This classic creamy potato salad is worthy of any Summer BBQ! This is an old-fashioned potato salad, with eggs and pickles and with lots of options to tweak it to your taste.
This classic creamy potato salad is everything I want when I crave potato salad. It’s made with yellow-fleshed potatoes, a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing, lots of chopped, hard-boiled egg, celery, some red onion and a bit of finely diced dill pickle.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Potatoes: I almost always use yellow-flesh, Yukon Gold potatoes. White-fleshed red potatoes are another good option, as they also hold their shape will and won’t get mushy when boiled. Be sure to cut your potatoes into equal-sized pieces, so they will cook evenly. Cut your potato chunks slightly larger than you want your finished chunks in the potato salad to be.
Eggs: I personally think that potato salad is just kind of bland and uninteresting without egg, but if you feel otherwise, feel free to leave them out.
Red Onion: I prefer red onion in potato salad, but you can use a yellow onion, if you prefer.
Mayonnaise: I know this is controversial, but I always use Miracle Whip™ for potato and macaroni salad. I love Hellman’s™ just about everywhere else, but in cold Summer salads, I find it heavy, too rich and a bit cloying. Your call though. Use what you prefer.
Celery seeds: If you have celery seed, great! If you have celery salt, it will work, too. Just add a little more, to equal the celery taste of celery seed. You will likely need a bit less salt in the end, due to the extra bit of salt in celery salt.
Mustard: I use regular, yellow Prepared Mustard myself (the stuff you put on hot dogs :), but if you’d like to experiment with Dijon or grainy mustard, that’s fine, too. Dried mustard powder is also an option.
Dill Pickle: I love dill with potato salad, so I get that with chopped dill pickle. You could also use chopped sweet pickle or even a bit of relish, if that’s what you prefer. You could also omit the pickle and add a bit of fresh dill to the salad instead.
Salt: Salt in a potato salad is not optional. In fact, it may be the single most important ingredient. Proper salting ensures that all the flavours of your salad really shine. Taste and season as needed! Don’t forget to salt your potato boiling water, too!
Recipe Tips
- You don’t want to add the mayonnaise dressing to hot potatoes, as the mayonnaise may split and become oily. Wait until the potatoes have cooled for at least 30 minutes before adding the dressing. That said, the sprinkling of vinegar on the hot potatoes not only infuses them with a bit of flavour, but it also prevents the potatoes from browning.
- As mentioned above, salt is important to really bring all the flavours together. If you taste your salad and it tastes bland, add more salt!
Making ahead and storing
Your prepared potato salad will keep well, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can easily make your potato salad the day before. Cover well and refrigerate. Check the day of serving, as the potatoes will have absorbed some of the dressing. If necessary, add a touch of mayonnaise to loosen it up.
Get the Recipe: Classic Creamy Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups yellow-fleshed potatoes, diced (about 4 large)
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
Additions:
- 3 large eggs, hard boiled and chopped
- 3/4 cup red onion, diced
- 3/4 cup celery, diced
- 2-3 Tablespoons dill pickle, finely diced
Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise, (I use Miracle Whip™)
- 2 teaspoons yellow Prepared mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper
For garnish:
- Paprika
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Do ahead: Place 3 eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water, covering by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is fully boiling, boil eggs for 7 minutes. Remove eggs to a bowl of cold water and refrigerate at least 30 minutes (or longer) until needed. To use later, peel and chop.
- Peel potatoes and cut into equal-sized chunks, just slightly larger than you want the chunks to be in your finished salad. Place in a large pot. Cover with cold water, covering potatoes by 3-4 inches. Add some salt to the water. On the stove-top, bring to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling potatoes, checking often, until potatoes are tender. *Check potatoes by piercing with a sharp knife. They are done when the knife passes through the potato with no resistance.
- Drain potatoes well and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 Tbsp white vinegar. Allow to cool about 30 minutes, at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, chop the Additions ingredients and prepare the dressing by whisking together all the dressing ingredients until well combined.
- When potatoes have cooled, add the chopped celery, onion and hard-boiled eggs to the bowl. Pour the dressing over top. Toss to combine and coat the potatoes. Garnish the top with a bit of paprika. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly cooled before serving, about 3-4 hours, at least. Garnish with fresh parsley to serve, if desired.
- Potato salad will keep well, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
More Potato Salad Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I prepared this salad on Saturday night for Sunday BBQ lunch . I used mayonnaise. Was a hit not a spoon left guests devoured this dish alongside jerk chicken and ribs. The tip on salting correctly was a good one. Will be my go to salad for true Sunday BBQ’S.
So glad to hear, Pat! Thanks so much :)
Hello from B.C…………I am so thrilled to have recently found your recipe site and all your wonderful recipes……….I have been cooking and amassing hundreds of recipes for 50+ years. I also have a meat and potatoes husband, but luckily, like yours, he eats (and likes) pretty much everything I make. I love trying new things and am always tweaking old favourites. I had to smile when you say you use Miracle Whip in your potato salad and Hellman’s for all else………I have done the same ever since making my mother’s family favourite potato salad, where she would only use Miracle Whip. I am a new subscriber and look forward to your newsletter with great anticipation ! Cheers, Laura
Hi Laura and yes, there are times when only Miracle Whip will do for me :) Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
This potato salad has my name witten all over it Jennifer! It’s just the way I like it!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann :)
Is there a typo re the eggs as I think you mean it is bland without eggs but it says the opposite… .Love your site and recipes and never been disappointed with anything I have made from your recipes…keep up the great work. judi
There is, Judi! Thanks for catching that :) Fixed now. And thanks so much!
I don’t need burgers or brats, I’ll just eat my weight in this! It looks wonderful!
Thanks Chris and yes, I am quite happy with a bowl of this in front of me anytime :)