World’s BEST Deli-Style Macaroni Salad Recipe Ever

Ok, so… I have to give my aunt Lorretta a huuuuge shoutout because she’s partly responsible for creating what is, hands down, the best macaroni salad EVER.

She has a knack for knowing just the right amount of ingredients to use to perfect a dish. Since I had never made a classic mac salad before, I called her right over to help me build this recipe from scratch.

If macaroni salad ain’t your twist, or you’re looking for other popular salads to serve at your next summer cookout or gathering, here are two more crowd-pleasers you’re sure to love: World’s Best Seafood Pasta Salad Recipe and World’s Best Soul Food Style Potato Salad

Watch Me Make It

Macaroni Salad vs. Tuna Macaroni Salad

There’s one thing that tickles me about macaroni and tuna macaroni salad. It’s how often so many Black folks I know mistake one for the other. Lol!

Growing up, I don’t remember my family or my friends’ families making regular macaroni salad. Tuna macaroni is the only mac salad I remember seeing at cookouts back in the day.

We always made what is called “tuna macaroni salad,” so that’s what most of us instantly think of when we hear “macaroni salad.” My Aunt Lorretta confirmed exactly what I’m saying.

When I asked her to help me with this recipe, the first thing she asked was, “What kind of tuna do you use?” I said, “Tuna? What do we need tuna for?”

She looked at me like I had lost my damn mind. Adding tuna to mac salad is how many of us always make it. LMBBO! It’s almost like we forgot regular macaroni salad exists.

I had done the same thing to one of my subscribers recently. Lol! She requested a macaroni salad video, and I told her I’d already made two tutorials on how to make it.

She responded, “You made two for tuna macaroni but never a tutorial on how you make macaroni salad.” Again, I never made non-tuna macaroni salad, so it didn’t even cross my mind.

I preferred tuna macaroni because the idea of macaroni and dressing felt incomplete and bland to me. That was until I tried some macaroni salad from a store around the corner from my Aunt Janet’s house…

Kim’s Restaurant

This was a popular restaurant that everyone in the projects loved. It was called KIM’s and was owned by an Asian family who lived nearby.

Back in the ’90s, as a kid, I remember my mother and father ordering fish platters from there. They sold beer, cigars, and junk food, but were most known for their hot chicken and fish platters.

My Aunt Janet would always give us money to get something from Kim’s or to send my cousins and me there to pick up her fish platters.

I mentioned my Aunt Janet before on this blog in my Delicious Creamy Spaghetti Seafood Salad Recipe. She inspired that recipe and inspired this one too.

Long story short, KIM’s sold the best macaroni salad I’ve ever had in my life. It tasted incredible with French fries and fried fish.

They used to serve it in a little container as a side in chicken and fish platters. I remember everyone loving Kim’s macaroni salad. It was definitely a fan favorite.

So when I asked Lorretta to help me create this recipe, I let her know that’s the flavor I was going for.

We found that sugar and vinegar were the ingredients we needed to achieve that sweet, tangy flavor.

So we tried our absolute best to emulate it and get ours to taste as close to theirs as possible. Now, I may be a little biased, but I think mine tastes a little better—I lie to you not!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious deli-style macaroni salad.

• Pasta: Elbow macaroni is obviously the main ingredient and STAR of the show! Make sure you use a good brand of macaroni.
• Vegetables: I love using red onions because of their mild flavor. They won’t overpower the salad, and their rich purple skin adds a nice pop of color. I throw in red peppers for their color and depth of flavor, and adding celery is non-negotiable! This is the one vegetable I probably use the most in my salad recipes. The same goes for onions—salad isn’t salad without them! We’ll be using a small amount of fresh carrots. We’ll grate about a tablespoon or so and add it to the salad.
• Condiments: Mayonnaise is the dressing’s base and a main ingredient here. Make sure you use a good brand like Duke’s or Hellmann’s, since it’s what you’ll taste the most. Sweet relish adds a classic sweet pickle flavor that’s perfect for macaroni salad. Mustard gives our dressing a rich beige hue and balances it with its tartness, while apple cider vinegar is one of the most important ingredients, providing the salad with its signature flavor. It actually took me days to figure out that this was what KIM’s put in their macaroni salad to give it that special tangy kick.
• Seasoning: Salt is used for taste and to enhance all the flavors. Garlic powder adds a little depth. I only use a little because garlic is strong and too much of its pungent flavor can ruin the salad. Black pepper gives it a subtle kick of warmth and richness that completes the salad. Sugar adds a necessary hint of sweetness to balance everything out. To beautify the salad, we’ll garnish it with a sprinkle of parsley.

Common Questions About Macaroni

Let’s quickly talk about the macaroni itself, because I want to clear up some of the most common questions I get asked about cooking pasta.

