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Dill Pickle Pasta Salad will be an instant favorite! Tender spiral pasta, 2 cups of diced pickles, cheese, and onion covered in a ultra creamy homemade dill dressing with pickle juice.

dill pickle pasta salad recipe

DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD RECIPE

I have no words for this dill pickle pasta salad. If you’re not a fan of pickles then you may just want to look away. But if 2 cups of chopped pickles + pickle juice is your thing, then I know you will love this pasta salad recipe that is loaded with dill pickle flavor. You will also love this dill pickle chicken salad too. I serve it in croissants!

We love pasta salad around here. Like this ranch pasta salad and this easy Italian pasta salad. So hearty, filling, and they make a great meal on their own or serve as a side dish for a BBQ or summertime dinner. 

Close up shot of dill pickle pasta salad with creamy homemade dill dressing

HOW TO MAKE DILL PICKLE PASTA SALAD

Rotini Pasta – This is the best pasta for any pasta salad, but especially this one because the spiral curves of the pasta soak up all that pickle goodness. 

Baby Dill Pickles – The baby dills are small so they’re much easier to cut for this salad. Plus, I think the baby dill pickles are crunchier and taste better. 

Mayonnaise – Please, please use REAL mayonnaise. Not miracle whip. Not the lite stuff. The real stuff because it tastes so much better. I am not a fan of mayonnaise to begin with, but you need it in pasta salads, and if I am going to eat it then it needs to be the real stuff. 

Colby Jack Cheese – You really can use any cheese but I have found the Colby Jack to be the best. Make sure you dice the cheese really small. See my pictures below.

Dill Pickle Juice – No this is not an extra ingredient. Although I wonder if they sell bottles of straight up dill pickle juice? Anyways, you will just need to use some of the juice from the pickle jar for this recipe. 

White Onion – Yes it’s very specific and yes you will want to use the white onion. A yellow onion will be too strong (onion flavor wise) and the white will blend in with the dressing and pasta. With that said, I would not skip the onion. It adds such a needed flavor profile to this salad. Make sure you finely dice it so no one ends up with big chunks of onion in their pasta salad. 

Sour Cream – I have used light sour cream with great results in this recipe. It adds a smoothness and creaminess to the salad. 

Ingredients for dill pickle pasta salad

Creamy homemade dill dressing for dill pickle pasta salad

MY TIPS FOR THIS PASTA SALAD RECIPE

  • This salad can be served right away or refrigerated for 1-2 hours before serving if you prefer a cold pasta salad. I prefer it cold so I refrigerate it for a couple of hours. As with any pasta salad, the longer it sits in the fridge the dressing will thicken up. Which is why I prefer this salad only after a couple hours in the fridge, that way it is still creamy but also cold too. 
  • You can use any pasta but I highly recommend the rotini spiral pasta. 
  • Again, you can use any cheese you want but I’ve found that the mild and creamy flavor of the Colby-Jack is the best in this recipe. 
  • If you decide to experiment with using Greek yogurt instead of mayo or sour cream, just know that it will change the end result slightly (taste wise). I am sure it would work just fine if you decide you wanted to try.
  • Fresh dill is best in this recipe but dried dill can be substituted. You can find fresh dill in the refrigerated area of the produce section. Make sure to wash it and chop it finely before adding it into the dressing. 

Dill Pickle Recipe

TRY THESE OTHER DILL PICKLE RECIPES

Close up shot of dill pickle pasta salad with creamy homemade dill dressing
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Dill Pickle Pasta Salad


Author Jessica
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Fridge Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12 people (1 cup each)
Dill Pickle Pasta Salad will be an instant favorite! Tender spiral pasta, 2 cups of diced pickles, cheese, and onion covered in a ultra creamy homemade dill dressing with pickle juice. 

