Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe
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Southern Macaroni Salad makes a delicious addition to picnics, potlucks, and any get-together! An easy make-ahead staple, this macaroni salad is a definite go-to recipe for your summer parties!
I love this easy macaroni salad! It is so simple to toss together for a quick and easy side dish any time of the year. It is absolutely perfect for making ahead to serve, cover and keep in the refrigerator for cookouts, picnics, reunions, or any other gathering throughout the summer months! Cool and delicious, it always seems to go quickly!
How to Make Macaroni Salad Recipe
My macaroni salad recipe includes a few ingredients that I particularly love in macaroni salad, but you can absolutely customize the ingredients based on your preference. For instance, I love jalapenos and pimentos – so of course, I’ve included them in my salad. I also love the flavor of celery seeds. I use it in my favorite coleslaw recipe and can’t get enough of it! So, I added a bit of it to this salad as well.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
You can really personalize your salad and make it to suit your tastes. Here’s how I make it often.
- Elbow noodles – I generally keep elbow noodles on hand for making my easy macaroni and cheese. You can substitute it with your favorite bite-sized pasta shape, such as penne.
- Celery – gives a fresh crunch to this salad.
- Jalapeños – adds a bit of color and flavor to the salad. If you want to reduce the heat in your jalapenos, be sure to remove all of the white membranes from the inside of the jalapeno and then cut in a small dice.
- Pimentos – a flavorful red pepper that adds color and flavor to the salad. Pimentos are a bit sweet and not spicy.
- Green onions – sliced fresh green onions add crunch, flavor and texture to the salad.
Macaroni Salad Dressing
For this dressing, you want to think light, fresh and flavorful! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Mayonnaise
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
- Celery seed – optional
Substitutions and Additions
- Greek yogurt – Substitute for the mayonnaise in the dressing
- Dill pickles – diced pickles are a wonderful addition. I use these in place of jalapeños from time to time.
- Black olives – drained and included whole or slices
- Green olives – drained and included whole or slices
- Grape tomatoes – halved
- Bacon – cooked and diced
- Ham – diced
- Eggs – use diced boiled eggs
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Rinse. Pour the cooked pasta into a colander and rinse well with cold water. Drain well and allow the pasta to continue to drain as you prepare the other ingredients.
- Make the macaroni salad dressing. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and celery salt if you use it.
- Combine the salad. Add the cooled pasta and your salad ingredients to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well until combined.
Freezer Instructions
To make ahead. Macaroni salad is even better after it has had the opportunity to rest in the refrigerator, I think. The cold pasta absorbs more of the dressing and becomes even more flavorful, in my opinion. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
You may want to stir in a bit more mayonnaise right before serving if the pasta absorbed much of the dressing.
If using bacon, you may want to stir in crisp bacon right before serving.
To freeze. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
More Pasta Salad Recipes
Here’s my Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe. Make it soon!
Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni noodles
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos
- 2 medium green onions, diced
Macaroni Salad Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed, optional
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Rinse. Pour the cooked pasta into a colander and rinse well with cold water. Drain well and allow the pasta to continue to drain as you prepare the other ingredients.
- Make the macaroni salad dressing. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and celery seed if you are using it.
- Combine the salad. Add the cooled pasta and your macaroni salad ingredients to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir well until combined.
- Serve or store. Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to two days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Originally published in 2014.
Just a quick question, does this recipe call for 2 cups elbow macaroni that is cooked? I’m thinking 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni won’t feed 10 people. I was thinking of making this today, and am figuring out how much pasta to cook.
Patti, it is 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni noodles. I hope you enjoy.
You list celery seed (optional), but in the instructions you say celery salt if using. Which is it?
Thank you so much for catching that, Shelley! It should be celery seed in the instructions. Thank you!