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–+ servings
A plate with creamy potato salad garnished with dill and paprika sits beside a piece of grilled, glazed meat and a fork.

Classic Creamy Potato Salad

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Rest Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
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.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Russet potatoes, diced
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt, see notes
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • ½ cup diced dill pickles
  • ¼ cup finely minced red onion
  • ¼ cup minced fresh dill
  • 2 stalks celery, diced small
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped - optional

Potato Salad Dressing

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

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
    A stainless steel pot filled with cubed boiled potatoes, ready to be transformed into a classic potato salad, sits on a light-colored countertop.
  • Return the potatoes to the cooking pot, sprinkle them with the vinegar, and toss gently.
    1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    A stainless steel pot containing cooked, roughly chopped potatoes being stirred with a black spatula on a light countertop, perfect for preparing a Classic Potato Salad.
  • 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
    A glass jar labeled Creamy Potato Salad Dressing filled with yellow dressing and a wooden spoon inside, perfect for topping your classic potato salad, placed on a light countertop.
  • 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
    A glass bowl containing chopped pickles, red onion, green onions, hard-boiled eggs, fresh dill, celery, and boiled potatoes on a light surface—perfect ingredients for a classic potato salad.
  • 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.
    A clear glass bowl contains creamy potato salad with visible green herbs, sitting on a light-colored countertop.

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