The Best Potato Salad Recipe Ever
My moms potato salad is better than your moms potato salad.
There, I said it and Im not taking it back! *wink*
Seriously though, my mother has magical abilities in the art of potato salad making. My mom makes traditional mustard, pickle, and hard-boiled egg potato salad. Its simple, but I have never made or tasted another potato salad better than her version And Im not the only person to think so.
Over the years Ive watched countless relatives and friends swoon over her classic potato salad.
The problem is, when you ask her for the recipe she has a hard time sharing it, because she doesnt actually have a recipe written down. She makes it by feel.
Its taken years of watching, assisting her, and asking questions to come up with what I consider to be her recipe.
Want to know moms secrets?
Two: Prepare And Cut The Vegetables
Meanwhile, wash the lettuce and prepare the other vegetables. You can julienne the red onion and put in a small bowl with cold water to release some of the zing. Peel off the eggs and potatoes.
Cut the peppers, spring onions, radishes, and the pickles. Finely chop the fresh herbs. Put them in a large bowl along with the olives and the drained red onion. Add the chopped eggs and cut the potatoes in medium size cubes/chunks.
How To Cook Potatoes And Eggs Together In The Instant Pot
Start by cooking the potatoes and eggs. I prefer to cook them in the Instant Pot, but you can also cook them on the stove. See below for those instructions.
Then youre ready to make potato salad!
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Tips And Ingredient Notes
The basic method is simple, but it does take a bit of time to prepare this potato salad. But dont worry: its absolutely worth the effort in the end! Here are a few notes about the process:
- Sprinkle the potatoes with vinegar and salt, and let stand for 5 minutes before dressing. This trick from Julia Child is also part of our French Potato Salad recipe. It infuses the potatoes with tangy flavor before dressing them, which amplifies the flavor of the dish.
- Use sweet pickle relish for a classic flavor, or dill pickles for more savory notes. Sweet pickle relish adds just the right sweetness to the overall mixture. But chopped dill pickles work too: they intensify the savory notes.
- Greek yogurt or sour cream pair perfectly with mayo. Many salads use only mayo in the dressing. Adding Greek yogurt or sour cream in combination with it lightens the flavor. Greek yogurt also makes less calories and adds a slight tang.
- Dijon mustard adds complexity. Yellow mustard is key to this classic recipe, but we love it with a little Dijon mustard in combination. We regularly stock both in our fridge. If you dont, using 100% yellow mustard works too.
Making A French Red Potato Salad Recipe
In hindsight, I often find that improvisations birth many of my best kitchen creations. As Plato said, Necessity is the mother of invention. I say necessity keeps you open-minded, at least in the kitchen!
In my heart, moms potato salad will always be #1. But I do love this new variety, tremendously. Since that day, I have swapped dried Herbs De Provence, for fresh rosemary, thyme, and lavender. This creates a brighter floral, french-countryside quality.
Ive also taken to roasting the potatoes instead of boiling them, producing a much better color and texture.
As with all potato salad, the longer it sits, the better it gets. I like to make the French Red Potato Salad Recipe the night before its going to be served.
That way, the flavors have time to fully absorb into the potatoes. However, if you just cant wait, it will still taste wonderful moments after mixing!
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Vegetables: Celery And Red Onion
Youll need three stalks of celery and a half cup of finely chopped red onion. I like to include the celery leaves as I find the slightly bitter flavor a nice balance to the other tastes. You can also use scallions instead of the red onion. Cut them lengthwise before slicing so that they mix into the salad more evenly.
What Potatoes For Potato Salad
The best potatoes for potato salad are firm textured potatoes like Yukon Gold, Russets or red potatoes as they stay firm longer after theyve been cooked. If youre using thin-skinned potatoes, you can leave them with skins to save the time of peeling.
When buying potatoes make sure they are firm and free of bruises and blemishes. Avoid buying potatoes that appear damp or slimy.
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What Our Readers Are Saying
If you dont believe that our recipe helps you achieve the best homemade potato salad, take a look at what our readers are saying about the recipe! More reviews are in the comments section below.
Ive made this so many times!! Always so yummy and a big hit with even the pickiest eaters!! Pam
Best potato salad ever!! Melinda
Excellent. Tastes delicious! Its so much better than the potato salad purchased at the store. LouAnn
I LOVED this potato salad! Paula
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History Of Potato Salad
Southern-style Potato Salad with a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing is All-American indeed, but did you know the original actually originated in Germany? And, when you compare the two, they couldn’t be further apart.
German Potato Salad, while certainly still comforting, dresses on the lighter side with a vinegar-based dressing and no mayonnaise to be seen. It is served warm with a crumble of bacon and a sprinkle of fresh herbs. It sounds like a delicious side dish indeed, but when it comes to serving a crowd, the cold and creamy American rendition reigns supreme.
