I could eat this easy macaroni salad all day every day! It just gets better and better. Give it a try at your next cookout and see if it doesn't disappear fast!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- All the creamy goodness of macaroni salad but with a delicious barbecue twist.
- Stands out at potlucks.
- One reader won a prize with this recipe!
Grilling season is upon us and with it comes vats of homemade macaroni salad. This is the perfect pasta salad for bbq! It's full of spicy barbecue flavor and hearty enough for a vegetarian main dish.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
I use both sweet and spicy barbecue sauces to create a blend I love. Be sure to experiment with brands and amounts to make it your own.
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- red bell pepper
- green bell pepper
- poblano pepper
- red onion
- celery
- corn
- black beans
- pasta (I like shells but elbow macaroni is fine)
- bbq sauce
- mayonnaise
- apple cider vinegar
- sugar
- bacon
- smoked paprika
- cumin
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Mix all the salad ingredients in a large bowl.
- Mix the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Whisk the dressing mixture until smooth.
- Pour over the salad ingredients and mix well. Chill for several hours.
🥄 Equipment
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
🥫 Storage
You can store this delicious macaroni salad in the refrigerator for about 4 days. Just cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container.
It doesn't freeze well.
📖 Variations
I like to use shell pasta for this recipe but any shaped pasta will work fine.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Like most pasta salads, this is best if you make it the day before.
My mom taught me that in order to really make a good homemade macaroni salad you have to kind of overcook the pasta. Now, I hate overcooked pasta as much as anyone but after a lot of trial and error I had to admit she was right.
The slightly over cooked pasta soaks up more of the flavors in the dressing and just tastes better.
- Cook the pasta until it is tender, don't stop at a la dente. Trust me.
- Once that pasta is cooked and drained you are going to add the crunchy vegetables, the corn, and the black beans.
- The dressing is pretty spicy but you can adjust it by the ratio of spicy and sweet barbecue sauce that you use.
- Taste before serving and if the macaroni soaked up too much dressing just stir in a little more bbq sauce.
👩🍳 FAQs
Yes! The flavors blend and it's so much better! Be sure to cover and refrigerate.
More than likely the pasta isn't cooked long enough. If the pasta is undercooked it will soak up the dressing and your salad will be dry.
📚 Related recipes
- Old fashioned macaroni salad is perfect for all your cookouts.
- You can't really get through summer without a big bowl of classic potato salad!
- This tangy pasta salad is covered in a yummy vinaigrette.
🍽️ Serve with...
- I love this as a side to this bacon wrapped bbq chicken.
- Is it even a cookout without cornbread?
- A summer fruit salad is the perfect dessert!
📞 The last word
I've spent years recreating my mom's macaroni salad but I can never get it quite right. It's yummy but not like I remember it.
This year I decided that I was going to try to go rogue and make a bbq macaroni salad that she wouldn't have thought of.
I took her recipe, added some things and subtracted others, and came up with this spicy, creamy barbecue macaroni salad that tastes just like Texas in the summer.
Smoky, sweet, spicy, tangy goodness wrapped up in one of the most beloved summer dishes ever.
You've got to try it.
For a more traditional recipe try My Mom's Classic Macaroni Salad.
It's just that easy.
This Texas Style bbq macaroni salad is going to be the star of your summer parties.
If you're looking for something a little different check out this classic pea, cheese, and bacon salad!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Texas Style Barbecue Macaroni Salad
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 16 ounces macaroni
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sweet barbecue Sauce, like Stubbs original
- ¾ cup spicy barbecue sauce , like Stubbs spicy
- 1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 cups corn
- 2 cups black beans, cooked -canned is fine
- ¾ cup onion, diced
- ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup yellow bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup orange bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
- ¼ cup poblano pepper, optional, roasted and diced
Instructions
- Cook the macaroni in salted water until tender.
- Drain and set aside.
- Mix the mayonnaise, both BBQ sauces, vinegar, cumin, smoked paprika, and sugar.
- Set aside.
- If you happen to be grilling add the corn kernels to a mesh grill roasting pan and grill until some of the kernels start to brown. If you're not, don't worry about it.
- Drain the corn and beans if they are canned.
- Add the corn, black beans, onion, bell peppers, celery, and poblano if you're using it, to the macaroni in a large bowl.
- Spoon the mayonnaise mixture over the top.
- Gently stir and fold until the mayonnaise mixture covers everything.
- Cover and chill overnight for the best flavor.
Notes
- Cook the pasta until it is tender, don't stop at a la dente. Trust me.
- Once that pasta is cooked and drained you are going to add the crunchy vegetables, the corn, and the black beans.
- The dressing is pretty spicy but you can adjust it by the ratio of spicy and sweet barbecue sauce that you use.
- And, like most pasta salads, this is best if you make it the day before.
- Taste before serving and if the macaroni soaked up too much dressing just stir in a little more BBQ sauce.
Nutrition Facts
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published July 2016. Last updated April 18, 2022.
Sue
I made this for an Independence Day party I was invited to. I wanted to make it more if a main course so I added some chopped up barbeque chicken breasts to it. It was a big hit. Thank you for this recipe; it's a keeper.
Marye
I am so glad you liked it! I bet it was awesome with the chicken!
Anne P
I was asked to contribute a pasta salad to our village 'Big Bash' last weekend over here in rural England, to go with a hog roast. My daughter sent me a link to your recipe and said she'd had this at Stubbs BBQ in Texas and I must make it. It went down a storm - very different from all the other pasta salads on offer, but the favourite! (though sorry, here I had to use a different brand of sauce.)
Thank you for this excellent recipe.
Marye Audet
This makes me SO happy!!!I am so glad you liked it!
christine
Oh nice, great flavor change up from the classic macaroni salad.
Marye Audet
Thanks!!
Melanie
That BBQ sauce looks delicious! I need to try it.
Marye Audet
It is really good!
Angie | Big Bear's Wife
We love Stubbs Original BBQ! Totally one of our favorites!
Marye Audet
🙂 mine too!!!
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
I love Stubb's...actually have some at home right now for a recipe I'm making soon. This pasta salad looks delicious!
Marye Audet
Let me know what you think, Heather!
Meaghan
I've got to make this for our next BBQ, it sounds so yummy! You can never have too many great pasta salad recipes on hand.
Marye Audet
Oh I agree!!