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Craving a creamy, tangy side dish that pairs perfectly at your next BBQ or picnic? This Deli Style Macaroni Salad recipe is just the thing—easy to make, full of flavor, and always a crowd-pleaser!
Looking for more summer side dishes? Try my Creamy Italian Pasta Salad recipe, my Zesty Italian Pasta Salad recipe, or my Coleslaw with Pineapple recipe!
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This is a great recipe variation of the classic creamy macaroni salad found at your local deli counter that our family loves. It’s the perfect side dish for your summer get together and sure to become one of your favorite recipes!
🩷 What you'll love about this recipe
▪️You can make this recipe in advance and store in the refrigerator until serving.
▪️The vegetables used can be swapped out for your favorites - make it your own!
▪️This recipe makes a large amount, so it‘s perfect to feed a hungry crowd!
🥘 Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this amazing deli mac salad.
📝 Ingredient Notes
- macaroni noodles - I like to use the ridged elbow macaroni pasta. The ridges in the pasta hold onto the creamy sauce better than regular macaroni.
- dill pickle juice - I like to add this in addition to the sweet pickle relish to give an added depth of flavor. I just pour out the amount needed from a jar of pickles I have in the fridge.
- mayonnaise - I will always use Duke’s for any creamy pasta salad. You can’t change my mind on this.
- White pepper - I like to use white pepper instead of black pepper, so you don’t see the black specks throughout the salad. It’s ok to use black pepper though if that’s all you have.
- Dijon mustard - I prefer the flavor of Dijon mustard over yellow mustard, but feel free to use what you like.
📋 How to Make Deli Style Macaroni Salad Step-By-Step
Here are some visual instructions. Full instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the Recipe Card below.
Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot of salted water, until it is al dente. Drain and rinse the noodles with cold water. You want the noodles to be at least room temperature, and no longer hot. Add pasta to a large bowl, then add the dried parsley and seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, salt and white pepper).
Add the Dijon mustard and dill pickle juice, and mix until the pasta is well coated. You’ll want to let the pasta sit for about 30 minutes so the noodles can “marinate” with the flavorings. When you let it sit, it gets a chance to soak into the pasta before you add the creamy mayo sauce. This is one step you should not skip as it gives the macaroni noodles a delicious flavor.
The next step is to make the creamy mayo sauce. Add the mayonnaise to a small bowl. Add the dill pickle juice, the white vinegar and the sweet pickle relish.
Next add the sugar, and mix thoroughly. Add the mayo mixture to the pasta.
Add the red onion, carrots and celery. Mix all together until the sauce has coated all the noodles. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
💡 Recipe Tips
- If you chill the noodles while it’s marinating before adding the mayo, you’ll prevent the creamy mayo sauce from soaking into the noodles. This is helpful if to do this a day in advance, then complete the salad the next day.
- Pre-chopped and shredded veggies can be found in your produce section if you rate looking to save some time.
- To keep this macaroni salad cool while serving, place a larger bowl filled with ice underneath the serving bowl. Any mayo-based pasta salad should be kept as cold as possible.
To ensure the most creamy deli-style macaroni salad when making this in advance, make the marinated pasta, mayo sauce and chopped veggies all in advance and store separately. Mix all together right at the time of serving.
🫙 Storage & Freezing
Storage: Store leftover macaroni salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Freezing: It is not recommended to freeze this macaroni salad due to the mayo based sauce. See tips below for suggestions for freezing portions of the cold salad.
🧂Additions & Substitutions
Additions:
- Additional vegetables - chopped green bell pepper or red bell pepper, broccoli, peas, tomatoes - whatever you love
- Chopped, diced hard-boiled eggs
- Chopped olives, chopped dill pickles (for the pickle lover) or capers
- Any of your cold pasta salad favorite add-ins
Substitutions:
- Vegan mayo and sugar to make this vegan
- Other types of pasta can work well with this recipe - ditalini, small penne or cavatappi
- yellow onion, green onions or white onion instead of red onion
- apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or lemon juice instead of the white vinegar
❓Your questions answered
Freezing the completed macaroni salad is not a good idea. The mayo based creamy dressing will separate when thawing and will not have the same creamy texture. If you really want to freeze this, you can make the recipe all the way up until you make the mayo dressing. Freeze the seasoned pasta and chopped veggies, then make the mayo dressing and add it to the thawed pasta and veggies.
Generally, macaroni salad can last in the fridge for up to 3-5 days, but is best if eaten within 3 days.
Let us know if you liked this Deli Style Macaroni Salad by leaving a star rating and a comment below!
🍽️ More recipes to take to your next Pot luck
💛Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
💛Greek 7 Layer Dip with Hummus
💛Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole
I hope you love this Deli Style Macaroni Salad recipe! If you make it, be sure to
leave a rating so I know how you liked it! Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Deli Style Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni with ridges (Barilla brand makes this)
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
Creamy Mayo Dressing
- 1½ cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sweet relish
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Veggie Add Ins
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- ½ cup carrots shredded
Instructions
- Cook macaroni noodles in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions. Drain when pasta is al dente. Immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking of the pasta. Make sure the pasta is cold or room temperature.
- To a large mixing bowl, add the cooked and cooled pasta, all seasonings (dried parsley through the white pepper). Add the Dijon mustard and dill pickles juice. Stir until pasta is well coated. Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Don’t skip this step, as it helps the flavor to soak into the pasta.
- Mix the creamy mayo dressing. To a mixing bowl, add the mayo, sugar, white vinegar, sweet relish, dill pickle juice and salt. Mix until well blended.
- To chilled pasta, add the red onion, celery and carrots. Add the mayo dressing and mix until pasta is fully coated with the dressing. Chill until ready to serve.
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