perfectly creamy.
Whether you bring this side dish to a barbecue or party or just make it as part of a family dinner, everyone is sure to ask for seconds.
Why You’ll Love This Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe
This macaroni salad recipe is a classic summer side dish that’s perfect for barbecues and potlucks.
Not only is it a crowd favorite, but it’s easy to make for a large crowd. Whether you’re making it for a weeknight family dinner or for a big barbecue, it goes with everything.
Ingredients for Southern Macaroni Salad
- elbow macaroni, uncooked
- red bell pepper
- green bell pepper
- sweet pickles
- celery
- hard boiled eggs
- mayonnaise
- apple cider vinegar
- sweet pickle juice from the jar
- sugar
- dijon mustard
- kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- celery salt
Substitutions & Alterations
I don’t include chopped red onion in my recipe. I find that many people don’t like the strong bite of raw red onion.
You can replace the full amount of mayo with 1 cup mayo + 1 cup of sour cream.
If you are allergic to eggs, you can omit them from the recipe and use an egg-free mayo like the one from Hellman’s.
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Buy Now → How to Make Southern Style Macaroni Salad
- Cook the macaroni elbows in salted water just until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and run under cold water to cool completely. Let it sit in the strainer for a few minutes so that all water drains.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk to until it’s smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta, bell peppers, pickles, celery and eggs to the dressing.
- Mix it all together until everything is well coated.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, but overnight is best. This will allow all of the flavors to marinate together and the pasta to soak up some of the dressing.
- Once refrigerated, uncover and give it another good mix so that everything is well coated in the dressing.
- Serve cold and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
If you decide to add chopped red onion, I recommend soaking it in a bit of ice water to take some of the strong bite away. You could also try a sweet Vidalia onion.
It’s really important to let this sit in the fridge for 2-4 hours (overnight is best). It helps all the flavors marinate together and the pasta wills oak up some of the dressing. It’ll get thicker as well.
After it’s been in the fridge, be sure to give it a good stir or shake to make sure it’s all coated in dressing again.
If you do omit the eggs due to allergy, add a little extra pasta, peppers, and / or pickles to make up for the lost volume.
How to Serve Macaroni Salad
Serve this macaroni salad cold with any of the following options for a great meal.
- Sweet Baby Ray’s Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Oven-Baked Ribs
- Smoked Chicken Thighs
- Smoked Hamburgers
- Homestyle Smoky Baked Beans
- Cucumber and Red Onion in Vinegar – the tartness of this side really complements the sweetness of the macaroni salad
How to Store Leftover Macaroni Salad
Any mayonnaise-based salad that has been out in the sun above 80°F for more than an hour or at “room temperature” for more than two hours should be thrown away.
Store leftover macaroni salad in a well-sealed airtight container in the refrigerator. Stored properly, leftover salad will be at its best for up to 4-5 days.
Can You Freeze Macaroni Salad?
Remaining macaroni salad can also be frozen for up to 3 months when stored in an airtight container or properly sealed freezer bag.
FAQs
Yes, macaroni should be rinsed and very well drained after it has cooked. It will not only cool the pasta down, but it will help the dressing stick to the pasta.
Yes, macaroni salad can be made a day or two in advance of when it is needed as long as it’s stored properly.
Though some people use the names interchangeably, macaroni salad usually has a mayo dressing while pasta salad uses a vinaigrette.
More BBQ Side Dish Recipes
- Southern Deviled Eggs with Relish
- Classic Deviled Eggs
- Homemade Baked Mac and Cheese
- Smoked Baked Beans
- Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Cucumber and Red Onion in Vinegar
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Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 pound elbow macaroni uncooked
- 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced sweet pickles
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 large hard boiled eggs diced
Dressing
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice from the jar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni elbows in salted water just until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and run under cold water to cool completely. Let it sit in the strainer for a few minutes so that all water drains.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dressing ingredients and whisk until it’s smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta, bell peppers, pickles, celery and eggs to the dressing.
- Mix it all together until everything is well coated.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours, but overnight is best. This will allow all of the flavors to marinate together and the pasta to soak up some of the dressing.
- Once refrigerated, uncover and give it another good mix so that everything is well coated in the dressing.
- Serve cold and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- If you decide to add chopped red onion, I recommend soaking it in a bit of ice water to take some of the strong bite away. You could also try a sweet vidalia onion.
- It’s really important to let this sit in the fridge for 2-4 hours (overnight is best). It helps all the flavors marinate together and the pasta will soak up some of the dressing. It’ll get thicker as well.
- After it’s been in the fridge, be sure to give it a good stir or shake to make sure it’s all coated in dressing again.
- If you do omit the eggs due to allergy, add a little extra pasta, peppers, and / or pickles to make up for the lost volume.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
