- Sailor Bailey

White ceramic bowl filled with chicken Macaroni pasta salad and a spoon with dressing to the side.

5 from 1 vote

Creamy Chicken Macaroni Pasta Salad is mouthwatering, filling and by far a summer BBQ favorite. This salad will knock your socks off with nostalgic flavors.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings:

Author: Bailey Rhatigan

Equipment

large pot to boil water
large mixing bowl

Ingredients

16 oz macaroni pasta about 2 cups dry pasta
2 cups chicken, cooked and diced about 2 large chicken breast. Rotisserie will also work.
1 red bell pepper, diced
1¼ cup celery, diced
¼ cup yellow onion, diced

Pasta Dressing

¾ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup sour cream
3 Tbsp yellow mustard or dijon
¼ cup sweet relish more as needed (I like ⅓ cup personally!)
2 tsp garlic salt
½ tsp black pepper
1-2 Tbsp water to thin the dressing
chopped parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook elbow macaroni according to package directions, salt the water generously for ultimate flavor.
Meanwhile, in a mixing jar or bowl mix together the mayo, sour cream, mustard, relish, garlic salt, black pepper. Add 1-2 Tbsp of water to the jar (to thin the sauce) and shake really well. Give it a taste, adjust if needed.
Finely chop the onion, celery, bell pepper and cube the cooked chicken, I prefer small bites. Once pasta is finished cooking, run some cold water over it to prevent sticking and cool the pasta off. Drain it well!
Add the macaroni, veggies and 3 quarters of the dressing. Mix well. Add more dressing if desired or save it for leftovers (the pasta does soak up the sauce a little when sitting in the fridge). Garnish with parsley is desired.

Notes

- Taste as you go! I always recommend tasting the dressing before pouring over everything, make sure you don’t want some extra relish or mustard.

- Cook the macaroni al dente. If it's over cooked it will fall apart in the mix.

- If the pasta soaks up all the dressing, you can add an extra Tablespoon or two of sour cream.

- This is a great dish to make ahead of time. It lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days wonderfully! It gets a bit watery if frozen so I do not suggest that.

Nutrition