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This is the BEST Potato Salad recipe EVER. Pulled straight from Mom’s handwritten recipe box, it’s rich, creamy, and packed with tender potatoes and eggs in a perfectly seasoned dressing. It’s simple, classic, and a guaranteed crowd pleaser!
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“I have been using your recipe, as written, for several years and this tastes WAY better than what my family makes for family events. Thank you for updating your recipe to include instant pot instructions. I have been hesitant to try eggs and potatoes in it and I am quite shocked at how perfectly cooked both the eggs and potatoes turned out. The instant pot is a time saver and only having to wash one pot…GENIUS!!” – Jonathan
“This is my go to recipe for potato salad. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments!” – Sheila
“Wow!!! I have been looking for my mother-in-law’s recipe for potato salad for 30 years that I just adored. She didn’t ever write anything down because she cooked from taste, texture, and what the food looked like This might be the exact recipe. It is better than my Dad’s. I think he might use too much relish and mustard in his but it is awesome too. the one I wanted was one that has sour cream in it and looks like the, one pictured. You Nailed It! Thanks so much for posting it” – Vickie
The Ultimate Classic Creamy Potato Salad
This creamy potato salad comes straight from my mom’s cherished recipe box – the one with the slightly stained index cards and handwritten notes in the margins. It was the side dish at every family picnic and backyard barbecue growing up. You could count on it sitting right next to the burgers and watermelon, and somehow it was always the first bowl scraped clean.
I know everyone claims their mom makes the best potato salad…but this one truly earns the title. With tender Yukon Gold potatoes, perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs, and a creamy, seasoned dressing that hits just the right balance of tangy and rich, it’s a taste of home in every bite!
🩷 Echo
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
- Yukon Gold Potatoes (5 medium): These buttery potatoes hold their shape beautifully. Feel free to use red potatoes or Russet potatoes as a substitute.
- Hard-boiled Eggs (8 total): Save two eggs to use for garnish on the salad. For perfectly cooked eggs, try our Instant Pot Method.
- Mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellman’s): This is our go-to brand for a rich texture and flavor. Miracle Whip can be substituted for a sweeter, tangier flavor.
- Sour Cream: I love the creaminess sour cream adds to the dressing. Plain Greek yogurt is a good substitute, but will alter the flavor some.
- Yellow Mustard: For a zesty kick and it adds a nice color. Feel free to substitute Dijon mustard if you prefer.
- Sweet Pickle Relish: This is where the family is somewhat divided. There is the sweet pickle camp and the dill pickle camp. The good news is both taste great, it’s just a matter of personal preference. For less sweet, dill flavor use 5-6 diced baby dill pickles.
- Fresh Dill Weed (finely chopped): Use fresh if you can, dried dill will do in a pinch, but you really can’t beat the flavor punch of fresh dill.
- Celery: I love the crunch celery provides in a potato salad, but it’s not for everyone. To get the celery flavor without the crunch, use celery seed seasoning.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and paprika.
Step by Step Instructions
- Cook the potatoes
Place the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 25-30 minutes, until fork-tender but still firm. Drain and let cool until easy to handle. Peel, dice into small cubes, and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the eggs
Peel and dice 6 of the hard-boiled eggs (reserve 2 for garnish). Add them to the bowl with the potatoes. Season lightly with salt and pepper and gently toss.
- Make the dressing
In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, relish, dill, and any additional mix-ins until smooth.
- Combine
Fold the dressing into the potatoes and eggs until evenly coated and well combined.
- Garnish & chill
Slice the remaining 2 eggs and arrange on top of the salad. Sprinkle with dill weed or paprika. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 6-8 hours) before serving for best flavor.
Choosing the Best Potatoes for Potato Salad
The foundation of a great potato salad is the right potato. Our first choice is Yukon Gold because they maintain their shape and texture well in the salad. Russets can also be used, but they tend to be softer. Here’s a breakdown:
- Yukon Gold: Creamy texture and buttery taste. Holds shape well.
- Red Potatoes: Similar to Yukon Gold, but slightly firmer. The taste is a bit sweeter than other potatoes. You can leave the skin on.
