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!”
Why Try This Gluten-Free Potato Salad:
- Classic potato salad, made gluten-free. You won’t need gluten-free substitutes or hard-to-find ingredients to make this creamy, classic potato salad. It’s packed with flavor from a simple balance of naturally gluten-free ingredients.
- Tested for the right texture. I tested and re-tested this potato salad to make sure the potatoes stay tender, but firm and the finished salad stays creamy rather than watery or mushy.
- A side dish for everyone. This easy potato salad works for everyone at the table, whether they need to eat gluten-free or not, making meal prep even easier.
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 prefer the texture of red potatoes over Yukon gold or other waxy potatoes in potato salad. They hold their shape well after cooking without becoming too soft or mushy.
- Green onion: Green onions give the salad a milder onion flavor than red onion. I use both the white and green parts, saving a little of the green ends for garnish
- White wine vinegar: White wine vinegar adds the acidity the creamy dressing needs to stay balanced without adding strong flavor of its own. Many recipes use yellow mustard or pickle juice, but I prefer the more neutral flavor of the vinegar.
- Sweet pickles: I love using sweet pickles instead of dill for a subtle sweetness that complements the sour cream-mayo dressing. Plus, the pickles add a little crunch.
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: Generously salting the water is key to great flavor! Toss the potato chunks in, then bring the pot to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork-tender.
Prep the Vinegar Mixture: While the potatoes are boiling, I prep the white wine vinegar mixture so it’s ready for tossing.
Erin’s Tip
Cut the potatoes in 1/2-inch chunks before cooking. Any smaller and they will absorb too much water.
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.
Erin’s Tip
Wait until the potatoes have fully cooled before folding them into the sour cream/mayo mixture. This keeps the dressing thick and creamy and helps it coat the potatoes evenly.
Combine Ingredients: Add the remaining ingredients to the potato mixture and give them a gentle stir using a rubber spatula.
Chill & Serve: Refrigerate the potato salad before serving. The flavors and textures get even better the longer the salad chills.
Erin’s Tip
Let the potato salad chill in a covered bowl for at least 1 hour (but no more than 6 hours) 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 September 2026.
Love this recipe! I make it several times in the year and it is always a hit! So
We love to hear when recipes become repeat favorites! Thank you for the kind feedback, Elizabeth!
Do you think one could swap out the sour cream for cottage cheese?? Less fat more protein.
Hi Christine! We haven’t tried cottage cheese in this recipe before. If you decide to test it out, we’d love to hear how it goes!
I don’t have white whine vinegar would it be ok to sub for apple cider vinegar?
Hi Melissa! Yes that should work well as a sub. We hope you love the potato salad!
My new go-to potato salad recipe! Much lighter feeling. I didn’t have sour cream so used Greek yogurt in place and doubled the vinegar mixture since I like things tangy. It was a hit!
Yay! We’re so glad you loved it and that those substitutions worked well. Thank you for sharing with us, Lindsay!
How long can you keep it in the refrigerator
Hi Mitchel, this potato salad is best eaten within 8 hours, but it will keep for up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
I’m picky about potato salad bc I only like my grandma’s recipe and this was delish!! I did not use sweet pickles out of preference but I added a touch of dill.
Aww, we’re so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us!
Made this today for the first time for 4th of July, to go along side sweet smoked ribs. It already tastes amazing, can’t wait to pull it out later after it has been marinating in the fridge for several hours, I’m sure it’ll just keep getting better. I didn’t have green onion or sweet pickles, so I used red onion and sweet pickle relish because it’s what I had, and it’s great.
I nailed the salt level in the water this time, and the salt is SO good with the acidity from the vinegar and the sweetness from the sugar and pickles. Good flavor profile.
Tossing the potatoes with the vinegar, salt, sugar and pepper while they’re still warm, and letting them cool like that is really smart – something I hadn’t done before, but definitely will again. This seasoned the potatoes even more, and brightens everything up in contrast with the creamy sauce once everything is pulled together. Really. So good. Lol
Thanks for the great recipe!!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe, Melanie! Thank you for your kind and thoughtful feedback!
Do you peel the potatoes?
Hi Sheena, thank you for your question! No, we don’t peel the potatoes. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Great recipe, simple yet delicious. Very versatile and easy to switch up ingredients to make it your own.
Thank you for the kind feedback, Cherie! We’re glad you liked the recipe!
This was delicious! I did 1 tablespoon of sweet pickle juice, and 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.
1 tablespoon of pickle juice sounds like a delicious addition! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Excellent! I added a bit more celery and onion,sprinkled dill and added 2T bacon bits.
Is this potato salad sweet? Should I leave out the sugar and sweet pickles if I don’t like a sweetness in potato salad?