Table of Contents
- Are you ready for the best potato salad recipe?
- Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Here’s how to make this recipe.
- These tips will make this recipe a success.
- Frequently asked questions
- What other recipes are like this potato salad?
- Watch how to make this recipe.
- Have I convinced you to make this recipe?
- Family Favorite Potato Salad Recipe
Rather than anything gourmet, this family favorite potato salad is classic. This is the recipe for a cookout, a picnic, to feed a crowd, or for a simple family dinner. Potatoes on their own are dry, but when mixed with this creamy dressing, the pairing becomes a mouthwateringly delicious side dish!
Are you ready for the best potato salad recipe?
If you are going to have a barbecue in the summer, you need to have a good potato salad. Maybe it is a Midwest dish, but good potato salad makes a summer meal that much better.
This recipe is for a classic potato salad. The mayonnaise-style dressing has a creamy yellow hue from a little bit of added mustard. It’s mixed with some pickle relish for a sweet tangy flavor that coats the cooked potatoes. For fresh crunch, some diced celery is necessary, along with hardboiled eggs. It wouldn’t be a true potato salad without the eggs. Trust me, this will make your summer menu complete!
Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
Since this is a classic recipe, the ingredients for this recipe are pretty standard. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
Here’s how to make this recipe.
- Prepare the potatoes. Place whole, unsliced potatoes in cold water on the stove over high heat. Make sure the potatoes are covered by only an inch of water to prevent the water from boiling over once covered.
- Cook the potatoes until a knife inserted into the center meets no resistance. Check different sizes of potatoes, so as to ensure that both the large and small potatoes are cooked. Once cooked, drain the potatoes. Leave the potatoes in the pan while preparing the dressing. The water remaining in the pan will evaporate as the potatoes cool.
- Prepare the dressing. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, prepared yellow mustard, diced white onion, salt, black pepper, pickle relish, and celery seed. Whisk to make sure all of the ingredients are incorporated. The mixture should be a light yellow color and relatively thin in consistency.
- Chop up the potatoes. Use whatever tool you prefer to chop your potatoes, whether that is a knife or a masher. My family always uses a vintage masher to achieve the consistency desired. Each person’s potato chop is a personal preference, so use your discretion, but bite-sized pieces will probably work best here.
- Combine all of the remaining ingredients and pour the dressing on top. To the chopped potatoes, add the celery, roughly chopped hardboiled eggs, and all of the dressing. Mix everything to combine, making sure to not over-mix, which would tend to break down the potatoes. Once mixed, serve and enjoy!
These tips will make this recipe a success.
- When cooking the potatoes, start with cold water rather than already boiling water. When the water is cold, the potatoes will cook more evenly as the water is heated on the stove. Boiling water tends to cook the potatoes unevenly, which is undesirable.
- Add the dressing to the dish while the potatoes are still warm. This will ensure that the dressing soaks into the potatoes because the potatoes’ cell walls are more open, allowing the dressing to permeate.
- If serving this recipe at a party or outside, make sure to keep it chilled. Because the dish has mayonnaise in it, this should not sit out for an extended period of time at room temperature.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, that is no problem! All potatoes cook at different times and rates, so the texture may vary. Red potatoes have a firmer texture when cooked, which works really well in potato salad.
No, not at all. Personally, I love to keep the skin on for some added color and texture in the potato salad. Plus, the skins have nutrients, so that’s an easy way to get some additional nutritional value from the dish. If you prefer to skin the potatoes, that is fine, and will not affect the outcome of this recipe.
Absolutely. These two are interchangeable, so choose whichever one you like more.
No problem. Instead of a masher, use a knife and cut the potatoes into the size you prefer to eat. For some, this means small, bite-sized pieces. For others, larger pieces are more desirable.
Typically, this recipe should last about a week in the refrigerator if placed in an airtight container.
Watch how to make this recipe.
More summer recipes
How to Can Pickled Beets
Fresh Strawberry Pie
How to Can Bread and Butter Pickles
Eggplant Parmesan
Have I convinced you to make this recipe?
I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they too can make, enjoy, and love!
