The Country Cook

Recipes for the busy cook!

THE BEST MACARONI SALAD (+Video)

by 50 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
5 from 9 votes

The Best Macaroni Salad recipe starts with macaroni noodles, peppers, onions and radishes and is mixed with a secret-ingredient creamy dressing!

THE BEST MACARONI SALAD

Over the years, as more and more people have made this recipe for macaroni salad, it has become one of the most loved and popular recipe on my site! It’s so simple but so delicious!Mom's Macaroni Salad served in a white bowl

WHAT VEGETABLES CAN I ADD TO MACARONI SALAD?

My Mom always made this with radishes and green pepper. Always. Radishes are my Dad’s favorite. I love that pepper-y crunch of radishes and you don’t often see them in pasta salad so it’s a nice crunchy surprise. You could add red peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes or even green peas. You could even add PIMIENTOS!

HOW DO YOU MAKE MACARONI SALAD?

I have only made one slight change to my Mom’s original recipe and you’ll see that in just a minute. But, I think the key is to overcook the elbow macaroni just slightly. Most of the time when you cook pasta, you want it al dente (with just a little bite to it.) When making pasta salads though, you want the noodles to be nice and soft. This makes for better eating but it also helps to keep the noodles from absorbing too much of that dressing as it all cools in the refrigerator.
Secret Ingredient Macaroni Salad recipe from The Country Cook
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
elbow macaroni
mayonnaise
chicken stock
green pepper
radishes
red onion
salt & pepper
mayonnaise, chicken stock, elbow macaroni, radishes, green pepper, red onion, salt and pepper

SECRET INGREDIENT

This right here is my little secret weapon when it comes to some creamy pasta salads. If you have a pasta salad recipe that calls for just mayo, consider adding a touch of chicken stock to your dressing. It helps smooth out the mayo and keeps the salad from getting too “goopy” while adding a bit of extra flavor.
Swanson chicken stock

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE MACARONI SALAD:

Prepare macaroni according to package directions. Drain macaroni well, and rinse with cold water until pasta has cooled.
rinsing cooked macaroni in a strainer
 Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine mayonnaise with chicken stock.
mayonnaise, chicken stock, salt and pepper in a large bowl
Whisk together well and season with a bit of salt and pepper. I do enjoy about a tablespoon or so of freshly ground black pepper in this.whisked cream mixture in a bowl
 Add in drained pasta along with green pepper, radishes and onion.cooked macaroni noodles, green peppers, radishes, diced onions and cream mixture in a bowlStir well until combined. Cover with plastic wrap.

creamy macaroni salad in a bowlNow, this next step is really important. You need to put it in the refrigerator and let it cool for at least 3 hours. This really helps the flavor come together and give the pasta a bit of time to soak up the mayonnaise mixture.

plastic wrapped covered bowl in refrigerator

WHAT TO DO IF IT LOOKS DRY?

Sometimes when you go to serve your macaroni salad, you’ll notice that the noddles have absorbed a lot of the dressing. This happens and is totally normal. Some folks prefer it this way. But if you like your salad to be super creamy, all you need to do is mix up a small bowl of a bit of mayo and a little more chicken stock or milk. Whisk it together then stir into your macaroni salad. Give it a taste to make sure it has a good balance of salt and pepper, then serve. Mom's Best Macaroni salad in a bowl with a fork

 Enjoy!

Originally published: June 2013
Updated & republished May 2019

Mom's Macaroni Salad served in a white bowl

THE BEST MACARONI SALAD (MOM'S SECRET RECIPE)

The Best Macaroni Salad recipe starts with macaroni noodles, peppers, onions and radishes and is mixed with a secret-ingredient creamy dressing!
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Best Macaroni Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 601kcal
Author: Brandie @ The Country Cook

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 oz) box macaroni noodles
  • 2 cups mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup radishes, diced
  • 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Prepare macaroni according to package directions.
  • Drain macaroni well, and rinse with cold water until pasta has cooled.
  • Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine mayonnaise with chicken stock.
  • Whisk together well and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
  • I do enjoy about a tablespoon or so of freshly ground black pepper in this.
  • Add in drained pasta along with green pepper, radishes and onion.
  • Stir well until combined.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
  • Stir again before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 601kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 373mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1.8% | Vitamin C: 16.7% | Calcium: 2.2% | Iron: 5.2%
Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

CRAVING MORE PASTA SALADS? HAVE A LOOK AT THESE!
BLT MACARONI SALAD
CAESAR BASIL PASTA SALAD
PASTA SALAD WITH SWEET BALSAMIC DRESSING

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bella says

    April 23, 2014 at 3:47 am


    The salad is great!! I have one question-is chicken broth the same as chicken stock? I ask this because I used chicken broth and it did not taste the same as when I first made the recipe.

