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Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe Everyone Will Love

Southern Macaroni Salad

A creamy, sweet, tangy Southern macaroni salad made with elbow pasta, chopped eggs, sweet relish, celery, onion, mustard, and mayonnaise. It makes about 6 cups and is ideal for picnics, cookouts, potlucks, and family dinners.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Macaroni Salad
  • 8 ounces, about 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
  • 3 eggs large eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and chopped
Dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup yellow mustard
  • 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
  • 2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Vegetables
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon, plus more for pasta water kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika, optional

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Hard-boil the eggs for about 10 to 12 minutes, then cool them in ice water. Peel and chop the eggs once they are fully cool.
  2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the elbow macaroni according to the package directions, usually 8 to 10 minutes, just until tender and not past al dente.
  3. Drain the macaroni and briefly rinse it under cold water to stop the cooking and cool the pasta. Drain it thoroughly so excess water does not thin the dressing.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, apple-cider vinegar, sugar, kosher salt, black pepper, and optional paprika.
  5. Add the cooled macaroni, chopped eggs, celery, and yellow onion to the bowl. Fold gently until every piece of pasta is coated without breaking up the eggs.
  6. Cover the salad and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, with 2 to 4 hours preferred. Stir before serving and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Notes

Cool and drain the macaroni well before mixing so it does not absorb too much dressing. If the salad becomes dry after chilling, stir in a few reserved tablespoons of dressing or mayonnaise before serving.