There is no picnic, barbeque, Memorial Day, 4th of July, or Labor Day without a good old-fashioned potato salad. Learn how to make the best potato salad and impress your friends and family with a good recipe.
Whether you like a potato salad with more mayonnaise or more mustard instead, a good potato salad should be made using the best ingredients you have around. Everyone loves this side dish next to their hot dogs, burgers, or grilled meats.
Potato salad is easy to make and eat outside. It is also a comforting food that we all like. It is also very versatile, as you can make the dish without using a recipe by adding ingredients you want or removing the ones you don't, based on your liking.
Jump to:
- Why You Should Try This Potato Salad
- What is the best potato to use for potato salad?
- How To Boil Potatoes So They Come Out Perfect
- Potato Salad Shopping List
- How To Make The Best Potato Salad
- Expert Tip To Make This Recipe Even Better
- What To Serve With Potato Salad
- Storage Instructions
- Recipe Faqs
- More Potato Salad Recipes
- More Potato Recipes To Love
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why You Should Try This Potato Salad
The legend says that potato salad evolved from the recipes brought by the German and European immigrants who arrived in the US in the nineteenth century.
The salad is a combination of boiled potatoes mixed with mayo, sometimes even sour cream or yogurt, for a lighter version, onions, celery, and other vegetables, based on the region or preferences. It is served cold or at room temperature.
This classic potato salad version is a winner in my book. Of course, you can buy potato salad in any grocery store, but this homemade version is a million times better than anything you can get out there. Why?
- It is easy to make.
- It is very creamy with textures that go very well together.
- You can use any mayo and mustard you like. As this is a classic recipe, use regular yellow mustard and the mayo you like.
What is the best potato to use for potato salad?
Which potato is recommended for making potato salad?
When it comes to potato salad, there are various opinions on the ideal potato to use. Personally, I believe that you should work with whatever potatoes you have available, but that's just my perspective. Growing up in a less privileged background, we made potato salad with whatever potatoes were on hand. We didn't have the luxury of being picky.
However, if you're interested in following the advice of renowned chefs like Julia Child or Jacques Pepin, they suggest the following:
"The best potatoes for salad are the firm-textured, low-starch "waxy" varieties, which hold their shape well, such as boiling potatoes, small new potatoes, or delicate fingerlings. All-purpose potatoes with waxy flesh, such as the versatile Yukon Gold, are particularly delicious.
Whatever kind you use, dress the potatoes while they are still warm so that they best absorb the flavors, and gently fold in all the dressing and seasoning ingredients in one or two additions only so the potato pieces don't get mashed from overhandling."
Source: Julia And Jacques- Cooking at home
How To Boil Potatoes So They Come Out Perfect
First of all, I am a fan of organic potatoes. As a root vegetable, potatoes absorb all of the pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides sprayed above the ground and eventually make their way into the soil.
Apparently, the poor potatoes are sprayed with over 30 different pesticides during the growing season, so no, thank you!
I will take the organic ones anytime, if possible!
Step 1. Clean the potatoes with a brush underwater. Make sure you remove any spots and dirt from the skin.
Step 2. Place them in a pot and cover them with cold water. By starting with cold water, you allow the potatoes to come up to temperature evenly and, therefore, cook evenly.
Add salt, usually about 1 ½ teaspoons per quart of water.
Salt is necessary because it adds flavor to the potatoes. Don't be afraid to use it.
Step 3. Boil the potatoes. Boil the potatoes until tender, 8-15 minutes, depending on their size. They are cooked when you can push a fork through the center. Drain the water and let them cool.
Remove the skin and chop them to bite-size. If you like the skin on the potato, keep it. The skin has a lot of fiber, which is very nutritional and good for you, especially if the potatoes are organic. If the potatoes are not organic, I recommend peeling them.
Note: If you cut the potatoes into cubes, boil them only for 5-6 minutes or until they cook through. Try not to overcook them, as they will fall apart.
Potato Salad Shopping List
- Potatoes: Any waxy potato you have available.
- Mayonnaise: I prefer real mayo, not light, fat-free, or other combinations that are not the real deal.
- Sour cream: adding sour cream to the salad helps make the dressing lighter, as mayo can sometimes be heavy by itself.
- Hard-boiled eggs: a good potato salad has hard-boiled eggs, and I agree that eggs make the salad creamier and more satisfying.
