If you’re looking for the BEST potato salad recipe, look no further! This potato salad recipe is absolutely delicious with a SECRET TRICK that makes it extra flavorful.
It’s easy, creamy and loaded with celery, sweet pickles, eggs, green onions and sour cream/mayo. Everyone always asks for this recipe!
Looking for more great recipes for a summer BBQ? Try this corn salad with feta and this tomato cucumber salad for the ultimate summer menu!
Potato salad is one of my absolute favorite things about summer! I love that so many summer BBQ dishes are naturally gluten-free. Give me a plate with baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad and watermelon and I’m a happy camper.
This potato salad is my absolute favorite. I’m kind of known for this recipe in my family. And besides cookies, it’s the number one thing everyone always asks me to bring to get togethers.
All in all, it’s a major upgrade from a classic potato salad recipe. This version of potato salad pairs just as well with hot dogs, burgers, and all of your other classic BBQ foods! (Ps serve this Gluten-Free Strawberry Trifle for dessert!)
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Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Unique twist on classic potato salad
- Family favorite at any summer BBQ
- Creamy texture
- Great zing
- Simple ingredients
Ingredients for the Best Potato Salad Recipe
Here are some of the ingredients that take this from a good potato salad to the BEST potato salad recipe!
- Red potatoes: I swap the typical waxy potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes for red potatoes (just a personal preference).
- Green onion: In comparison to red onions, green onions have a milder flavor. You can use the white part for a stronger flavor, and the green ends for garnish!
- White wine vinegar: The creamy dressing is made of a combination of mayo and white vinegar—no yellow mustard, Miracle Whip, or pickle juice here!
- Sweet pickles: I love swapping dill pickles for sweet pickles to add a different, sweeter flavor.
How to Make Red Potato Salad
- Bring a large pot of cold water to boil. Generously salt the boiling water and add the cut red potatoes. Boil until you have tender potatoes (for about 15-20 minutes) checking every couple minutes towards the end of cooking. Drain the waxy potatoes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Pour the warm potatoes into the vinegar mixture and gently mix with a rubber spatula to combine.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Pour over the potatoes and gently fold in.
- Add the hard boiled eggs (including egg yolks) and other remaining ingredients. Gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours. Enjoy!
Potato Salad Storage Instructions
Since there is mayo in this recipe, it’s best not to leave this version of potato salad out at room temperature for too long—especially in the hot sun at a BBQ! Instead, store in an airtight container in the fridge after serving.
It’s best eaten within 8 hours, but it will keep for up to two days in the fridge.
Can I make potato salad in advance?
Potato salad is best eaten within 8 hours of making. It is best to make potato salad the day you’re going to eat it. It tastes great if the flavors have some chance to meld together, but all potato salads can turn watery if they sit too long.
If you want to make it in advance be sure to use red-skinned potatoes like this recipe calls for. Starchy potatoes or white potatoes (like Russet potatoes) don’t hold up as well.
Also you can toss the hot cooked potatoes in the vinaigrette mixture, but then let them cool before adding the sour cream/mayo mixture. This will prevent the potato salad from becoming oily.
TIP: Toss the hot potatoes in the vinegar/sugar/seasoning mixture. But wait to fold in the sour cream/mayo mixture until the potatoes have fully cooled.
FAQs
You can make any homemade potato salad recipe taste better by using the right kind of potatoes, such as red or Yukon gold. I like to add crunch from celery and green onions, hard boil eggs, and make a creamy dressing and vinaigrette for extra flavor.
Baked beans, corn on the cob, coleslaw, hot dogs, and hamburgers pair well with any traditional potato salad recipe.
Yes, it’s best to cut your pounds of potatoes into evenly sized chunks for faster, more even cooking.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Cut the potatoes in 1/2-1 inch chunks before cooking. Don’t cut them any smaller or they will absorb too much water.
- Generously season the water you boil the potatoes in with salt. This is key to great flavor!
- Toss the hot potatoes in the vinegar/sugar/seasoning mixture. Wait to fold in the sour cream/mayo mixture until the potatoes have fully cooled.
- Use a mixture of sour cream + mayo for extra creaminess
- Let the potato sit for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours for the flavors to meld. The potato salad is best eaten within 8 hours of making it.
You also might like this homemade lemonade for your summer parties!
Making homemade potato salad is a labor of love but totally worth the effort. Everyone always asks for this recipe and by following these tricks you’re sure to make a total crowd-pleaser. Happy summer BBQing!
More Recipes You Might Like
If you try this recipe be sure to give leave me a comment/rating below! I’d love to hear from you!
