Spicy Macaroni Salad with Buffalo Sauce
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This easy Spicy Macaroni Salad recipe gives a flavorful kick to a classic pasta salad with the addition of jalapenos, cayenne pepper and buffalo sauce! It’s the perfect side dish for a summer BBQ or football tailgate.
Table of contents
This spicy macaroni salad recipe was originally posted on the blog in May 2012 when my family threw a BBQ for Memorial Day Weekend. The post has since been updated with shiny new photos and a fancy little video!
The BBQ when I first made this salad was the first time I cooked original recipes from the blog for my friends and family in Oklahoma. The cooking experience was made even more excellent because I had a lot of help. My Dad was my sous chef, my Brother was my dishwasher and my Mom and Aunt were my taste-testers.
Pretty sure my Mom and Aunt got the best jobs in the house, but I was very grateful to everyone for their help! The menu consisted of a couple of new recipes, a favorite recipe from the blog, and Dad’s famous Oklahoma BBQ Brisket! Check out the delicious menu below, and be sure to check out some of the other recipes from the BBQ.
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Berry Cream Fillo Baskets
- Dad’s Smoked Brisket
- Spicy Macaroni Salad (recipe below)
Ingredients
- Macaroni noodles – or another small noodle like shells, farfalle, rotini, cavatappi, penne, fusilli, or bowtie pasta.
- Greek yogurt – to make the creamy dressing. If you want a richer, creamier dressing, use mayo instead of the Greek yogurt.
- Red wine vinegar – to add a delicious tang to the dressing.
- Buffalo sauce – the heat in the dressing lies in this sauce and other spices. I like Frank’s red hot, but feel free to use your favorite brand of buffalo sauce.
- Chili powder – another addition to the dressing that adds heat to this salad.
- Cayenne pepper – to really make this a spicy macaroni salad, we’re adding just 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. After testing this recipe many times over the years, anymore than that is simply too spicy!
- Garlic cloves – I recommend fresh crushed cloves for the best flavor.
- Tomato – any large tomato diced into small pieces will work in this recipe.
- Onion – I recommend red onion for this recipe because of it’s bright color and bold flavor. White onions can also be used.
- Jalapeño – to add spice to the salad, mince up one jalapeno. If you want even more spice, use a serrano pepper instead of the jalapeno.
- Cilantro – for a fresh addition to the salad. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you can use flat-leaf parsley in it’s place.
- Pepperoncinis – for our final addition of spice, we’re adding deli-sliced pepperoncinis. These are usually found in a jar on the salad dressing aisle of the grocery store, near the olives and pickles.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Start this recipe by boiling the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Salt the water and cook the macaroni noodles according to package directions. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it in a colander in the sink. Rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool down the noodles. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl and set them aside.
- Prepare the salad dressing. Combine greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, buffalo sauce, chili powder, cayenne pepper and crushed garlic in a medium bowl. Set the dressing aside.
- Chop the veggies. Dice the tomato, onion and pepperoncinis. Add them to the bowl with the cooked pasta. Mince the jalapeno and chop the fresh cilantro, and add them to the bowl.
- Pour the dressing into the bowl. Use a spatula to gently toss all of the salad ingredients together until they’re fully coated in the dressing. Place the salad in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill and allow the flavors to develop.
Recipe tips
- Since spicy is in the name of the recipe, just know that this macaroni salad is spicy! If you want a more mild macaroni salad with the flavor of buffalo sauce, omit the cayenne pepper and jalapeno. You’ll still get a kick of spice and the flavor of buffalo sauce, but it will cut down on the heat.
- For added crunch, add ½ cup diced red bell pepper, carrots, or celery to the salad.
- To make this recipe gluten free, substitute in gluten-free macaroni noodles.
- To make this recipe vegan, peplace the greek yogurt with vegan mayonnaise.
Make ahead and storage tips
You can make this recipe ahead of time. In fact, the pasta salad gets even better as it sits and soaks in the flavors of the dressing. If you’re making the salad 24 hours in advance, or more, be sure to cover it before placing it in the fridge.
Store spicy macaroni salad leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I always recommend eating the salad cold, and storing it in an airtight container to preserve the fresh flavors.
What to serve it with
This spicy pasta salad is a great summer side dish, or the perfect potluck recipe to take to a tailgate or game day party. It’s light and refreshing, but also creamy and flavorful, with a delicious kick of buffalo sauce!
You can’t go wrong serving this salad with an easy weeknight meal, a backyard bbq, or while watching your favorite team play football. Pair it with any of these delicious main dishes!
More side dish recipes
Be sure to try these other popular side dish recipes!
Spicy Macaroni Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni noodles
- ¾ cup greek yogurt, or mayonnaise
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup buffalo sauce
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 cup red onion, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup peperoncinis, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove. Cook the macaroni noodles according to package directions. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it in a colander in the sink. Rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool down the noodles. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl and set them aside.
- Prepare the salad dressing by combining the greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, buffalo sauce, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and crushed garlic in a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the diced tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, cilantro and pepperoncinis to the bowl with the cooked macaroni noodles. Pour the dressing into the bowl, and stir to combine everything.
- Transfer the salad to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. You can also make the salad, cover and refrigerate it up to 24 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- Since spicy is in the name of the recipe, just know that this macaroni salad is spicy! If you want a more mild macaroni salad with the flavor of buffalo sauce, omit the cayenne pepper and jalapeno. You’ll still get a kick of spice and the flavor of buffalo sauce, but it will cut down on the heat.
- To make this recipe gluten free, substitute in gluten-free macaroni noodles.
- To make this recipe vegan, peplace the greek yogurt with vegan mayonnaise.
- Store spicy macaroni salad leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I always recommend eating the salad cold, and storing it in an airtight container to preserve the fresh flavors.
Nutrition Facts
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2 Comments on “Spicy Macaroni Salad with Buffalo Sauce”
This is a fun recipe. I added diced ham, diced up radish, red bell pepper, rather than the buffalo sauce. I added 1/2 cup Mayo, 1/2 cup sour crème, Seracha sauce, 1/4 teas. Coriander, 1/4 teas smoked paprika. Rather than sliced jalapeños, I added diced up pickled jalapeños. It was very popular. I took it to work, for a bbq.
I love making this as a side! Such a great macaroni salad recipe!