Chicken macaroni salad is a easy to make family dish that everyone can enjoy. Pasta, creamy dressing and protein packed chicken in one dish!
Ingredients needed
- Macaroni noodles
- Chicken breast
- Dill relish
- Celery
- Carrots
- Mayo
- Mustard
- Lemon
- Salt & black pepper
Helpful tips before starting
- In the photos I grilled the chicken outside on a grill. This is a great touch for the summer. But, to cut time in half and be done in under 30 minutes, pre-cooked chicken is best. You can easily find grilled chicken ready to eat in grocery stores now that taste great. Shredded chicken is an option as well.
- This makes a big salad. If feeding a small group of less than 5 make half the macaroni. With the dressing make the entire recipe and slowly add the dressing in until desired creaminess. You can always save the dressing for later in a salad or a dip for veggies.
Storing the leftovers
This recipe is great and can be stored in the refrigerator or frozen. Simply cover the bowl will plastic foil or an airtight lid. This chicken macaroni salad will keep about 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why does macaroni salad soak up the mayonnaise?
Pasta is porous which is why pasta is so good. It will naturally soak up the flavors of whatever you add to it. This isn’t a bad thing but if you’re worried about how creamy the salad should be simply add more mayo.
What to serve with macaroni salad
Chicken Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cup macaroni (dry)
- 1/2 cup dill relish
- 2 stalk celery (minced)
- 1 large carrot (minced)
- 1 pound chicken breast (chopped)
- salt & black pepper to taste
Dressing
- 1.5 cup mayo
- 3 tablespoon mustard
- 2 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- To begin, I suggest making the recipe the night before or a few hours before serving. This will allow all of the ingredients to come together.
- Boil the macaroni per the instructions on the package. For the chicken, you'll want thin cuts and season with salt and pepper. Sauté in a frying pan or during the summer use the grill outside like I did.
- While you're waiting finely chop the celery and the carrot.
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dressing.
- Now, in a large bowl toss the cooked and cooled macaroni, chopped chicken breast, celery, carrots and pot the dressing over everything. Give everything an even tossing with the dressing.
- Lastly, most importantly you'll need to taste and adjust the salt levels to your liking. If possible allow to sit a few hours or serve immediately.
Nutrition
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.