This is the BEST Potato Salad recipe EVER. It comes straight from Mom’s recipe box. Tender chunks of potatoes and hard boiled eggs covered in creamy dressing is tried and true and a hit at any gathering!
The BEST Potato Salad Recipe
In our family, we can’t imagine a family barbecue, picnic, or game day buffet without this rich and creamy homestyle Potato Salad as a side dish. Now, I know that everyone says their mom makes the best potato salad, but in this case it’s totally true! Once you try this recipe, you’ll never go back to that nasty store bought stuff again.
What Potatoes Are Best?
The very best potato salad recipe begins and ends with what type of potatoes you use. We love waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or red potatoes, because they hold their shape as they cook and keep their firm texture in the salad while chopping and tossing with the dressing. However, if you don’t have any of those kinds on hand, you can use Russets. We’ve used them in this recipe many times and they work fine. They’re just a bit softer and flakier than red potatoes or Yukon Gold, but taste just as delicious.
The Best Mayo
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!
Instant Pot Potato 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. 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. 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.
More Add-In Ideas
The beauty of this recipe is you can add any ingredients you like to create your own homemade potato salad. Here are some ideas for some additional add-ins:
- celery
- onion
- cucumbers
- radishes
- chives
- pimentos
- dill or sweet relish
- pickle juice
- Italian dressing mix
- bacon
- green peas
- olives
How to Chop Fresh Dill Weed for Potato Salad
We have a few picky eaters in the family (who will remain nameless) who don’t care for anything “crunchy” in their potato salad. Personally, I love adding celery and green onion for extra texture and flavor. There’s also some debate in the family over pickles vs. dill weed. Again, the crunchy factor comes into play. However, dill weed adds such a delightful dimension to the potato salad flavor. Here’s how to chop fresh dill weed:
- First, remove the fern-like leaves and stems from the thick center stem.
- Then, use a large sharp knife to mince the dill leaves to the desired consistency.
- If you don’t have fresh dill, you can use dried, but it’s always best to use dried seasonings within six months of purchase.
- To get the best flavor from the dried dill, crush it between your hands before adding it to the salad.
More Succulent Side Dishes
Looking for more sides to round out your next picnic or party buffet? In our opinion, the more sides the better. So try a few of our favorite recipes:
How to Make the BEST Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 5 medium potatoes Yukon gold or red
- 8 eggs hard boiled (save 2 eggs to use for garnish on salad)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish or 5 to 6 diced baby dill pickles, if you don’t like it sweet
- 1 tsp Dill weed finely chopped
- paprika optional
- celery chopped (optional)
- green onion or red onion, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Boil potatoes with peel on for about 25-30 minutes until potatoes are tender, but still firm. After potatoes are cooked, remove from water and allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Peel and dice into small cubes and place in a large mixing 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, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, relish, dill and any other mix-ins. 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).
