When you think of staple side dishes that make an appearance at your barbecues or get togethers, what comes to mind? Fresh fruit, corn on the cob, and my personal favorite, gluten free macaroni salad!
This gluten free macaroni salad is a classic American recipe, just like gluten-free pasta salad or gluten free mac and cheese.
This dairy free macaroni salad is served cold, so it's refreshing on a hot day, while still creamy and delicious. With just six main ingredients, plus spices already in your pantry, it can be ready in a pinch for any last minute summer parties!
We like to serve this macaroni salad with Instant Pot pulled pork, flanken ribs, sirloin tip roast, or Instant Pot chuck roast.
Gluten Free Macaroni Salad Ingredients
- Gluten Free Macaroni Noodles- I prefer to use the Field Day Organic brand that is at our local grocery store. If you don't have access to this brand, Jovial or Tinkyada are good brands to try. Just remember to cook your noodles al dente (soft, but still firm). Otherwise they will fall apart and turn to mush.
- Chopped Celery- The celery in this recipe provides a cold crunch, and keeps its crunch even a day or two after making the salad.
- Cubed Rotisserie Chicken Breast Meat- Picking up a rotisserie chicken at the store is convenient and allows you to make this recipe quickly. I prefer to use the white meat (chicken breast) since it's so easy to cube.
- Minced Sweet Onion- Sweet onions are less pungent than white or yellow onions, and imparts the perfect onion flavor that's a bit more mild.
- Mayonnaise- Use your favorite brand of mayonnaise. Whether it's a generic mayo, an avocado oil mayo, or a vegan mayo, etc. Just keep in mind, if you don't like the flavor of your mayonnaise, you aren't going to enjoy this salad. Choose a mayonnaise that you love the flavor of.
- Lemon Juice- Adds a mild zing to the recipe.
- Spices- Imparts flavor. These can easily be adjusted to your liking.
Substitutions
My family enjoys this gluten free macaroni salad recipe as written, however, if you want to make this salad ASAP and don't have celery or sweet onion on hand, here are some other possible additions/substitutions:
- Frozen peas
- Diced red peppers
- Diced sweet or dill pickles
- Minced red onion
- Chopped hardboiled eggs
- Bacon bits
Tips For Making Dairy Free Macaroni Salad
- Make sure you add oil and salt to the macaroni noodles while they are cooking. The salt imparts flavor, while the oil will prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- Cooking the pasta to al dente (soft, but still firm) and then cooling it down quickly is very important. If you overcook the gluten-free pasta, it will be mushy and/or your noodles will break. Cooling down the pasta causes it to stop cooking. The goal is to cool it completely using cold water, so the macaroni noodles are completely cold by the time you add the mayonnaise and other ingredients. If you add mayonnaise to hot (or even warm) pasta, it will absorb it vs. it being more of a “sauce.”
- Serve cold. I prefer to make this gluten-free macaroni salad a few hours ahead of time, just so it can have some time to chill in the refrigerator prior to serving.
- Keep chilled - don't leave this macaroni chicken salad out at a BBQ for long periods of time (especially in the heat!).
Can You Freeze Macaroni Salad
No, but you can make this creamy gluten free macaroni salad ahead of time! Making it a day in advance and keeping it in the fridge allows the flavors merry together. Store leftovers for up to 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Gluten Free Macaroni Salad Recipe
Gluten Free Macaroni Salad
This gluten-free macaroni salad is served cold and refreshing on a hot day while still creamy and delicious. With just six main ingredients, plus spices already in your pantry, it can be ready in a pinch for any last-minute summer parties!
Ingredients
To cook the noodles:
- 4 quarts water
- 2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 oz. gluten free macaroni noodles
To make the salad:
- 1 cup diced celery (about 3 large stalks)
- 2 cups diced rotisserie chicken breast meat
- ⅓ cup minced sweet onion
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the kosher salt, olive oil, and gluten-free macaroni noodles. Cook noodles to al dente (soft, but still firm). Do not cook completely or overcook.
- Drain noodles immediately, and carefully rinse well with cold water to cool them down. This will stop the cooking process.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled macaroni noodles, chopped celery, chicken breast meat, minced sweet onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, sea salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Stir gently until everything is well combined.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Consume within 3-4 days.
Notes
Make sure you add oil and salt to the macaroni noodles while they are cooking. The salt imparts flavor, while the oil will prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Cooking the pasta to al dente (soft, but still firm) and then cooling it down quickly is very important. If you overcook the gluten-free pasta, it will be mushy and/or your noodles will break. Cooling down the pasta causes it to stop cooking. The goal is to cool it completely using cold water, so the macaroni noodles are completely cold by the time you add the mayonnaise and other ingredients. If you add mayonnaise to hot (or even warm) pasta, it will absorb it vs. it being more of a “sauce.”
Keep chilled - don't leave this salad out at a BBQ for long periods of time (especially in the heat!).
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 329Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 1191mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 18g
Did you make this recipe? If you did, please give it a star rating and leave a review or comment below! And remember to take a pic and share it on social! Tag @allergyfreeak or #allergyfreealaska on Instagram!
Krystal Levine says
We loved this recipe! I Added smoked rabbit for protein and it was a perfect lunch. Thank you!
Mēgan says
Ohhh... I've never had smoked rabbit before. I bet that was lovely! Glad you enjoyed it!
Kris says
Made this today without the chicken for a lunch with friends and it was a big hit. Since my friend is dairy and gluten free it was great. I also love that you can dress it up or down by varying the ingredients. I am going to add boiled egg the next time. And yes, I will be making this again.
Mēgan says
Perfect! I love the addition of the boiled eggs for next time!