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box (16 oz) rotini pasta
  • 1/3 cup dill pickle juice from the pickle jar
  • 2 cups chopped baby dill pickles
  • 1 block (8 oz) Colby Jack cheese cubed small
  • 1 small white onion finely chopped

Creamy Dill Dressing

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup dill pickle juice from the pickle jar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or 1 tablespoon dried dill)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions.
    Don't forget to add some salt to the boiling water before adding the pasta. I add about 1 teaspoon.
  • When pasta is done cooking drain pasta and rinse with cold water.
    Move rinsed cooked pasta to a mixing bowl and pour 1/3 cup of pickle juice over it. Stir to combine. Let it sit while you prepare the rest.
  • Chop the dill pickles and cheese into small cubes. Finely chop the white onion.
  • Drain the pasta again that was sitting in the pickle juice. Add it back to the mixing bowl. Add in the pickles, cheese, and white onion. Stir to combine.
  • In a small bowl combine all the dressing ingredients and pour over the pasta salad. Stir everything together to combine well.
    Salad can be eaten right away but I prefer it cold, and if you do too, then cover it and refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.
  • * I would recommend not making this too far ahead of time. For best results serve this salad within a few hours of making it. Either right away or after the refrigeration time. Leftovers do keep well in the fridge but the dressing thickens up and it's not as creamy as when you first make it.

Video

Notes

Use any dill pickles you want. I prefer the baby dills cause they are already small in shape so it's easier to chop them small. 
 
For best taste and texture use the real, full-fat mayonnaise. I prefer the Best Foods OR Hellman's brand. 
 
If you want some heat then add a pinch (or two) of cayenne pepper to the dressing. 
 
Any cheese or pasta can be used in this recipe but after testing it out, rotini and Colby Jack cheese tastes the best in this salad. 

Nutrition

Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

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4.38 from 173 votes (133 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




101 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is so good. Light and creamy. Good summer go to recipe.

    1. 5 stars
      They do sell dill pickle juice at Wal-Mart. It’s on the top shelf of the pickle aisle right next to the pickle pops.

      1. Together As Family says:

        What?! How have I not known about this, haha 🙂 That would have come in handy when I was last pregnant. I would eat multiple jars of pickles a day and sometimes sip the liquid…. it’s gross now that I say that out loud but it was so good at the time! 🙂

        1. I did that when I was pregnant too! I’m so excited to try this recipe.

          1. Together As Family says:

            Pickles are the best 🙂 Enjoy!

        2. They also sell gallon jugs of Best Maid dill pickle juice on Amazon. Started buying them when I was having issues with a medication I was taking which made me crave pickles and pickle juice. It also helps with leg cramps, can use as a post-workout refresher, great in pickle juice martinis, even helps to prevent hangovers. A gallon of it can go quickly if you cook with it, too. (Hello cheeseburger soup!) With all that being said, I will try your pasta salad recipe!

          1. Together As Family says:

            Interesting! A gallon of pickle juice sounds amazing. Hope you like this salad.

          2. Wow! All great resources! Thanks for sharing

  2. Yummmm, this looks amazing! I think I’m going to make this for this weekend but use Spicy Kosher dills instead. Thanks for the idea!!

    1. Together As Family says:

      Spicy dill sounds delicious! Enjoy 🙂

      1. Hello Family… I want to make this immediately!!! We are in a pandemic and to prevent going out would dill relish suffice? If not, I’m getting masked up, protected in gloves and off to Walmart!

        1. Together As Family says:

          So sorry, but I don’t think the relish would work. You could always try it and see what you think but me personally, I would make the extra trip in a face mask 🙂 Let me know if you try the relish. It would be interesting to hear how it is.

  3. 5 stars
    I made this for a church supper. I diced Mt Olive Kosher Petite dill pickles and used 4 oz of Cabot Alpine Sharp Cheddar cheese and 4 oz of Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar cheese. Ummmmm this was so good! The longer it sat the better it got! My husband said I need to make it about 4 days before I plan to serve it. Not a single pickle cube survived!

    1. Together As Family says:

      haha, I love it! I am so guilty of picking out the pickle cubes in this salad! So happy to hear this was a hit.

  4. Cyndi in NC says:

    I hate to be a stickler but Best Foods and Hellman’s are the same thing. I put this here so there’s no confusion by someone looking for both of them in the same store.

    Hellmann’s and Best Foods – Wikipedia
    “Hellmann’s and Best Foods. Hellmann’s and Best Foods are brand names that are used for the same line of mayonnaise and other food products. The Hellmann’s brand is sold in the United Kingdom, the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, Latin America, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Canada, and South Africa.”

