New York deli macaroni salad is a creamy side dish that’s found in nearly every deli in the NY metro area. It’s perfect with sandwiches, burgers, and barbecue and is sure to stand out at any backyard gathering!
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Macaroni salad can get a bad rap at times.
Homemade versions are often a clumpy mess with little to no flavor, but anytime I’ve eaten New York deli macaroni salad, it’s been awesome!
I’ve worked in a number of delis in my life and this is the real-deal, tried and true way to ensure a tangy, creamy macaroni salad.
The vinegar brine is the key to this salad, as it is to New York deli potato salad, German potato salad, coleslaw, and others.
While many deli mac salads include just macaroni, or macaroni and a touch of celery, I added just a bit of red and green bell pepper to mine for texture and flavor.
Serve this mac salad with burgers, barbecue, or alongside an Italian hero/sub, chicken salad sandwich, or deli roast beef sandwich for the full NY deli experience!
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How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- In a large bowl whisk together 1/3 cup of white vinegar, 3 tablespoons of water, 1/3 cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, a 1/2 cup of grated or pureed onion, 1 1/4 teaspoons of fine sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of white pepper. Finely dice half of one small green or red bell pepper and 1 rib of celery.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook 1 pound of elbow macaroni to al dente. Drain and run the pasta under cold water to cool it off and stop the cooking process. Whisk the brine again and add the macaroni along with the bell pepper and celery. Mix well to coat, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate the macaroni overnight to allow the flavors to absorb.
- The next day add 3/4 cup of mayonnaise and mix well until you achieve a creamy consistency, adding more mayo as needed.
- Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Top tips
- The brine. Brining the macaroni 1 day in advance yields maximum flavor, and the longer it sits in the brine the better it will taste. This is the key to the quintessential New York deli flavor! Most delis (all of the ones I worked at) will leave macaroni, potato, and cabbage for coleslaw in the brine overnight or longer. Then the next day they can mix up a perfect smooth batch for customers. This works for presentation but also for taste.
- Pepper. I used white pepper in the brine to keep everything uniform in color, but you can certainly use black pepper. In fact, I used some black pepper at the end to season it to taste.
- Vegetable oil. I get a lot of comments about vegetable oil and some folks prefer to not use it. This is the oil that’s being used in most delis. Using olive oil here will change the flavor. If you don’t want to use vegetable oil, something with little taste, like avocado oil, would be an ok substitute. The only use for the oil is to aid in the smoothness and creaminess of the mac salad.
More summer side recipes
This NY deli-style macaroni salad is great all year long but is especially good in the summer. Here are a few more side ideas for warm weather.
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New York Deli Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
For the brine
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup grated white onion or pureed
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise plus more to achieve a smooth consistency
- 1/2 small green or red bell pepper finely diced
- 1 rib celery finely diced
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Instructions
For the brine
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the brine ingredients and set aside.
For the macaroni salad
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook elbow macaroni to al dente. Drain and run the pasta under cold water to cool it off and stop the cooking process.
- Whisk the brine again then add the elbow macaroni along with the bell pepper and celery. Mix well to coat. At this time it is best to refrigerate the macaroni overnight so that the flavors absorb.
- The next day, add the mayo and mix well again. Add more mayo as required to get a creamy consistency. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- The key to getting that New York deli macaroni salad flavor is the brine. If you can wait let the macaroni sit in the brine for 1-2 days before mixing with mayo. This is how most delis do it.
- White pepper can be used for appearance.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 5 days and taste even better after a few days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Great and easy recipe. I double the veggies because I like them and this recipe is a crowd pleaser every time.
So glad you enjoyed, Lisa!
Excellent flavor. More than just mayo and nothing overpowering. Good recipe!
So glad you enjoyed, Jason!
Thank you! I have been in search of a good Mac salad forever! All the others were too thick with mayo. This is so simple. Never heard of letting the pasta combine with a “brine” before. It’s simply the best! Thanks for the education!
So glad you enjoyed, Joanne!
I’ve made this salad twice now, our grandson is crazy about it, always asking me to make it
Going to try potatoe salad next. Mac salad great.
We’re so happy to hear thar, Dot!
This is the mac salad recipe of my dreams, and the one that has eluded me for a long, long time. As a native of Philadelphia, this is what I grew up eating and the flavors that I remember. You can’t imagine what a joy this is. I made this exactly as per the recipe, except that I doubled the brine after tasting. SUCH a winner. Kudos, with thanks!
We’re so happy you found our recipe and enjoyed it, Karen! Thanks for the comment!
My spouse loves his macaroni salad and always orders some when we head to a deli. I found this recipe and now we keep a bowl of it in our fridge all the time! I’m a convert to mac salad as I didn’t really like it before. This is the best!!
We’re so happy to hear this, Dodie!
This is the second time I am making your macaroni salad. I think this is the best homemade macaroni salad I’ve ever had. Thanks so much for introducing me to your recipe. I change nothing and certainly you can up the peppers and celery but it is perfect as is.
We’re so happy you’re enjoying the recipe, Nina!
James, this recipe is amazing! Thank you so much for this! Living in the south, good mac salad is hard to come by; you’re seriously awesome.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Michael!
I just want to say that I make this often and we love it! I make enough to share with my family. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
We’re so happy to hear that, Paulette!
I grew up on Long Island many years ago. This was one of my favorite foods as a kid–always got the macaroni salad. Your recipe is spot on and absolutely delicious. I’m so happy to be able to whip this up for a huge dose of nostalgia and a fantastic salad. Looking forward to working my way through many of your recipes.
We’re so happy to hear that, Sarah!
Just like I remember from the NJ delis in the 70s and 80s ❤️
So happy to hear that, Deborah!
First time makeing macaroni salad from home cause I don’t like the store bought ones. This recipe was easy and tastes great. Being from NY I wanted to have something that tasted like home. This hit the spot. I got many compliments. I might put a bit less onion next time I make it. Love it
We are so happy you enjoyed!