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Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad

Pickle pasta salad with creamy cheddar dressing and crisp bacon, made by tossing rinsed elbow macaroni with diced dill pickles. Chill for 2 hours so the pickle juice tang soaks into every bite for a tangy salad you can serve cold.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 670
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dill Pickle Bacon Pasta Salad
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni
  • 1.5 cup dill pickles diced
  • 8 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 0.5 cup red onion finely diced
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup pickle juice
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped (or use dried)
  • 0.5 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water until no longer warm.
Cook and crumble the bacon
  1. Arrange bacon slices on a sheet pan and cook until browned and crisp, then crumble into bite-size pieces. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly.
Make the pickle juice dressing
  1. In a large bowl, whisk mayonnaise, pickle juice, Dijon mustard, dill, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Assemble and chill
  1. In the large bowl with dressing, add pasta, diced dill pickles, crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, and red onion. Toss until evenly coated and no dry pasta remains.
Marinate in the refrigerator
  1. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld. Keep refrigerated until serving.
Finish before serving
  1. Right before serving, toss again to redistribute dressing and ingredients. Adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.

Notes

For best texture, rinse the pasta thoroughly with cold water so it won’t clump in the creamy dressing. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze not recommended because mayonnaise-based dressing can separate. For a lighter option, swap half the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt to keep the tangy pickle flavor while reducing richness.