This is my go-to potato salad recipe for summer cookouts and family picnics. To make this delicious side dish, I combine russet potatoes, fresh ingredients, and pantry staples.
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Why It Works
A side order of creamy potato salad is a must while enjoying grilled burgers at a barbecue. I marinade the spuds in vinegar after boiling them to enhance their flavor. They are seasoned on the inside as well as the outside by this easy process.
Russet potatoes are the perfect foundation for the dish since they produce a flaky, creamy texture. The flavor is enhanced by a combination of crisp vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and straightforward yet powerful pantry ingredients. You won't believe how simple it is to make. Additionally, you can make it ahead of time to save time on serving day.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This basic dish calls for only a few ingredients. Here are the major items you'll need:
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes are the preferred root vegetable due to their mealy texture caused by their high carbohydrate content. When they cook, the texture becomes more crumbly and flaky, which contributes to the creaminess of the potato salad, similar to homemade mashed potatoes.
- Vinegar: Each piece is infused with distilled white vinegar, which adds acidity to the light potatoes while also complementing the creamy sauce.
- Mayonnaise is the creamy foundation for potato salad sauce.
- Mustard: Yellow mustard gives the salad its distinct pungent flavor and a hint of color.
- Vegetables: Combine sliced cucumber, tart dill pickle relish, diced red onion, and fresh parsley.
- Eggs: A few diced hardboiled eggs with yolks add texture and flavor to the dish.
- Seasoning: The potatoes are seasoned with salt water, which is then repeated when making the salad. I often add black pepper and onion powder to boost the flavorful flavor.
Ingredient Substitutions
Feel free to experiment with different flavors now that you have the foundation for a traditional potato salad!
- Potato Options: For a thicker and heartier consistency, try using different kinds of potatoes. Make use of waxy potatoes. I like red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes, which taste like butter. They will be less creamy because of their higher sugar content, which helps them maintain their structure when blended.
- Vinegar Swap: For a softer flavor, use apple cider vinegar instead.
- Mayonnaise Substitute: Use this recipe as a foundation to construct a nutritious potato salad with plain unstrained yogurt or Greek yogurt. It also goes great with sour cream.
- Mustard: Use whole grain mustard for a taste explosion or Dijon mustard for a softer pungency.
- Relish: To make the dill relish sweeter, mix with additional honey or sweet pickle relish.
- Seasoning: You can add a few teaspoons of pickle juice, capers, or whole celery seeds. Add chipotle or cayenne powder to make it spicy. Add chile oil or sriracha.
- Vegetables: Include avocado, pickled red onions, sliced green onions, chives, or shredded carrots.
- Fruit: To add a touch of sweetness, add sliced apples or slices of pineapple.
- Protein: Add tuna along with the eggs.
How to Make Potato Salad
Step 1: get the potatoes ready.
To give the potatoes a smooth texture, peel them to remove the skin.
To guarantee equal cooking, cut into uniform ¾-inch dice pieces.
Pro Tip: The salad's overall flavor is improved by the potatoes' homogeneous absorption of the dressing due to consistent size.
Step 2: Cook the potatoes.
Put the potatoes in cold, salted water to begin. Reduce the water to a simmer after bringing it to a boil. This provides the potatoes a uniformly cooked texture and permits the flavor of the salt to be absorbed. Don't overcook, though!
Advice for Optimal Performance: To prevent complete disintegration when combined, the potatoes should be fork-tender yet still stay together when punctured. Every few minutes is when I like to check. The potatoes cook for about ten minutes after they start to simmer.
Step 3: Use vinegar to marinate
After draining, put the potatoes back in the hot pot. Warm potatoes are superior at absorbing flavor.
Add one and half tablespoon of distilled white vinegar immediately after cooking, mix, and let sit for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Mix the Components
The cooked potatoes, mayonnaise, cucumber, relish, onion, parsley, mustard, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and chopped eggs should all be combined in a big bowl. To suit your tastes, adjust the amount of salt and pepper used.
Encouragement for Experimentation: Add pineapple and Fuji apples to make a potato salad with a Hawaiian flair. To discover your ideal combo, don't be scared to experiment!
Step 5: Allow to cool before serving
Before serving, cover the potato salad and put it in the fridge to chill for about an hour. Garnish with more onion, cucumber, and parsley if you like.
Frequently Asked Questions
To ensure equal cooking, start the potatoes in cold water and then progressively raise the temperature. This keeps the outsides from cooking too quickly. Inadequate preparation may cause the potatoes to break down excessively, which is fine for mashed potatoes but not when you want to keep some pieces for the salad.
Let the potatoes cool before adding the mayonnaise for the best texture and flavor in your potato salad. When the potatoes are cooled, they become slightly firmer and don't get mushy when combined with the creamy dressing. It also keeps the mayonnaise's emulsified egg and oil from separating, guaranteeing a smooth and cohesive consistency.
Make this dish and keep it in the fridge for up to two days in an airtight container. Parts can be frozen for up to a month in a resealable plastic bag. Spread thinly, blow out all the air, and then seal. One day prior to use, defrost in the fridge. Just before serving, I like to chop some fresh parsley and onions to garnish the top.
Of course! Dairy is already not used in this recipe. But all you have to do is buy vegan mayonnaise and leave out the hard-boiled eggs to make it vegan.
This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week when stored in an airtight container.
If you tried this Best American Potato Salad Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please feel free to leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. And remember to tag me on Instagram!
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Recipe
Best Potato Salad Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 4 potatoes
- 1 ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup cucumber diced
- ¼ cup dill pickle relish
- 3 tablespoons red onions
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 hard boiled eggs
INSTRUCTIONS
- To prepare the potatoes, cut them into ¾-inch cubes after removing the peel. Put them in a big saucepan right away. Cover them with 1 inch of cold water.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat in order to cook the potatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and whisk to dissolve as it begins to bubble. Adjust as necessary and reduce to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically, until the potatoes are fork-tender but not falling apart.
- Marinate with Vinegar: Return the potatoes to the pot after draining them in a strainer. Using a rubber spatula, mix in the vinegar. Give it 20 minutes to rest and marinade. There will still be warmth in the potatoes.
- Combine the ingredients: Put the potatoes, mayonnaise, cucumber, pickle, onion, parsley, mustard, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and chopped eggs in a big bowl and whisk gently. To taste, add salt and pepper.
- Then, relax. Serve: An hour or so before serving, cover and chill until cooled. If preferred, garnish with additional parsley, cucumber, and onion.
NOTES
- Potatoes: If you want, feel free to peel the potatoes. To give the potato salad more texture, I like to keep the skins on.
- Time-saving tip: You can quickly rinse the potatoes with cold water until they are chilly if you are pressed for time. After that, drain the potatoes well in a colander, put them back in the stockpot, pour the vinegar over them equally, and repeat the process.
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