We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
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 are tried and true and a hit at any gathering!
Table of Contents
Mom’s Famous Creamy Potato Salad Recipe
This classic, creamy potato salad recipe comes straight from my Mom’s cherished recipe box. It was the essential side dish at family picnics and barbecues when we were growing up. This recipe is more than just a dish, it’s a taste of home.
Now, I know that everyone says their mom makes the best potato salad, but in this case, it’s true! Imagine tender chunks of Yukon Gold potatoes and perfectly hard-boiled eggs, all in a delicious seasoned, creamy dressing.
Classic Potato Salad Ingredients
This creamy potato salad recipe uses simple ingredients to create an unforgettable flavor. Here’s a list of what you’ll need, along with substitution suggestions:
- 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.
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!
Mom’s Best Potato Salad Recipe
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).
Video
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 Information
Reader 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
“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
“Just for something different, I tried this recipe, mostly because of the sour cream. My husband and I loved it! So nice to find a good recipe with lots of flavors, not bland at all. The recipe I have used all my life is made with bacon and it is good but this one is going in my cookbook for a nice change from the same old one.
Thanks!” – Kelli
Frequently Asked Questions
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!
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.
We 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.
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:
READ NEXT: 50+ Picnic Food Ideas
Night before Memorial Day ’25 and I decided last minute I wanted a different potato salad than I normally make. This is amazing! I added chopped up bread and butter pickles; green onion, and no celery. Thank you for a great recipe! Pinned to make again and again!
So glad we could help out in a pinch!
Why not peel potatoes before boiling?
You can, it just changes the outer texture of the potato a little bit.
This sounds just like my mother’s recipe which I have been searching for years.
Oh good, I am glad you found this one, hopefully it tastes the same as you remember.
Thank you Echo It’s Christmas 2024 and My boyfriend and I made a large feast this evening. I searched for potatoe salad recipes and I chose your recipe because it looked the most like my Mamahs infamous tater salad and it did not disapoint. Thank you again; it was very close to Mahs recipe.
Wishing you and yours and everyone else a Very Merry Christmas and a HAPPY New Year.
Thank you, Mary. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Happy New Year!
This is my go to recipe for potato salad. I’ve gotten a lot of compliments!
I know this is a VERY simplistic question, but I am new at this and need a few more specifics:
Approximately how much salt and how much pepper should be sprinkled on the cooked diced potatoes and eggs?
Is this correct: 5 medium potatoes equals about 1 1/2 lbs of potatoes?
How much celery is recommended if I choose to add celery?
How much onion?
Also, I only have dried dill weed ~ about how much should I sprinkle on the top for garnish? Is it the same amount whether it is fresh or dried dill?
Thank you so much for your site. I thoroughly enjoy reading it and trying new recipes!
Ok let me try to answer these as best I can:
1. start with a quarter teaspoon and then try a potato, add another quarter if you feel like it needs more.
2. Medium potatoes can truly vary in size. I just use the typical size you can find in the large bags at most grocery stores, think about the size of your fist.
3. Depends on how much you like celery. I don’t like a lot so usually just a stalk or two.
4. Again, depends on how much you like onion. I would opt for about 1/3 cup.
5. For dill, maybe about a teaspoon’s worth.
Hope this helps!
Thank you so very much for your reply!
A 10 !!!!
Great potato salad recipe! My Mom’s recipe is the same but without the dill weed. This salad is requested for all events at my house and my friends’ parties. I make another small serving without the green peppers for those who don’t prefer them in their salad. The more I prepare this potato salad the easier and better it gets. The Instant Pot saves time.
I love potato salad and make it frequently. I se mayo, white vinegar and sugar for the dressing and add onions, chopped sweet pickles, garlic salt, lemon pepper, basil, chopped hard-boiled eggs and parsley. I have experimented with adding chopped olives rather than pickles. My rather large family likes my potato salad. I am going to try this recipe, without telling them!
We will gather at one of my daughter’s houses, and will have ham, potato something (to be decided by my daughter), green beans, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and baked, hot rolls, deviled eggs, and desserts. There will be twenty-two to twenty-six family members.
Love this recipe. 5-star.
SO good!
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!!
So glad it has become a favorite!! Thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe!
A few changes… I don’t add eggs, so the potato salad will last longer in the refrigerator.
Instead of the sugar I add two more tablespoons of sweet relish.
Just delicious! I use the small Yukon Gold potatoes.
and put them through the riser to make it even creamier.
I don’t add the eggs so the potato salad will last longer.
This is my new go to potato salad recipe.
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
This turned out so yummy. I love it. ❤
This recipe is so yummy. We loved the add in suggestions and this time tried peas, pimentos and italian dressing. What a versatile base recipe.
I crave potato salad!! It’s a must all summer long! We make this all the time!
Chunky, creamy, & delicious!! We take this to every picnic, bbq, party, you name it! Everyone always loves it!