The Best Potato Salad Recipe (2024)

Published on | Updated on by Melissa

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My favorite potato salad recipe is filled with eggs, sweet pickles, and slaw dressing that gives it a unique twist. I’ve been making it for years & it’s always a hit!

The Best Potato Salad Recipe (1)

I love this potato salad. I make it for almost all of our BBQs and every Easter.

Serve it alongside macaroni salad, my husband’s famous macaroni and cheese, and some baked beans, and you’ve got a party.

Or serve it with some slow cooker sloppy joes or hot dog chili!

The Best Potato Salad Recipe (2)

A variation of this recipe was given to me years ago by my friend’s mom. I’m not a big fan of mayo so I liked that her recipe used mostly slaw dressing. I ran with it and made it my own.

I also typically don’t like crunchy things in my otherwise soft food (i.e. celery and pickles), but I let it slide in this dish.

For another potato salad variation, try deviled egg potato salad.

Things you’ll need

  • Marzetti SLAW dressing – this is what makes this potato salad different & in my opinion, so good.
  • Potato peeler – I really like this one because it has a large handle that doesn’t slip out of your hands.
  • Instant Pot – I am still new to the instant pot, but it does make boiling potatoes & eggs SUPER fast.
  • Veggie Chopper – For a shortcut, you can use a veggie chopper for the pickles, celery, and even the eggs.

Ingredients

Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe.Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.

  • Potatoes – I like to use russet potatoes in my potato salad.
  • Celery – I opt for celery hearts.
  • Pickles – Sweet gherkins. I always get the “petite” size.
  • Eggs – Hard boiled eggs.
  • Slaw Dressing – I always use Marzetti slaw dressing.
  • Mayo – I always use olive oil mayo.
  • Salt & Pepper
The Best Potato Salad Recipe (3)

How long do I boil the potatoes?

First, start by scrubbing your potatoes then cutting into 1/2″ to 1″ pieces. Keep them similar in size so they’ll cook evenly. Add them to a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook them for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. You don’t want them crisp but you also don’t want them too soft or you’ll end up with mashed potatoes.

Now that I have an instant pot, I’ve been using that to pressure cook my potatoes for potato salad. It’s slightly faster and less hands-on.

If you’re going that route, pour in a cup of water, add the potatoes to a steamer basket and place in the pot, cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. The pot will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure, 3 minutes to cook, then quick release to finish.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

I’ve also started making my hard boiled eggs in the instant pot. It is fast and I find that they’re easier to peel!

You’ll add a cup of water to the instant pot, put the rack in, add the eggs, seal the pot, cook for 6 minutes on high, let stand for 6 minutes, then quick release and move the eggs to an ice bath for 6 minutes.

That’s it! They peel really easily and you can make a large batch.

If you want to boil them, I have a trick for that, too.

Add your eggs to a pot of salted water. Bring up to a boil then turn off heat and cover with a lid. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes in the water. After 10 minutes, drain and spray the eggs with cold water. You’ll have perfectly yellow yolks – no green!

Check out my complete guide to stovetop hard boiled eggs!

The Best Potato Salad Recipe (4)

Tips & Suggestions 🥔

  • I like to use russet potatoes. I’ve tried it with yukon gold and red skins, but always come back to russets.
  • You’ll want your potatoes to be fork tender, but not too soft, or you’ll end up with mashed potato salad.
  • The slaw dressing is what gives this potato salad great flavor. I always opt for Marzetti brand.
The Best Potato Salad Recipe (5)

Need more side dish recipes? Try these:

The Best Potato Salad Recipe (6)

The Best Potato Salad Recipe (7)

My Favorite Potato Salad

Melissa Williams | Persnickety Plates

My very favorite potato salad that I’ve been making for years. Slaw dressing gives it a unique twist.

4.75 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Calories 347 kcal

Ingredients

  • 9 medium russet potatoes cut into 1/2"-1" cubes
  • 2 celery heart stalks diced
  • 20 sweet petite gherkins or 10 regular size, diced
  • 5 hard boiled eggs peeled & sliced
  • ¾ cup slaw dressing I use Marzetti
  • ¼ cup mayo
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Scrub your potatoes, peel them and chop them into approximately 1/2″ – 1″ cubes. Keep the pieces similar in size so they will cook at the same speed.

    9 medium russet potatoes

  • Add potatoes to a large pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until potatoes are fork tender. You don’t want them hard, but you also don’t want them too soft. Otherwise they’ll fall apart and you’ll have mashed potato salad.

  • In another pot, boil your eggs.

    5 hard boiled eggs

  • My egg boiling trick (that I think came from Rachael Ray) – Add your eggs to a pot of salted water. Bring up to a boil then turn off heat and cover with a lid. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes in the water. After 10 minutes, drain and spray the eggs with cold water. You’ll have perfectly yellow yolks – no green!

  • While the potatoes are boiling, chop up the celery. I like the celery to be really small. Size is really up to you.

    2 celery heart stalks, 20 sweet petite gherkins, 3/4 cup slaw dressing, 1/4 cup mayo

  • Also, chop up the pickles and use an egg slicer to slice up the cooled eggs.

  • Combine the egg, pickles and celery into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

  • Once potatoes have finished cooking, I drain them and stick them into the fridge so they’re easier to work with. If they’re too hot, they’ll fall apart while you’re combining the ingredients.

    salt and pepper

  • Once cooled, add the potatoes to the egg/pickle/celery mixture and season with more salt and pepper.

  • Add the slaw dressing and mayo and stir to fully combine making sure all the potatoes are coated and the egg/pickle/celery is pretty evenly distributed. Add more salt and pepper and/or mayo or slaw dressing, to taste.

  • Let it hang out in the fridge for a little while then serve.

Notes

Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 8gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 438mgPotassium: 881mgFiber: 3gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 524IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Tried this recipe? Tag me!Mention @melissa_pplates or tag #persnicketyplates!

Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying/pasting and/or screenshots of full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected.

Originally published April 8, 2013

The Best Potato Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are the ingredients for a good potato salad? ›

Stir mayonnaise, pickles, hard-cooked eggs, red onion, celery, mustard, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. Fold in cooled potatoes until well combined. For best flavor, chill potato salad in the refrigerator until chilled or overnight before serving.

How to make potato salad Martha Stewart? ›

Directions
  1. Put potatoes in a large pot of salted water; bring to a boil. Cook until just tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain; let cool.
  2. Stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, and dill; season with salt and pepper. Peel potatoes; cut into 1-inch chunks. Fold into mayonnaise mixture.
Feb 25, 2021

Is it better to make potato salad the night before? ›

Yes, potato salad gets even better if left to sit overnight in the fridge. The flavors combine and the potatoes absorb more of the seasoning/dressing, making for a more flavorful experience.

How to keep potatoes from falling apart when making potato salad? ›

The key is to allow the potatoes to dry and become cold before you make the salad. If you cut hot, boiled potatoes, they tend to crumble. If you wait until they had time to dry (may I suggest laying them out on a plate or casserole dish during this time) and cold, they cut nicer.

Why is my potato salad always watery? ›

Potatoes can retain moisture. To prevent this, drain the potatoes very well in a colander or pot. Allow all the steam to escape the potatoes before mixing them with the dressing and other ingredients.

Is potato salad really good for you? ›

But potato salad has one advantage over pasta salad-it's almost all vegetable. Potatoes actually have many redeeming health qualities: they're a good source of potassium and vitamin C and naturally deliver some fiber (especially when you keep the skin on) and protein.

Do you have to wait for potatoes to cool before making potato salad? ›

Yes, if your potato salad is a cold salad, as most are, allow the cooked potatoes to cool to room temperature before adding the dressing and other ingredients.

What herbs are in potato salad Ina Garten? ›

Place the cut potatoes in a large bowl and pour enough dressing over them to moisten. (As the salad sits, you may need to add more dressing.) Add the onion, tarragon and parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.

How to make a potato salad Jamie Oliver? ›

Method
  1. Gently boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and leave to cool slightly.
  2. Whisk the mustard with the vinegar and slowly add the olive oil. ...
  3. Slice the cooked potatoes in half and dress with the shallot and parsley vinaigrette.

Is it better to boil potatoes whole or cut up for potato salad? ›

Unpeeled potatoes.

The thin skins are usually tender after cooking and add color to the potato salad. Dice unpeeled potatoes into uniformly-sized pieces. Place in cold water, bring to a boil, then simmer until tender.

What goes bad in potato salad first? ›

But the truth is, mayonnaise isn't your main concern when it comes to spoilage. The actual culprit is the potatoes. Yes, it's true!

What kind of potatoes are best for potato salad? ›

To keep your salad from falling apart into mush, it's important to use the best potatoes for potato salad. Skip the russet potatoes and use a waxy variety instead, like Yukon gold, red potatoes or fingerlings.

Why does my potato salad taste bland? ›

Forgetting To Salt The Water

Just as you would with pasta, seasoning the water is the only way to flavor the potatoes themselves. The vegetable absorbs the water it's cooked in, so if you just boil them in unseasoned water, you'll end up with tasteless taters that no amount of mayo, herbs, or bacon bits can help.

What is the best type of potato to use for potato salad? ›

Waxy potatoes are generally considered the best for classic potato salad because they retain their shape, you don't have to peel them, and they have a smooth texture. People who prefer a creamy potato salad that soaks up dressing like a sponge, though, opt for a starchy potato.

References

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