Chicken Cobb Macaroni Salad - Perfect for summer barbecues or graduation parties! Macaroni salad loaded with chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, spinach, tomatoes & celery! | foxeslovelemons.com

Why you’ll love this Macaroni Chicken Salad

  • It’s what I call “dinner macaroni salad.” You’d eat a plate of pasta for dinner in the winter, so why not in the summer? It’s loaded with lean chicken, leafy spinach and lots of other veggies.
  • Great for meal prep! Make a batch of this and eat it all through the week for convenient, satisfying meals.
  • You can customize this to your taste as much as you want. Not a fan of blue cheese? Use feta or cheddar.
Chicken Cobb Macaroni Salad - Perfect for summer barbecues or graduation parties! Macaroni salad loaded with chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, spinach, tomatoes & celery! | foxeslovelemons.com

Chicken Macaroni Salad Recipe ingredients

  • pasta – I like elbow macaroni here.
  • Greek yogurt – one part of the creamy and tangy dressing, that also offers some protein, too.
  • mayonnaise – adds richness to the dressing.
  • buttermilk – thins the dressing and adds a subtle tanginess.
  • yellow mustard – adds a tangy note to the dressing.
  • red wine vinegar – contributes acidity to balance the richness of the dressing.
  • garlic – infuses the dressing with a savory flavor.
  • salt and pepper – helps all of the ingredients taste as great as they can!
  • bacon – choose from bacon in the oventurkey bacon in air fryer or turkey bacon in oven to cook it, and crumble it up.
  • hard boiled eggs – adds protein and richness to the salad.
  • celery – gives the pasta salad that classic crunch that can only be from celery!
  • baby spinach – adds color, texture and nutrition.
  • chicken – you’ll need 2 cups of cooked, chopped chicken. Cook a large chicken breast, or take some meat off a rotisserie chicken.
  • grape tomatoes – contribute sweetness and color.
  • blue cheese – adds that pungent flavor that Cobb salad is known for.
  • red onion – adds a mild bite, as well as color.

How to make Chicken Macaroni Salad

  1. PASTA. Cook the pasta according to its package directions. Drain the pasta, rinse it with cold water, and then drain again.
  2. DRESSING. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture in half and place half in a covered container and set it aside in the refrigerator.
  3. TOSS AND CHILL. Add the cooked macaroni to the remaining half of the dressing and toss together. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least two hours.
  4. ADD. Just before serving, add the bacon, eggs, celery, spinach, chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese, onion and reserved dressing to the macaroni and toss until well combined.

Macaroni Chicken Salad variations

PASTA – You don’t have to use elbow macaroni. Any short shape of pasta will work.

SOUR CREAM – Don’t have Greek yogurt? Use sour cream instead.

GREENS – Instead of spinach, arugula or even chopped lettuce works well.

CHEESE – Not a fan of blue cheese? Use crumbled feta or cubed cheddar or Monterey Jack instead.

Home Chef Tips for making Chicken Macaroni Salad

  • My favorite kitchen gadget for perfect hard boiled eggs is the Cuisinart egg cooker (affiliate link). It makes perfect hard boiled and soft boiled eggs EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I cannot recommend it enough!
  • Be sure to cook the pasta just until it’s al dente, as overcooked pasta can become too mushy for an enjoyable pasta salad. Most pasta boxes should give you an exact cooking time for al dente. Don’t go over that.

How to serve Macaroni Salad with Chicken

Serve it as a cold, refreshing entree in the summer. It almost doesn’t even need a side dish, so maybe just whip up a batch of honey lemonade to go with it.

Or, serve smaller portions of it alongside grilled items like buttermilk chickenjuicy grilled pork chops or grilled zucchini spears.

How to store Macaroni and Chicken Salad

Store macaroni chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give everything a good stir before serving to redistribute the dressing.

Chicken Cobb Macaroni Salad - Perfect for summer barbecues or graduation parties! Macaroni salad loaded with chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, spinach, tomatoes & celery! | foxeslovelemons.com

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Macaroni Chicken Salad Recipe FAQs

What causes macaroni salad to get watery?

Make sure that the macaroni is cooled al dente and drain it very well before mixing with the other ingredients.

Should you rinse macaroni when making macaroni salad?

Yes, rinsing the macaroni under cold water stops the cooking process and helps prevent the pasta from becoming mushy. It also removes excess starch, preventing the noodles from sticking together.

Why is my macaroni salad dry the next day?

Macaroni salad is often dry the next day because the pasta has absorbed all of the dressing! The two-step dressing technique I use in the recipe card below uses the same total amount of dressing, but by adding the first half when the macaroni is warm, and the second half just before serving, you’ll have a much less dry macaroni salad!

Chicken Cobb Macaroni Salad - Perfect for summer barbecues or graduation parties! Macaroni salad loaded with chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, blue cheese, spinach, tomatoes & celery! | foxeslovelemons.com

Macaroni and Chicken Salad

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 slices oven baked bacon, crumbled
  • 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 cups lightly packed baby spinach
  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
  • 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

Instructions

  1. Heat large pot of salted water to boiling over high heat. Add macaroni and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and drain again.
  2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Place half of dressing in small covered bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve salad.
  3. Add cooked macaroni to remaining dressing in large bowl and toss until well combined. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before serving.
  4. Just before serving, add bacon, eggs, celery, spinach, chicken, tomatoes, blue cheese, onion and reserved dressing to macaroni and toss until well combined.

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