Macaroni Salad

By Millie Peartree

Updated June 30, 2026

  • Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes, plus chilling
Rating
4(1,948)
Comments
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Macaroni salad, a cookout favorite, doesn’t take much to be great — just the right amount of moisture and seasoning. This version draws its inspiration from the macaroni salad at the Kennedy Fried Chicken restaurants. For the perfect balance, use a more savory brand of mayonnaise here, since the recipe gets its sweetness from a bit of sugar and shredded carrots. Make sure the macaroni salad is cold when you serve it; it can be chilled for up to 3 days and then served straight from the refrigerator. The only time macaroni has to be served hot is when it’s covered in mounds of cheese, like this Southern Macaroni and Cheese.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings (3 quarts)

FOR THE MACARONI

  • Kosher salt

  • 1 pound elbow noodles

  • 2 celery ribs, finely diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, finely diced

  • ½ cup shredded carrots (from 1 medium carrot)

  • ½ cup finely diced red onion

FOR THE DRESSING

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon or yellow mustard

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 10 servings)

37 grams carbs; 54 milligrams cholesterol; 374 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 286 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles until a little past al dente, then rinse under cold water and drain. Once the noodles are cool enough to handle with your hands, transfer them to a large bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Add the celery, bell pepper, carrots and onion to the cooled noodles; toss to combine.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Pour dressing over the pasta mixture and toss until everything is well coated. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if desired. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,948 user ratings
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Comments

Kirsten

This is the perfect macaroni salad. I would only add: maybe more veggies? Don't be shy! Also I would add a recommendation from Cook's Country, just in terms of technique: cook the pasta to just shy of al dente. When you add the dressing, add, only 3/4 of the dressing. Refrigerate until cold. Add the rest of the dressing just before serving; the lukewarm pasta will have absorbed the first round, but the second round will coat the pasta and make it creamier on the table.

Bohemian Sarah

How did I manage to be the only one to insist on celery seed? The macaroni salad I remember from my Long Island childhood in the Kennedy Administration always had celery seed. Ditto the ones I later bought for years at Wawa's in Pennsylvania, before I fled to Europe to escape Trump and his slavering minions.

cook.bot

It made me smile just to read such a classic rendition of what was, for those of us over a certain age, the first pasta salad we ever encountered. As comforting a dish in summer as mac 'n cheese is in winter. Not given in recipe text (but included in photo), a shower of paprika is mandatory.

Mikaela

For a healthier version, substitute regular mayonnaise with avocado oil mayonnaise, regular pasta with protein pasta, and sugar with honey.

Jennifer

I added some honey to the dressing, it adds a nice sweetness.

dimmerswitch

Made half a dozen times in the four years between the first time and today's July 4th meal and it is reliably delicious every time. Easy to scale back by 50% if you want to do that because it makes a big bowl. Leftovers are great if rare because it is so good it gets eaten to the last macaroni in the serving dishl. I like to add a little more veg. Re dressing, taste buds vary for sweet-sour preference so start low for sugar and vinegar and work your way up. As written works for me.

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