Jump to Recipe·5 from 2 reviews

This Ensalada de Coditos is not your ordinary mac salad; it’s loaded with ham and fresh veggies for a super colorful Puerto Rican-style Macaroni Salad. Perfect for bringing to the family BBQ and serving alongside meat straight off the grill!

A plate of ensalada de coditos.

This Puerto Rican-style macaroni salad is loaded with flavor; there’s a much needed sweetness from sweet corn and red bell pepper, plus a subtle bite from red and green onion.

Everything is coated with a classic mayo-mustard-vinegar dressing that gives the right amount of tang, without overpowering the freshness of the veggies. No sugar necessary!

Share at BBQs and potlucks alongside this easy Puerto Rican-style potato salad, Mexican-style chicken salad and grilled pinchos de pollo!

Ingredients

Bowls of noodles, veggies, ham, and more.
Find the full ingredient list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.

How to Make Ensalada de Coditos, Step by Step

A pot of boiling macaroni noodles.
Add water and lots of salt to a pot on high heat. Bring to a boil then add macaroni noodles. Cook as directed on the package. Drain the water and set the noodles aside to cool. 
Macaroni salad dressing being whisked.
Mix mayo, mustard, and vinegar together in a large salad bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
A bowl with corn, onion, bell pepper, and more.
Mix the ham, bell pepper, onion, green onion, and corn into the salad bowl. 
A bowl of macaroni salad.
Fold in the cooled macaroni and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Vegetarian? Feel free to skip the ham and keep this salad meat-free, if desired. We’ve tested this a couple times, and it’s equally delicious either way.

Perfect Pairings

When I think about ensalada de coditos, I think about family BBQs. So naturally, I’m usually serving this cold alongside meat and veggies, straight off the grill.

Here are some of my favorites:

Grilled Puerto Rican Pinchos de Pollo (Chicken Skewers)

Puerto Rican-Style Potato Salad (Ensalada de Papa)

Grilled Lamb Chops with Cumin and Salt

5 Ingredient Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Keep It Chilled

Make sure you’re storing this macaroni salad in an air tight container in the fridge whenever you aren’t serving it.

Please don’t judge me (or do), but I am a bit of a weirdo when it comes to mayonnaise-based salads. I took one math class where we calculated the rate of bacteria growth in a potato salad and was forever ruined.

All that to say, ensalada de coditos is best served cold anyway, so keep it chilled and direct your loved ones to the fridge for seconds.

A plate of ensalada de coditos.

Buen provecho,

Salima written in cursive
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A plate of ensalada de coditos.

Ensalada de Coditos (Puerto Rican Macaroni Salad)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Salima Benkhalti
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Entree, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish, Salad
  • Method: Boiled
  • Cuisine: Puerto Rican
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Description

This Ensalada de Coditos is not your ordinary mac salad; it’s loaded with ham and fresh veggies for a super colorful Puerto Rican-style macaroni salad. Perfect for bringing to the family BBQ and serving alongside meat straight off the grill!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8 cups of water
  • 2 cups dried elbow macaroni
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tbp mustard
  • 1 tsp white vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup ham, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup green onion, minced
  • 1 cup corn (can be canned or thawed from frozen)

Instructions

  1. Cook the coditos (macaroni noodles). Add the water to a pot over high heat and salt generously. Bring to a boil before adding the noodles and cooking according to package instructions. Strain and set aside to cool.
  2. Whisk together the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk the mayo, mustard, and vinegar together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Fold in the veggies & ham. Fold the diced ham, bell pepper, onion, green onion, and corn into the dressing.
  4. Fold in the noodles. Fold in the cooked macaroni noodles and add additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve & enjoy!

Enjoy this recipe?

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