Everyone needs a great potato salad recipe! It’s a staple summer side dish. This one is my personal favorite. It’s easy to put together, and a great starting point to make the recipe your own. There are a few things that make it unique: boil the onions, add sugar, and use a cooling rack to get the perfect size potato chunks. Read on! Originally published July 30, 2018.
Table of Contents
- Why this is the BEST Potato Salad Recipe!
- The Best Potato Salad Texture
- Best Ever Potato Salad Taste!
- Best Homemade Potato Salad Ingredients
- How to Make the Best Potato Salad Ever
- Best Homemade Potato Salad Tips
- How to serve the Best Potato Salad
- What to eat with Potato Salad
- Best Potato Salad Recipe storage
- The Best Potato Salad FAQs
- We love alllll the salads!
- The Best Potato Salad Recipe Recipe
Guys I thought I was over the whole candy thing. Like, don’t grown ups grow out of candy? Don’t we have better things to waste our calories on?
But I’m powerless in the face of a road trip. We are heading to Colorado to get together for a reunion near Rio Grande National Forest. It’s a 2 day drive. That means 2 days of candy and cheese puffs.
All the good people of the world are out there snacking on almonds or apple slices or dried seaweed to keep themselves awake. I’m over here doing complicated taste tests to see whether the new Xtreme Sour Airheads beat out regular Sour Patch Kids (spoiler alert: definitely. And now my tongue has reached that state of rawness that only a true sour candy lover knows. It’s always worth it).
Why this is the BEST Potato Salad Recipe!
Every 4th of July, Eric’s whole family gets together for fireworks, Nana’s Fall-Off-the-Bone Ribs and “Barb”-ecue Sauce, and her homemade Peppermint Ice Cream. (Which I FINALLY made and took photos of, but you will have to wait til Christmas for the recipe! My version insists on crushed candy canes, and I can’t tease you with a recipe you can’t get ingredients for right away. Ahh I’m so mean!)
Aunt Joy brings potato salad every 4th of July and it is THE BEST. I’m in love with it and eat obscene amounts every year. (I just heard someone talking about potato salad the other day, and they were like, potato salad is the kind of thing you can only have a couple bites of. EXCUSE ME WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE WE FRIENDS.)
So I texted Aunt Joy for the recipe. Here’s what she sent me:
Potatoes
Boiled eggs
¼ cup mayo
¾ cup miracle whip
mustard
The charlatan in me started to get nervous. How many potatoes? How many eggs? Is it really that simple?? Ahhh
The Best Potato Salad Texture
The thing I love best about Joy’s potato salad recipe is the lack of raw vegetables. Read: NO CRUNCHIES. I love the flavor that onions and other veggies add, but I’m just a stickler for texture when it comes to potato salad. Also, onion flavor is delicious, I just don’t like when it stays with me for days on end.
So instead of adding raw onions, I boiled a chopped onion along with the potatoes. I swear by this method! It’s how my Aunt Shirley gets a ton of flavor in her Famous Creamy Mashed Potatoes. It works like a charm.
If you love crunchies in your potato salad, you can certainly add it in. Chopped pickles or pickle relish, raw yellow or green onions, chopped celery, etc. This is a great base recipe to work from.
Here’s the next thing I love about this potato salad: the potatoes are the PERFECT size. Too often when I eat potato salad, the potato chunks are huge. Then your whole mouth is full of bland potato and no dressing. I like LOTS of dressing. Beautiful, mayonnaisey dressing.
Here’s my secret. I roughly chop the potatoes, boil as usual, then…I push them through a wire cooling rack.
Say whaaat? Yes, really. I know it sounds weird, but I swear, the texture and potato size in this potato salad is a GAME CHANGER! I learned about this method from a video about a restaurant called Sally Bell’s that we went to last year in Richmond, Virginia. Sally Bell’s is locally famous for their potato salad. The video showed them pushing boiled potatoes through a cooling rack and I was like THAT’S GENIUS. Who wants to spend forever chopping raw potatoes into perfect bite-sized chunks?
My cooling rack has half inch squares. But I’m sure any cooling rack would give you the uniformity we’re going for.
Best Ever Potato Salad Taste!
Here’s the next weird idea I’m about to blow your mind with: SUGAR. Wait, sugar in potato salad?? YES.
Aunt Joy called for Miracle Whip in her recipe, but I didn’t have any when I tested this the first time. Miracle Whip is basically just mayonnaise with sugar in it, so I added the sugar myself. It really takes this potato salad to the next level. I promise it’s not weird. I was confident it would be delicious because I just made this macaroni salad a few weeks ago, and it also called for 1/2 cup of sugar. I’m in love.
I took this potato salad to a family get together and we scraped the bowl clean. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I told them I put sugar in the potato salad. Totally shocked.
