Easy Creamy Potato Salad
This is hands down our family’s favorite potato salad recipe! It’s incredibly easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and features a dressing so good you’ll be licking the bowl clean. We’ve been making this potato salad recipe for years, and we’ve yet to find a recipe that matches its perfect balance of creaminess and flavor. In fact, we love this dressing so much that we even use it for our more herby red potato salad! Beyond how delicious it is, this recipe is so easy to make! Below I have shared tips for perfectly cooked potatoes and why each ingredient has earned its place in the recipe. If you take one thing away from this, jot down how to make our potato salad dressing, it’s a game-changer! If you ever crave a different style, you might enjoy my mayo-free lemon herb potato salad for a lighter, vinaigrette-style option. Key Ingredients Potatoes: Small, waxy, thin-skinned potatoes are best for potato salad. (I especially love small Yukon Gold potatoes, which are pictured.) They cook quickly, and since they are small, we cook them whole, which means less prep time! Russets or baking potatoes work, but the texture is a bit different. You will also need to cut them before cooking. Celery and Pickles: Both add a fresh crunch. Our family LOVES dill pickles, so we always add them, but you can leave them out or use sweet pickles instead. Red Onion: I love a little onion in my salad and like to “deflame” the onions before adding them to my salad. It’s easy. Soak chopped onions in cold water for 10 minutes, and then drain. The time in the water takes the raw edge off the onion. Hard-Boiled Eggs: Eggs are a must for me in potato salad, but you can leave them out if you aren’t a fan. Here’s my recipe for how to cook hard boil eggs if you need it. Fresh Herbs: I love dill and parsley in this salad! The BEST Potato Salad Dressing: It only has 3 ingredients and tastes so good that I end up licking the bowl. Mayonnaise and sour cream make our dressing extra creamy without being too heavy and yellow mustard adds a kick of flavor and color (I usually use Dijon mustard in our recipes, but regular yellow mustard wins in this recipe). Plain yogurt works as substitute for sour cream, and homemade mayonnaise makes this extra special. We use the same dressing when making this creamy red potato salad and turn it into a sauce for these roasted fingerling potatoes. Potatoes: Small, waxy, thin-skinned potatoes are best for potato salad. (I especially love small Yukon Gold potatoes, which are pictured.) They cook quickly, and since they are small, we cook them whole, which means less prep time! Russets or baking potatoes work, but the texture is a bit different. You will also need to cut them before cooking. Celery and Pickles: Both add a fresh crunch. Our family LOVES dill pickles, so we always add them, but you can leave them out or use sweet pickles instead. Red Onion: I love a little onion in my salad and like to “deflame” the onions before adding them to my salad. It’s easy. Soak chopped onions in cold water for 10 minutes, and then drain. The time in the water takes the raw edge off the onion. Hard-Boiled Eggs: Eggs are a must for me in potato salad, but you can leave them out if you aren’t a fan. Here’s my recipe for how to cook hard boil eggs if you need it. Fresh Herbs: I love dill and parsley in this salad! The BEST Potato Salad Dressing: It only has 3 ingredients and tastes so good that I end up licking the bowl. Mayonnaise and sour cream make our dressing extra creamy without being too heavy and yellow mustard adds a kick of flavor and color (I usually use Dijon mustard in our recipes, but regular yellow mustard wins in this recipe). Plain yogurt works as substitute for sour cream, and homemade mayonnaise makes this extra special. We use the same dressing when making this creamy red potato salad and turn it into a sauce for these roasted fingerling potatoes. Find the full recipe with measurements below. Tips for Making the Best Potato Salad I’ve made this potato salad recipe so many times and I haven’t fallen out of love yet. Here are tips for making it best: Tip 1: Cook small potatoes in salted water. Instead of peeling and chopping raw potatoes, cook small, whole potatoes in salted water until tender. Cooking them in salt adds flavor. Immediately transfer them to an ice bath. Once cooled, the skins will slip right off! If you don’t believe me, watch our video below. This method, which takes about 20 minutes for small to medium potatoes, prevents them from becoming waterlogged, making a better, tastier salad (this tip works well for mashed potatoes, too!) Tip 2: Sprinkle vinegar over the warm potatoes. This is the secret weapon for amazing potato salad! While your potatoes are still warm, sprinkle them generously with apple cider vinegar. This trick, inspired by Alton Brown, makes the potato flavor really pop and adds a lovely tang that perfectly balances the creamy dressing. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or even pickle brine works beautifully. Tip 3: Be patient. Let the salad sit. Potato salad gets better over time. Allowing your salad to sit for at least 30 minutes (or even making it ahead) gives the flavors time to meld and mingle, creating a far more cohesive and delicious dish. This is why I’ll always count potato salad as one of the best make-ahead dishes, ever! My Favorite Ways to Serve Potato Salad While potato salad is the most common during the warmer months, my family actually makes this all year long. It’s fantastic on the side for all your favorite cookout dishes like burgers, veggie burgers, beer brats, grilled steak, cedar plank salmon, and more! I love it with heartier dishes like slow cooker pulled pork, roasted chicken, and it’s always a hit next to my baked pork ribs. Easy Creamy Potato Salad PREP 15 mins COOK 20 mins TOTAL 35 mins PREP 15 mins COOK 20 mins TOTAL 35 mins My family’s favorite potato salad recipe! Use small yellow, white, or red potatoes and cook them whole for the best texture. If your potatoes are on the larger side, you can chop them. If you have the time, store the salad in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before serving. This extra time helps the flavors mingle and makes for a better potato salad. For an herby version of this salad, see our creamy red potato salad or for a vinaigrette-style salad without mayo, I highly recommend our lemon herb potato salad. 