    Reply

  3. auntgrannyfaye says

    June 5, 2014 at 2:27 am

    I like the idea of using chicken stock, since I don't like mayonaise.I use more chicken stock than mayo when I make chicken salad. And speaking of things that never taste like Momma's.I can never cook turnip greens like her. I do them the same way she did. but they never taste like hers . She passed a way 12 years ago and I still can't get them right. I'm the same way about my mil's sweet potato cobbler. I've just about got it right but not exactly

    Reply

  4. Johna says

    September 2, 2014 at 9:01 pm


    I made this today as a lighter, out-of-the-potato-side-dish-rut to go with our burgers and beans tonight. My fiance' and I did some "quality control" sampling before I put it in the fridge to "schmiel" (as he says). Boy, was it a hit! The proportions of dressing to ingredients is spot on, and I agree, a tablespoon of fresh ground black pepper was perfect! Took me about 4 radishes to finally get the hang of dicing one, but I'll be ready for next time. And there WILL be a next time! Thanks again!

    Reply

  5. Connie says

    March 7, 2015 at 8:02 pm


    I love to cook and have found your website to be a real jewel. I like that you have pictures that show each step. This is a great thing for a beginner cook and is even helpful for us older cooks.

    Reply

  7. Anonymous says

    May 22, 2015 at 10:24 pm

    I mix half mayo and half Miracle Whip and thin it out with peppercorn ranch. This really makes a very creamy and flavorful dressing.

    Reply

  8. Karen S says

    May 23, 2015 at 8:39 am

    I make macaroni salad in some form all the time, and your recipe is quite similar to mine. I've never heard of adding radish, and probably wouldn't because I don't like them. Some things that I do different, is to add diced celery. I also thin my mayo, either with milk, or with some Marzetti's southern recipe sauce. I also like to throw in a little parmesan and dill for flavoring. Sometimes I will even add a dash of garlic powder. I probably don't make it the same way twice, LOL! But it always gets eaten, and I get a lot of compliments. I love your recipes!

    Reply

  9. cindy k says

    May 24, 2015 at 10:28 pm

    Have a empty nest now. Just myself. One of my 3 children was soooooo picky, so I would have to cook according, a lot of times…dang it!
    Now I am "free" to make anything I want… and I am enjoying it. Radishes….YES…I love them!!! Their going in next time. My Mom use to wash them and cut off ends and put them in a bowl on the dinner table. A sprinkle of salt…YUMMY. Same with sliced red onions and green peppers's. Looking forward to trying your recipes…Thank-you, Cindy

    Reply

  10. pattyo says

    March 18, 2016 at 7:00 am

    I love your comments about your Mother's cooking, I was fortunate and had a Mom who was a super cook, and you are right nothing tastes as good as the way our Moms made them. It is so unfortunate that we sometimes loose them and sadly all those wonderful recipes she made went with her. My mother was a from scratch cook. Her pot roast was not falling apart after it was done, oh no it cut beautifully into solid slices, and her gravy was to die for. When I try to cook some of her specialties, they just never taste as good as hers. My friends do consider me a good cook, but I will never reach the extent of her expertise. Fortunately I do have quite a few of her recipes in my file. It brings back such wonderful memories just to read them, and imagine that Mom is there in the kitchen with me. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you share with us.

    Reply

  11. LaurettaB says

    February 3, 2017 at 2:46 pm


    Soooo happy I found this recipe!!! Our favorite macaroni salad and the only one I’ll make from now on!!! I think the addition of chicken stock really makes a difference!!

    Reply

  15. Baltisraul says

    May 25, 2018 at 4:18 pm


    I just finished putting my macaroni salad in the fridge when I read about yours. Only difference is I added some chopped celery and cayenne pepper. When I serve it Saturday, I will garnish with celery and poppy seeds. I used rotini instead of elbow just to mix it up this time.

    Reply

  16. Darlene says

    May 30, 2018 at 11:11 am


    Thanks so much for your mom’s mac salad recipe. I made it according to directions Sunday night for family gathering the next day. Everyone loved it! I’m finishing off the last of it today for lunch by adding a small can of tuna.

    Reply

  18. Dolores C Fowler says

    May 10, 2019 at 6:15 pm


    Delicious! Only difference is I added diced celery and grated my radishes (because I often cut myself) I only used a few so I could introduce it to my picky eater.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *