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.
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 very well. They’re just a bit softer and flakier than red potatoes or Yukon Gold, but taste just as delicious.
Suggestions for this Recipe
- If you’re using Russet potatoes, cut them evenly into bite size pieces and cook them in simmering water. Try not to vigorously boil the potatoes; they can break apart as a result. Simmer until potatoes are just tender, about ten minutes. Waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or red potatoes can be simmered slightly longer.
- 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!
- The beauty of this recipe is you can add any ingredients you like to create your own homemade potato salad. Toss in cucumbers, radishes, celery, chives, pimentos, dill relish, pickle juice, Italian dressing mix, yellow or sweet onion, bacon or green peas to make it your own. The possibilities are endless!
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:
- Mom’s Traditional Macaroni Salad
- Creamy Potatoes and Peas
- Coconut Pecan Sweet Potato Halves
- Australian Sausage Rolls
- Mexican Street Corn Cups
- Easy Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
- Homemade Macaroni and Cheese with Ham and Peas
How to Make the BEST Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 5 potatoes mediumRusset 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 40 minutes until potatoes are tender, but still firm. If you are using red potatoes, boil 25-30 minutes.
- Peel and dice potatoes and 6 eggs.
- Add salt and pepper and toss.
- Mix remaining ingredients separately and fold into potato mixture.
- Slice remaining 2 eggs and layer on top of salad. Sprinkle top of salad with dill weed or paprika.
- Refrigerate overnight (or at least 6-8 hours).
Julie Pierce says
This is wonderful. You can also use canned potatoes as well and it is less work to cook and peel.
Echo says
I’ve never used canned potatoes before. Thanks for the tip!
Karen Coghlan says
I love potato salad with egg, but the sour cream makes it sound even more delicious, thank you for sharing…
Echo says
The sour cream makes the dressing more creamy. It’s not for everyone, but I love it!
Karen says
My family recipe (from PA) uses powdered onion and celery, my moms preference, no sour cream but vinegar. Miracle whip, vinegar and sugar are mixed together to get the flavor wanted, then added to the rest of the salad.
Echo says
There are so many unique ways to make potato salad and tweak the ingredients and flavors to our preferences, and what the kids will eat, right? Thank you for sharing your family recipe!
emily says
Anxious to try this! What type of mustard do you use (just plain yellow?)
Echo says
Yes, we use yellow mustard. Thanks for asking!
Karen says
Our family also prefers a plain, non crunchy salad. I make a homemade mayonnaise though instead of the regular mayo etc.
Teri says
I use a little chopped celery, a little onion and about 1/2 lb of bacon in mine but everything else is the same … yummmm ^_^
Teri says
That’s GREEN onion .. oops !
Linda Young says
I have never put eggs in potato salad. Is this something new?
Erica says
I don’t think I have ever had potato salad WITHOUT them lol.. maybe it is just our family?
betty says
also never heard of potato salad without eggs…
sounds odd
Johanne L. says
Chez nous aussi y a toujours eu des œufs dans la salade de pommes de terre
elsa says
Try your recipe like it is but add Beau Monde seasoning. And use Dukes mayonnaise. Use Dukes and you will never go back.
elsa says
Additional message. NO MUSTARD !!
Narda says
Here’s one I didn’t see in the comments –
I bake my potatoes. No stirring.
I make mine similar to yours, though, in every other way.
betty says
no onions, no mustard, no celery, no green pepper?? ;o( we like a lot more in ours
Doris Beesing says
I agree ,up North we added radrishes (before they became hot) also a little sweet red peppers if I had them. we liked ours crunchy.my mustard was spicy. the rest was the same.
Linda says
Jamie I copied this many years ago when you had your show. My family just loves the Potato Salad. Thank You so very much
Emma says
Can I use dill pickle relish(we don’t like sweet) or just cut up a few regular pickles? I think the baby pickles taste different. Thanks!
Erica says
Absolutely! I use dill relish all the time
Unclebuck says
Sounds great, but we like just a little finely chopped celery, carrot, onion and some frozen green peas for good measure.
Liz says
I’m always curious to see how others make their potato salad, and I like that yours is very much like mine! I’ve been making potato salad for 40 plus years and always get compliments so must be doing something right. I was told to use 1 egg for every 2 potatoes and then 2 extra to slice for the top as a decoration. I use Best Foods only, there is a difference in the taste of mayos, but do add a Tablespoon of Miracle Whip for flavor, and 1 heaping teaspoon each of Dill and Sweet Pickle relish. Also a genorous squirt of plain old yellow mustard. I then finely grate about 1 Tablespoon or a little more of sweet yellow onion into the salad and stir well. I find that grating the onion gives you a wonderful taste without being way too oniony and harsh. Just has to be the sweet yellow, like a Vidalia or Georgia Gold. 🙂
Erica says
Thanks so much for the comment and tips! We ONLY use Best Foods as well. They definitely do it right 😉 I like the idea of grating the onion. I am definitely not a fan of big onion chunks in my potato salad 😀
Kathy says
Looks good, but I have been using my grandmother’s recipe for years…I steam my potato’s that way they are not mushy I also cut up sweet onion & celery really fine and add my seasoning then put into the refrig overnight that way the potato’s take on the flavor
Nana says
Too many eggs for me and my family but otherwise close to my own. I don’t measure anything. I use dill pickle relish and celery.
Suzan says
Good flavors,but I thought it was a little dry and could use more dressing.
Erica says
A little extra mayo never hurt anyone 😉 definitely add more if you think it needs it!
Karen says
I save time by putting my potatoes and/or macaroni in my stovetop pressure cooker with the eggs on a rack for eight minutes. Cooked together perfectly! Just take the pressure off immediately and get the eggs in cold water, you don’t want them to continue cooking.
Echo says
Thank you for sharing, Karen. The pressure cooker does save so much time!
Rhianon says
Yum, this sounds great! I’ll definitely have to make some- I’ll probably go the dill relish route, although I always have trouble deciding which one to pick when it comes to egg salad!
Vickie Woolley says
~~ Whenever I make potato salad ~ I bake my potatoes and then let them cool and the they peel just fine. That way you keep the nutrition in the potatoes. 🙂
Rita Levy says
Sounds yummy. I will definitely grate onions, use celery salt and fresh dill. I’m Finnish and dill is used in everything. Thanks for recipe. I also like dukes msyo. I’m from Maryland and dukes is the choice th e re.
Ron Hunter says
I REALLY don’t like chunky potato salad! Especially when some of the potatoes are not completely cooked through! Being a Texas guy, I like some mustard in the salad, rather than mayo, and even some olives. Not into crunchy. I like mine smooth.
linda says
I make my potato salad almost the same way but I do not use sour cream. I prefer dill , so I use some of the dill pickle juice to coat my cooked and cubed potatoes first. Then I add my Mayo, mustard, diced dill pickles, onion, celery, hard boiled eggs, marjoram, tarragon, summer savory, sweet basil and toss lightly to mix but not making the potatoes mushy . I sprinkle paprika and dill weed on top for garnish. ( I prefer to steam my potatoes for my salad, peel, cool, and cube for the salad.) Thank you for your recipe ; it makes me hungry looking at the delicious bowl full :)…
Christine says
Excellent potato salad. Got rave reviews. Thank you!