Do You Have To Use Mayonnaise In Macaroni Salad?

Whether at an office holiday potluck or a summer barbeque, you've probably been asked to bring a bowl of macaroni salad at least once. If classic isn't your style, maybe you've tried a garlicky lemon herb version or a Hawaiian-style mac salad, but you were bound to have a handful of folks who passed on the dish altogether. We can blame it on their plates already being too full, or we can acknowledge the fact that, according to The Week, around 20% of Americans simply hate mayonnaise, one of the key ingredients of macaroni salad. So, do you have to use mayonnaise to make a macaroni salad? The simple answer is no.

Although the most common, mayonnaise is not the only binding ingredient you can use to make a macaroni salad. When considering substitutions, it's important to remember that mayonnaise is created from egg yolk, oil, seasonings, and either vinegar or lemon juice. When finding alternatives for your macaroni salad, you just need to use ingredients that share a similar tangy flavor and creamy texture. 

If mayonnaise isn't quite doing the trick for your macaroni salads, or you want to experiment with other flavors, there are plenty of options. The three most common mayo substitutions are sour cream, Greek yogurt, and cream cheese. Adding sour cream to your salad will provide a similar creamy, zesty flavor as mayonnaise but can be a slightly healthier alternative. Swapping mayo for Greek yogurt will give you a thick, velvety texture with a perfectly tart flavor, complementing the other sharp tastes in a standard mac salad recipe. Cream cheese can be another helpful alternative, leading to a richly textured recipe, but don't forget to thin it out with a little bit of milk, or your salad might end up too chunky.

Other noteworthy ingredient swaps to consider are hummus, avocado, cottage cheese, tzatziki sauce, or even mustard. The possibilities stretch on and on — just ensure your substitution can provide the hearty, vibrant flavors normally associated with macaroni salads. You can try these replacements with most recipes that call for mayonnaise, like a tzatziki-based coleslaw or a potato salad. Go ahead and give your next macaroni salad the makeover it needs because, let's face it, no one wants to be known as the person whipping up boring side dishes!