Family Favorite Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 lb red potatoes
- 1 ¾ cups mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- ½ cup diced white onion
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp pickle relish
- ½ tsp celery seed
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 large hardboiled eggs diced
Instructions
- Place washed potatoes in a stockpot. Cover the potatoes with cold water by one inch. Place the stockpot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling watch the water so it doesn't boil over and cook the potatoes until they are tender. To check if the potatoes are cooked insert a knife into the middle and it should meet no resistance. Once cooked drain and set the potatoes aside to cool.4 lb red potatoes
- In a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, onion, mustard, apple cider vinegar, pickle relish, celery seed, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine and set aside. Prepare the potatoes by slicing them into small bite-sized pieces or use a chopping tool to chop them irregularly.1 ¾ cups mayonnaise, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp yellow mustard, ½ cup diced white onion, 1 ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp pickle relish, ½ tsp celery seed
- Place the prepared potatoes in a large bowl. Add the diced celery and hardboiled eggs. Pour over the dressing and mix to combine all the ingredients.1 cup diced celery, 4 large hardboiled eggs
- Cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours before serving to let the flavors incorporate.
Notes
- When cooking the potatoes, start with cold water rather than already boiling water. When the water is cold, the potatoes will cook more evenly as the water is heated on the stove. Boiling water tends to cook the potatoes unevenly, which is undesirable.
- Add the dressing to the dish while the potatoes are still warm. This will ensure that the dressing soaks into the potatoes because the potatoes’ cell walls are more open, allowing the dressing to permeate.
- If serving this recipe at a party or outside, make sure to keep it chilled. Because the dish has mayonnaise in it, this should not sit out for an extended period of time at room temperature.
I just found your web site!! Where have you been my ENTIRE life???!!!!!!!!
Linda! I am so glad we’ve met! Welcome to my little corner of the internet!
Delicious! I just threw this together for lunch and am in heaven eating this right now. Such an easy potato salad recipe that doesn’t sacrifice flavor. I actually forgot I was boiling the potatoes so they are nearly mashed potato texture, but I am not hating it 😉
My wife and I are in love with this recipe. Absolutely delicious.
Love all your recipes, thanks for sharing your grandma’s recipes , and you make a good chef 👍💕
Just made this for a 4th of July party and it was a huge hit!! Wonderful! Thanks Kaleb!
This recipe was perfect for our family gathering over the weekend! I come from a pretty awesome line of cooks and they all praised this potato salad! Terrific recipe! Thank you for making this available for us to share with our families!
Delicious! Made this morning and oh wow! So yummy! We may be eating some for breakfast! 🙂 ❤️🤍💙
I made it! It came out great, even husband likes it. He had seconds! Easy and delicious!
Made this twice now and it is so good! Love the extra flavor from the apple cider vinegar and celery seed.
This is BY FAR the best potato salad recipe I have ever made! Soooo delicious and love the flavors together, color or the red skinned potatoes shining thru & texture. Wonderful. I will admit I added a touch of both kinds of relish and a little bit of sweetener. Such a keeper
This recipe is fantastic! It reminds me of my mom’s potato salad. I cut the onion down a little because I’m not a fan of raw onion, and it was perfect. Thank you for this keeper!
You are Such a breath of fresh air, Kaleb!!
Thank you SO very much for your clean, beautiful presentations and your recipes!
Your in Iowa where alot of my family lives and I’m a 72 year old Minnesota Great Grandma who totally enjoys watching you!
Best of luck in the future and God Bless You Always, friend.
Happy Holidays to you and yours 💜.
🌻🦃🌾☃️🍂🍁☃️🎄🙏☮☝💜
Great potato salad. In lieu of pickle relish and vinegar, I use chopped bread and butter pickles as well as the juice. Very similar and yummy. Glad I found you❣
Didn’t know your name was Kaleb !!! I always just call you the Wyse Guy…..I like this name….
Your potato salad looks good, but not quite like I make mine….lol…..and everyone loves my potato salad ….it is so much better the second day….and fry some bacon and crush it and spread it on top….just takes it to the next level….always goes good for picnics….. I’ll have to send you a pic. of mine…..
Your potato masher is something that I’ve had for over 50 years and I’ve always used it to chop walnuts or pecans. I guess it can be used for anything that needs to be chopped. They’re still sold in kitchen stores. As many times as mine has been used, it still looks like it’s brand new. A very handy gadget. Love your potato salad recipe. Also, recently made your banana nut bread, and it is fantastic! The best I’ve had.
I’ve never made potato salad and I’m 65. So, because I trust this nyse guy from Iowa, where I was born and raised, I decided to give it a try! It’s amazing! We had a “sample” while the ribs are cooking and my husband said it’s the best potato salad he’s ever had in his LIFE!! Thanks, Kaleb! Five stars to you! It tastes like America to me. I can just picture our ancestors using these ingredients they had on the farm to make this. My Grandma, from Indianola, Iowa, would love this recipe!