Basic Potato Salad Recipe

[Jerica Shilt]

Potatosalad is a delicious classic side dish in the South. Consisting of mainly a boiled potato base, this yummy salad features tons of flavor and creaminess. Traditionally, potato salad includes potatoes, mayonnaise, and seasonings. Other common ingredients are onion, mustard, boiled eggs, and pickles or relish. However, there are many variations based on the region you may find yourself. This southern style potato salad includes boiled eggs, mustard, and vinegar for added flavor.

This is very easy to make and,after a little adjustments for my taste, everyone loved it. My adult daughter ate three servings she like it so well. Now initially, it came out very dry, perhaps because of the potatoes, since size is objective I used 5 medium Russets. I do not peel my potatoes. I did try to stay withing the recipe. My fix for this was to add about another 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and 1/2 cup of sour cream plus salt and coarse ground pepper. That ended up with the salad the perfect creaminess without being too wet. It still sticked to the spoon.

I always add chopped celery, chopped green pepper, and green olives to mine. Never put vinegar in it,, but will add that next time. Lost my husband almost 4 years ago, and cook very little these days, mainly because I am on oxygen full times. But now I am hungry for potato salad. Thank you for all the recipes.. I enjoy reading them, even when I cannot make them. I am 91 years old, so spend most of my time now in my recliner.

I would comment that if you have it cooking the potaoes in a multiple cooker (such as an Instapot) enhances their flavor. Make about a quarter to a third of the liquid for cooking vinegar instead of water and cook a quartered onion with the potatoes to enhance the flavor even more.

Your recipe is very much how I make mine. I grate my boiled eggs for my salads. Mixes better. Many times I add celery and diced radishes. Love the crunch. The vinegar is a must with dill. When I have fresh fill will put this in too. Yes yes for Dukes. Love many of your recipes.

This has become my go-to recipe for potato salad. I like how light the dressing is and using dill relish is a game changer! When I make baked potatoes, I make a large tray of them and use the extra baked potatoes to make this salad. We like it with the skins on. It is quick, easy, and delicious. And the added bonus, I get a jump ahead on dinner later in the week!

Stacey,

Thank you so much for all your recipes! I am eating the potato salad now. It is really good. Every one of your recipes has been easy and delicious. I really love your chicken and dumpling recipe. It is the best I have ever made!

I know what you mean about getting burnt out! I love mine for the same reasons as you! Where would we be without inspiration and people like Peggi??? This is awesome! I love the potato salad too! ?

Potato SaladThis has been my go to potato salad recipe for years! Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate RecipePrep Time: 20 minutes minutesCook Time: 10 minutes minutesTotal Time: 30 minutes minutesCourse: DinnerCuisine: AmericanKeyword: Easy Potato Salad RecipeIngredients4 large potatoes1 1/2 cups of mayo2 TBSP of yellow mustard1/2 tsp each of salt pepper, garlic powder, and paprika4 chopped hard boiled eggs6 pieces of cooked bacon crumbled2 green onions choppedInstructionsPeel, wash, and chop potatoes.Boil potatoes in a pot of water on the stove until they are fork tender.While the potatoes are boiling, add mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika to a bowl and mix together well.Add chopped green onions, 3 of the eggs, and 5 pieces of bacon and mix together. I like to save one egg and one piece of bacon for the top of the potato salad.Once the potatoes are cooked, add them to the bowl and mix everything together well. Stir carefully so the potatoes don't turn to mashed potatoes.Chill in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours.Before serving top with the chopped egg and bacon that you saved.Enjoy! Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

1) The key to making the best potato salad is to use starchy potatoes and let them get really soft, so they are partially mashed once mixed. This gives the recipe a rustic, yet thick and luxurious quality. I like to use Yukon Gold or Klondike Goldust potatoes. You can also use Russet potatoes if you like. Do not use new potatoes, because they hold their shape too well and will leave the dressing soupy.

Use the good quality refrigerated relish that tastes fresh, has large chunks, and stays firm. Otherwise, the dense ultra-sweet shelved variety might overwhelm the flavor of the dressing.

