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
TIPS FOR MAKING 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!
- 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.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
chicken stock
green pepper
radishes
red onion
salt & pepper
SECRET INGREDIENT
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST MACARONI SALAD:
Stir well until combined. Cover with plastic wrap.
Now, 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.
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. 
CRAVING MORE PASTA SALADS? HAVE A LOOK AT THESE!
BLT MACARONI SALAD
CAESAR BASIL PASTA SALAD
PASTA SALAD WITH SWEET BALSAMIC DRESSING
THE BEST MACARONI SALAD
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) box macaroni noodles
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 green pepper, diced
- ½ cup radishes, diced
- ½ 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
Originally published: June 2013
Updated & republished May 2019
Hello Brandie ,
I have been following your blog , made some awesome things from you , apple crescents , LOVE how you inspire...have been in Germany now for 6 months to settle up Family Estate and can not wait to get home to Montana to try more of your ideas !!
Keep up the good food !
Karin
My mom made this salad,too!The only difference is the chopped tomato she added to hers.Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Lisa Bryant
This is a great summertime salad! I usually leave out the radishes because dh doesn't like them. Sometimes I even add imitation crab meat chunks and a bit of seasoning and serve as a light main course. Thanks for sharing, now I'm hungry for it! Diane
Adding drained, canned salmon and serving w/sliced tomatoes and crackers is a great hot-weather meal at our house!! Also, add celery salt to taste gives it a kick too!
My mom would thin the mayo with some milk - either way, I think thinning it out is a good idea.
Yum!! I love macaroni salad.
This is interesting as I have never seen or tasted this variation of macaroni salad but sure will be willing to give it a try. I have always made macaroni salad just the same as potato salad with the only difference being pasta instead of the diced potatoes. The basic edition would be hard cooked eggs, celery, pickle relish and onions with a mayo based dressing. Radishes and bell peppers have neve rbeen included in my experience. I wonder if this is a regional type deal as many recipes are.
Just made this tonight. Put cubed cheese, celery, and red pepper in so far so good. Not sure if I can wait the 3 hours... Lol
As a Southern girl myself -it is so nice to see that southern manners were still taught. Ladylike is not a word used very much anymore. Such a shame! Just an FYI this kind of salad tastes better with the macaroni warm when mixed and it will absorb the flavors better. Thanks for the recipe.
I also make Macaroni Salad very much like potato salad. But I'm not picky, I'll try most recipes at least once.
But as to the point about prefering the way Mom made foods, when my sister and I were about 9 and 10, we were invited to my mother's friend's hous for dinner when my mother was in the hospital for surgery. She went to a lot of work and made homemade biscuits. Even though we were raised bettter than that, my sister and I told her that her biscuits looked like cookies because they were so flat. I'm sure she wanted to smack us but didn't even respond. My mother would have been so disappointed in us for being so rude. We just preferred Mom's biscuits.
This was SO flipping good!! Thank you, thank you!!
I seriously think I may be eating that recipe right now. I went to a friend's party over the weekend and they sent us home with leftover pasta salad that looks / tastes like this recipe I think! 🙂
I have never seen radishes in pasta salad! I'm sure they give this a great crunch. We love them in my house so I will definitely be leaving them in. Can't wait to try this one. Made your mexican taco bake this past weekend and everyone raved. I'm still just scratching the surface on your site. The coca cola cake is next! Cheers, Elizabeth
Oh my goodness! Incredible article dude! Thanks, However
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I like to throw some tuna fish in my macaroni salad (which I make like yours, except I have never put in the chicken stock) and I put chopped up cukes in it. The best ones to use are the little pickling cukes. Now, my Mother would always put Spam (cut up into cubes) into her macaroni salad.
Have never made it with chicken stock, but will try it next time!
Love macaroni salad! Have never used radishes or chicken stock. Can't wait to try 🙂
Tried Three Of Your Recipes Tonight....Crockpot Italian Beef....Mom's Macaroni Salad....3-Ingredient Lemon Crumb Bars......Everything Was a HUGE HIT!!!!.....Love The Flavor of Everything n How Easy To Prepare Everything Was!!!....I Think I Also Tried Your Crockpot Chicken Bacon n Cheese Casserole Last Weekend....It Was Very GOOD ALso!!!....Thanx So Much For Your Recipes n I Will Continue To Try MORE of THEM!!!!!!
I just want to say thanks for your Recipes.they all look so good the only thing i tried so far is the butter dip biscuits and well they didnt come out to good but i think its something i did wrong lol.the flavor was good but they came out heavy not light and fluffy.but i will try again.I just wanted to thank you for your time you put in these recipes and you share them with all of us.I get tired of the same old things and can never come up with things just out of my head like that so here's to you for the extra brains thank you!!!!!
I just seen this site today an have been strolling thur all your recipes for the last two hours cannot wait to start cooking tomorrow I love that you have print friendly I have copied them will surly be using them all in the days ahead Thank you so much for sharing all your great recipes!!!!
Radishes are such an underrated veggie. So easy to grow and if the kids grow it they will eat it. Will need to add radishes next time I make mac salad
I always put celery, cucumber, onion green pepper or red pepper for color. Thin mayo with little milk, but will try stock next time, also pinch of sugar in mayo. Love your receipes!
I added shrimp to this recipe. Awesome.
I am going to try it, as I never judge a dish without tasting it.
can't wait to try the chicken stock i have always just used milk, thanks for the tip!
Made this macaroni salad for the first time today and it is the best macaroni salad I have ever tasted! The chicken stock gives it a great flavor.