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This classic potato salad recipe is a one we’ve made for family events, barbecues, and picnics for years. Pulled straight from our Mom’s handwritten recipe box, this potato salad recipe is packed with tender potatoes and eggs in a perfectly seasoned dressing.
Mom’s 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
- Mom’s Classic Creamy Potato Salad
- Key Ingredients
- Choosing the Best Potatoes for Potato Salad
- Step by Step Instructions
- Easy Potato Salad Variations
- Instant Pot Hack: Cook Potatoes and Eggs Together!
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More BBQ Side Dishes
- 5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Classic Potato Salad Recipe with Eggs
Key Ingredients
- Yukon Gold Potatoes (5 medium): These buttery potatoes hold their shape well. 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 more dill flavor (and less sweet) 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
For a classic potato salad recipe, Yukon Gold or red potatoes give the best creamy texture without falling apart. If you like a softer, more old-fashioned texture, russets work too. 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.
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
Let the potatoes sit until warm, not hot. Folding the dressing in while the potatoes are still slightly warm helps them absorb more flavor.
- 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.
Easy Potato Salad Variations
- Dill Pickle: Replace the sweet relish with chopped dill pickles plus a splash of pickle juice.
- Old-Fashioned: Use Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise.
- Loaded: Add bacon, cheddar, and green onions to the salad.
- Crunchy: Stir in diced radishes and red onion.
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.
Make Ahead and Storage
This potato salad is even better the next day, which makes it perfect for picnics, camping trips, holidays, and potlucks. I recommend making it at least 12-24 hours ahead so the potatoes have time to soak up the dressing and all the flavors can blend together.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, then just give it a quick stir before serving. If it has become a little dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of mayonnaise or sour cream.
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!
Yes, Miracle Whip gives the dressing a sweeter and tangier taste.
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:
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
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! 🥔🥗
Classic Potato Salad Recipe with Eggs
Video
Ingredients
- 5 medium potatoes, Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes
- 8 eggs, hard boiled (save 2 eggs for garnish)
- 1/2 cup celery, sliced
- 1/4 cup green onion, sliced
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- paprika, for garnish (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 the dressing into the eggs and potatoes while still slightly warm until well combined.
- Slice remaining 2 eggs and layer on top of salad. Sprinkle paprika over the eggs. Refrigerate overnight (12-24 hours before serving is best).
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, I prefer Best Food’s/Hellmann’s mayonnaise. In my opinion, it is the absolute best for the sauce.
- This keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days. If it becomes a little dry, refreshen it by stirring equal amounts of sour cream and mayonnaise (½ to 1 tablespoon of each) depending on how much salad you have leftover.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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i have a quick question. I see you have in your recipe ingredients Mayo OR Miracle Whip? I don’t get this (respectfully – I really don’t). They are two different things totally. To me, it’s like saying salt or pepper. I would not be able to eat it if mayo was put in that salad. It needs to be Miracle Whip IMO. I get – it’s all how you grew up. I’m sure it is. I just know I can’t even stomach potato salad made with mayo. I remember the first time I realized this – I took a big bite thinking it was going to be delicious and it wasn’t. It ended up in my napkin.
It really depends on your personal taste. Some of us in our family prefer MW with it and some prefer Mayo– that is why we list it both ways. It depends on if you like it sweet or not. Personally I can go either way– I PREFER it with Mayo but I can eat it with MW and it still tastes great.
Sometimes the choice of mayo or mw is a diabetic one mw contains more sugar so mayo is that choice I grew up with mw and it was a hard change to mayo and after 14 years I still miss mw
I leave out the sugar as just 2 Tbls of sugar with the sweetness of many of the other ingredients is plenty for diabetics! I never use anything but Hellmans, closest thing to homemade mayo. I am 82 & we had to make the mayo for tomato sandwiches back in the good ole days in the Mississippi Delta!
Great recipe! I like to add onions too.
I always use Miracle Whip whenever Mayonnaise is required in any recipe. It makes a huge and delightful difference. Some cooks argue which is best. Try both and choose the one that works best for you.
I find that peeled, cut and boiled potatoes have a better outcome (texture wise and the ability to absorb ingredients).
Once the water comes to a boil watch carefully to not over cook potatoes. Stir gently now and then to create even cooking. It helps to make all cuts basically the same in size for better cooking result. Twenty minutes boiling time (give or take) is usually enough for me.
