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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’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. 🙂
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 😀
Sounds great, but we like just a little finely chopped celery, carrot, onion and some frozen green peas for good measure.
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!
Absolutely! I use dill relish all the time
Jamie I copied this many years ago when you had your show. My family just loves the Potato Salad. Thank You so very much
no onions, no mustard, no celery, no green pepper?? ;o( we like a lot more in ours
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.
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.
Additional message. NO MUSTARD !!
Try your recipe like it is but add Beau Monde seasoning. And use Dukes mayonnaise. Use Dukes and you will never go back.
I have never put eggs in potato salad. Is this something new?
I don’t think I have ever had potato salad WITHOUT them lol.. maybe it is just our family?
also never heard of potato salad without eggs…
sounds odd
Chez nous aussi y a toujours eu des œufs dans la salade de pommes de terre
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 ^_^
That’s GREEN onion .. oops !
Our family also prefers a plain, non crunchy salad. I make a homemade mayonnaise though instead of the regular mayo etc.
Anxious to try this! What type of mustard do you use (just plain yellow?)
Yes, we use yellow mustard. Thanks for asking!
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.
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!
I love potato salad with egg, but the sour cream makes it sound even more delicious, thank you for sharing…
The sour cream makes the dressing more creamy. It’s not for everyone, but I love it!
This is wonderful. You can also use canned potatoes as well and it is less work to cook and peel.
I’ve never used canned potatoes before. Thanks for the tip!
sound really nice I’m going to try are are quantitys American.thanx
Yes, the quantities are American. I’ve never had cream of garlic soup. I’ll see what I can do! Thank you for visiting our site!
Similar to my grandmother’s recipe. I don’t put pickles in, just eggs, potatoes, mayo, spices and a small onion, shredded. Shredding the onion prevents the crunch which I also dislike in potato salad but give a good flavor.
Ooh I like the idea of shredding the onion! Thanks for sharing!
Sounds a lot like mine. 5# potatoes boiled with skins on.. 18 eggs, a little chopped onions. I chop the egg white and partly mash most of the yellows with a fork. Wisk the Hellmans, mashed egg yellow and small squirt of spicy brown mustard together for the dressing.
being from VA, home of Dukes Mayonnaise, this is the unique flavor that my family likes in most everything that calls for mayonnaise. – especially on fresh tomato sandwiches. YUM also, all of the salads that are so popular in summer time. Try it, you might just like it.
Could you tell me approximately how many pounds of potatoes you use? I know you say medium, but I’m worried I’m going to get the wrong amount of potatoes.
5 medium potatoes is approximately 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes. If you are worried about getting too many potatoes, don’t mix all of them in at once. Hold out some and then add more to your desired taste. If you feel like the salad is too dry, you can also add more dressing. Thank you for asking!
Your potatoe salad is similar to mine. I have to use Best Foods or Hellmans Mayonaise. These are the same it just depends on which side of the Mississippi River you live. I use less sour cream but I do use green onions chopped very fine using part of the green. I may or may not use celery but always celery salt. Sometimes I add Italian dressing mix. Just the dry package, no oil and I use a little of the pickle juice. My husband hates mustard so I only use to color not taste. For every 5 lbs of boiled red potatoes, i use 12 boiled eggs saving 2 to decorate the top. I mix the seasonings and wet items together then add to the chpped potatoes, eggs, onion and pickles. I have used baby dills but like kosher dills better.
Thank you for sharing your recipe! It’s always interesting to learn how different families have their special ingredients. You’ve given some great tips! I’ll try them out next time I make this salad.