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Close up of creamy potato salad with a checkered green and white linen alongside, with a wooden spoon resting on top.
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Potato Salad Recipe

Try my classic potato salad if you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing side dish that’s perfect for potlucks, barbecues, or a quick dinner at home!
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American, British
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 304kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Colander

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds Yukon gold, russet, or red-skin potatoes (1.35kg)
  • 3 teaspoons salt divided
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar divided (60mL)
  • ½ cup red onion finely diced (75g)
  • ½ cup mayonnaise (104g)
  • ½ cup sour cream (120g)
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
  • ½ cup chopped dill pickles (70g)
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped
  • 2 stalks celery diced (150g)
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped herbs such as dill, parsley, or chives
  • Pinch of paprika

Instructions

  • Peel the potatoes if you like, and cut into ¾ to 1-inch-sized pieces. Place them in a large pot, then cover with cold water by about two inches. Add two teaspoons of salt to the water, place over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork tender.
    Potatoes cut into cubes on a wooden cutting board.
  • Drain the potatoes, then spread them on a sheet tray in a single layer to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. While they are still warm, place them in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Stir gently to combine. (This helps to season the potatoes.) Set aside to cool to room temperature.
    Boiled potatoes spread onto a baking tray to cool.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the onions with the remaining 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Set this aside for about 10 minutes to “deflame” the onion and take the “bite” out.
    Apple cider vinegar poured onto chopped red onions.
  • To the bowl with the onions, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
    Creamy mayonnaise-based dressing stirred together with a spatula.
  • To the bowl with the potatoes, add the pickles, hard-boiled eggs, celery, and dressing. Stir gently to coat all of the ingredients. Add a splash of the pickle juice to taste, if you like. Fold in the fresh herbs. Sprinkle the paprika on top just before serving.
    All components of the salad mixed together.

Video

Notes

  • Vinegar substitute: You can use lemon juice or white wine vinegar in place of the apple cider vinegar.
  • For the chopped pickles, you can use dill, spicy, or sweet pickles. Or replace the chopped pickles with sweet pickle relish.
  • If you like a looser potato salad, you can use the pickle juice as well! Once you measure the pickles, pour the brine from the pickle jar into the measuring cup with the chopped pickles until it's full.
  • Stir warm potatoes into the dressing. This helps flavor the potatoes even more. On a technical level, hot potatoes have open cells to absorb flavor. They close as they cool, so the potatoes will absorb less flavor if you wait until they cool before adding the dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1123mg | Potassium: 821mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 2mg