If you’re looking for the BEST recipe for potato salad 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!
Planning a BBQ? Try pairing this potato salad with this Summer Corn Salad and this Gluten-Free Strawberry Trifle 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.
Ingredients for Potato Salad
This potato salad isn’t anything fancy! It’s just made with good, classic ingredients and has a few tricks for maximizing flavor.
This Classic Potato Salad is made with:
- Red-skinned potatoes
- Hard boiled eggs
- Celery (with a few of the inner celery leaves for flavor!)
- Sweet pickles
- Green onions (white and green parts)
- A little vinegar/sugar mixture to toss the potatoes in right after cooking (it’s the secret trick!)
- A mayo/sour cream dressing
- Plenty of salt and pepper to be sure it’s well seasoned
How to Make Potato Salad
STEP ONE: CHOP/COOK the potatoes. Be sure to cut the potatoes the same size and not too small. If the potatoes are cut too small they can absorb too much water and make watery potato salad. 1/2-1 inch chunks work great. Also be sure to salt the cooking water. This helps the potato salad turn out extra flavorful!
STEP TWO: Mix together a little VINAIGRETTE MIXTURE to toss with the hot cooked potatoes. This mixture includes white wine vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper.
STEP THREE: Tossing the HOT POTATOES in this vinaigrette allows flavor to go inside the potatoes. It’s the secret trick to extra tasty potato salad!
STEP FOUR: Add the remaining CHOPPED INGREDIENTS. The addition of sweet pickles, green onions, celery and a few of the inner celery leaves gives this potato salad great texture and flavor.
STEP FIVE: A mixture of SOUR CREAM/MAYONNAISE makes a delicious dressing for this potato salad. I like the combination of these two ingredients rather than just using all mayo!
STEP SIX: Mix everything together. Let refrigerate for 2 hours (at least 30 minutes) or so for the flavors to meld. It’s best to eat this potato salad within 8 hours of making it.
TIP: Be sure to salt the water generously when boiling the potato salad for the best flavor.
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. Russet potatoes tend to be starchier and don’t hold up as well.
Also you can toss the hot 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.
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!
Tips for Making Potato Salad
- 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.
More Favorite Summer Sides:
- Gluten-Free Italian Pasta Salad – A summertime must! This pasta salad has bold and zesty flavors.
- Roasted Potato Salad – We love switching it up from classic potato salad with this delicious recipe!
- Marinated Cucumber and Tomato Salad – Such a tasty way to enjoy summer tomatoes and cucumbers!
- Best Quinoa Salad Recipe – This quinoa salad is tossed in a creamy buttermilk basil dressing. Need I say more? Yum!
What should you make for DINNER TONIGHT?
Check out my Gluten-Free Tried-and-True Dinner Recipes!
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The Best Homemade Potato Salad
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!
Recipe 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.
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This salad looks so good.
Was looking for a new potato salad recipe. Found this. Didn’t have green onions on hand so use some red onion. Never used the vinegar mixture or sour cream before. Other than the onion I made this the way you posted. This is so delicious! My husband loves it. Thank you for sharing. For sure, this is my new go to receipe!
Thanks for the comment! I’m so glad you and your husband loved it!
This looks amazing! Would it still be good without the sweet pickles? I can’t stand those..
Yes that should work!
In the recipe for Best Potatoe Salad Ever…. it calls for 2 1/2 pounds of red potatoes….not having a scale, approximately how many red potatoes are used?
Very similar to what I make, and a little trick I do is to use pickled eggs instead of plain hard boiled eggs. Definitely kicks it up a notch!
Wow I made your receipe of potatoe salad and it is delicous! Love the vinegar salt, pepper and sugar mix soaked into the potatoes! It really is a good receipe. Oh and I made it for a big family party so I tripled it!! Thanks Debbie
This is bar none, the BEST potato salad I’ve ever tasted. Truly a perfect classic. Five stars
This was bar none, the best potato salad I’ve ever tasted. I used Costco bicolor baby potatoes and the dip in vinegar and small amount of sugar when drained taters are still hot, really gave it zing. Five stars folks. It’s a classic!!!
Amazing! Just made this. Made slight adjustments to fulfill everyone’s needs in the house it is a definite do-over!
Amazing!! This really is the best potato salad recipe I’ve even made. Love the trick with the vinegar and the addition of sweet pickles.
I made this for my Memorial Day barbecue. I used rice wine vinegar and it was so delicious! Will definitely make it again
Tried this and it’s my new favorite recipe for potato salad. Added dill pickles – delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! This looks alot like my recipe but instead of using vinegar and sugar to the hot potatoes, I use the sweet pickle juice mixed with fresh garlic, onion powder and salt and pepper. It does get into the potatoes and gives it extra flavor! I also use a couple dill strips with the gherkins! Sounds crazy but it balances out the gherkins with a tangy flavor! I love that you can take a fantastic recipe like this and tweak it to make it your own!
Most excellent. We are not huge Mayonnaise fans, so we reduced the mayo down to 1/4 cup, and added 1/4 cup of FAGE 0% Plain yogurt. It turned out fantastic and did not have a mayo taste to it. Adding the Vinegar/Salt/Sugar/Pepper seasoning mixture was an outstanding idea and made a nice impact on the salad.. I also used sweet pickle relish (1/4 cup) and it did the trick.
Can you use Yukon gold potatoes instead of red potatoes.? I was not sure if that would change the flavor and or texture. Of the potato salad.
Yes that would work great! Either potato works and it shouldn’t change the flavor or texture too much.