    1. Together As Family says:

      Yes, I know they’re the same brand. I only wrote that in my blog post because I used to live on the East Coast and they sold Hellmann’s and now that we moved to the west coast they sell Best Foods. So depending on where you live you may see one or the other 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    I loved this salad. We had it less than a week ago and I’m making it again today. And I didn’t mind it a bit the next day. It was a little drier, but the flavors blended nicely. So good!!

    1. Together As Family says:

      Yes, the salad does get a bit drier the day after but like you said, the flavor seems to be even better, so no one seems to mind! So happy to hear you loved this.

  6. Elaine Wiland says:

    5 stars
    MY HUSBAND AND I LOVE THIS SALAD!! I just made it, we both ate a bowl, wow! Our kids and grandkids all love dill pickles. This will be a regular at all family affairs but… I’ll have to double it for sure. My husband said we should add chicken and make it a meal…he never makes suggestions like that! THANK YOU for putting this recipe on Pinterest!

    1. Together As Family says:

      Aww you’re so welcome! Thank you for visiting and leaving your comment. SO happy it’s a hit!

  7. 5 stars
    I loved this so much! Definitely let it sit for a few hours as I thought it was not a strong pickle flavor served immediately. But if you prefer it mild than it would be perfect fresh. Next time I’ll probably add even more pickles. 🙂

    1. Together As Family says:

      You’re totally right. I should add that into the recipe because it does definitely get a stronger dill flavor as it sits. And I am so happy you loved this salad.

  8. Avis Lind says:

    How many servings?

    1. Together As Family says:

      A lot! haha 🙂 It’s so hard to say a serving amount because it makes a lot but it also depends on how much each person takes. Is it for a potluck? Dinner? I would safely say that this salads feeds 12-15 as a side dish.

  9. 5 stars
    Love it. Light with plenty of flavor

  10. Laurie Lambries says:

    5 stars
    Yes, they do, in fact, sell bottled pickle juice. Most likely found in the liquor store section.

    1. Together As Family says:

      Yummy…. maybe! Might be to much, haha 🙂 But I love the idea of bottled juice.

  11. I would love to add some sort of meat to this, but not sure which would be best?

    1. Together As Family says:

      Maybe some shredded chicken would be yummy

    2. Chloe Martin says:

      I was thinking hard boiled eggs

    3. 4 stars
      I made this today for a family cookout. The salad is very good and a keeper. I thought the flavor was a little blah or mild as ither have said. So I added the cubed, grilled cooked chicken sold at Costco in square packages and it made it taste so much better. I would also recommend fresh dill. Thank you for the recipe! It was a hit at the potluck.

      1. Together as Family says:

        Love the idea of adding chicken! Thanks for your comment!

  12. This sounds so good …especially for dill pickle fanatics…I wonder if you could just use dill pickle relish…seems like it would supply the amount of juice needed and you get out of chopping them up…thanks for the great recipe

    1. Together As Family says:

      Yes you can if that’s what you prefer

    2. Stacie Edens says:

      Yes! I add red onion most of the time. I like the little bit of color that it adds to the salad.

  13. 5 stars
    LOVE this recipe! It is a hit everywhere I take it and I have shared the recipe multiple times. I grate my cheese to save some chopping time. And if the dressing is too thick the next day, I’ve had luck with adding a bit of pickle juice to thin it down. But I usually just double the dressing and save some back specifically for thinning down leftovers.

  14. Issabell Munn says:

    Very good but I should add a bit of sugar, just a bit sour.

  15. Brandi Wilson says:

    So we are not to add any of the pickle juice after we’ve strained from the juice? Could this be why some say the flavor is mild? I think I’ll mix some of that juice in with the whole recipe.

    1. Together As Family says:

      Not sure what you mean but the recipe does call for pickle juice in the dressing. Of course, you can always add more to your liking.

  16. This salad is awesome. I used light mayo and lite sour cream. I took it to a potluck and it was a hit. It will definitely be a go-to salad of mine.

  17. Is the 2 cups pickles before you chop them because that would be an awful lot of pickles if it is 2 cups chopped. Just asking, I do love pickles.

    1. Together As Family says:

      It is actually 2 cups chopped pickles. Sounds like a lot but when you add it into a pound of pasta plus the other ingredients, it’s not too much. Enjoy!

