Featured Comment
From Cherie: “Great recipe, simple yet delicious. Very versatile and easy to switch up ingredients to make it your own.”
From Cate: “I have made this several times and it my absolute favorite! SO delicious! Thanks for a great recipe.”
From Pam: “This really is the best potato salad recipe. I’ve made it twice the last month and it’s so good!”
Recipe Overview
⏱️ Time to Taste: 30 minutes + 1 hour chilling
✨ Texture: Creamy, crunchy potato salad with a silky sour cream–mayo base
🥣 Ease: Easy (just simple chopping, boiling, and mixing)
🥔 Key Ingredients: Red potatoes, mayo, sour cream, hard-boiled eggs, celery, sweet pickles, green onions, and white wine vinegar
🎉 Best For: Summer BBQs, picnics, potlucks, holidays, and make-ahead gatherings
❤️ Why You’ll Love It: This potato salad gets its standout flavor and texture from my simple trick of tossing the warm potatoes in a tangy vinegar mixture before adding the other ingredients. This recipe will be your new go-to summer side dish!
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. Pair that with my gluten-free strawberry cream cheese trifle for dessert, and that’s the perfect summer menu to me!
When it comes to potato salad, this one is my absolute favorite and the recipe I’m kind of known for in my family. Besides cookies, it’s the number one thing everyone always asks me to bring to get-togethers.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make the best potato salad. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- 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, sour cream, 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 Gluten-Free Potato Salad
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Boil the Potatoes: I find that cutting the potatoes into 1/2″ pieces creates the perfect size chunks for potato salad. I toss them in salted water and bring the pot to a boil to cook until fork-tender.
Prep the Vinegar Mixture: While the potatoes are boiling, I prep the white wine vinegar mixture so it’s ready for my #1 trick for the best taste and texture!
Drain & Toss: Drain the potatoes, then throw them into the vinegar mixture while they’re still warm. I find a rubber spatula works best to gently mix them up.
Prep the Creamy Layer: I whisk the mayo and sour cream together in a separate bowl so they are evenly combined, then fold the mixture into the potatoes.
Combine Ingredients: Here’s where you’ll take the flavors to the next level! Add the remaining ingredients to the potato mixture and give them a gentle stir using a rubber spatula.
Chill & Serve: The flavors and textures get even better the longer the potato salad chills. I usually cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, but no more than 6 hours.
Make-Ahead/Storage/Freezing Instructions
To Make-Ahead: This potato salad is best eaten the same day it’s made. It can be chilled for up to 6 hours before serving.
To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. If the potato salad sits out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour in the heat), it’s best to discard it for food safety.
To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing potato salad. The creamy base will separate and become watery once thawed. The potatoes will also lose some of their texture.
Can I Make Potato Salad In Advance?
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 (up to 6 hours) be sure to use red-skinned potatoes. Starchy or white potatoes (like Russet potatoes) don’t hold up as well.
How Long Can Potato Salad Sit Out?
For food safety reasons, potato salad should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if out in the summer heat. This recipe contains mayo and sour cream so it’s best to keep it chilled.
What Does This Potato Salad Taste Like?
Creamy, tangy, and perfectly balanced, this potato salad tastes like a classic deli-style version with rich sour cream–mayo dressing, a subtle vinegar zing, and pops of crunch from celery and sweet pickles.
The Best Potato Salad Tips
- Cut the potatoes in 1/2-inch chunks before cooking. Don’t cut them any smaller or they will absorb too much water.
- Generously season the water with salt before boiling the potatoes. This is key to great flavor!
- Toss the hot potatoes in the vinegar mixture. Wait until the potatoes have fully cooled before folding in the sour cream/mayo mixture.
- Use a mixture of sour cream + mayo for extra creaminess.
- Let the potato salad chill for at least 1 hour so the flavors have time to meld.
More Gluten-Free Sides
Gluten-Free Potato Salad (BEST EVER!)
Video
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 kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated 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
Nutrition
This post was originally published in June 2017. It was updated with new photos and instructions in July 2026.
This is an excellent recipe. I prefer it without the sour cream and a little more vinegar.
I’m glad you enjoyed 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.
I made this recipe using leftover potato wedges from the day before. It’s some of the best I’ve ever had. I wonder why no one ever posted a recipe like that. I’m sure I’m not the 1sr person to do so.
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