Potato Salad is a summertime staple for good reason!
This delicious Potato Salad recipe has tender potatoes, a handful of add-ins, and eggs, all tossed in a quick creamy & tangy dressing!
Potato salad tastes even better when made ahead of time, making it the perfect dish anytime!
Potluck Perfect Potato Salad
- Much like pasta salad, potato salad is an inexpensive and filling side dish.
- Every family has their own favorite add-ins, so feel free to personalize it with your favorite ingredient.
- Prepare this dish in advance, making it ideal for potlucks or picnics.
- My potato salad recipe offers the perfect combination of crunch, tanginess, and creaminess.
Ingredients for Potato Salad
Potatoes for potato salad
- Red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes are our top pick for potato salad. They have thinner skins and hold their shape well.
- Russet potatoes have a grainy texture and tend to fall apart, but they do work if it’s all you have. Peel the potatoes if using russets or baking potatoes.
- Fingerling potatoes, baby potatoes, or new potatoes don’t require peeling and hold their shape well. They don’t absorb dressing as well so lightly smash if using baby potatoes.
Add-Ins
- Boiled eggs are a classic addition, but feel free to skip them if desired.
- Add crunch with radishes and celery.
- Customize with your favorites: chopped dill pickles or sweet pickles, cheddar cheese, or crumbled bacon.
- Add flavor and freshness with herbs like dill, parsley, or chives.
Potato Salad Dressing
The dressing brings all the flavors together in a potato salad.
- Classic dressing: Ingredients like cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, and sweet pickle relish create a balanced and flavorful dressing.
- Mayonnaise substitutions: Substitute mayonnaise with Miracle Whip for a tangier flavor, or lighten up the dressing with half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt.
Variations
- Add sweet or dill pickles instead of sweet relish.
- Replace the cider vinegar with red wine vinegar or dill pickle juice.
- Stir in fresh herbs like parsley, chives, basil, tarragon, or thyme.
How to Make Potato Salad
- Boil potatoes & cool: Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted water until fork tender. Drain well and cool completely.
- Prepare add-ins: While the potatoes boil, chop the other ingredients (per the recipe below).
- Mix dressing: Mix the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl (one less dish to wash!) and stir in the cooked and cooled ingredients.
- Chill: Refrigerate before serving to allow flavors to blend. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Tips for Perfect Potato Salad
- Cook the potatoes until fork tender. Avoid overcooking to prevent them from getting mushy.
- Thin-skinned potatoes can be left unpeeled or easily peeled after boiling.
- Ensure the potatoes are cooled before adding the dressing.
- Dress the salad generously as the potatoes absorb some of the dressing.
- Allow the potato salad to chill in the refrigerator before serving to let the flavors blend.
Storing Leftovers
Fridge: Store leftover potato salad in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Unfortunately, potato salad does not freeze well. The raw veggies that give it such a delightful crunch will get mushy, and the mayonnaise will separate when it thaws.
More Easy Summer Sides
Summer is all about enjoying classic sides that bring back memories of backyard barbecues and picnics. From this creamy potato salad recipe to a tangy coleslaw, these timeless dishes are sure to be crowd-pleasers.rnrnrnrnrn
Did your family love this Classic Potato Salad? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
The Best Potato Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes
- 6 hard-boiled eggs chopped (optional)
- 1 cup diced celery
- ½ cup sliced radishes
- 2 green onions sliced
- paprika for garnish, optional
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sweet relish or dill pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them potatoes into bite sized pieces.
- Add the potatoes to a large pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and cool completely.
- In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, relish, cider vinegar, mustard, sugar, and salt & pepper. Mix well.
- Add the cooled potatoes and gently smash a few of them to make the salad creamier. Stir in boiled eggs if using, celery, radishes, and green onions. Mix well to combine.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving. Garnish with paprika if desired.
Video
Notes
- Cook potatoes just until fork tender. Don’t overcook or they can absorb water and become mushy.
- Thin-skinned or baby potatoes do not have to be peeled or can easily be peeled after boiling.
- Potatoes should be cooled before adding the dressing.
- Dress the salad generously as the potatoes absorb the dressing.
- Be sure to refrigerate the potato salad for a couple of hours before serving to blend flavors and allow the dressing to absorb.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Dee-licious! Five stars..also I must add that your pictures alone just tickle my taste buds! Very great blog you have and tasty results! Thank you…
This was the best potato salad! I made some for company at our fish fry and everyone LOVED IT. IM MAKING IT AGAIN FOR A COOKOUT THIS July 4th weekend
My first time making potato salad from scratch and it turned out great! I didn’t add the eggs but definitely would next time. SWP Employee
So happy you enjoyed it!
