The 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Macaroni Salad (It's Already in Your Pantry)

Here's an easy trick for taking your macaroni salad to the next level. Just one try will make you a believer.

May 27, 2024 - 06:00
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The 1-Ingredient Upgrade for Better Macaroni Salad (It's Already in Your Pantry)
Macaroni Salad in a white bowl
Simply Recipes / Getty Images

Macaroni salad gets a bad rap and frankly, I understand why. Put it in the same category as boring beige food like plain oatmeal, untoasted white bread, and plain chicken breasts. Unless you're a big-time fan of mayo, macaroni salad is no one's favorite food.

I'm going to change your mind about this today because it is possible to make great (crave-able, even!) macaroni salad. The best I've ever had was during a trip to Hawaii, where bright, flavorful macaroni salad showed up next to Kalua pig, huli huli chicken, and more.

I could eat that stuff for every meal—it's delicious! So I probed a chef at one of the roadside food trucks I had stopped by for lunch. The trick is to add an ingredient you already have in the pantry: vinegar.

If you're thinking, "So what? I already add vinegar to the mayo dressing." That's great—don't change that! The genius of this tip lies in when you add the vinegar.

Cooked elbow pasta draining in a colander in the stove for Johnny Marzetti casserole recipe
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

How To Use Vinegar To Upgrade Your Macaroni Salad

Drain the cooked elbow pasta well. While it's still steaming hot, transfer it into a large bowl, add vinegar, and toss to coat.

For one pound of pasta, use 1/4 cup of vinegar. (If you are cooking eight ounces of pasta, use two tablespoons of vinegar.) You can use any kind you have in the pantry—apple cider vinegar, white or red wine vinegar, distilled white vinegar, or rice wine vinegar. If you have any, mirin works too. Avoid more strongly flavored kinds like balsamic, sherry, chinkiang, or fruit-based vinegars.

As the pasta cools, the vinegar will soak in and every noodle will burst with bright tanginess. After dressing it, you'll get a snap of acid and tons of flavor in every spoonful. You can use this trick on any creamy macaroni salad recipe—just one try will make you a believer.

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