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  19. 5 stars
    Love this recipe because it uses dill pickle instead of sweet. I also added chopped black olives. Yum!!!

  20. Peggy Hunt says:

    5 stars
    My family loved the pasta salad. I followed the recipe exactly as written with the Colby Jack cheese. Definitely a keeper. Can’t wait to have it again.

    1. Together As Family says:

      Yum, we love the colby jack cheese in this salad. So happy you love it. Thanks for commenting and visiting.

  21. 5 stars
    My family loves this dish.

  22. 5 stars
    Delicious! Does taste best when eaten early on! Very Creamy!!!!Next day it is still good, but the dressing gets “gummy”!

  23. 5 stars
    So I’ve made this a few times (delicious) but I’m going camping tomorrow immediately after I work all day so I wont have to to do it except for tonight or in the morning. I’m wanting to make it but not too soon. So i was wondering, can I cook the noodles tomorrow morning then leave them in a bag of pickle juice to keep them moist until I get out camping and then mix all the ingredients then? Or will it end up waaayy too pickley? I love the creamy sauce stage and I really dont want to miss out on that part lol

    1. Together As Family says:

      Great idea to take this camping! If I were doing that, I would just let the pasta soak in the pickle juice (like you mentioned) and then take the dressing and mix ins with you. Combine it all together when ready to serve it. I don’t think the pasta would be too pickly…. but then again I love pickles 🙂 But I do think that would be the best way.

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  25. 5 stars
    This is soooo good! my whole family loves it!

  26. 5 stars
    Yum! This sounds delicious. I’ve been trying to expand my pickle recipes and I haven’t tried dill pickle pasta yet but I have all the ingredients so I’m starting this right now. Can’t wait to try it, thanks for sharing!

  27. This sounds so great! Can’t wait to try! Why do you rinse the pasta after you salted the water? That’s flavor!

    1. Together As Family says:

      I think the pasta still gets the flavor on it even with being rinsed. If you’d rather not rinse the pasta, that’s fine, but you will have to refrigerate the pasta salad (cause the noodles will be warm from no rinsing), unless of course you want a warm pasta salad then you can serve right away. I hope you get the chance to try this recipe. Thanks for your comment.

  28. 4 stars
    Yummy! I will cut the pickles and cheese into larger bites next time. That is just my preference.

  29. 5 stars
    Awesome, This is going to be my new dish to take to gatherings,
    Thank you for the recipe.

  30. 5 stars
    We absolutely love this salad. It is refreshing; just right for summer eating!

  31. I made this for our Labor Day weekend annual family camping trip and everyone loved it! I used the Garofalo Organic Tri-Color Fusilli pasta because that is what I had on hand. It was delicious. Everyone had seconds and had requests for the recipe. I will definitely make this again.

  32. Made this for Super Bowl, everyone loved It, including me! Delicious and so easy.

    1. Together As Family says:

      I love hearing this! Happy to hear it was a hit and thanks for letting me know.

  33. 5 stars
    Just the right amount of pickle and the dressing is wonderfully creamy. Definitely a keeper!

  34. 5 stars
    Have made it multiple times and passed on the recipe! Love it!

    1. Together As Family says:

      Thank you for sharing the recipe and I am so happy to hear you love this pasta salad. It’s one of my favorites for sure!

  35. This is one of my new favorites for girl’s weekend, BBQ, or just a Tuesday night at home! I feel strongly that Swiss cheese is the best for the pickles. I also prefer Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles.

    Also, I prepare it ahead of time, preparing the dressing first and refrigerating. Then the pickles, onion and swiss separately. About an hour before serving, I remove pickle mixture & dressing from fridge. Then, I cook pasta, drain and let pasta soak in pickle juice. So unbelievably good! Garnish with fresh dill! YUM!

  36. 5 stars
    I LOVE this recipe! It was so creamy and tasty! I had a 12 ounce box of rotini in the pantry (instead of 16 ounces), but I left the other ingredient measurements alone and it was perfectly creamy leftover.

  37. 5 stars
    Absolutely my favorite thing in the world. I do not share the leftovers haha. I would eat this every day if I could. I follow the recipe as is, it’s perfect. Thank you for this recipe!

