Shrimp Macaroni Salad
This easy, shrimp macaroni salad is the BEST macaroni salad around. Made with shrimp, macaroni and a secret-ingredient mayonnaise dressing, this is the perfect recipe to serve a crowd in the summer.
This recipe originally appeared on our sister site: Simply Whisked.
What we love about this shrimp macaroni salad
- This easy macaroni salad – complete with its secret ingredient – has been floating around our family for a while now. Our mom originally got it from a lady she worked with, long before we were born.
- The secret ingredient I mentioned is in the macaroni salad dressing, and it’s pickle juice – preferably dill. You add it when you add the mayonnaise, and it gives the salad a little flavor punch.
- There’s also baby shrimp in this salad, but if you’re not a fan of shrimp, you could easily replace it with chicken, or whatever protein you prefer. We had it with chicken at least a few times, and it’s still great, but shrimp is what we make most often.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
**This post contains affiliate links. We may earn commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. We will never recommend a product I don’t use or trust.**
Kitchen tools
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → Ingredients you might need to pick up
- Canned shrimp
- Elbow macaroni
- Mayonnaise
- Pickle juice
- Bell pepper
- Celery
- Carrot
- Onion
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
How to make this shrimp macaroni salad
Cook the macaroni. Prepare the elbow macaroni according to package directions for al dente. When cooked, drain the pasta and rinse with cold water until cool to the touch.
If you need extra time before mixing the salad, stir in a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the macaroni from sticking. You could also stir in a bit of mayonnaise if you don’t have oil on hand.
Prepare the remaining ingredients. While the pasta is cooking, chop and grate your vegetables. Strain the shrimp. If you want to, you can even measure the mayonnaise and pickle juice, but I usually do this as I’m adding it to the salad.
Combine your salad. In a large mixing bowl, mix your ingredients together. Adjust the seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste. Cover the macaroni salad and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve.
If the salad seems dry when I’m ready to serve, I usually stir in a big spoonful of mayonnaise and an extra splash of pickle juice to bring it back to life. This is especially important if you’re preparing the salad ahead of time.
Everything you need to know about classic macaroni salad
To make this a little lighter, I always use canola oil mayonnaise*. It has way less calories than traditional mayonnaise, but it doesn’t have the added sugar of light mayo. You do not want to use Miracle Whip here. I mean, you can, but it just won’t taste right.
We love this macaroni salad recipe with everything in the summer. It would be the perfect side dish for your favorite burgers or even grilled meatloaf. You could even try pairing it with grilled pork ribs or beer brined chicken.
I find this pretty much impossible, but I’ve read that if you coat the macaroni with oil before adding your mayonnaise or dressing, it will help a bit.
Normally, I add a bit more mayonnaise before serving to liven up the salad, and this always seems to work well.
This macaroni salad recipe doesn’t last long in our house, but I would recommend only storing this salad in the fridge for a maximum of 5 days.
You should definitely not freeze this recipe. Mayonnaise does not typically freeze well, and the texture of the salad will be unpleasant if you freeze it.
More pasta salad recipes you will love
Other elbow pasta recipes you should try
- White cheddar macaroni and cheese
- Gluten free mozzarella mac and cheese
- Creamy dairy free mac and cheese
- Dutch oven macaroni and cheese
Want more pasta recipes?
Subscribe to get the latest recipes delivered to your inbox!
Shrimp Macaroni Salad
This easy, shrimp macaroni salad is the BEST macaroni salad around. Made shrimp, macaroni and a secret-ingredient mayonnaise dressing, this is the perfect recipe to serve a crowd in the summer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Elbow
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked and cooled
- 2 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice (or more to taste)
- 1 4-ounce can small deveined shrimp, drained
- 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 green onion, green only, sliced
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil macaroni according to package directions.
- When straining rinse with cold water until cool and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large bowl stir the macaroni with the remaining ingredients.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 3.5 g
- Sodium: 626 mg
- Fat: 11.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.3 g
- Fiber: 1.7 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 28.5 mg
3 Comments