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This ranch macaroni salad recipe is a creamy delicious side dish to serve at a BBQ, cookout, or potluck. Classic deli-style flavor with lots of added vegetables for a bright and fresh crunch. This simple recipe is great to make ahead for your next gathering.

creamy ranch pasta salad with macaroni noodles in a bowl with celery chopped carrots and cherry tomatoes with a spoon.

Table of Contents

The Midwesterner in me loves macaroni salad! I’ve made tons of versions of it, and this ranch macaroni salad recipe is one of the best yet! If you like ranch dressing (but hate mayonnaise) then this is the mac salad recipe for you.

Ranch macaroni salad is so yummy served with anything coming off the grill. Its awesome with burgers, hot dogs, fresh grilled corn, or any salad. This deli-style salad is actually loaded with tons of vegetables in it, so it has a nice refreshing crunch in eat bite.

This Ranch Macaroni Salad Recipe Is:

Creamy
Tangy
Savory
Satisfying
Herby
Loaded with Vegetables
Versatile: you can use any vegetables you have on hand, or swap in your favorites.

macaroni salad with ranch dressing vegetarian gluten free ranch pasta salad recipe with a spoon taking noodles.

Inexpensive and Affordable Party Side Dishes For Everyone

I love how inexpensive this ranch macaroni salad is to make! This recipe uses a lot of ingredients you would have in your dry pantry or refrigerator- most of which you probably have on hand. Keeping a well-stocked pantry makes it easy to come up with delicious and tasty meals using a few staples you can rotate.

What’s In This Ranch Dressing Macaroni Salad Recipe?

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Onion, Celery, Carrots, Bell Peppers
Ridged Macaroni Noodles – I love the light springy texture of macaroni noodles, they are so perfect for creamy vegetable salad like this! These macaroni noodles are slightly ridged, which helps the creamy dressing stick to the pasta, or any sauces.
Ranch Dressing – I love ranch dressing because it’s gluten free, dairy free, keto and paleo approved!
Sweet Relish – to give this dish a little extra sweetness. I love this classic sweet relish which has a nice crunch and a sweet and tangy flavor. It’s great in this salad (like a secret ingredient!) and also great to have on the table for burgers or hot dogs.
Yellow Mustard – while I normally like cooking with whole grain or Dijon mustard, sometimes a good classic yellow mustard is exactly what you need! I love that yellow mustard gives this recipe a wonderful tangy flavor.
Apple Cider Vinegar, which gives this dressing a little extra tang which is really fantastic! I love using this organic apple cider vinegar with the mother which has a great flavor. I think it gives a nice extra sweetness and depth.

macaroni salad with ranch dressing tomatoes carrots peas parsley and dill fresh vegetable ranch salad with noodles.

Party Pasta Side Dishes Everyone Will Love

I mean c’mon, who doesn’t love ranch?! This mac salad is what I call an Easy Entertaining Recipe – which is a crowd-pleaser recipe that will be a major hit. These delicious recipes are perfect to treat your guests or when you have a cookout or backyard dinner.

I have a whole section of The Herbeevore dedicated to Entertaining Recipes, that we regularly serve to our friends and family. If you’re heading to a party, potluck, or BBQ, check out my list of top host gifts for dinner parties for that next-level gift they will love!

How Do I Make Macaroni Salad with Ranch Dressing?

1. Cook macaroni noodles according to package instructions. Drain, rinse in a colander under cool water.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the macaroni noodles, onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, ranch dressing, relish, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and sugar. Mix well to combine all ingredients. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. when you are about to serve, mix in another 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing to keep it creamy!

Make Ahead Macaroni Salad Option

This creamy ranch macaroni salad is great to make ahead for a BBQ, party, or potluck. Make it the day before, cover and let it rest overnight, and it’s ready to go the following day! Like traditional pasta salad or coleslaw, this macaroni salad tastes better if made a day or two before.

ranch macaroni salad recipe with salad dressing creamy ranch mac salad with carrots celery and herbs in a bowl.

Dietary Modifications

To make gluten free, use gluten free macaroni pasta noodles or any bottled ingredients (like relish, mayo, etc.)
To make this refined sugar free, just substitute a natural sweetener for the sugar in this recipe, and make sure there is no added sugar in the relish.

More Classic Cookout Pasta Salad Recipes You’ll Love!

Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe

Creamy Cucumber Pasta Salad Recipe

Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Dressing Recipe

Pomegranate Pasta Salad with Arugula Recipe

Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe

vegetarian ranch macaroni noodle salad recipe with gluten free ranch dressing for a summer bbq cookout or party appetizer or side dish.

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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

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I love this variation on one of my favorites. It was delicious

Ranch Macaroni Salad Recipe