Best Potato Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds red-skin potatoes cut in half and into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3-4 hard boiled eggs diced
- 1/2 cup celery diced (including some of the inner leaves for flavor)
- 3 green onions thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- 1/4 cup sweet pickles diced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Generously salt the water and add the cut potatoes. Boil until fork tender for about 15-20 minutes, checking every couple minutes towards the end of cooking. Drain the potatoes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the white wine vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Pour the warm potatoes into the vinegar mixture and gently mix with a rubber spatula to combine.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Pour over the potatoes and gently fold in.
- Add the remaining ingredients and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cut the potatoes in 1/2-1 inch chunks before cooking. Don’t cut them any smaller or they will absorb too much water.
- Generously season the water you boil the potatoes in with salt. This is key to great flavor!
- Toss the hot potatoes in the vinegar/sugar/seasoning mixture. Wait to fold in the sour cream/mayo mixture until the potatoes have fully cooled.
- Use a mixture of sour cream + mayo for extra creaminess
- Let the potato sit for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours for the flavors to meld. The potato salad is best eaten within 8 hours of making it.
I was looking for a potato recipe and found this one while googling. I noticed that it used red potatoes and that was the only potato that I had. I actually had all of the ingredients except for the green onions. I did however have some sweet white onion of which I chopped the equivalent amount. Other than this I made exactly as the recipe called for. This was probably one of the best potato salad I have ever made. I will try it again later with the green onion and maybe some fresh dill. This is no doubt a 5 star recipe and will now be added to my repertoire.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I bet it would be delicious with fresh dill as well. Honored it will go into your rotation!
After looking at many recipes online, I decided on this one and I’m glad I did. This was my first time making potato salad to bring to a potluck gathering the next day and I was so glad it came out superb. I needed to double the recipe and cooked my red potatoes differently as I don’t add salt to the water b/c I’m salt sensitive. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly.. I must agree with someone who said they like it warm. Yum!
Hooray! I’m so glad it turned out for you. It really is delicious warm! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Outstanding! Made it for the first time today. I don’t like egggs in potato salad, so I left them out. Substituted picked jalapenos in place of sweet pickles…..mmm!
This recipe is really good!
I followed it exactly the 1st time.
The 2nd time I found that adding dried dill seasoning really brings out all the flavors and pulls everything together. Next time I’ll try with fresh dill.
I willl be making this recipe often for get togethers over the rest of the summer
Thank you for sharing this brilliant recipe.
Sorry … my first post forgot to give it the 5 star rating it deserves.
Thanks for the comment! Dill sounds like a delicious addition. Glad it turned out for you!
I’m a potato salad lover, and this recipe is one of the best! I added a little fresh dill, but otherwise followed the recipe to a t. Thanks!
I have always sprinkled the cooked potatoes with white wine while still warm, added chopped celery, onions and shaved carrots, sprinkled with celery seed, added dressing made with mayo, vinegar and sugar. Look forward to using your method next week. THANK YOU!
Can you make this the day before? Will it change the results?
Potato salad can get a little watery if you make it too far in advance. You could do everything through step 2 (don’t add the mayo/sour cream) a day in advance then assemble it the next day.
I love crunch in mypotato salad. Depending on who will be there I may or may not add cucumber, I use green pepper, onion, celeryand red radish. Mayo( hellmans no Karo syrup) eggs, I may add some dill pickle.. I like mine a little warm. My husband always ate his potato egg dill pickle and mayo. If dry he would add a little dill juice.
In mine the radishes add a little bite.since I cannot do spicy hot veggies. But I have eaten radishes since I was a preteen. Which potato do you think is actually better in potato salad?
really delicious. I didn’t have celery so used fresh fennel for crunch and rice wine vinegar since I was out of white wine vinegar. Perfectly balanced sweet and tangy
I’m so glad it turned out for you! Thanks for the comment 🙂
I made this yesterday.. Tweaked it a bit by excluding the onions. However, I added coarse-grained mustard and Dijon. I swapped out the sour cream for buttermilk. It was delicious! My husband and friends also loved it.
The mustards really added an interesting taste.
By the way, I used buttermilk because I didn’t have sour cream.
One more thought, I do prefer potato salad that is not chilled.
I have made this several times and it my absolute favorite! SO delicious! Thanks for a great recipe.
This really is the best potato salad recipe. I’ve made it twice the last month and it’s so good!
It truly is the best Potato Salad. This is my second time making it. I use the recipe exactly but add a bit of dill weed.
I’m so glad you like the recipe! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Hi,
I made exactly as intended and salad was divine! Thank You