There are 9 eggs in this salad. Now you don’t have to be “that person” who’s digging around for the goodies in the salad. I love to steam my eggs, it makes them so easy to peel.
Just look at how creamy it is!
Best Homemade Potato Salad Ingredients
Here’s a quick list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this potato salad. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for more details.
- Russet potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped)
- Onion
- Full-fat mayonnaise
- Sugar
- Yellow mustard
- kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Eggs (hard boiled and chopped)
- Fresh dill (to garnish, optional)
What potatoes are best for potato salad?
I love using russet potatoes for potato salad. They’re starchy, so they absorb dressing really well. This potato salad is all about a thick, creamy dressing. If you’re looking for a substitute I recommend Yukon Gold. They’re a great all-purpose potato.
How to Make the Best Potato Salad Ever
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this potato salad. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for complete instructions!
- Peel and chop the potatoes into 2 inch chunks. Chop the onion.
- Add potatoes and onions to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a steady simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes. Drain the potatoes, being careful not to lose the boiled onions. Return the potatoes to the dry pot and let cool for several minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil or steam the eggs. Peel them and chop them into bite size pieces.
- In a large serving bowl combine mayonnaise, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- When the potatoes have cooled enough that you can handle them, use your hands to push the boiled potatoes through a cooling rack into a bowl. Add the chopped boiled eggs, and stir it all together. Cover and chill.
How long do you cook potatoes for potato salad?
I cook my potatoes for 20-30 minutes, so that they fall apart easily when you pierce them with a fork. If that’s not your desired potato salad consistency, you do you! I don’t like firm potatoes in a potato salad, I like to be able to eat it with a spoon.
Best Homemade Potato Salad Tips
Here are my favorite tips for making potato salad that everyone loves.
- Push your potatoes through a cooling rack. I know it sounds odd, but it gives you evenly sized potatoes – no giant pieces you can’t fit in your mouth!
- Add lots of eggs. Don’t be making your friends and family hunt through the potato salad to find the treasure! Eggs make potato salad rich and creamy.
- Don’t be shy about the seasonings. Potatoes are great, but they need a little oomph. We’re adding mustard, full-fat mayonnaise, plenty of sugar, and enough cayenne to flavor the potato salad without making it spicy.
How to serve the Best Potato Salad
Here’s one last tip: let your potato salad chill completely in the fridge, but then let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before serving. The flavors come through a lot better when it is not straight out of the fridge. It will still be cold, I promise. Just not ice cold. Trust me guys. And no, you’re not going to die of salmonella after a half hour. Chill, people.
What to eat with Potato Salad
I made this potato salad with this Simply Amazing Grilled Chicken and grilled tomatoes. It would also be really good with these Honey Balsamic Slow Cooker Pork Ribs, or some Texas Beef Brisket. How about keeping it simple with The Best Hot Dog You Will Ever Eat? Or pair it with Smash Burgers! The possibilities are endless!
Best Potato Salad Recipe storage
Potato salad should be stored in the fridge and will stay good for 3-4 days. If you’re serving your potato salad at a picnic, potluck, or other spread, it shouldn’t be left out for more than 2 hours. After that, pop it back in the fridge so you don’t give anyone food poisoning.
The Best Potato Salad FAQs
Gummy worms. Squid ink. Your birth certificate. Old flip flops. This question kind of sounds like it’s directed at someone very specific, like a spouse who suggested adding an ingredient you don’t like. Add what you like! I like a potato salad that lets the potatoes shine, with plenty of eggs, but maybe you like adding pickles or radishes or crumbled bacon. I am not the potato salad police. Add what you like!
Potato salad definitely tastes best when you make it ahead. The flavors combine overnight and the potatoes, naturally a bland food, are much more delicious. Of course you can eat it immediately (and I have) but most people prefer a chilled potato salad in which the flavors have had time to marry.
Rinsing potatoes after boiling is optional. The purpose of rinsing them is to get them to stop cooking, since the potatoes continue to cook even after you drain them (they still have heat inside). I skip this step and have never had a problem, but you definitely can rinse them if you want to.
Yes, you should let the potatoes cool before adding mayo. Putting mayonnaise on hot potatoes will cause it to separate, leaving your potatoes swimming in an oily mess. Be patient!
Potato salad can get watery if you don’t let the potatoes cool completely before combining them with the potato salad dressing ingredients. Let them cool! It’s also important to use full-fat mayo. Potato salad is an indulgent dish. Don’t mess with it.
We love alllll the salads!
Classic Egg Salad << love this on sandwiches, on a salad, with a spoon
Aunt Joy’s Creamy Cucumber Salad << Aunt Joy knows what’s up guys, this stuff is addictive!
