This Classic Macaroni Salad is an easy and delicious side dish that only requires 5 ingredients and 20 minutes!
This recipe is perfect for picnics, barbecues, and potlucks. It’s made by mixing cooked macaroni with flavorful mayonnaise, hard-boiled eggs, diced peppers, and red onion.
Recipe Notes:
- It is recommended to let the macaroni salad chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving it for the best flavor.
- If you need to make the salad in advance, it may appear dry when you remove it from the refrigerator. To refresh it, stir in a small amount of milk or add a dollop of mayonnaise and mix well.
- You can use a different type of pasta instead of macaroni, such as a smaller shape. If you use larger pasta, you may need to double the amount of dressing.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to serve a larger crowd.
Most pasta salads are served as side dishes. This classic macaroni salad can be enjoyed as a light lunch or added to your main dinner meal.
If you enjoy it as a side dish, consider adding it to some grilled chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, or kebabs.
This pasta salad is also delicious as a main meal that you can enjoy with some sliced baguette bread.
Yes! I have 2 recipes on my site for that. Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs and Hard Boiled Eggs in the Oven
Classic Macaroni Salad
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the box until al dente; Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- While the pasta is cooking, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl; whisk to combine.
- Take the bowl with pasta and add the eggs, peppers and onion.
- Pour the dressing on top and gently stir to combine well.
- Serve now, or place in the fridge, keep cold. I recommend chilling in the fridge for at least 30 mins to have all the flavors marinate together.
More Pasta Salads We Love!
Looking for more free recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Classic Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni pasta
- 3 hard-boiled eggs peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup green pepper diced
- 1/2 cup red pepper diced
- 1/4 cup red onion diced
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 & 1/2 Tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the box until al dente; Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- While the pasta is cooking, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl; whisk to combine.
- Take the bowl with pasta and add the eggs, peppers and onion. Pour the dressing on top and gently stir to combine well.
- Serve now, or place in the fridge, keep cold.
Save this recipe for later! Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your recipe box!
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Linda says
I have made this recipe for many years but have always used peas Did not like the peppers in it