Filipino-style macaroni salad is a festive side dish that can pair perfectly with all your main dishes. Commonly eaten during the holiday season, this salad is a delicious addition to your potluck spreads!

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Making this recipe took a bit of work and, of course, a lot of back-and-forth with the parents (my Filipino food critics) to get it just right to their tastes.

In truth, I’ve never actually had macaroni salad ever. I’ve seen it at Filipino parties, barbecues, and picnics, but I’ve just never bothered to give it a try. I hate to say it, but the concept of a cold pasta dish just off-putted me back then.

I decided to give it a whirl this year since it was nearing Christmas anyways, and I was pleasantly surprised. The texture was perfectly rich and creamy, with bits of shredded chicken and chunks of sweet and crisp pineapples and carrot.

I paired it with my dad’s Filipino barbecue that he made that night and I was instantly hooked. Seriously. The pairing of the smoky beef with the cold macaroni was just perfect. You’re telling me I’ve missed out on this dish my whole life because I was being picky?!

What is Filipino-Style Macaroni Salad?

Macaroni salad is a type of cold pasta dish made with elbow macaroni and a mayonnaise-based dressing. It’s commonly served as a side-dish that pairs with anything fried, grilled, or barbecued.

What makes this uniquely “Filipino-style” is with the addition of certain ingredients that local Filipinos would typically use to suit their tastebuds. We’re talking tropical fruits such as pineapples, bits of cheese, and with a hint of sweetness using either sugar or condensed milk.

It’s incredibly popular during the holiday seasons. If you’ve ever been to a Filipino party or potluck during Christmas or New Year’s Eve, you might have already been exposed to this dish!

In reality, there’s actually tons of different ways Filipino macaroni salad is made. Some like making theirs a bit sweeter, others like putting additional tropical fruits to make it even more festive (if your family makes it slightly different, I’d love to hear your variations!)

Ingredients (and substitutions!)

Chicken: You can use either white meat (chicken breast) or dark meat (chicken thighs or legs) for this recipe. If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, feel free to use that as well to skip the whole cooking process.

Substitutions: You may also use shredded turkey for this, or omit the protein altogether if preferred.

Elbow macaroni: The star of the macaroni salad. We’ll be boiling this in lightly salted water and cooling it down prior to mixing with the dressing.

Mayonnaise: Any standard mayonnaise should work.

Substitutions: Some readers inquired if they could use Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise, which could also work. I’ve actually tried this recipe using this and the resulting salad was slightly more tangy, rich, and umami in flavor. While it won’t exactly be the same or be as traditional, I think it still tastes pretty good!

Sweet relish: Relish will give our dressing a characteristic tart, lightly sweet, and acidic taste.

Heavy cream: My mom loves using heavy cream in her salads since it makes the overall dish just that more rich and creamy. You may use either standard heavy/whipping cream or the all-purpose cream that’s typically more common in most Filipino households.

Condensed milk: This will intensify the rich, creamy taste of the dressing while also adding a needed sweetness characteristic of any Filipino macaroni salad. I put “to taste” in the recipe as people’s preferences for sweet dishes differ drastically.

Substitutions: You can use regular white sugar, honey, agave, or any other sweetener of your choice.

Carrot: We’ll be dicing these carrots to give some crunch to the salad.

Pineapple: You can use either canned or fresh pineapple for this recipe. Just be sure to cut them into “tidbits” or tiny, bite-sized chunks to make them easier to eat.

Onion: Some recipes like to add onions, while others don’t. I personally love adding a little hint of onion in the salad as it gives it more flavor and depth. You can go sparingly with this as the pungency of fresh onion might overpower the overall dish.

Cheese: I like using cheddar cheese. You could also go the traditional route by using processed cheeses such as Eden, Magnolia, or Velveeta.

Ham: Any store-bought ham from the meat or deli section of your grocery should work.

Raisin: This will give some texture and a pop of sweetness to our salad.

Substitutions: Though non-traditional, dried cranberries or dried apricots could also work in a pinch.

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken:

Bring a pot of water to boil and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add in the chicken to fully submerge.

Lower the heat to medium, and let the chicken simmer gently until fully cooked-through, about 20-30 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pot (reserve the boiling liquid!). Shred the meat apart and set aside for later.

Prepare the Macaroni:

In the same reserved pot (where you simmered the chicken), bring the liquid to a boil.

Once boiling, add in the uncooked macaroni and continue to cook until soft.

Once softened, drain the macaroni and set aside for later. Let this cool completely prior to mixing with the dressing.

Prepare the Dressing:

In a mixing bowl, combine together the mayonnaise, heavy cream, sweet relish, salt, pepper, and condensed milk (if using).

Mix the ingredients until smooth and well combined.

Taste the dressing. Adjust with more salt, pepper, and condensed milk if needed. Set aside for assembly.

Prepare the Macaroni Salad:

In a large mixing bowl, add in the cooled macaroni, prepared dressing, shredded chicken, and all mix-ins of your choice.

Gently mix using a spatula to ensure all macaroni is covered with the dressing. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (up to overnight, for best results).

Serve as a side-pairing with your other main dishes. Enjoy!

Cooking Tips

Prepare your mix-ins while the chicken and macaroni are boiling: Unless you’d prefer not to multitask, I’d highly suggest prepping your mix-ins while you’re waiting for the chicken to cook and the macaroni to soften. This will keep your preparation of the salad running smoothly and save you time!

Let your macaroni cool before mixing with the dressing: Mixing hot pasta with a mayonnaise-based dressing may cause the oils to separate, which prevents it from being creamy and can quickly become unappetizing.

Add or omit your favorite mix-ins: This recipe covers most, if not all, of the standard mix-ins that you’d typically see with a Filipino macaroni salad. You can always add or omit these to your preference, if you’d like (for instance, I’m not a huge fan of raisins, but my mom insisted it had to be included for the sake of authenticity!)

Chill your macaroni salad in the refrigerator overnight: This will give the macaroni a chance to absorb the flavors of the dressing and to also allow the ingredients to meld into one. If you can’t go overnight, I’d suggest at least 3 hours prior to serving.

*Do note that the texture of the salad does tend to become less creamy as it chills (which isn’t necessarily a problem that affects taste at all). You may add additional heavy cream after chilling if you’d like in order to preserve the initial creaminess of the dish.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I store Filipino Macaroni Salad?

This can be refrigerated and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days to preserve its taste and optimal texture.

There is no need to warm or let the dish come to room temperature when serving as this is normally eaten cool!

Can I freeze this?

Since the dressing is composed mainly of fat and oil, I wouldn’t freeze the salad as it can cause some textural issues when thawed.

What do I serve this with?

This recipe is perfect alongside any main dish that’s commonly fried, grilled, or even barbecued. Here are some of my favorite pairings:

Chicken Inasal

Pork Tocino

Soy Marinated Filipino Short Ribs

Looking for more delicious side dishes? Here’s some more you might enjoy: