This classic Southern Potato Salad Recipe is creamy, tangy, and loaded with eggs, pickles, and mustard. The perfect side dish for BBQs, potlucks, and family gatherings. This classic recipe always disappears fast at cookouts and family dinners.
This Southern style potato salad recipe is easy to make, full of classic flavor, and always one of the first dishes to disappear.
Be sure to try this Cajun Potato Salad and these Loaded Potato Bites for two other great options.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Classic Southern flavor with eggs, pickles, and mustard
- Creamy, tangy, and loaded with texture
- Perfect for BBQs, picnics, potlucks, and family gatherings
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Even better after chilling overnight
- Great make-ahead side dish
Before You Get Started
- Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate.
- Be careful not to overcook the potatoes, or they can become mushy.
- Let the potatoes cool before mixing in the dressing.
- Chill the potato salad for at least 2 hours before serving for the best flavor.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving, as potatoes can absorb a lot of flavor.
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes - Peel and cube them.
- Hard-boiled eggs - Chop them up into bite-sized pieces.
- Celery stalks - Clean and then chop them up.
- Green onions - These need to be thinly sliced. You can swap in finely chopped red onion if you prefer.
- Mayonnaise - Adds creaminess and richness to the dressing.
- Yellow mustard - Adds tangy flavor and classic Southern potato salad taste.
- Dill pickles - Great for adding a pop of flavor.
- Garlic salt, smoked paprika, black pepper - The seasoning for the dressing.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Southern Potato Salad
Step One: Boil the potatoes until they are fork-tender. Drain and let them cool.
Step Two: Stir the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix in the cooled potatoes and vegetables.
Step Three: Add the hard-boiled eggs. Fold gently until coated.
Step Four: Season to taste.
Step Five: Put the bowl in the fridge for at least a couple of hours before serving.
Top tip
Chilling the cooked potatoes before adding the dressing helps them hold their shape and creates a better texture.
Substitutions
- Types of potatoes - Yukon Gold potatoes hold their shape beautifully, but russet potatoes, red potatoes, or any waxy potato will also work.
- Fresh herbs - You can easily add different seasonings and herbs to this dish.
Variations
- Southern Style - Sprinkle extra paprika on top and garnish with extra sliced hard-boiled eggs before serving.
- Pickles - You can also use dill pickle relish or even sweet pickles or sweet pickle relish as a great way to change the flavor.
- Onion - I'm a big fan of adding a diced Vidalia onion or even some diced green chives for fun flavor and texture.
- Sour cream - Some people like to add a scoop of sour cream, Miracle Whip, or Greek yogurt to coat the tender potatoes even more.
See this Shrimp Macaroni Salad with Old Bay for another delicious side dish to take to a family gathering, church potlucks, or just as a simple side dish.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. In my opinion, the flavor is even better the next day after the dressing has had time to soak into the potatoes.
I don't recommend freezing potato salad.
Common Questions
Yes. When possible, I like to make it a day ahead because the flavors have more time to blend together.
Yes. Stir in a small amount of sugar or use sweet relish instead of dill pickles. Taste and adjust as needed.
They do. If they want to add more of a pickle flavor, or even change the thickness of the salad a bit, pouring a little bit of pickle juice in and stirring helps. You can also add dill pickle relish.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Southern Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 lb russett potatoes peeled and cubed
- 4 hard boiled eggs chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
Dressing
- ¾ cup mayo
- 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoon dill pickles chopped
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- 2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain and let cool to room temperature. For best results, chill the potatoes for an hour before adding the dressing.
- Meanwhile, stir together the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add the cooled potatoes, eggs, and vegetables to the bowl. Gently toss until coated with the dressing. Season to taste.
- Chill for at least 2-3 hours before serving.
Nutrition
Like what you see? Follow us on Facebook and Instagram! Love this recipe? Leave a comment & a 5-star rating right here! Make sure you don’t miss new recipes by getting email updates!
Comments
No Comments