Chicken Macaroni Salad Recipe

Whether you're looking for a side dish for a backyard barbecue or a Sunday supper, macaroni salad is a total classic. Nothing can beat the creamy texture and great flavor of this timeless dish. And even better, there are so many versions of pasta salad, making it customizable in endless ways.

A delicious take on this go-to dish? Enter: chicken macaroni salad. Incorporating chicken into the mix is a great way to add more protein to this dish. Meanwhile, plenty of veggies are added for incredible flavor and crunch. And food photographer Petar Marshall is walking you through just how to pull it off.

"This recipe is jam-packed with flavor thanks to red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard included in a punchy sauce, along with fresh dill," he says. "Plus, it can be prepped and ready in no time." Keep reading to find out how to make what just might become your new favorite side dish.

Get started on making this chicken macaroni salad by grabbing all of your ingredients.

For this recipe, you'll need, elbow macaroni noodles, cooked chicken, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, black olives, one shallot, celery, fresh dill, fresh Italian parsley, cherry tomatoes, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Marshall suggests utilizing rotisserie chicken for this recipe for a quick and easy option. Otherwise, feel free to cook chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts and cut them into small pieces.

Once all of your ingredients are gathered and ready, it's time to dive into prepping your pasta.

Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil on the stove top. Cook the macaroni noodles until tender and done, then transfer them to a colander to drain. "Rinsing the noodles under cool water will help to chill them faster," says Marshall.

Once the noodles are rinsed, transfer them to a large bowl and place it in the fridge while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

While the noodles are cooking and chilling, use your time to chop all of the vegetables. "It's best to chop things small so they can integrate better into the finished salad," says Marshall. Chop the stalks of celery into small pieces, and drain and chop the olives. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half to make them smaller. Dice up the entire shallot, and finely chop the fresh dill and parsley. "The parsley and dill will be incorporated into the salad, as well as [be] used as a garnish," says Marshall.

Once all of the vegetables and chicken are ready, there's just one more component to mix before assembling your macaroni salad. Make the sauce for your pasta salad by mixing everything together in a bowl. Add in the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and red wine vinegar and whisk thoroughly. 

"I love to use Maille Dijon mustard for this recipe, as it gives the salad a good kick," says Marshall. However, if you prefer a different brand or don't like too much spice, feel free to decrease the amount slightly.

With the noodles cooked and cooled, and the rest of your ingredients chopped and ready, it's time for assembly. First up, mix in the chopped celery and olives, along with the diced shallot. Stir in the chopped chicken as well. 

Next, stir in the prepared sauce until full incorporated and add salt and pepper to taste. Then, mix in the cherry tomatoes, fresh dill, and fresh parsley. Reserve a few cherry tomatoes and dill and parsley for garnish.

Thoroughly mix the macaroni salad until all ingredients are spread throughout. Garnish the top of the salad with the remaining cherry tomatoes and the chopped dill and parsley.