You can make a family dinner into a favorite family dinner with this BBQ macaroni salad recipe. It has a lot of flavor mixed with a deliciously creamy base and a little added crunch. It is the best macaroni salad recipe in my opinion.
One of my favorite things about this BBQ side dish recipe is that you can make it your own. Add more or less of one of the carrots, cucumbers, or green onion. Or you can even omit it if you know you’ll like it better without it.
Changing the recipe to suit your family will not mess it up, just makes it even tastier. If you are making this for a group you know that likes things spicy, you can even ramp up the spice a little bit by adding more chili powder or hot sauce.
Don’t stop with just this amazing macaroni salad, make sure you take a look at our Best Creamy Pasta Salad Recipe, Cheesy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad Recipe, and Pizza Pasta Salad Recipe for great summer side dishes.
Related Recipe: Try our kids’ favorite dinner! The BEST Cheeseburger Macaroni Recipe HERE!
Ingredients Needed For Our BBQ Macaroni Salad Recipe:
- Elbow Macaroni
- Mayonnaise
- BBQ Sauce
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Hot sauce
- Apple cider vinegar
- Finely chopped red bell pepper
- Finely chopped celery
- Cubed cucumber
- Shredded carrots
- Chopped green onion
- Chopped purple onion
- Colby jack cheese
How To Make Our BBQ Macaroni Salad Recipe:
Start by cutting up the red bell pepper, celery stalk, cucumbers, green onion, purple onion, and colby jack cheese.
Once that is done, set them aside until later.
Then, cook the macaroni noodles according to the directions on the packaging.
After the noodles are done cooking, drain the water with a colander and then rinse the noodles with cold water and let them drain again.
NOTE: By washing the noodles in cold water, this will stop the cooking process and keep the noodles the consistency you want for macaroni salad.
When you are done cooking the noodles, use a large mixing bowl and combine the mayo, BBQ sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, hot sauce, and apple cider vinegar in the bowl.
Mix it all together well to form the creamy base for the salad.
Next, add in the cool and rinsed noodles, and all of the chopped vegetables and cheese.
Give it a good mix until all of the pasta is coated in the sauce.
Now, just store the salad in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving for the best results.
Related Recipe: Try another favorite BBQ Side, our Easy Homemade Cornbread!
To Make The Best Macaroni Salad You Will Need:
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium pot
- Wooden spoon
- Colander (THIS is a great one!)
“I have so much time!” -No mom ever
Get My Meal Plans NOW!What to do if You Don’t Have Any Apple Cider Vinegar
It happens often when I think I have everything I need in the house, and when I go to make the recipe I am missing one thing! Well, since apple cider vinegar isn’t used in a ton of recipes, I always just assume I have some. Ha.
But what to do if you don’t have any and you don’t want to run to the store? Take a look at the list A Couple Cooks make for the best apple cider vinegar substitutes that you can use in a pinch.
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Take a Look at These Other Great Pasta Salad Recipes:
- Roasted Veggie Pasta Salad
- Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Italian Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
- The BEST Homemade Pasta Salad Recipe
- Street Corn Pasta Salad
- Easy Creamy Macaroni Salad
- Tuna Macaroni Salad
Barbecue Macaroni Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni 1 box
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup BBQ Sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- ½ cup cubed cucumber
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 2 Tablespoons green onion finely chopped
- 4 Tablespoons purple onion finely chopped
- ½ cup colby jack cheese cubed
Instructions
- Cook macaroni according to package directions.
- Drain the noodles, rinse in cold water and drain again.
- In a large bowl, combine mayo, BBQ sauce, seasonings, hot sauce and vinegar.
- Add the drained noodles and chopped veggies and cheese.
- Stir to combine and refrigerate before serving.
Video
Notes
- By washing the noodles in cold water, this will stop the cooking process and keep the noodles the consistency you want for macaroni salad.
Nutrition
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Medium Pot
- Wooden Spoon
- colander
Recipe Details
(Recipe from Tasty Kitchen)
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