My easy potato salad recipe offers a subtle new twist on the classic. This version is easy to make and includes a few key ingredients that really bolster its flavor. Perfect for summer parties and picnics, your guests will be asking you for the recipe! Includes a how-to video.
The BEST Potato Salad
My beloved potato salad recipe ranks right up there with other picnic favorites like macaroni salad and broccoli salad. It’s a simple staple recipe that’s easy to make and it’s always, always a hit!
My version is dressed up with a sprinkle of sugar and sweet pickle juice, a dash of smoked paprika, and even the option to add bacon. It’s creamy and flavorful, and if you make it once, be prepared to be asked to bring it to parties for the rest of your life!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Can be made with any type of potato, but your results will vary. I talk more about this below.
- Perfect for making in advance. Some chilling is recommended to let the flavors develop, so this dish is great for prepping in advance.
- Full of flavor! We’ll add flavor boosters like (sweet!) pickles, paprika, and just a pinch of sugar.
- Includes lots of tips for foolproof results. No second-guessing needed, we’ll discuss everything from your best potato choices to how to tell they’re done boiling to other key tips and tricks (like making sure your potatoes aren’t too hot before adding the dressing!).
What You Need
Nothing too fancy here, just some pantry staples. I’ll review a few before we dive in.
- Potatoes. The potatoes that you choose can make all the difference in the end result! For this potato salad recipe, I recommend using a waxy potato like gold or fingerling potatoes. Red potatoes are another great choice. This type of potato will stay firm after cooking and hold its shape without falling apart. As a bonus, these potatoes have a thin skin and don’t need to be peeled (though you can if you’d like to!). I talk about using starchier potatoes, like russet potatoes, below.
- Eggs. Hard boiled eggs add flavor and texture to the end result. Boil a few extra and make yourself a batch of egg salad while you’re at it, too!
- Smoked paprika. I love sneaking this sweet and smoky spice into recipes (like my chicken and rice soup). Just a pinch adds such a nice depth of flavor and I consider it my secret ingredient.
- Onion. I like to use red onion, but really any kind will work. Chop it nice and fine for best texture.
- Pickles. I love to add sweet pickles and their juice to my potato salad recipe (and my deviled eggs too!). If you don’t like sweet pickles, you can swap them for dill pickles and substitute the juice for an equal amount of vinegar.
- Mayo. Use your favorite; I tend to reach for an olive oil-based mayo (I do this with my chicken salad, too), but any kind will work.
SAM’S TIP: Bacon is another unique and tasty addition that I sometimes include! I include more instructions for adding this below.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Potato Salad
- Boil your potatoes until tender, then drain and let cool completely. Don’t boil them quite as well as you would when making mashed potatoes, instead, you want them to be fork-tender, meaning the fork easily pierces them, but they don’t fall apart. Cut your potatoes to be similarly-sized, that way they cook evenly.
- Add the onions, celery, pickles, and eggs to the potatoes. Stir briefly to combine, then set this aside.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a large measuring cup. Pour this over the potato mixture and stir well to evenly coat everything.
- Cover the bowl and place in the fridge to chill for at least an hour before serving. Allowing it to chill helps the flavor develop (but I do understand if you don’t have the patience to wait!).
SAM’S TIP: Keep your potato salad cold! Bacteria can grow after two hours at room temperature. The time frame gets even smaller during hot weather (down to one hour), so keep this in mind if you are serving this recipe at a summer picnic. Serving over ice or putting it right back in the fridge/cooler after enjoying is ideal.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can, and I have, but there are a few things you should know first. Starchy potatoes like russets may be great in potato soup or mashed potatoes, but most cooks generally wouldn’t recommend them for potato salad. They aren’t necessarily a bad choice in my opinion, but they are much starchier and will soak up the dressing in a way that the waxier varieties above will not. They also have a thicker skin that can be tough and chewy, so I recommend peeling them before boiling.
I’ve found potato salad made with starchy potatoes to be softer and creamier, while waxy potatoes yield a salad that requires a bit more chewing, so choose your preference! My mom always uses Russet potatoes, so don’t feel like you must run out to the store if that’s all you have on hand.
I always recommend allowing your potatoes to cool completely. We are using a mayonnaise-based dressing, and if you add that to potatoes that are too hot, you could end up with an oily dressing rather than a creamy one.
While I used to make this recipe with bacon, I currently prefer to make it without. If you’d like to include bacon, you can use pre-cooked, pre-crumbled bacon from the store, or you choose to cook your own (I like to cook my bacon in the oven). If you do this, you’ll need about 5-6 strips. Make sure to cook it until it’s crispy so it doesn’t become soggy. I recommend stirring it in shortly before serving.
Potato salad makes a great side dish for BBQ chicken, pulled pork or smash burgers, if you need a few serving suggestions 😉
Enjoy!
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Potato Salad
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Servings: 8 servings (about ¾ cup per serving)
Calories: 387kcal
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Instructions
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Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Salt generously. Bring to a boil and cook until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and allow potatoes to cool completely.
2 lbs (910 g) gold potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
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Once potatoes have cooled, combine cooked potatoes, eggs, onion, sweet pickles, and celery in a large bowl. Set aside.
3 hard-boiled eggs, ½ cup (60 g) finely chopped red onion, ½ cup (75 g) diced sweet pickles, 1-2 celery ribs
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Prepare dressing by whisking together mayonnaise, sweet pickle juice, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika until well-combined.
1 cup (220 g) mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon sweet pickle juice, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons yellow mustard, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon Pepper, ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
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Pour dressing over ingredients in large bowl and toss until all ingredients are well coated by dressing.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
Yield
Recipe yields approximately 3lb (1.4kg).
Potatoes
Golden potatoes or fingerling potatoes are my preference. If using these varieties I do not peel the potatoes, but you can if you’d like! Russet potatoes may be substituted (and I discuss this in more detail in the post), peel first.Â
Bacon — optional add-in
When I first shared this recipe it included ½ cup (60g) of crumbled bacon. If you’d like to add this, stir it in just before serving or serve on the side. Stirring it in too far in advance can make the bacon soggy.
Adjust the sweetness
For a less-sweet potato salad, you may substitute dill pickles for the sweet pickles and use white vinegar instead of the pickle juice.
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 538mg | Potassium: 565mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 216IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This recipe was originally published in May of 2019. I’ve since updated the post to include more details, to make the bacon optional, and to include a new video tutorial (in the recipe card).
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