- Pickles- see my recipe for pickled cucumbers that everyone loves.
- Celery stalks: the celery adds a beautiful texture to the salad, and I love it in this recipe.
- Green onions: this can be replaced with red onions.
- Red bell pepper
- Mustard: yellow mustard is perfectly acceptable
- White vinegar: I added white vinegar, but I also use apple cider vinegar when available.
- Salt: is always the magic ingredient that gives flavor to the potatoes.
- Sugar: I agree with those who think sugar is bad for you. However, w use it in the recipe to balance the flavors, and we use only half a teaspoon of it.
- Ground pepper
Optional:
- Herbs- dill, parsley, and tarragon, all work well on this salad. However, don't overpower the taste of the salad with them. Add a little of one and see how you like it. For example, some of these herbs, like tarragon, are a bit strong, so make sure you don't add too much unless you are really into them.
How To Make The Best Potato Salad
Step 1. Boil the eggs and the potatoes. Set aside to cool.
Step 2. Mix together. In a big bowl, mix together mayo, sour cream, mustard, vinegar, chopped pickles, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add the potatoes, chopped eggs, chopped celery, red onion, and red bell pepper. Toss them all together.
Expert Tip To Make This Recipe Even Better
For an extra burst of flavor, try adding a tablespoon of whole grain or Dijon mustard along with regular yellow mustard. The combination of both types of mustard will elevate the taste and add depth to the dressing.
Step 3. Refrigerate. This salad tastes better the next day. When ready to serve, bring it to room temperature, taste it, and adjust the seasoning again.
Serving: Line a bowl or a platter with red leaf lettuce or other greens, and place the potato salad on top. Decorate the last moment, if you want, with parsley leaves, sliced hard-boiled eggs, canned red pimiento, etc.
What To Serve With Potato Salad
Grilled meats: Any potato salad goes well with grilled meats like hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, or grilled chicken.
Barbecue Ribs: Whether it's classic pork ribs or sticky barbecue-glazed baby back ribs, the potato salad provides a refreshing contrast to the rich and savory ribs.
Pulled Pork Sandwiches: The combination of tender pulled pork and the creamy potato salad makes for a mouthwatering and satisfying meal.
Summer BBQ Platter: Make a complete BBQ platter with ribs, chicken, sausages, corn on the cob, and potato salad. It's a crowd-pleasing combination for any summer gathering.
Picnic Spread: Potato salad is a classic picnic side, and it goes well with other picnic staples like sandwiches, chips, fruit, and refreshing beverages.
Grilled Vegetables: Serve the potato salad with grilled vegetables such as zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant, and asparagus.
Other options: Fried chicken, grilled fish, veggie burgers, fried seafood, etc.
Storage Instructions
Store the potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can be kept for up to 3-4 days, but for the best taste and texture, consume it within 1-2 days.
Recipe Faqs
Yes, you can make the potato salad a day in advance. In fact, it's even better when refrigerated overnight as the flavors have more time to meld together.
If you prefer a lighter version, you can use Greek yogurt or a combination of Greek yogurt and a smaller amount of mayonnaise instead of using all mayonnaise. This will add a tangy twist to the salad.
Absolutely! The beauty of potato salad lies in its adaptability. You can adjust the amounts of mustard and mayonnaise to suit your taste. If you prefer a tangier flavor, add more mustard, or if you like it creamier, increase the amount of mayonnaise.
More Potato Salad Recipes
More Potato Recipes To Love
📖 Recipe
Easy Potato Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 1 ⅓ cups mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 5 large hard boiled eggs
- 1 medium pickle finely chopped
- 2-3 celery stalks chopped small
- 2-3 medium green onions or a small red onion diced
- ½ medium red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes and place them in a medium saucepan. Cover the potatoes with cold water and add a generous amount of salt to season.
- Bring the water to a boil over medium heat and cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender, about 8-15 minutes depending on their size.
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool completely. Once cooled, peel and cut them into bite-size pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, vinegar, chopped pickle, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir until well blended.
- Add the potatoes, chopped celery, green onions (or red onion), red bell pepper, and hard-boiled eggs (chopped). Gently fold everything together until evenly coated in the dressing.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least a few hours or, ideally, overnight. The flavors will develop and taste even better the next day.
- Before serving, give the salad a light toss and adjust seasoning if needed. Enjoy!
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