This Southern macaroni salad is a creamy, cool side dish that shows up at every family gathering and summer cookout. It's creamy without being heavy, and the texture holds up even if you're transporting it to a gathering.
I'm going to walk you through exactly how I do it. It's not complicated. I tend to make mine at least four hours before serving. But, this is a perfect make-ahead dish, as well.
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Ingredient Notes
I 100% recommend quality ingredients because you want your macaroni salad to shine, too. What's a cookout without great, tasty classic sides?
- Because this salad is mayo-based, use your favorite quality brand. I use Chosen Classic Mayo made with 100% avocado oil. I hear Duke's Mayo is really good, but I haven't personally tried it.
- Bell peppers and red onions are a must for texture, crunch, and slight sweetness.
- You may not see sandwich spread and pimentos in other macaroni salad recipes, but these are ingredients my grandmothers always used in theirs, so they're a must for me.
- Add just a touch of mustard for tanginess (not shown in photo, see recipe card).
See recipe card below for other ingredients and quantities used.
Tips for the Best Southern Style Macaroni Salad
- Use the boxed macaroni noodles. I don't recommend the large macaroni noodles for this recipe. I use those when making my Southern baked macaroni and cheese.
- Don't overcook your pasta. Read the packaging first. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain in a colander, then rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process, and continue to let the pasta drain in a colander before adding all your ingredients to the mixing bowl.
- For a milder onion flavor, I like to let the red onion sit in a bowl of water for 15 minutes before adding it to the dish. Feel free to skip this step if you prefer a stronger onion flavor.
- Dice your vegetables small and uniform in size.
- After adding your seasonings, do a final taste test and add a pinch more salt or other seasoning you think it needs.
How to Make Southern Macaroni Salad
Here are the steps:
Add all the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
Use a serving spoon to mix all the ingredients until they're well combined. Garnish with paprika for color or smoked paprika. I prefer smoked paprika.
Storage and Make Ahead Notes
Keep this covered in the fridge for up to three days. The creamy texture stays good. It tastes better the next day once all the ingredients have settled together.
If you're taking this to a gathering and need to transport it, keep it in a covered container and set it on ice if you can. Don't leave it sitting out for more than 1 hour, especially if the weather is warm. It's mayo-based, so you have to play it safe.
What to Serve With It
I serve mine alongside:
And if you're doing a full spread, grab my Southern collard greens recipe and some cornbread. Now, that's a meal people actually remember.
📖 Recipe
Southern Macaroni Salad
Southern Macaroni SaladEquipment
- Pot for boiling eggs
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife or a vegetable chopper (this is what I used)
- large mixing bowl
- large spoon for combing ingredients
- Large serving bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 1 box macaroni noodles (1 lb)
- 5 eggs (Boil the eggs until the yolks are set with a bright yellow center. Try not to overcook them, or the yolks can turn gray around the edges.)
- ¼ cup red bell pepper (+ 2 tablespoons)
- ¼ cup green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoon red onion
- 1-¼ cup mayo (I use Chosen Classic Mayo 100% pure avocado oil)
- ½ cup sandwich spread
- 3 tablespoon dill relish
- 2 tablespoon pimentos (or 8 oz bottled, drained and diced)
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Wash vegetables under cool water. Pat them dry with paper towels. Dice them small and uniform in size. See photos at the top. Set aside.
- Boil the eggs until the yolks are set with a bright yellow center. Try not to overcook them, or the yolks can turn gray around the edges. Use your method for boiling and peeling the eggs.
- Dice the eggs so that they're similar in size to your diced vegetables. Set aside.
- Boil the macaroni noodles until al dente. Then, drain them using a colander. Rinse the noodles under cool water to stop the cooking process and continue draining them.
- Add the cooked macaroni to a mixing bowl. Toss in your diced vegetables and eggs. Add in your mayo, sandwich spread, relish, and pimentos. Use a large spoon to gently combine all the ingredients so the noodles are evenly coated.
- Add your seasonings and gently mix again. Taste to see if a little more salt needs to be added. If so, add a little at a time. I'd start with a ½ teaspoon.
- Keep the macaroni salad in the mixing bowl or add it to a serving bowl. Garnish with smoked paprika and serve.
Notes
Tips for the Best Southern Style Macaroni Salad
- Use the boxed macaroni noodles. I don't recommend the large macaroni noodles for this recipe. I use those when making my Southern baked macaroni and cheese.
- Don't overcook your pasta. Read the packaging first. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain in a colander, then rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process, and continue to let the pasta drain in a colander before adding all your ingredients to the mixing bowl.
- For a milder onion flavor, I like to let the red onion sit in a bowl of water for 15 minutes before adding it to the dish. Feel free to skip this step if you prefer a stronger onion flavor.
- Dice your vegetables small and uniform in size.
- After adding your seasonings, do a final taste test and add a pinch more salt or other seasoning you think it needs.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For the most accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information using the specific ingredients and brands you use.
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