    P.s. for you ranch fanatics, my SIL added ranch powder to her variation and said it was even more delicious. I haven’t tried it yet but I think I might 🙂

  38. 5 stars
    We make this several times a month. It’s always a huge hit and people want the recipe. Even my somewhat picky kids love it!

  39. Kay Edwards says:

    5 stars
    Found this recipe over a year ago. My family loves it. My oldest daughter expects it every time they visit. The disappointment last time was precious. Was wondering about the chicken as a few have mentioned but also was thinking about chopped cucumber and diced peppers. Any thoughts on that

    1. Together As Family says:

      I think the cucumbers would be so yummy. Of course you could add chicken, but I think the chicken would take away from the fabulous dill pickle flavor. Just my thoughts 🙂

  40. 2 stars
    Made it last night to have for lunch at work the next couple days, as a pickle lover I was excited to try this recipe, but soon found out it was not for me. The cheese is an odd choice to me, in my opinion the cheese does to belong whatsoever. I also felt like it was missing some depth of flavor so I added garlic powder. Overall it wasn’t horrible, it is edible. However, that being said I will not be making it again.

    1. Together as Family says:

      So sorry it didn’t work for you! Thank you for your comment!

  41. Best Dill Pickle Salad Ever !!
    I use half a container of dill pickle chip dip
    in lew of half cup mayonnaise, takes it to another level of Dill Pickle

    1. Together as Family says:

      Love it- “another level of dill pickle” 😆

  42. 5 stars
    I have made this three times now!! My family LOVES it!! Yummmm!

    1. Together as Family says:

      Love a family loved recipe! Thank you!

  43. Happy Mama says:

    5 stars
    It was very good and I only had garlic salt but it tasted really good.

    1. Together as Family says:

      Thank you! Glad you liked it!

  44. Happy Mama says:

    5 stars
    Very easy to make and good. Second day it soaked in dressing so I made more and mixed in tiny ham chunks very good with the ham too !

  45. 5 stars
    my sister made your recipe and I now can’t get enough! Delicious!

    1. Together as Family says:

      That’s so good to hear! Thanks for commenting!

  46. 5 stars
    Excellent recipe. Made it for family BBQ. Even those not fan of pasta salads loved it!!!

    1. Together as Family says:

      Wonderful! Thank you for your comment!

  47. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to bring this to our next get together. I am sure it will be a huge hit! Followed recipe as you gave it . Thank you for sharing this.

    1. Together as Family says:

      You’re welcome! I love when I get to share new recipes I’ve found!

  48. Barb Hyska says:

    Love this salad, I double the dressing recipe , because I make it way ahead of time for less stress. Then if I need to I can add the additional dressing to make it creamy again

    1. Together as Family says:

      Genius to have extra dressing set aside! Thanks for sharing!

  49. 5 stars
    We love this salad. Definitely worth 5 stars!

    1. Together as Family says:

      Thank you Peggy!

  50. 5 stars
    Added bacon crumble to it yummy
    And shredded the cheese so almost every piece has some

    1. Together as Family says:

      Sounds delicious! I love the idea of adding bacon and shredding the cheese. It’s so fun to read how people make the recipes their own.

  51. If you really love the pickle taste after you cook and drain your pasta put it in a bowl and pour the pickle juice over the pasta it will soak it up then add your other ingredients and mix

    1. Together as Family says:

      I LOVE that idea! Thanks for sharing!

  52. 4 stars
    this is awesome! just made it again for probably the tenth time. so easy and tasty. I always make it a day in advance so make a little extra dressing to toss in right before serving.

    1. Together as Family says:

      Such a great idea to make a day in advance and have some extra dressing! Thank you for your comment and review!

  53. 4 stars
    I made this and we’re still eating it a few days later. it’s totally fine refrigerated, but it does dry up a little bit, so I was a few tablespoons more pickle juice and it tastes even better than it did on day 1. 🙂

  54. 5 stars
    I was surprised how yummy this salad is & I happened to have 3 jars of dill pickles in the fridge & some fresh dill so I figured I’d try it. Thanks for the recipe.

  55. 5 stars
    delicious 😋
    I used gluten free penned (12 Oz because that’s all I had, and I only use gf pasta,
    I didn’t add the onion, I used extra sharp cheddar because it’s what I had, and I only used half a cup of mayo.