This potato sAlad was absolutely excellent!
The only thing I did differently was leave out the rAdishes and added 2 more green onions. It was absolutely delicious! My guests really loved it! None left over! Which I was upset about. I wanted some for myself today!
Oh no, I hear you Jo Ann! You’ll have to double the recipe next time so you have leftovers for yourself to enjoy!
Thank you so very much for your recipe! I never would have thought to add Radishes! I can’t wait to try it!
Many years ago a friends Mom said to add Dill Pickle Juice and I now also add chopped Dill Pickle and a little Dill Weed!
Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes!
Fabulous flavor and super easy to make!
I LOVE potato salad but I HATE making it. I never get the potatoes right. I try so hard but always fail.
I followed this recipe. Set the timer for 10 minutes once my water started to boil. Potatoes were cut bite size and I used 3 lbs.
I checked them with three minutes left and it was already too late. They were already too soft. If I had gone the full ten minutes they would have been mush, nevermind the 15 minutes the recipe called for.
Why does this keep happening to me?
I suggest trying a larger cut if that happens Kellie. Different potatoes will cook differently as well. Try checking the potatoes at about half of the time, and check them with a fork to see if they’re cooked. Checking often will help! Enjoy the recipe.
I know it is against the norm, but I ALWAYS cut my potatoes into cubes BEFORE cooking them. That way they cook more evenly….and only take 5 MINUTES to cook. I drain them and let them cool before adding other ingredients. Hope this helps.
When I peel and cut potatoes to boil I peel the potatoes, slice them in half lengthwise then cross cut the halves about three or four times to end up with medium cubes. Boil for 15 or 20 minutes. Never a problem. But now, I prep the potatoes as before but 8 minutes in my instant pot and they are done.
I always boil the potato in the skin and when cooled peel them and cut them up.
Love the recipe, looks great. I grew up with a potato salad having the potatoes mashed not cubed. Everything else was similar to yours. Mom didn’t want cold chunks of potato.
Hi Holly
Which relish do you recommend? Sweet onion or sweet tomato?
I use sweet pickle relish or dill relish Zandile. But any relish will work!
I love your recipes Holly ! Will make several of them
Thank you
Thank you so much Ana!
Always love your recipes. Will definitely make this one. Thank you!
Do the potatoes have to be dry before they are added to the dressing? Spendwithpennies is my go-to recipe site. I want to make sure I do it right!
Thank you so much! :) They should be dry but they will dry as they cool if left uncovered. Enjoy the recipe Shannon!
Thanks, Holly, for your recipes…I love them xxx
This recipe is beyond delicious. Going to friend’s for bbq and bringing it with us. I used baby gold potatoes (1.5 lb. bag) but next time will double it. I love 99% of the recipes from Holly (Pennies.com). I cook frequently and love to cook and you never fail me. Thank you.
Thank you for making my day Joanie!
This recipe sounds close to the way I make them….I never thought of using relish instead of Baby Dills….but it’s something I would try when we are in our house in Mexico because you can’t get pickles there…..but the one extra step I do is when the potatoes are cooked and still hot is I add some Italian Dressing and let them marinate in that until they are cooled….and then add the rest of the ingredients.
That sounds delicious Wendy! Thanks for sharing.
This is very close to my mom’s potato salad. She put pickles and onions in it and soaked the onion in pickle juice and used that instead of cider vinegar.
That sounds delicious Kathe! Thanks for sharing.
Made as directed and did add the Dill. Was absolutely DELISH. Thanks Hubby ate seconds.
Yay! That is so awesome Wendy! Glad you both loved it.
After living in Idaho for six years when I was first married, I’ve always used russets in salad. They have so much more flavor! And the whole time living there, folks were giving us free potatoes. There’s only two ways to cook a fresh Idaho potato: baked, or boiled whole. I’d boil them for salad. If you don’t like the flavor of the skin, which tastes quite nutty, is where all the vitamins reside, and is thin if it’s a good fresh Idaho potato, you can peel it with your fingers when slightly cooled. I’ll try this recipe, love the idea of using radishes – why didn’t I think of that? They are so nutritious.
Wow, that’s amazing BonJon! Gotta love great neighbors like that! Definitely add the radishes and let us know what you think!
Thank you for sharing! Love the way this potato salad looks. Cannot wait to try it at home.
We can’t wait for you to try it either Billy!! It’s delicious!
Looks delicious! I love the idea of adding radishes and celery. I usually just add boiled egg and chopped chives to my potato salad, so I’ll be giving this a go for sure :)
I hope you enjoy the recipe when you try it!