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This Lemon and Dill Macaroni Salad With Mackerel is a welcomed change from the classic and it’s the perfect summer side.

Bamboo serving bowl full of macaroni salad garnished with fresh dill, and a can of lemon mackerel on the side.

This post is sponsored by King Oscar | Thank you for supporting the brands I trust.

This Ain’t Your Mama’s Macaroni Salad!

There’s definitely a nostalgic attachment to macaroni salad in the summertime. Cookouts passing out burgers and grilled veggies just aren’t complete without a creamy bowl of this good stuff.

I grew up on a pretty basic (but delicious!) version, which included a simple mix of mayo, scallions, and tuna. I didn’t want to stray too far from the macaroni salad I grew up on with my adaptation, but I did want to zhuzh things up.

So this Lemon and Dill Macaroni Salad with Mackerel was born.

King Oscar’s Mackerel Fillets: The Perfect Addition.

The chunks of tuna were always my favorite part in my mom’s macaroni salad. However in my version, I’ve swapped the tuna for King Oscar’s Skinless and Boneless Mackerel Fillets With Lemon.

These fillets offer up even meatier pieces than tuna and they’re packed in pure olive oil infused with lemon, which makes them perfect for a lemon and dill macaroni salad.

If you’ve never had mackerel but enjoy tuna, don’t fret; I guarantee you’ll move the fork away from your mouth liking mackerel even more after trying King Oscar’s.

Easy Peasy Ingredients.

Macaroni salad doesn’t have to be complicated to be good. This recipe brings simple and accessible ingredients together to make a creamy, refreshing, and flavorful side for your summer mains.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Short pasta—I like to use elbow macaroni since it feels like the classic shape for macaroni salad. But you could use ditalini, gemelli, shells, or rotini.
Mayonnaise
Kosher dill pickles
Pickle brine
Lemon
Celery
Scallions
Fresh dill
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

How to Make Macaroni Salad With Mackerel.

It’s just as easy breezy as the classic macaroni salad, folks. Cook your noodles, chop your veggies, whip up your creamy dressing, and toss, toss, toss. Here’s the rundown:

Cook your macaroni as per the directions on the packaging. When it’s ready, drain and rinse under cool water.
While the pasta cooks, get your dressing together. Dump the mayo into a small mixing bowl and add the chopped pickles and celery, pickle brine, lemon juice, fresh dill, sea salt, and cracked black pepper. Stir it until it’s well blended.
Transfer the macaroni to a large serving bowl. Add the dressing, the mackerel, and the sliced scallions to the bowl, and toss to coat the noodles.
Add some extra chopped fresh dill over the salad for garnish.
Pop it in the fridge and let it sit for a few hours so the flavors can mingle.
Serve as a summer side or enjoy it as lunch!

Useful Tools for This Recipe:

Recipe Tips + Tricks.

Always let your macaroni salad sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving. It’ll be much more flavorful that way.
If you can’t find King Oscar’s mackerel fillets with lemon, you can use their fillets in olive oil. Their brisling sardines with lemon would also work very well!
Macaroni is the prefered noodle, but you can use any short pasta shape, like ditalini, gemelli, shells, or rotini.
If you don’t have access to fresh dill, swap it out and use dry dill instead.

Have You Made This Recipe?

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This Macaroni Salad Is a Great Side for These Mains:

This macaroni salad was AWESOME! We love mackerel and it works so well with dill and lemon! Ridiculously good and inventive macaroni salad!

Lemon and Dill Macaroni Salad With Mackerel