The French dressed theirs with a homemade aioli dressing, which hits a little closer to home as mayonnaise is a store-bought aioli…with a lit-tle less flavor. This is likely the reason American’s added that squeeze of yellow mustard to classic potato salad dressing!
So there you have it: In true American spirit, “Old-Fashioned Potato Salad” is actually an evolved adaptation of Old World potato salads.
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Troubleshooting Your Potato Salad
Sometimes things go wrong in the kitchen it happens!! If the Potato Salad went array, here are some fixes:
Too Salty? To combat saltiness add a little more mayo until it is to your liking. If that doesnt do it you may need to boil an extra potato or egg to add in.
Too Sweet? Some people prefer potato salad pretty sweet, but if it got a little too sweet for your taste buds just add a pinch of salt, a squirt of yellow mustard, and a dash of mayo. It should dilute the sweetness just enough.
Too Dry? Sometimes the potatoes soak up more of the dressing than they should. I swear it depends on the weather. If it just needs a little more add a couple tablespoons of mayo. However if you need a lot more, whip up a half batch of the dressing and add as needed.
Too Much Dressing? Add more filling boil a couple more potatoes and eggs.
Potatoes overcooked? Make mashed potatoes or twice baked potato casserole instead!
How To Make The Best Potato Salad Ever
Potato Salad Ingredients
What really are the classic potato salad ingredients? In my research, I found the passionately argued requirements differed slightly based on the geographical location of the author. I narrowed it down to these:
- 6 medium potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon vinegar
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/3 cup finely diced dill pickle
Potato salad dressing ingredients also varied based on preference. Heres the ingredients that gave to us the flavor and creaminess we were looking for:
- 1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip salad dressing
- 1 Tablespoon mustard
Step by Step instructions for potato salad
Step 1: Cook, cool and dice the potatoes
What type of potatoes are best for potato salad?
Potato salad requires potatoes that will remain firm when they are cooked. Yukon Gold, Russet, or Red potatoes are the ones that seem to be up to the task for a perfect potato salad recipe.
How long to boil potatoes for potato salad?
To prepare the potatoes for potato salad, first wash them well with tap water, peel them, and cut them into large chunks that are about the same size. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with cold water I do NOT salt the water at this point, as the salt may make the potatoes watery in the salad later.
Once they are cooked, drain off the boiling water and toss them immediately with 1 Tablespoon vinegar. Let them sit in the vinegar in the heated pan for a few minutes. Then transfer to a colander to cool completely.
How do I hard-boil eggs?
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What Are The Best Potatoes For Potato Salad
Did you know that there are over 4,000 varieties of potatoes on earth? Thats a lot of spuds!
But the good news is, you can narrow them down into three categories. From there, its simple to pick the right kind for potato salad.
And if youre in a rush, heres the answer:
The best potatoes for potato salad are waxy, such as new potatoes, French fingerlings, and Red Bliss. They have lower starch contents but higher moisture content. This means they cook well without losing their shape. Plus, their skin is thin and soft enough that they dont need to be peeled.
Now, lets dive into the three varieties of potatoes and discuss how and when they should be used.
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The Best Potato Salad Recipe
In our family, we cant imagine a family barbecue, picnic, or game day buffet without this rich and creamy homemade potato salad as a side dish.
Now, I know that everyone says their mom makes the best potato salad, but in this case its totally true! Once you try this recipe, youll never go back to that nasty store-bought stuff again.
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How To Make Best Potato Salad
Making the best potato salad is really easy.
- First, boil the peeled potatoes. In a separate pot, boil the eggs.
- While potatoes are boiling, chop the celery and green onions, and make the dressing by combining mayo, mustard and sweet pickle relish.
- Next, cut potatoes into pieces and drizzle with vinegar.
- Peel and chop the eggs and add to the potatoes.
- Add the chopped celery and green onions to the potatoes, then add the dressing and mix until combined.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with paprika.
Thats it! Your best ever potato salad is ready!
Boil Your Egg Chop Your Veggies
The next step is to boil your eggs. You can use the already hot potato water to boil your eggs . Place the eggs into boiling water, set a timer for 10 minutes, and when times up, transfer to an ice bath.
While the eggs are boiling, you can chop your celery and green onions. For the celery, trim the ends off the celery, slices lengthwise in half, and then chop into 1/4 chunks. For the green onion, trim off the bottom and chop to 1/4 chunks.
Once they are cool enough to handle, peel, and roughly chopped your hard boiled eggs. Then fold in your celery, green onions, and eggs into the potatoes.
