Ensalada de coditos or Puerto Rican macaroni salad is the perfect side dish to serve at parties and family gatherings. It is made with a tangy dressing of mayonnaise, mustard, olive juice, and vinegar. It’s easy to make and tastes even better on day two. I enjoy the convenience of preparing this macaroni salad a day ahead of a special event which relieves the pressure of cooking too many dishes on the day of!
Ingredients for making ensalada de coditos:
- Macaroni
- Red onion
- Green bell pepper
- Tomatoes
- Eggs
- Diced ham
- Olives
- Mayonnaise
- Mustard
- Olive juice
- Oil & Vinegar
- Italian Dressing Mix
How to make Puerto Rican Macaroni Salad?
Fill a large pot with cold water. Place it over high heat and bring it to a boil. TIP: Add chicken bouillon instead of salt to the pasta water to really bring this dish to the next level! Add the macaroni and stir well. Cook according to the package instructions. You can also boil the eggs together with the pasta or boil them separately.
In the meantime, add the ingredients (listed in recipe below) for the dressing to a small bowl. My secret ingredient is the Italian dressing mix! I use the Good Seasons brand, it’s so good in salad dressing, macaroni salad, and potato salad! Stir until well combined. Set aside. Finely dice the hard-boiled eggs, bell pepper, onion, tomato, ham, and olives.
The ham I like to use is Black Bear’s Classic Uncured Ham Steak. It’s free of nitrates and nitrites and tastes DELICIOUS! It’s good quality ham and I love to use it in my beans (habichuelas guisadas) too!
When the pasta is done, drain and place in a large bowl. Add all of the ingredients along with the dressing and mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate the macaroni salad until it’s ready to serve. Enjoy!
What to serve with ensalada de coditos?
Ensalada de códigos pairs well with almost any dish. I enjoy serving Puerto Rican macaroni salad with pavochón, jamón con piña, pollo al horno, carne guisada, and arroz con gandules, or white rice and beans. You really can’t go wrong!
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Ensalada de Coditos (Puerto Rican Macaroni Salad)
Ingredients
Macaroni Salad
- 16 oz macaroni cooked
- 2 tbsp chicken bouillon for pasta water
- 3 hard-boiled eggs diced
- 1/2 cup red onion chopped
- 1 cup bell peppers, any color chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes diced
- 1 cup ham steak or spam diced
- 1/2 cup pimento stuffed olives diced (optional)
Dressing
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 1 tsp yellow mustard add more if desired
- 1 tbsp olive juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tsp Italian dressing mix Good Seasons
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with cold water. Place it over high heat and bring it to a boil. Add the chicken bouillon and the macaroni, stir well. Cook according to the package instructions.
- You can also boil the eggs together with the pasta or boil them separately.
- In the meantime, add the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
- Finely dice the hard-boiled eggs, bell pepper, onion, tomato, ham, and olives.
- When the pasta is done, drain and place in a large bowl.
- Add all of the ingredients along with the dressing and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
- Cover and refrigerate the macaroni salad until it's ready to serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
TIPS:
Add flavor!
I like to add chicken bouillon to the pasta water instead of salt. This will add flavor to the macaroni and take this salad to a whole new level!Add color!
Add a mix of red, green, and yellow bell peppers to add more color to this beautiful macaroni salad!Make ahead!
This ensalada de coditos tastes even better on day two. I enjoy the convenience of preparing this macaroni salad a day ahead of a special event which relieves the pressure of cooking too many dishes on the day of!Check out more Latin recipes!
Carne Guisada (Puerto Rican Beef Stew)
Churrasco with Chimichurri Sauce
Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican Fritters)
Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)
Puerto Rican Potato Salad (Ensalada de Papa)
Puerto Rican Corned Beef (Carne Bif)
Puerto Rican Meatballs In Sofrito Sauce
Puerto Rican Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)
Easy Black Beans (Habichuelas Negras)
Pollo al Horno (Baked Chicken)
English 
Spanish 
I just tried your Ensalada de Coditos recipe and it was a hit at my family gathering! The blend of tangy and savory flavors, especially with the unique addition of Italian dressing mix, elevated the dish beyond the typical macaroni salad. It paired wonderfully with our grilled dishes, adding a refreshing contrast. Making it a day ahead really enhanced the flavors, making it even more delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper for future gatherings. Thank you for sharing this gem!
Thank you for your kind words! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
I love this salad and I tried your salad and it was delicious everybody loved it 💕😋
I love macaroni salad yours was delicious everyone loved it 💕😋
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it!
I make this Macaroni salad recipe this weekend for my Friendsgiving and it was a hit!