Chicken macaroni salad is a easy to make family dish that everyone can enjoy. Pasta, creamy dressing and protein packed chicken in one dish!
Salad is great anytime of the year but summer and during the holidays is when they really shine.
Having a standard pasta salad is cool but why not add some protein in the picture?
Chicken is great and to make it even easier you can buy pre-cooked chicken and have this recipe done in 30 minutes. All you need is the macaroni to cook and you’re done.
Let’s dive into this easy recipe but I will share some tips I have learned along the way, keep reading.
How To Make Chicken Macaroni Salad
Make sure you check off these ingredients
- 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.
Making the macaroni salad
- 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.
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.