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Why Does My Potato Salad Get Watery
If your potato salad is watery, it’s probably because your potatoes were not drained properly. Give them time to drain well and double check to make sure they are not water-logged before dressing them!
The culprit could also be over-cooking the potatoes to mush. To avoid this, don’t cut the potatoes too small and be sure you remember to pull the potatoes from the water as soon as they are fork-tender in the center.
Can You Freeze Potato Salad
Yes, you can freeze potato salad. For best results, cool it completely then spoon it into an airtight freezer bag and lay it flat. Squeeze out as much air as you can without crushing the potato salad. If you have a lot of potato salad to freeze, use two or more bags. Thinner layers are best both for freezing and thawing. Properly frozen potato salad will last in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You might have to add a little more dressing before serving potato salad that has been frozen and thawed.
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Ingredients For Potato Salad
Potatoes Red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes are our top pick for potato salad. Theyre thinner-skinned and tend to hold their shape fairly well.
The texture of russet potatoes is more grainy and then tend to fall apart more . Russets will need to be peeled as the skins are thick.
Fingerling potatoes, baby potatoes, or new potatoes dont require peeling and tend to hold their shape well but they dont absorb the dressing as well If using these potatoes, I sometimes give a few of them a slight mash.
Add-Ins The possibilities are endless. We love potato salad with eggs but if eggs arent your thing, skip them!
Add a bit of crunch with radishes and celery. You can also add in your favorites such as chopped pickles, cheddar cheese, or a handful of crumbled bacon!
Healthy Classic Potato Salad
I have seen the future, and it involves you making a batch of this Healthy Classic Potato Salad for a summertime backyard cookout and then in turn everyone asking you for a copy of the recipe. Trust me, nobody will even know that it is a healthy version because it has all the traditional flavors of a classic potato salad recipe: zippy creamy dressing, crunchy celery and chopped hard-boiled eggs all tossed together with perfectly tender potatoes. Read on to find out more about this recipe and about what your future holds!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Using firm textured potatoes that hold their shape after cooking keeps the potato salad from turning mushy.
- Pickles add an unexpected sweet and sour element that makes this dish.
- Drizzling the potatoes with a mixture of vinegar and mustard while they are still warm helps them to easily absorb the mixture adding a ton a flavor.
- Green, celery and red onions, add texture and a pungent spike thats truly delicious.
- Hard boiled eggs, add a rich, creamy, unforgettable flavor.
So many potato salads are mushy and bland. With this recipe, youll make perfect American-style potato every time thats packed full of flavor.
How To Make The Best Potato Salad Recipe
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.
Start the potatoes in a large pot of cold water and bring them to a boil to ensure even cooking. Make sure to salt the boiling water so the salty flavor gets deep down in the potatoes.
Once the potatoes are soft, drain off the water and peel off the skins. You can leave some of the skins on if you like the added texture.
Chop the potatoes when they are soft this saves time on the peeling and chopping.
2) Next, mix all the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your favorite mayonnaise as the base.
I know better than to tell you what brand to useMayonnaise is an intensely personal condiment!
Here in the Carolinas, we use Dukes Mayonnaise, but mom usually uses Hellmanns. You can even go with Miracle Whip if that is your favorite.
Mix a large amount of sweet pickle relish into the dressing.
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.
If you cant find good relish, finely dice firm refrigerated sweet pickles instead.
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Green Bean Potato Salad: The Tasty Recipe For Making A Light Side
60 Min
This green bean potato salad is a versatile and nutritious meal option for warm days or during holiday season. It is a complete meal as eggs and tuna provide the proteins. You can also prepare it in ahead of time, then assemble and season it just before serving.
After boiling the green beans, season and mix them with diced potatoes, boiled eggs and tuna. A drizzle of olive oil and chives will complete the dish, which is a fresh and nutritious meal that can become an ideal packed lunch to take to the office or to the beach.
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How Long To Boil Potatoes For Potato Salad
This recipe for Old-Fashioned Potato Salad instructs you to boil unpeeled potatoes in salted water until they’re tender but still firm. You’ll drain them and let them cool a bit, then peel and chop into bite-sized pieces. Depending on how large your potatoes are, boiling could take between 10 to 15 minutes or more. Start testing for doneness at about 10 minutes by piecing a potato with a sharp paring knife. If it slides in easily all the way to the center of the potato, the potato is cooked and ready to drain.
Flavor-boosting tipPotatoes have a very mild flavor on their own that’s why you add salt to the boiling water. To add even more flavor to the boiled potatoes, lay them out on a rimmed baking sheet after peeling and chopping, and while they’re still warm. Sprinkle them with a little vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let the potatoes cool until they’re not steaming anymore, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
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