What’s better than a nicely chilled macaroni salad at a BBQ! It goes so perfectly with everything, doesn’t it? This recipe for BBQ Chicken Macaroni Salad adds a savory barbecue sauce to the dressing that is simply out of this world! So delicious, it will be the first thing gone on the buffet table!
If you plan on taking a salad like Macaroni Salad with Egg, Ranch Macaroni Salad or this delicious Macaroni Salad with Chicken to an outdoor event like a party or a potluck, place the bowl of salad inside a larger bowl with ice on the bottom of it. Stir it every so often to keep it uniformly cool.
BBQ Chicken Macaroni Salad
©CentsLessMeals
Pin it to your SALADS BOARD to SAVE it for later!
Follow CentsLess Meals on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Don’t buy store-bought when you can make your own delicious signature macaroni and chicken salad in no time at all!
How To Make Chicken Macaroni Salad
- Prepare pasta according to package directions.
- Mix together the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, garlic powder, and seasoning salt.
- Combine all of the rest of the ingredients, add the cooked macaroni and the dressing. Chill for at least one hour before serving.
Can You Make Macaroni Salad In Advance?
You sure can! Macaroni Salad is actually best after a few hours of chilling in the refrigerator and can be made up to a day in advance for best results. Any earlier than that and the dressing may start to get watery. If this happens, simply put the entire salad in a colander and let the extra liquid drain off.
What To Serve With Chicken Macaroni Salad
First of all, this macaroni salad with chicken can be an entrée on its own since it has all four food groups in it so it’s hearty enough to stand alone. But some of my veggie sides and bread recipes work perfectly with macaroni salad! Here are a few of my favorites! Try this amazingly tasty Oven Roasted Asparagus or these Easy Parmesan Zucchini and here’s my recipe for Homemade Pizza Dough Breadsticks.
What About The Leftovers?
As long as you keep this BBQ Chicken Macaroni Salad cold, it will keep in the refrigerator about a week. Make sure it is in an airtight container so it doesn’t pick up the odors from the other items in the fridge. To refresh the flavors, add a dash or two of salt and pepper and give it a mix!
It’s not a good idea to freeze macaroni salad because the noodles will be mushy after it’s thawed. However, you can assemble everything in advance and freeze it in a Ziploc bag. Thaw and add to freshly prepared macaroni, stir, chill, and serve!
Other Delicious Pasta Salads To Try!
Southwest Pasta Salad – so zesty.
Spinach & Tomato Chicken Pasta Salad – an entree salad!
Mediterranean Pasta Salad – perfect for picnics.
Greek Shrimp Pasta Salad – different and delicious.
Bacon Cheddar Pasta salad – always better with bacon!
BBQ Chicken Macaroni Salad recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup barbecue sauce I used Kraft honey barbecue
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 8 ounces macaroni noodles cooked and drained
- 1 ½ cups chicken cooked and shredded
- ½ cup red onion or green onions, diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup diced fresh tomatoes about 1 tomato
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
Instructions
- Mix together the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, garlic powder and seasoning salt.
- Once mixed well add in remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Refrigerate for one hour before serving
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
©The Shortcut Kitchen. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
REPIN this Macaroni Salad Recipe
Good but I will not be adding 2 Tbsp seasoned salt the next time I make, entirely way to much and makes it super salty.
If you re-read the recipe it says 2 teaspoons of salt NOT 2 Tablespoons.
Hi Dianna, this recipe was updated in 2020 to improve flavor. Our current recipe only uses 2 teaspoons of seasoning salt.
How many does this serve?
I am going to try this for sure-