After draining potatoes…In a large bowl salt and pepper potatoes (don’t mix) and let cool to room temperature or slightly warmer. Cool time helps potatoes to firm up. Add all ingredients before mixing. With a large mixing spoon mix gently but thorough and evenly. Add more of this and that ingredient if you feel the need. Serve or chill first before serving. I love potato salad!
Mine is very similar but I do use onions. I don’t like raw onions so I dice them up and cook them with my potatoes. Yum!
Cooking them up with the potatoes is a great idea!
You can add diced chives. You can also soak them in ice water for about 10 or 15 minutes to make them milder in taste if you like. If you choose to soak chives dry off on paper towel before adding it to salad. I add them without soaking. Diced chives and chopped pimientos add color and taste to the recipe.
This recipe looks delicious..potato salads are my favourite and I also have to say you are my favourite cooking site, your food is always amazing, thank you…x
Julianne- Thank you so much! We are honored to be called your favorite cooking site 🙂 We will do our best to keep the recipes coming for you!
we also cut up cucumbers & radishes & celery also – yummy!
how many does this recipe typically feed?
thanks!
Probably 6-8 depending on the size of potatoes and how hungry everyone is!
Thank you for sharing a easy wonderful recipe. I’ve been looking for a new potato salad recipe to call my own. My mom and sister have their versions, now this will be mine. Yum!!!
Isn’t it harder to peel the potatoes after they’ve been boiled? Why not peel them prior to boiling? Other than that little technicality, this sounds really delicious! Top with a little paprika for color and slight flavor, and voila!
no, it is usually easier to peel after they are boiled. skin practically falls off. just let them cool a bit before handling. I think boiling first also prevents them from getting too soft and turning into mashed potatoes.
This sounds delicious and very close to my recipe. Boiling the potatoes first before peeling makes all the difference in the world in taste. I use celery and onion in mine. That’s the southern coming out. LOL Thanks for sharing!
Made this! It’s always scary to try a new potato salad. . . LOVED IT!!! Thanks!
This recipe sounds delightful and delicious! Looks easy too which I’m always looking for. Thanks for sharing!
Potato salads can vary that’s for sure. I love seeing the little different touches each family calls their own. Mine, of course is the best ! for my taste buds. No relish, dill or onions or green olives. Mine has black olives, bacon, boiled eyes, mustard and mayo. But I think I will try a little sour cream and see what that does. Thank you for listing your ingredients.
I actully googled “boiled eyes” thinking it was an exotic ingredient I had not heard of–lol-now I know you must have meant boiled eggs;)
i just died laughing from this comment~ It hit my funny bone pretty hard! 🙂
Boiled eyes….. Is this for Halloween?
I also did the same thing. Lol
I was wondering what the boiled eyes were myself
LoL This is the funniest thing I read today thus far. “Boiled Eyes” hehehe I am sharing this with my mother, because we relate <3
Oh man, that was a bad typo! Fixing now. Haha!
eyes or eggs?
I know that it was a typing mistake but the “boiled eyes” made me laugh out loud. Thanks for my daily chuckle.
boiled eyes???
Haha – gotta love autocorrect! 🙂
Boiled eggs? Or Pepe de asini?
I’m not exactly sure what you are asking. There is no pepe de acini in this recipe so I am going to say “hard boiled eggs”. Hope this helps!
This recipe is so much like my Mom’s. I too hate anything crunchy in mine. I use 1/2 and 1/2 with the mayo, instead of sour cream, but I’m sure they end up tasting the same. I love your recipes, and purchased your book.
This is very similar to my potato salad recipe also! I love all your recipes and the fact that y’all are home cooks that like to cook simple straight forward recipes that dont require fussy ingredients! Thanks and I look forward to all you post!
Looks mighty tasty. MMM good! Perfect for summertime.
Your recipe looks very good…..but potato salad recipes are like opinions…..every one has one.
My mom’s recipe has been a family favorite for eons, but I’m always open to trying a new version just for a change of pace.
Thank you for sharing.
This is very close to the same recipe I use, but I never measure and we also like it better warm and I add onion, it is also better if you have homemade pickle relish!!
I just wanted to say, you are my all time favorite website for recipes. Everything I make is delicious! Keep them coming, have a great day!
Sheran– Thank you so much! That is such a huge compliment to us! We will do our best to keep bringing you our very favorite recipes… you are always welcome here! Thanks again! 🙂
At least you seem to put everything in it or options I say a southern cornbread dressing recipe on another site no seasoning at all
Love this recipe. Very close to y own recipe. Thank you. Have a Great Weekend!
I always a little celery seed, gives the celery taste without the crunch.
That is a great idea – especially if you don’t like celery. Thanks!