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This classic macaroni salad is packed full of crunchy vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and a homemade dressing made out of yellow mustard, mayonnaise, and pickle juice.
I love macaroni salad.
But, as much as I hate to admit this, I’m super picky about my macaroni salad.
It must be made with elbow macaroni ONLY, including hard-boiled eggs; use only yellow mustard and real mayonnaise.
Please do not come at me with Miracle Whip.
My dad is a huge Miracle Whip fan, so I’m sure he would disagree, but I’m just a mayo girl through and through.
I also really like lots of crunchy bits going through the salad.
I like to include celery, red onion, bell pepper, and dill pickles – super crunchy and fresh!
Want macaroni salad with a twist? Try this Mexican macaroni salad!
Classic macaroni salad ingredients
- Elbow macaroni – Cook your pasta according to the box directions, run it under cold water, and let it cool.
- Hard-boiled eggs – I make them using my Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs recipe, but you can buy them pre-made in the store as well.
- Celery – Brings crunch and flavor.
- Red bell pepper – If you can’t find a red bell pepper, use a yellow or orange bell pepper instead.
- Red onion – Shallots would work here as well.
- Dill pickle – I love using dill pickles for the delicious flavor and zip.
- Parsley – Brings brightness to the salad.
- Mayonnaise – Use good quality mayonnaise for the best flavor. My favorite brand is Dukes.
- Yellow mustard – Brings in flavor and a hint of vinegar.
- Pickle juice – This is the secret acid ingredient!
- Granulated sugar – Just a touch, but you can leave it out if you want to.
- Kosher salt and pepper – Season with your desired amount.
If you’re unsure how you feel about hard-boiled eggs in your mac salad, know it’s the best thing ever.
Ensure you don’t overcook them because green hard-boiled eggs do not make a great addition.
Since I almost always overcook my eggs on the stovetop, I started making pressure cooker hard-boiled eggs.
They come out perfect every. single. time.
Classic Macaroni Salad – Sweet or Not Sweet?
Oh, and there is often a debate about how sweet macaroni should be.
I don’t want it to be super sweet. Something about sweet pasta dishes throws me off.
I also like to use dill pickles in the salad because pickles are life.
I know I said I don’t like a sweet mac salad, but I added a touch of sugar to the dressing. You need just a pinch to even out the vinegar in the mustard.
If you prefer a sweeter mac salad, you can use sweet pickles and add a heavier pinch of sugar to the dressing, but I’ll leave this choice to you.
Now, for the thing I feel most strongly about.
Yellow. Mustard.
Why is this stuff so underrated?
I grew up only eating yellow mustard, and when I moved to New York, I was super thrown off by spicy brown.
It tastes great, but I only want yellow mustard on my hot dogs and hamburgers.
Oh, and macaroni salad.
And yeah, I have had it made with spicy brown, and it’s fine.
But to be a classic macaroni salad (IMO), it must be made with yellow mustard.
I think classic macaroni salad is the perfect addition to Easter. It’s bright and flavorful and always tastes great alongside ham.
Plus it’s super easy to make and stays fresh and crunchy for days.
Since I kept the traditional flavor, I added a little chopped parsley to bring freshness.
Oh, and make sure to keep the salad cold at parties. Mayo, while delicious, can take a dangerous turn if you let it sit in the sun.
Trust me.
More summer side salads
- The Best Cucumber Salad
- Honey Mustard Potato Salad
- Lentil Couscous Salad with Goat Cheese
- Classic Pea Salad
Classic Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 6 hard boiled eggs, minced
- 4 ribs celery, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, minced
- 1/3 cup minced red onion
- 1/3 cup minced dill pickle
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- 2 cups mayonaise
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the box directions.
- Once fully cooked, drain and rinse under cold water until the pasta is cool.
- Let the pasta drain while you prepare the rest of the macaroni salad.
- In a large mixing bowl add minced hard boiled eggs, celery, red onion, dill pickle and parsley.
- Add the pasta and stir gently to combine.
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, pickle juice and granulated sugar.
- Pour dressing over the ingredients in the bowl and toss to combine. Start by adding 1/2 of the dressing first and add more until you reach your desired consistency.
- Taste and season with desired amount of kosher salt and black pepper.
- Serve cold and remember to keep it cold since it includes mayonnaise.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It looks delicious. I loved macaroni salad. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe with us.
I made this to have with ribs tonight and it’s great. Along with your suggested veggies I added radish and cucumber. Husband was hanging around and finally asked if he could taste it. He loved it!!
I always cube up about one cup of hard cheddar cheese and add it to my cold macaroni salad at the last minute. Mix it all in and sprinkle diced chives on top. Delish!
I’ve been making this recipe for years. It is wonderful. For a special occasion add 1/2 lb cooked chicken or shrimp and leave out the eggs.