Chicken Macaroni Holiday Salad (Printable version)

A festive cold salad combining tender macaroni, canned chicken, celery, and a tangy mustard-relish dressing.

# What you need:

→ Pasta

01 - 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

→ Protein

02 - 2 cans (10 oz each) cooked chicken, drained

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup finely diced celery (approximately 2 stalks)
04 - 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
05 - 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
06 - 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

→ Dressing

07 - 1/2 cup mayonnaise
08 - 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
09 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
10 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
11 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Garnish

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Paprika for sprinkling

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring salted water to a boil and cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until just al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to cool.
02 - In a large bowl, mix cooled macaroni, drained chicken, celery, red bell pepper, red onion, and sweet pickle relish.
03 - Whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
04 - Pour dressing over the macaroni mixture and gently toss until fully coated.
05 - Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill and meld flavors.
06 - Before serving, garnish with chopped parsley and a light sprinkle of paprika. Serve cold.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and actually tastes better the next day, so you can make it ahead and breathe.
  • One bowl, minimal fuss, and it feels fancy enough for company but casual enough for weeknight dinners.
  • The mustard-relish dressing is tangy and unexpected—way more interesting than plain mayo, and it doesn't feel heavy.
02 -
  • Drain your canned chicken really well or it will make the whole salad weepy and sad; squeeze it in a clean kitchen towel if you have to.
  • Cold pasta is less forgiving than hot pasta—taste the dressing on a test bite before you commit, because everything needs to be a bit bolder when it's chilled.
03 -
  • Make sure your mayonnaise and mustard are mixed completely smooth before adding the vinegar, or you'll end up with little separated pockets of flavor instead of a cohesive dressing.
  • The relish is doing a lot of work here—it's adding tang, sweetness, and texture all at once, so don't be tempted to skip it or replace it with something else without thinking it through.
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