Classic Creamy Potato Salad

If you’re searching for the single best classic creamy potato salad recipe – the only one you’ll ever need – then you’ve come to the right place. Today, I’m sharing an old family recipe with you. It has the perfect ratios, and I’ve nailed the method down over time. Let me show you how it’s done.

I’ll tell you what – a solid potato salad can carry an entire BBQ. Sure, the grilled meat is good, but it’s hard to get that wrong. But a reliable potato salad recipe is worth its weight in gold.

This is my family’s classic recipe – no unexpected ingredients, no fancy method – just the real deal, done right. The trick is to get the details down: Toss the potatoes with vinegar while they’re still warm. Use pickle juice for punch. And smash the potatoes just enough so the dressing clings to every bite. It’s creamy, tangy, and exactly what you want on your plate.

How to make classic creamy potato salad

There are no tricks here! This recipe comes together easily – do it once, and you’ll have it memorized, ready to whip out for all future potlucks and gatherings.

1. Prep the potatoes: Add the potatoes to salted water and boil until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain, then return them to the pot. Sprinkle with the vinegar, and toss them gently. Leave them to steam dry and cool to room temperature. Tip ⇢ Heat the water with the potatoes already in the pot, rather than adding them once the water is boiling, and then cook them at a simmer. This helps ensure the potatoes cook from the inside out, gently, so they don’t become too mushy too soon.
2. Make dressing: Add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl, and mix well.
3. Assemble: Transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl once cool. Why ⇢ If you add them while still warm, they’ll melt the mayo, making the dressing greasy, and the ingredients with crunch, like the celery and pickles, will soften. Then add the pickles, red onion, dill, celery, green onion, and the eggs. Pour the dressing over the top, and fold together the salad. The potatoes should become ever so slightly mashed.
4. Chill and enjoy: Pop the dish in the refrigerator for an hour before serving. Why ⇢ Time in the fridge lets all the flavors meld and develop, making it even more delicious.

Make ahead and storage tips

This creamy potato salad tastes even better the next day after chilling in the fridge! Be sure to keep it in a covered container and enjoy it within 4-5 days. I like to serve it at room temperature, so I take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before eating (but it tastes good cold, too)!

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Classic Creamy Potato Salad

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Rest Time: 1 hour hr

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Is there anything better than a potato salad? If you’re asking me, I’d say, “Yes, this one is better!” I’ve tweaked a family recipe to be the right amount of creamy with plenty of crunchy bites of celery, red onion, dill pickles to keep things interesting. A couple of chopped, hard-boiled eggs are a must for me, but if you’re not a fan of them in potato salad, go ahead and leave them out. Enjoy this recipe ad-free. 🫶

Instructions 

• To a medium-sized pot, add 6 cups of cold water, the salt, and the potatoes. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry for a few minutes in the colander.

  2 lb Russet potatoes, 1 tablespoon sea salt

• Return the potatoes to the cooking pot, sprinkle them with the vinegar, and toss gently.

  1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

• While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing. Add all the dressing ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and mix well. If you’re making this ahead of time, you can transfer it to a jar.

  ¾ cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon EACH: sugar, white wine vinegar, yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice, 1 teaspoon EACH: garlic powder, salt, and pepper

• When the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the pickles, red onion, dill, celery, green onion, and, if using, the hard-boiled eggs.

  ½ cup diced dill pickles, ¼ cup finely minced red onion, 2 stalks celery, 2 green onions, 2 hard-boiled eggs, ¼ cup minced fresh dill

• Pour the dressing over the top. Mix the potato salad well, making sure that the potatoes are a little bit mashed so they are nice and soft with a creamy exterior. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

Potatoes: Russet potatoes are the best for absorbing the flavors of the dressing, which is why I use them to make potato salad. Other types of potatoes will work, but I think Russet potatoes are the best for this recipe. 
Salt: Adding salt to the potato cooking water allows some of the salt to absorb into the potatoes, flavoring them well. 
Pickles: Instead of dill pickles, you can use cornichons, sweet pickles, or even sweet pickle relish. 
Resting: Letting the potato salad rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour helps the flavor develop. 
Mustard: Using Dijon instead of yellow mustard adds a nice kick!
Making hard-boiled eggs: Put two eggs in a small pot and cover them with water. Bring the pot to a boil, then remove it from the heat, cover, and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Then, drain the pot, let the eggs cool, and peel them. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 = ⅛ of the recipe, Calories: 171kcal (9%), Carbohydrates: 25g (8%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 6g (9%), Saturated Fat: 1g (6%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 50mg (17%), Sodium: 1495mg (65%), Potassium: 552mg (16%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 4g (4%), Vitamin A: 263IU (5%), Vitamin C: 9mg (11%), Calcium: 37mg (4%), Iron: 1mg (6%)