Crisp celery and onion, a creamy mayonnaise dressing, and tender Yukon Gold potatoes—what’s not to love? This American Classic Potato Salad combines familiar flavors into a comforting, crowd-pleasing side dish that’s perfect for warm-weather meals and easy to make from scratch.
The Best Potato Salad Recipe
Potato salad is a classic comfort food for hot days. It offers soft, fork-tender potatoes, a rich but tangy mayonnaise-based dressing, crunchy celery, sharp onion, and protein from hard-boiled eggs. This version favors traditional ingredients—mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, and celery seed—so you get the familiar, satisfying flavor you remember from summer gatherings.
Make a big batch to pair with grilled mains or to keep for easy lunches. It stores well in the refrigerator for several days and is simple to adapt: add pickles, bacon, or olives if you want to personalize it. The recipe below keeps things straightforward so the potato flavor and creamy dressing shine.
What You’ll Need
This recipe keeps ingredients simple and classic. Use good-quality mayonnaise and firm potatoes for the best texture.
- Potatoes: 8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about ¾-inch cubes).
- Mayonnaise: 1½ cups—regular, keto, or vegan mayo all work; avoid sweet or flavored salad dressings that change the profile.
- Apple cider vinegar: 2 tablespoons for bright acidity.
- Yellow mustard: 2 tablespoons to add tang.
- Sugar: 1½ tablespoons (optional—balances the acidity; omit if you prefer).
- Salt: 1 teaspoon, or to taste.
- Celery seed: 1 teaspoon for classic flavor.
- Pepper: ½ teaspoon, or to taste.
- Celery: 3 small ribs, diced for crunch.
- Onion: ¼ cup yellow or white onion, diced; sweet onion is a good choice if you prefer a milder bite.
- Eggs: 5 hard-boiled eggs, diced or sliced.
- Garnish: Smoked paprika and chopped green onion, optional.
How to Make Classic Potato Salad
This potato salad comes together with just a few straightforward steps: cook the potatoes until tender, chop the add-ins, whisk the dressing, combine, and chill. Follow these steps for the best texture and flavor.
- Prepare the potatoes: Peel and dice potatoes into roughly ¾-inch chunks. Place them in a pot, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 15–20 minutes depending on size. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking, then transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly.
- Prep the mix-ins: While potatoes cool, dice the celery and onion and chop or slice the hard-boiled eggs. Add them to the bowl with the potatoes.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar (if using), yellow mustard, salt, celery seed, and pepper until smooth.
- Combine: Pour the dressing over the warm (not hot) potatoes and chopped ingredients. Gently fold to coat everything evenly without mashing the potatoes.
- Chill and garnish: Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld. Before serving, garnish with chopped green onion and a light sprinkle of smoked paprika if desired.
Serve and enjoy. This potato salad tastes best well chilled and holds up nicely for casual buffets or barbecues.
Tips for Success
Small adjustments make a big difference. These tips will help you get the ideal texture and flavor every time.
- Drain thoroughly: Excess water causes a thin, watery dressing. After draining, let potatoes sit briefly in the colander or spread them on a tray to let steam evaporate before mixing.
- Don’t overcook: Cook potatoes until just tender so they hold their shape. Overcooked potatoes will break down when stirred and create a mushy salad.
- Choose the right potato: Yukon Gold, red, or fingerling potatoes tend to stay firm after cooking and are ideal for potato salad.
- Adjust flavors: Taste and tweak salt, mustard, or vinegar before chilling. If the dressing tastes flat, a splash more vinegar brightens it; if too sharp, a touch more mayonnaise or a pinch of sugar will smooth it.
- Personalize: This is a great base recipe—add chopped pickles, crumbled bacon, chopped fresh herbs, or a bit of dill for variety.
Serving Suggestions
This potato salad pairs beautifully with grilled and summer main dishes. Try it alongside grilled steak, pork chops, or citrus-garlic chicken. It also works well with simple sandwiches, fried chicken, or a picnic spread with fresh fruit and corn on the cob.
How to Store Potato Salad
- Place leftovers in airtight containers and refrigerate. Consume within 3 to 5 days for best quality. Keep chilled and discard if left out at room temperature for more than two hours.
Ingredients (Serves 8)
- 8 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1½ cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar (optional)
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3 small celery ribs, diced
- ¼ cup yellow or white onion, diced
- 5 hard-boiled eggs, diced or sliced
- Smoked paprika and chopped green onion for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and dice the potatoes into ¾-inch chunks. Place in a medium pot, cover with cold water, add a dash of salt, and bring to a gentle boil.
- Cook until just tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and rinse with cold water, then transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool slightly.
- Chop the celery, onion, and hard-boiled eggs. Add them to the bowl with the potatoes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar (if using), mustard, salt, celery seed, and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and gently fold to combine without mashing the potatoes.
- Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onion and smoked paprika before serving.
Nutrition (per serving, approximate)
Calories: 480 kcal | Carbohydrates: 33 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 35 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Sodium: 651 mg | Fiber: 4 g
More Easy Side Dishes
Looking for other simple sides to serve this summer? Try grilled corn on the cob, maple bacon baked beans, or a seven-layer dip to round out your meal.