Easy Macaroni Salad with Egg Recipe | Life's Ambrosia (2024)

Easy Macaroni Salad with Egg, celery, onion and dill pickles. It’s the perfect potluck salad and a must for any summer BBQ!

Growing up, macaroni salad was always present at our backyard BBQs, camping trips, and just about any potluck event we had. Each time someone different would bring it and add their own twist to the traditional recipe. I’m guessing that you had the same experience. I mean, after all, macaroni salad is a classic.

And much like all classic recipes, there are a so many different variations. This recipe is a combination various macaroni salads that people would bring to the backyard BBQs and potlucks I would attend as a kid.

What ingredients do you need for classic macaroni salad?

PASTA: Traditionally, macaroni salad is made with elbow macaroni. You can also use shells, ditalini pasta which is a shorter pasta.

CELERY: This adds crunch to the salad.

ONION: Yellow onion or red onion are perfect in this salad.

DILL PICKLES: These also add a crunch to the salad while also adding saltiness.

SWEET PICKLE RELISH: Unlike the dill pickles, the sweet relish adds a touch of, well, sweetness, to the macaroni salad.

BLACK OLIVES: These are totally optional but were always a part of macaroni salad when I was growing up.

HARD BOILED EGGS: Some people like to simply slice these and lay them on top as a garnish. I prefer to chop them up so they blend in with the salad.

MAYONNAISE: Mayo is the base of the dressing. It gives macaroni salad it’s creaminess. Go for the highest quality you can find, I prefer to use Best Foods (Hellman’s to you East Coasters)

MUSTARD: Yellow mustard is perfect in this recipe, adds the right color and just enough tanginess.

CREOLE SEASONING: This adds the a bit of a kick to the salad. Depending on the brand that you use, it may or may not have salt. If it does have salt, you may not need to add an additional to the recipe.

HOT SAUCE: Like the olives, this is optional. I just like to add a little bit of a kick.

Step By Step Instructions with Photos:

STEP 1: Cook the macaroni according to package directions and drain.

DES’ TIP:I recommend rinsing the pasta with cool water after draining. This stops the cooking process and helps cool the pasta. Make sure that you drain it well.

STEP 2: Make the dressing by whisking together all of the ingredients in a bowl.

STEP 3: Combine all of the salad ingredients as well as dressing in a bowl. Mix well.

STEP 4: Chill for 30 minutes to give the flavors a chance to meld. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Variations on macaroni salad:

Like I mentioned above, there are so many different possible variations to macaroni salad. You could add cheddar cheese. You could substitute green olives for the black olives. You could also add some diced bell peppers for more crunch. The possibilities are endless! I’ve even made a Seven Layer Dip version! What is your favorite variation?

If you loved this Easy Macaroni Salad with Egg Recipe, check out these other potluck perfect salads:

Pea Salad with Bacon

Creamy Bacon Avocado Pasta Salad

Panzanella Salad

Italian Chopped Salad Recipe

If you’re looking fro more BBQ favorites, check these out!

Instant Pot BBQ Ribs

Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Loaded BBQ Hot Dogs

Garlic Grilled Chicken

Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2009. It was updated with new photos, tips and nutrition facts in 2020.