This Classic Potato salad recipe is made with Yukon gold or russet potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, creamy dressing made with mayonnaise, mustard, pickles and basic pantry ingredients. It’s a family favorite and our go-to side dish for barbecues, backyard picnics and potlucks.
This Southern potato salad recipe gives you two different ways to make. It’s the MOST delicious potato salad recipe you’ll ever try! Ready in under an hour.
Classic American potato salad is easy to make and the perfect addition to picnics and barbecues! This is the perfect comfort food and must have for cookouts and backyard barbecues.
This Southern potato salad recipe was given to me by a close family friend and is my all-time favorite summer side dish! Picnics and cookouts aren’t complete without a loaded paper plate with a big ole helping of potato salad with egg, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Grilled Chicken, Baked Beans and Buttermilk Biscuits.
Why this recipe works
- Made with simple ingredients – This summer side dish recipe uses ingredients readily available at most grocery stores.
- Make ahead – Prep the night before or up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Ease – Simple instructions on how to make potato salad with either baked potatoes or boiling them. Homemade potato salad is so easy to make, you’ll never buy store-bought again!
What you’ll need
- Potatoes – We love using Yukon gold potatoes for classic potato salad, but russet potatoes will also work well.
- Hard-boiled eggs – Prep ahead of time and make your own the day before. They give this Southern cookout food the most creamy texture and wonderful flavor.
- Pickles – Our neighbor always uses 9 day pickles (old fashioned sweet pickles) but you can also use Gherkins, Bread and Butter Pickles, or sweet pickle relish. You can even substitute Dill pickles if you prefer.
- Onion – We use yellow or white onion, but you can also use red onion if preferred. Red onion tends to be much stronger flavor, so you would use less.
- Mayonnaise – Using a high-quality mayonnaise is essential to the best tasting potato salad. Our go-to brand is Duke’s, but Hellman’s is another great option.
- Mustard – A key component to potato salad dressing. We love either Dijon or stone-ground mustard.
- Salt and pepper – Salt and black pepper to taste. We like a good helping of freshly ground pepper.
How to make Southern Potato Salad
- Cook the potatoes – Either boil potatoes or bake potatoes for this potato salad recipe. See full instructions for both ways to make potato salad in the recipe card below.
- Chop pickles – We use this old-fashioned food chopper to easily chop homemade or store-bought pickles. (It’s also great for chopping strawberries for strawberry shortcake and other recipes!)
- Make the dressing – In a large bowl combine cooked potatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, onion, hard boiled eggs with a rubber spatula. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If needed, add a splash of pickle juice to moisten the mixture.
- Refrigerate and serve – Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let flavors marinade in the fridge for several hours or a few days ahead of time.
Potato salad with baked potatoes is an easy way to prep and helps the potatoes to not absorb too much water. Achieving a potato salad that isn’t soggy. We prefer making baked potato salad because it also gives you smaller pieces of potatoes.
If you’d like a more classic potato salad and slightly larger pieces of potatoes, then boiling potatoes is a great option.
Recipe FAQs
Making potato salad with baked potatoes makes prep easier, less cleanup and potatoes don’t absorb water.
Potato salad is even better when made ahead of time and left in the refrigerator overnight. The flavors combine and potatoes absorb more of the dressing and seasonings, for even more flavor.
Whether homemade or store-bought, potato salad stored in an airtight container will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More Summer Recipes
- Whiskey Steak
- Whiskey Chicken Marinade
- BBQ Ribs
- BBQ Dry Rub
- Chicken Marinade
- Chicken BLT Salad
- Pickled Peppers
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Potato Salad
Ingredients
Potato Salad
- 3-4 pounds potatoes russet or gold potatoes
- 1 pint sweet pickles or Gherkins chopped small
- ½ yellow or white onion (medium size onion) diced small
- 9 hard-boiled eggs chopped
- 1 ½-2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon or stone-ground mustard
- Splash of pickle juice as needed
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- hard-boiled eggs (slices for garnish) optional
- paprika (for garnish) optional
Instructions
Potato Salad (baking potatoes)
- Wash potatoes and pierce them with a fork or a sharp knife.
- Place potatoes on a half sheet pan lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 1 hour or until fork tender.
- Remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle them.
- Slice each potato with a sharp knife down the center and scoop out the cooked potato into a large mixing bowl. (Discard the skins or save them for later for baked potato skins.)
- Add mayonnaise, mustard, chopped pickles, onion, and hard-boiled eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Use a large rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together.
- Add a splash of pickle juice for more moisture if needed. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Use a pickle of your preference. Add more mayonnaise as needed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours for the flavors to blend.
- Garnish with egg slices and sprinkle with paprika if desired.
Potato Salad (boiling potatoes)
- Peel potatoes, rinse with cold water and cut into small cubes.
- Add potatoes to a small stockpot and cover with COLD water. DO NOT add salt to the cooking water! (This will make the potatoes absorb too much water!)
- Bring the water to a simmering boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until fork tender.
- Remove from the heat and drain in a strainer in the sink.
- Let potatoes cool slightly before adding to a large mixing bowl.
- Add mayonnaise, mustard, chopped pickles, onion, and hard-boiled eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Use a large rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together.
- Add a splash of pickle juice for more moisture if needed. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Use a pickle of your preference. Add more mayonnaise as needed.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours for the flavors to blend.
- Garnish with egg slices and sprinkle with paprika if desired.
Recipe Notes
Variations:
Baking potatoes for potato salad will give you a quick and easy method. Potatoes will be smaller pieces and absorb more mayonnaise. Boiling potatoes for potato salad is a traditional method. Do not add salt to the water, as it will make potatoes retain too much water and make potato salad soggy.Make Ahead Instructions:
Potato salad can be made 2-3 days ahead of time and refrigerated.Storage Instructions:
Potato salad is best kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will stay fresh for 4-5 days.Nutrition
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Sally Hampshire says
This recipe is just like my Grandmas, we loved it.
Jessica Robinson says
Thank you so much!! Thrilled to hear you enjoyed it!