- Russet Potatoes: Softer texture and mild taste. Least expensive of the potatoes listed here.
If you love potatoes as much as we do, be sure to check out more Potato Recipes!
Instant Pot Hack: Cook Potatoes and Eggs Together!
Make things even easier on yourself and prepare your potatoes and eggs in the Instant Pot at the SAME TIME! It’s a huge time-saver and you dirty fewer dishes.
- Simply put the potatoes (whole) in the Instant Pot and add the eggs. Just make sure the eggs don’t touch the sides.
- Add a cup of water and then cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, slow-release for 5 minutes, then quick-release.
- The egg yolks are perfectly cooked every time. No green ring around the egg yolk, which makes the extra slices nice for garnishing the top.
- Immediately put the eggs in an ice water bath for 5 minutes and allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature. Peel the skin off the potatoes (optional) and dice to use in the recipe.
Storing Potato Salad
Potato salad lasts up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, which makes it perfect for making ahead of time for BBQs, potlucks, and camping trips. I always make this ahead of time when there is a big event coming up. I can just fix it and refrigerate it and pull it out when it’s time to eat, making the day-of the event stress free!
Frequently Asked Questions
For the best texture and flavor, boil the potatoes with the skins on, then peel them once they’re cool enough to handle. This helps prevent them from becoming waterlogged.
Make sure the potatoes are fully drained and cooled before mixing in the dressing. Overcooked potatoes or warm potatoes can release extra moisture and thin out the dressing.
I don’t recommend freezing potato salad. The mayonnaise separates when frozen and the potatoes and eggs don’t hold their texture. Leftover potato salad can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Add a little more mayo or sour cream (a little at a time) until you reach your desired consistency. You can also add a splash of milk.
Absolutely! Chopped celery, red onion, crispy bacon, or a splash of pickle juice are all delicious additions.
Cook the potatoes whole by boiling or steaming them for about 25 minutes. Poke the potatoes with a fork at 20 minutes to see how they are coming along. Once there is no “crunch” in the middle, they are ready. Just be careful not to overcook!
More BBQ Side Dishes
Looking for more sides to round out your next picnic or barbecue? In our opinion, the more sides the better. Here are a few more of our favorite salad recipes:
This potato salad has been a family favorite for years, and I hope it becomes a staple at your gatherings too. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment below and don’t forget to rate the recipe so others can enjoy it as well! 🥔🥗
Mom’s Best Potato Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 5 medium potatoes, Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes
- 8 eggs, hard boiled (save 2 eggs to use for garnish on salad)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish, or 5 to 6 diced baby dill pickles, if you don’t like it sweet
- 1 teaspoon dill weed, finely chopped
- black pepper, to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
- paprika, (optional)
- celery, chopped (optional)
- green onion, or red onion, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, boil potatoes with peel on for about 25-30 minutes until potatoes are fork tender, but still firm. After potatoes are cooked, drain the water and allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Peel and dice into small cubes and place in a large bowl.
- Peel and dice 6 of the eggs (save 2 eggs for garnish) and place in the bowl with the potatoes. Add salt and pepper and lightly toss.
- In a small bowl, stir mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, relish, dill and any other mix-ins together.
- Fold mixture into the eggs and potatoes until well combined.
- Slice remaining 2 eggs and layer on top of salad. Garnish with dill weed or paprika. Refrigerate overnight (or at least 6-8 hours).
Notes
- To get the best flavor from the dried dill, crush it between your hands before adding it to the salad.
- Make things even easier on yourself and prepare your potatoes and eggs in the Instant Pot at the SAME TIME! It’s a huge time-saver and you dirty less dishes.
- For this recipe Best Food’s/Hellmann’s mayonnaise is the absolute best for the sauce. It has the perfect creamy, tangy flavor that blends deliciously with the potatoes, eggs and spices. Try it and see for yourself!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made near identical recipe Sunday! Difference was no sour cream and used white vinegar! Microwave baked the potatoes, won’t ever boil potatoes again for potato salad!
Interesting! How do you like to microwave bake your potatoes?