• What brand of macaroni do you use? I’m not overly picky about pasta brands, but I try to choose a reputable one. Some great options include Barilla, Mueller’s, Ronzoni, De Cecco, and San Giorgio.
• Do you have to use macaroni? Not necessarily! Macaroni is the traditional option, but you can use other types of pasta if you want. Small pasta shapes like shells, rotini, bow ties, or cavatappi work well. They mix nicely with the creamy dressing and other ingredients.
• What does it mean to cook until al dente? When a recipe tells you to cook pasta until al dente, it simply means to cook it until it’s tender but still firm. You don’t want to overcook the macaroni until it’s bloated and mushy.
• Should you boil macaroni with oil? It’s not necessary. I used to think adding oil kept the macaroni from sticking, but realized it’s pretty pointless. Even if the macaroni sticks together as it cools down, it’ll easily separate once you stir in the dressing.
• Why do you add salt to pasta water? Adding salt to the water gives the pasta flavor. Seasoning the pasta is important because it enhances the salad’s overall flavor.
• Should you rinse macaroni with cool water once it’s done? YES! Rinse it immediately after draining to cool it down and stop the cooking process. The macaroni will continue cooking from the residual heat even after you remove it from the water.
• Can you use gluten-free macaroni? Yes, but keep in mind that gluten-free pasta is more fragile than regular pasta. It usually doesn’t take as long to cook, so keep a close eye on it. Once it’s done, rinse it immediately and gently fold in the ingredients so the macaroni holds its shape.

How To Make Macaroni Salad

1. Place a large pot over high heat.
2. Add cold water and salt, then stir well.
3. Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta.
4. Boil for 10 minutes, then drain the pasta.
5. Rinse the pasta with cold water and set aside to chill.
6. Add the mayo, relish, mustard, and vinegar to a big mixing bowl.
7. Add in the seasonings, then fold well.
8. Add in the chopped vegetables, then fold well.
9. Add in the macaroni, then fold everything together.
10. Garnish the salad with parsley flakes.

Tips for Best Results:

• Don’t overcook the macaroni: Cook it until it’s al dente, so it isn’t soft and mushy. The macaroni will continue to soften as it absorbs the condiments and sits in the refrigerator. This is why you want to start with a firm noodle before you start combining everything.
• Rinse macaroni with cool water: After draining, rinse it for 30 to 40 seconds. This stops the cooking process and washes away excess starch, so the noodles don’t stick together.
• Control the moisture: Make sure your ingredients are as dry as possible before combining everything. Too much water can dilute the creamy dressing and ruin its flavor. So make sure the macaroni and vegetables are dry before adding them to the salad.
• Chop small: Aim for uniform, small pieces when chopping your vegetables. You want veggies distributed throughout the salad so you get some in every bite.
• Make the salad ahead of time: For the absolute best results, make this salad the night before serving. Letting it sit in the fridge overnight gives the ingredients time to marry, which massively enhances the flavor.

Serving Suggestions:

• Baked BBQ Chicken Recipe, The Best Homemade Turkey Burgers, Simple Juicy Oven Roasted Whole Chicken, Grandma’s Sunday Dinner Meatloaf

Storage

To keep the salad fresh for as long as possible, make sure it’s tightly covered. You can leave it right in the serving bowl wrapped securely with plastic wrap or foil, or transfer it to an airtight container with a tight lid.

Just pop it in the fridge on the bottom rack to keep it perfectly chilled.

Deli-Style Macaroni Salad FAQ’s

• How long does macaroni salad last? 4 days! Mayo-based salads are best eaten within 3-4 days. They aren’t meant to last long, but honestly, it’s so good I don’t think it’ll even last that long anyway. Lol!
• How do I make a larger batch of this recipe? If you want to scale up the recipe, just double or triple the amount of each ingredient. You’ll obviously need more water and either a bigger pot or multiple pots, since you’ll be boiling more macaroni.
• Why is the salad runny? It looks that way because of the amount of condiments we added. Sometimes this can happen if a lot of moisture from the vegetables or macaroni gets into the salad. But don’t worry about the salad looking “wet” and “runny,” because it’ll stiffen significantly after a few hours in the fridge.
• How do I fix a runny salad? If it’s still too runny for your liking after hours in the fridge, add more macaroni to absorb the excess moisture. You may have to add a little more seasoning since more pasta is being added.

Equipment Needed

These are the tools you’ll need to prepare this recipe, along with some other useful kitchen items you may not have on hand. I’ve included links to some of my recommended products if you’d like to check them out.

• Pot
• Colander
• Knife
• Cheese Grater
• Measuring Cup
• Measuring Spoons
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Big Spoon
• Storage Container

I want you all to give this recipe a shot. It might just end up being everyone’s favorite salad at the cookout. Lol! My friends tried it, and damn near caught the Holy Ghost after just two spoonfuls. Lol!

That means they were experiencing a full-blown foodgasm. LMBO!! Anywhoooo, the recipe card is below and available to print for free, so check it out and let me know what y’all think.

Please like, leave a 5-star rating, and share. Don’t forget to subscribe so you get email notifications every time I post a new recipe.

Enjoy, later!

PBJ~

Print