Chef John's Classic Macaroni Salad

Servings:

This deli-style macaroni salad recipe will always be a crowd-pleaser, whether sitting next to some smoky ribs or just a humble hot dog. Just pay attention to a few key details as you make it. Top with sliced green onions if desired.

Prep
25 min
Cook
59 min
Servings
Difficulty
Hard

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1 Whisk 1 cup mayonnaise, vinegar, Dijon, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl until dressing is well blended; whisk in sugar.
  2. 2 Stir celery, bell pepper, carrot, green onions, jalapeño pepper, and poblano pepper into dressing. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate until macaroni is ready.
  3. 3 Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander for about 5 minutes, shaking out the moisture from time to time, but do not rinse.
  4. 4 Transfer macaroni to a large bowl; toss to separate. Cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes. Macaroni should be sticky.
  5. 5 Add celery mixture to macaroni; stir until evenly distributed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate until macaroni absorbs dressing, 4 hours to overnight.
  6. 6 Stir salad; stir water and remaining 1 tablespoon mayonnaise into salad to refresh before serving.

Nutrition per serving

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