3) Mix the potatoes and the dressing while the potatoes are still warm. Add chopped hard-boiled eggs for richness, celery for crunch, sweet onions for a zippy bite, and fresh chopped dill for a herbaceous punch.

Most store-bought pickle relish is sweet. I like to use the refrigerated kind that has larger chunks. It provides a better texture and the sweetness adds a lovely balance to the salad. If you hate the idea of adding sweetness, find a tart pickle relish or add chopped banana peppers.

Mom always cooked the potatoes with the peels on, then removed some (or all) of the peels after cooking. This allows you to leave some potato skins in the salad, if you like, for extra texture. Also, it eliminates the need for a vegetable peeler because the skins will pull right off after the potatoes are fully cooked.

I have made so many recipes for Potato Salad and I have to say like many other reviewers this is seriously the best it is the best Potato Salad I have every tasted. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe I will use it for years to come.

Potato salad unfortunately does not freeze well. So if you are making a batch in advance or have leftovers to store, simply place the potato salad in a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Time-saving method: If you are in a hurry, you can rinse the potatoes immediately with cold water until chilled. Then drain the potatoes thoroughly in a colander, return them to the stockpot, drizzle evenly with the vinegar, and continue on with Step 3.

I made this and it was excellent. I used a variety of potatoes including purple. The variety in color made it look better. I also salted the potatoes while boiling. So in the end I only added a half teaspoon salt. I used quite a good amount of pepper. One teaspoon smoked paprika and about a quarter cup of chives. This brought a lot of color and flavor to the dish.

Hi Ali,

Thank you for this! I would also like to add that you are my go to for both culinary and travel inspiration.

My recipe for potato salad is very similar, but just slightly different. The biggest difference I learned from Julia Child and The Food Lab. J.C. makes a standard vinaigrette and dresses the hot diced potatoes to absorb the tang of the vinegar. The good olive oil also reduces the need for too much mayo and makes the salad just a little lighter tasting. The biggest difference I have learned is in the cooking of the potato. Instead of boiling, I bake the potatoes. I put them all on a pan sheet and seal with foil. This prevents the potatoes from absorbing water from boiling and allows for a more potato-y flavour; makes them less water logged. Makes all the difference in the world! Incidentally, I bake the potatoes for mashing as well. Cheers, marina

I swapped out the relish and vinegar for pickle juice and added chopped radishes. I also added a bit of honey (to taste) to the dressing to balance the tangy ingredients. Sprinkled with finely shopped fresh dill. YUM!!

This looks delicious what a classic recipe. I see you talk about mayo or miracle whip. I wonder what your thoughts are about using avocado mayo? I have been using it lately for the health benefits. Anyway, great recipe!

When making potato salad, I cook whole, small potatoes. I find potatoes cooked whole retain flavor and have a better texture than when cooked chopped. I simmer the whole potatoes in salted water until I can push a fork through the center. Small to medium potatoes (like the ones pictured) take 15 to 20 minutes.

I chop the peeled potatoes into smaller chunks and sprinkle apple cider vinegar over them. This is one of my secrets for the best potato salad we learned from Alton Brown years ago! Vinegar makes the flavor of our potatoes pop and adds a little bite, which is amazing when mixed with the creamy dressing. Other vinegars or even pickle brine are good substitutes.

I love how simple our favorite potato salad dressing is to make. It only has 3 ingredients and tastes so good that I end up licking the bowl. We use the same dressing when making this creamy herb potato salad and turn it into a sauce for roasted fingerling potatoes.

3Meanwhile, set up an ice bath. Add cold water to a medium bowl filled with ice. Drain the potatoes and then place them into the ice bath. When cool, peel the potatoes by gently pinching the skin and pulling it away.

So easy and delicious! Naturally gluten free which is great for coeliacs like me, i also made it dairy free using vegan mayo and plain coconut yogurt for the sour cream. I also used about 1 TBS of pickle relish instead of a dill pickle which are hard to comeby in the Uk. I put the egg in for extra protein and ate it with some albacore tuna. So Yummy!! Thank you

This easy, classic Southern potato salad recipe with eggs, has been handed down from my grandma to my mom and then to me and includes their secret tips that make it the very best potato salad recipe every single time.

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