Creamy, tangy, and hearty, this has to be the best potato salad ever! If you’ve loved the classic potluck favorite, you’ve got to give this recipe a try. Every region has a different take on the humble potato salad, but this one has the perfect balance of creaminess, pungent, and savory flavors.
We’re all huge potato lovers, and I’ve tried everything from some spicy cheesy potatoes to a hearty loaded baked potato casserole.
I love how potatoes are so versatile, they can be served with pretty much anything and everything, especially salads. And after my red potato salad turned out to be such a crowd-pleaser, I was inspired to try another version of the recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Potato Salad
- You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to put this salad together, and it comes together super quick too.
- You can play around with the ingredients and experiment with mix-ins to give it your own touch.
- It’s hearty, wholesome, and great for a family.
- You can prep it ahead of time and take it along for a potluck or serve it at a house party.
Ingredients For The Best Potato Salad Recipe
Red Potatoes: They have less starch and more moisture than their yellow counterparts. They’re much easier to boil and have a hearty, rustic flavor. If you’re using yellow potatoes, choose Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes for the best results.
Mayonnaise: For the creamy texture and taste. Use Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise for a lighter, spicier flavor.
Eggs: Hard-boiled eggs add a lot of texture and creaminess to the salad, and also make it more filling and nutritious.
Celery: For a light crunch in every bite.
Dill Pickles: For the tangy, crunchy deliciousness. Swap this for sweet pickles or leave it out entirely. I love using Claussen dill pickle spears in particular.
Pickle juice: To lend a delicious, salty kick to the whole thing.
Yellow mustard: Just a teeny bit, for that pungent and spicy flavor.
Onion: Red onions are the best!
Worcestershire sauce: Just a dash, to balance out the creaminess from the mayonnaise.
Variations
- Add some shredded cheddar cheese or a dollop of softened cream cheese to the mix to make the potato salad more cheesy and delicious.
- Spice up the salad by sprinkling some Cajun seasoning or top it off with a generous drizzle of your favorite hot sauce.
- Throw in some garlic, parsley, dill, chives and other fresh herbs of your choice to make the salad more flavorful and herby.
- To make the salad healthier, add some fresh veggies like carrots, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and green onions into the mix.
- Grill the potatoes to lend them a slightly smoky aroma, and use them instead of boiled potatoes.
How to Make The Best Potato Salad
1: Step 1: Fill a large pot with water, add the potatoes, and cook over medium heat until they are fork-tender.
2: Step 2: Drain the water and once the potatoes have cooled down to where you can handle them, cut them up into bite-sized pieces.
3: Step 3: Hard boil the eggs in a medium pot until they’re done. Next, drain the water and run cold water over the eggs. Peel and chop them up into small pieces once they’re cool enough to handle.
4: Step 4: Add all the ingredients except the potatoes into a large bowl and mix until combined.
5: Step 5: Add the diced potatoes and fold them in. Season with your favorite seasonings and enjoy.
How to Store Leftover Potato Salad
Got some leftovers? Transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 2 days.
If you’re making this for a party, I would recommend making them a day in advance to allow the flavors to develop.
I wouldn’t recommend freezing this salad too- there are too many elements in there that can lose their texture and flavor if they’re frozen and thawed.
Tips & Tricks
- Add some more mix-ins like olives, capers, jalapenos, or even chopped banana peppers to add another layer of flavor and deliciousness to the potato salad.
- Don’t have mayonnaise or just want to use something healthier? Use sour cream or Greek yogurt, or a mix of both.
- Make sure you mix the potatoes into the rest of the ingredients while they’re still warm. This will allow them to soak up all the delicious flavors nicely.
- You can also add a dash of apple cider vinegar to the salad to lend it a bit of extra tanginess. If you don’t have this, just add a splash of brine from the dill pickles.
- Always chop the potatoes after you’ve cooked them. This will save you a fair bit of effort.
- If you have some leftover roasted potatoes, feel free to use them for the recipe. I love using my oven-roasted lemon pepper potatoes here- they taste absolutely divine!
- To lend a different texture to the salad, smash some of the potatoes slightly and then add them to the mix.
How to Serve the Potato Salad
Serve this hearty potato salad with any of your favorite mains.
My personal favorite is a rich and savory Crockpot BBQ beef brisket, but you could also serve it alongside a nice smoked ribeye steak or a slow cooker Mississippi pot roast.
FAQs
You totally can! Simply avoid adding the eggs, and use vegan mayo, and you’re pretty much sorted. Use vegan cheese sauce to lend the salad some extra creaminess.
You definitely can! It has no difference in the taste. Using potatoes with their skin on is actually great because it adds a nice bit of rustic flavor to the salad, but if you don’t like using it, that’s totally fine too.
I’m partial to Hellman’s mayonnaise, but it is totally up to you. Everyone has their favorites, and you can use whatever you like here.
More Delicious Potato Recipes You’ll Enjoy
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The Best Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 5 pounds red potatoes
- 2 – 3 cups mayonnaise
- 7 large eggs, hard boiled
- 2½ stalks of celery, diced
- 7 Claussen dill pickle spears, diced
- ½ cup reserved pickle juice
- ½ cup yellow mustard
- ⅓ cup onion, diced small
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Instructions
- In a large pot add potatoes, fill with water, and cook potatoes until fork tender, over medium heat. Drain water and once cool enough to handle, cut into small bite-size pieces.
- In a medium pot, hard boil eggs until done. Drain water and run cold water over eggs. Once cool enough to handle, peel eggs and chop into small pieces. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add all the ingredients except the potatoes. Stir until combined.
- Fold in diced potatoes. Season to taste and enjoy.
Notes
- Boil the potatoes whole. Chopping them first will lead to mush potato chunks.
- Add a teaspoon of baking soda to the egg water to make them easier to peel.
- Fold the diced potatoes into the potato salad mixture after mixing the other ingredients to reduce the chances of the potatoes getting mushy.
Nutrition
How can I forward to you a recipe for potato salad, that I think is the best? I’m not putting down your recipe, because I love all potato salads. My salad I found the recipe and kept playing around with the ingredients until it came out yummy and perfect. I have gotten many thumbs up reviews on it. I am not a professional cook or baker, just an ordinary housewife that likes to improve a meal in taste, flavor and color. My recipe is called Three Potato, Three Onion Potato Salad. I would love to forward my recipe to you, to try for yourself and make your assessment of it.
Please let me know, if you would like my recipe.
Regards & good cooking,
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
I’d love to try your recipe. Send it to greatgrubdelicioustreats@gmail.com