Super simple and easy to make, this Chicken Macaroni Salad makes a perfect lunch or a light dinner. Packed with tons of veggies and tossed in a mayo based dressing, it’s comforting, filling, and crazy delicious!
*Note: This Chicken Macaroni Salad first appeared on August 27, 2014. Since then, it has become one of the most popular recipes on the blog so I decided to make a video for it. I hope you’ll like it!
Pasta salads are something I can’t live without. I mean, a simple veggie salad is great but throw some pasta inside and it becomes more comforting and filling, right?
Me and my hubby, we often make some type of a pasta salad for dinner when we are too lazy to cook something more complex. It’s such an easy and delicious meal! Like this Chicken Pasta Salad I want to show you today, guys.
This salad has something for all your taste buds! It’s slightly tangy with a bit of sweetness, creamy, crunchy, and full of flavor. This is one of those comfort foods that’s impossible not to love.
How To Make Chicken Macaroni Salad
As I already mentioned, this salad is so easy to make. The recipe has a few simple stages:
- Cook the pasta.
- Cook the chicken if you don’t have any leftovers or rotisserie chicken on hand.
- Prepare the dressing by combining mayo, milk, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the noodles and toss.
- Dice and chop carrots, chives, pickles, bell pepper, celery, and olives and add them to the pasta bowl together with the chicken.
- Now toss all ingredients together and voila!
By the way, there are no rules for this salad – you can always add more of any ingredient if you feel there isn’t enough. Just have fun playing around with the flavors!
Our salad is ready! Doesn’t this look yummy? You can refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve or… you can eat it right now like I do!
I love this colorful stuff! Adding chicken to this salad makes it hearty enough to be a light meal. It seems simple, but it’s definitely a must-try for you guys!
For more pasta packed salads, check out this Seafood Pasta Salad featuring crabmeat and shrimp or this Tuna Pasta Salad with green beans, tomatoes, and potatoes!
Chicken Macaroni Salad
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 cups (8 oz. or 225g) dry elbow macaroni
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
- 1/4 cup grated carrots
- 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
- 1/3 cup diced dill pickles
- 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/3 cup finely diced celery
- 1/3 cup finely chopped black olives
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 5 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot of boiling lightly salted water, cook macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth.
- Place cooled macaroni in a large mixing bowl, pour dressing and toss. Stir in chicken, carrots, chives, pickles, bell pepper, celery and olives (you can always add more of any ingredient if you feel it’s needed). Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
23 Comments
Katie
January 18, 2015 at 1:59 pmI knew this looked good…. and boy did it taste good. Both hubby and I loved it. thanks.
Jovita
January 18, 2015 at 3:38 pmThank you for reporting back, Katie! I am thrilled you and your hubby loved it!
Ad Pi
September 20, 2016 at 9:55 amTried this and it’s really yummy! Big thanks for sharing your recipe…
Jovita
September 27, 2016 at 8:58 amYou are always welcome! π
Karly
January 10, 2017 at 5:35 pmThrowing away that plain old ham and cheese I was gonna have for lunch, because HOLY COW does this look a million times better! Love a good macaroni salad!
Jovita
January 23, 2017 at 6:38 pmI am happy you liked it, Karly!
Priyanka @Flavor Quotient
January 10, 2017 at 8:35 pmI am definitely gonna love this! It looks so fresh and yum! Chicken and macaroni – these two words are enough to take me in! Plus your salad looks stunning!
Jovita
January 23, 2017 at 6:42 pmThank you so much for the comment! This salad is really super delicious π
Elizabeth
June 17, 2017 at 1:50 pmNow this is my kind of dinner idea! Carbs and loads of protein, you can’t go wrong here! π
Jovita
June 18, 2017 at 7:06 pmThat’s right!
Geoffrey @ Spoonabilities
June 17, 2017 at 3:31 pmLooks so delicious! I havent had Macaroni Salad in a long time, and never thought to add chicken to it. I love pickles too, but Carlos doesnt so will have to make two batches π
Great video too!!!
Jovita
June 18, 2017 at 7:09 pmThanks for the kind words, Geoffrey! I know some people who are not fans of pickles. They don’t understand what they are missing in their lives π
Erica Julson
June 17, 2017 at 5:10 pmHaha I totally relate to the pasta salad night when you’re too busy/exhausted to do much else! π
Jovita
June 18, 2017 at 7:09 pmIt’s the easiest way if you use rotisserie chicken π And really delicious too!
Emily
June 17, 2017 at 5:43 pmThis looks so delicious, I eat so many pasta salads in the Summer so this is definitely on my list!
Jovita
June 18, 2017 at 7:10 pmLet me know how you liked it if you will give it a try, Emily!
Roxana
June 17, 2017 at 5:53 pmThis is so mouth watering delicious. Great comfort food.
Jovita
June 18, 2017 at 7:11 pmIt really is super delicious, Roxana. Be sure to give it a try!
Bonnie Hariton
April 12, 2020 at 4:57 amThis chicken macaroni salad looks delicious and tastes delicious also. Definitely a salad I will make again. Thank you!
Jovita
April 27, 2020 at 8:26 amI am glad you liked it, Bonnie! π
Lana
May 22, 2020 at 12:56 amIt says sugar, but the video looks like brown sugar. I made it with white sugar. It was delicious!
Agatha
December 30, 2020 at 3:32 pmTrying this for New Years, still following this recipe hehe.
Shayna
February 11, 2021 at 12:57 pmI made this tonight for my boyfriend’s lunch tomorrow. I really like the flavor of the dressing, it’s tangy and sweet! A great mix of crunchy veggies too, I didn’t have any olives but I will buy some for next time! Thanks for the recipe π