Broccoli and Bacon Salad << the best way to eat broccoli, ever
Pressure Cooker BLT Potato Salad from Pressure Cooking Today
Dill Pickle Potato Salad from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
Sweet Potato Salad Recipe with Bacon from Well Plated
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The Best Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 & 1/2 cups full-fat mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup yellow mustard, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 9 eggs, boiled and chopped
- fresh dill, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and chop the potatoes into 2 inch chunks. Chop the onion.
- Fill a large pot with water and add the potatoes and onions. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to a steady simmer (you can tilt or remove the lid). Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when you pierce them with a fork.
- Drain the potatoes, being careful not to lose the boiled onions. Return the potatoes to the dry pot and let cool for several minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil the eggs. I actually like to steam my eggs rather than boil them (it makes it so easy to peel), but you can do it however you like. I steam them in a basket over boiling water for 12 minutes, and then put them immediately into an ice bath. Boiling for about 8 minutes would give the same result. Make sure you do the ice bath so that they stop cooking.
- Peel the eggs and chop into bite size pieces.
- Meanwhile, in a large serving bowl combine mayonnaise, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Taste the dressing and decide how much cayenne pepper you want to add. It’s not meant to make it spicy, it’s meant to add flavor.
- When the potatoes have cooled enough that you can handle them, place a wire cooling rack over the bowl with the dressing. My cooling rack has 1/2 inch squares, you can buy it here. Use your hands to push the boiled potatoes through the cooling rack into the bowl.
- Once you have pushed all the potatoes through, remove the rack. Add the chopped boiled eggs, and stir it all together.
- Cover and chill for at least 2-3 hours, or up to 24 hours. Let the bowl of potato salad sit on the counter at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
- Sprinkle with fresh dill for an added bit of flavor! I love dill!
This sounds amazing. Wondering if you push the onions through along with the potatoes? Also, I would use the wire cooling rack for the eggs too. Works great for when making egg salad! Cannot wait to try this recipe. It also makes peeling eggs way easier if you do not use fresh eggs.
Carrie, that is such a great idea to push the eggs through the wire cooling rack too! I might not bother with the onions though, since those are cut into smaller pieces than the 1/2 inch grid on the cooling rack. Thanks for the ideas and if you make it, come back and let us know how you like it!
So diabetic can eat this too or not, I love the recipes and will love to try them all
Hi Lornette! No nutrition advice to offer here, as what a diabetic person can or can’t eat depends on so many factors. Hope this can be a part of your diet, enjoy!
If I was thirty years younger, I’d be doing celebratory cartwheels!!
Vindicated!! This potato salad is almost exactly how I make it! Bring on the sugar, I say!! You can’t believe the guff I’ve gotten over it, but it’s the only way to fly!!
I LOVE the cooling rack trick, and I will tell my Pampered Chef consultant immediately!!!
You are my favorite blogger, funny girl, I wish you lived next door!!
Could you tell me about steaming the eggs? I hate peeling the eggs ugh always a problem 🤣 I Can Not wait to try this potato salad recipe!!!
Hi Julie! To steam the eggs, place them in a basket (the metal steamer kind) over boiling water for 12 minutes with the lid on, and then put them immediately into an ice bath. I hear you about the egg peeling problems, that’s always the worst right?? Enjoy your potato salad!
I tried the chicken pot pie. LOVED IT. This my first time making this recipe and I am happy I found yours. My hubby loved the flakey crust. I keep the pie a bit longer in the oven for brown crust. I can’t wait to try your other recipes. I had lost my zeal for cooking. After looking at your website. I’m excited to make home cook meals again. Thanks 😊
It looks amazing. I definitely try this recipe
You will love it Alisha!
So many fun tips in this post.
Thanks Barbara! Who knew there was so much to learn about potato salad? :)
Kinda like my Moms. Unfortunately I never got receipe before she passed. I know she put cucumbers, tomatoes, eggs, onions. She would boil potatoes with skin on. Peel while hot then used Marzettis dressing while potatoes still hot. It NEVER lasted long wherever she took. Wait! I DO have it. Dont know how much of what but that’s where tasting comes in..
I’m so glad you found your moms recipe Deb!! That is awesome. I’ve never seen tomatoes or cucumbers in a potato salad but it sounds delicious. I will have to try it out!
Your potato salad tastes a lot like mine, but I had never cooked the onion. Love the cooked onion in it. I developed my recipe several years ago, because I had a favorite uncle who loved potato salad, but had difficulty chewing hunks of potatoes. So I got my meat grinder out & put everything through the grinder using a course blade . Problem solved, salad delicious. Of course I add sugar. If I’m in a hurry, I use Simply Potatoes mashed potatoes. Sorry this is so long.
I’m not sorry Vickie, I love hearing from you! That is a good idea to use a meat grinder. I’ve heard of people using potato ricers too, but I like the chunks to be just a bit bigger than that. I’m so glad you added the sugar!! It’s so good. Thanks so much for stopping by to comment, I love it!