6 Servings Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 2 pounds (907g) small yellow, red, or white potatoes 1 tablespoon apple cider, wine, or rice wine vinegar 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream 1/4 cup (56g) mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise 1 tablespoon yellow mustard, substitute Dijon or whole grain mustard 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup 3 celery stalks, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup 1 medium dill pickle, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup, try homemade pickles 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped, optional 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs like parsley, dill, chives, tarragon, or cilantro Salt and fresh ground black pepper Directions 1Cook the potatoes: Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with 1 ½ inches of water. Season the water with 1 teaspoon of salt for every quart of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. 2De-flame the onions: While the potatoes are cooking, place the chopped onions in a small bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. This simple step significantly tones down their raw flavor. 3Prepare an ice bath: Just before your potatoes are ready, fill a medium bowl with ice and cold water. 4Chill and peel the potatoes: Drain the cooked potatoes and immediately transfer them into the ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, but still a bit warm in the middle, remove them from the ice bath and peel. The skins should be easy to remove (pinch and pull them away). 5Chop and season the potatoes: After peeling, chop the potatoes into bite-sized chunks and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle the tablespoon of vinegar over the potatoes and lightly season with salt. 6Make the dressing: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and mustard until well combined. 7Assemble the potato salad: Add the prepared dressing, de-flamed onions, celery, pickles, chopped eggs, and fresh herbs to the seasoned potatoes. Gently stir everything together, being careful not to mash the potatoes. 8Finish and serve: Season the potato salad with salt and pepper to taste. If time allows, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors improve. 1Cook the potatoes: Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with 1 ½ inches of water. Season the water with 1 teaspoon of salt for every quart of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. 2De-flame the onions: While the potatoes are cooking, place the chopped onions in a small bowl and cover them with cold water. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. This simple step significantly tones down their raw flavor. 3Prepare an ice bath: Just before your potatoes are ready, fill a medium bowl with ice and cold water. 4Chill and peel the potatoes: Drain the cooked potatoes and immediately transfer them into the ice bath. Once cool enough to handle, but still a bit warm in the middle, remove them from the ice bath and peel. The skins should be easy to remove (pinch and pull them away). 5Chop and season the potatoes: After peeling, chop the potatoes into bite-sized chunks and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle the tablespoon of vinegar over the potatoes and lightly season with salt. 6Make the dressing: In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and mustard until well combined. 7Assemble the potato salad: Add the prepared dressing, de-flamed onions, celery, pickles, chopped eggs, and fresh herbs to the seasoned potatoes. Gently stir everything together, being careful not to mash the potatoes. 8Finish and serve: Season the potato salad with salt and pepper to taste. If time allows, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors improve. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: Store your potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Potato salad improves on the second day, so this is a perfect make-ahead recipe! I do not recommend freezing potato salad (the dressing does not freeze and thaw well). Sour cream substitute: Use 1/2 cup crème fraîche or plain yogurt for the sour cream. Cooking hard boiled eggs: For instructions on how to cook hard boiled eggs, visit our tutorial: How to cook hard boiled eggs. Dried herbs: You can use dried herbs for this salad, we recommend adding a heaping tablespoon of dried herbs (I especially love dill and chives). More easy sides: Potato salad is also excellent when served next to other sides, such as our pasta salad, this amazing corn salad, easy bean salad, and my favorite cucumber salad. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Storing: Store your potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Potato salad improves on the second day, so this is a perfect make-ahead recipe! I do not recommend freezing potato salad (the dressing does not freeze and thaw well). Sour cream substitute: Use 1/2 cup crème fraîche or plain yogurt for the sour cream. Cooking hard boiled eggs: For instructions on how to cook hard boiled eggs, visit our tutorial: How to cook hard boiled eggs. Dried herbs: You can use dried herbs for this salad, we recommend adding a heaping tablespoon of dried herbs (I especially love dill and chives). More easy sides: Potato salad is also excellent when served next to other sides, such as our pasta salad, this amazing corn salad, easy bean salad, and my favorite cucumber salad. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/6 of the recipe / Calories 250 / Protein 6 g / Carbohydrate 29 g / Dietary Fiber 4 g / Total Sugars 3 g / Total Fat 13 g / Saturated Fat 4 g / Cholesterol 75 mg AUTHOR: Adam Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us