Perfectly creamy with the right balance of tang, this potato salad is my mom’s recipe and so easy to make. Her recipe is very simple, yet it is so delicious in its simplicity that everyone always asks for the recipe. Enjoy this ultimate summer side dish for your next barbecue, picnic, or potluck. It’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and I have an egg-free version as well.
My mom makes the best potato salad! But of course that’s pretty much what everyone says, isn’t it? Her recipe is on the simple side and doesn’t include things like onion and celery.
Watch How To Make Potato Salad
It is so good in its simple form that I know you’ll love it too. Of course, like all good mom recipes, she doesn’t measure, and because of that I’ve never shared it before.
So over the last couple of summers, I’ve been tinkering with her method until I have the measurements. And you should know this potato salad is definitely mom-approved!
The egg-free version of potato salad came about by accident one time when I had this potato salad completely made for a picnic. And then realized I forgot to put eggs in it.
Not only did no one notice there were no hard-boiled eggs and the potato salad, but everybody kept asking why it was so good. I definitely have a few tricks up my sleeve, which you’ll see below in the tips.
So whether you can’t have eggs or there’s another egg shortage, don’t worry, this potato salad works well with or without eggs.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes – I like to use red potatoes when I have them or Yukon gold potatoes. I don’t recommend Russet potatoes for potato salad because they’re too dry. Any waxy kind of potato works for potato salad. Also, new potatoes are always best. The older the potatoes are, the drier the potato salad will be.
- Hard-boiled eggs – are traditional, but they’re optional in this recipe. If you’re allergic to eggs or don’t have any on hand, go ahead and omit them.
- Pickles – classic dill pickles, diced into small pieces, are the best in potato salad. I love the Bubbies brand of pickles, they have awesome flavor. Some recipes call for sweet pickles or sweet pickle relish, but we’re all about the dill for this recipe. Feel free to customize!
- Mayonnaise – homemade mayo makes the best tasting potato salad, and you’ll find my recipe in the notes. Chosen Foods makes a great avocado oil mayo, Kewpie mayo is so good in potato salad, and for egg-free, look for Hellman’s.
- Flavor – adding apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, pickle juice, along with salt and pepper, adds the right depth of tang as the perfect counterpart to the mayonnaise. Yellow mustard is often used in classic potato salad recipes, but we love the depth and subtlety of Dijon.
- Onions/celery/etc. – We don’t add onions or celery to potato salad in my family, but you are free to customize it to your taste. Both Tyler and I like thinly sliced green onions or chives sometimes in potato salad for a subtle onion flavor.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by cutting up your potatoes into 3 to 4-inch pieces. Peel them first if desired.
Step 2: Boil them in a large pot in heavily salted water until fork-tender.
You want the fork to slide easily into the potato, but it still retains enough texture that you can pick it up out of the water without it crumbling apart.
Step 3: When the potatoes are done, drain them into a colander and let them cool a bit.
While the potatoes are cooling, finely chop the pickles, and make the hard-boiled eggs if you’re using them.
Step 4: When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, chop them into bite-size pieces, then add them to a mixing bowl.
Step 5: Mix the apple cider vinegar and pickle juice before pouring it over the warm potatoes in a large bowl, and toss slightly to combine.
Step 6: Next, add the pickles, mayo, and mustard and mix just to combine. Season to taste and refrigerate until chilled, about four hours. Right before serving, garnish the potato salad with a generous sprinkling of smoked paprika.
Ways to serve this
- Serve this potato salad with my Grilled Chicken Thighs for a classic summer dinner, or pack them up for a summer picnic.
- Add crushed potato chips over the top of your potato salad for my mom’s favorite way to eat potato salad. Plain potato chips and salt & pepper are both really great. Or scoop up potato salad with the potato chips like it’s a dip. We got this tip from my mom, and it’s so good!
- Add a salad with my Easy Green Salad, Summer Chopped Salad, Watermelon Feta Salad, or Strawberry Spinach Salad.
- This potato salad goes well with my Blackstone Steak, Smoked Chicken Thighs, or Oven Baked Ribs.
- We also love to pair this salad with my Burger Bowls or In and Out Burger Lettuce Wraps 1-2x per week in the summer.
FAQ’s
No, you can make a phenomenal potato salad without hard-boiled eggs and using a good-quality egg-free mayonnaise like Hellman’s or Chosen Foods vegan mayo.
I personally feel it works great to boil potatoes in large pieces or whole for potato salad. You don’t want to boil them in bite-sized cubes because they take on too much water, and your potato salad won’t be as flavorful.
Storing leftovers
- To store – Place any leftover potato salad into an airtight container and refrigerate up to two days for homemade mayo, or up to five days with store-bought mayonnaise.
- Make ahead – Potato salad is best made at least four hours ahead so that flavors have time to meld and is thoroughly chilled.
Tips & Tricks
- I have three tricks that make the best potato salad.
- 1: boil the potatoes in heavily salted water. The potatoes take on the salt as they cook, and it seasons the potato salad in a way that cannot be replicated by adding salt to the final result.
- 2: pour vinegar and pickle juice over the warm potatoes. This allows the potatoes to absorb the zesty flavor and makes the potato salad taste even better. Also, the pickle juice is another secret from my mom; it adds a salty depth and tang that complements the apple cider vinegar well.
- 3: make your own homemade mayonnaise using avocado oil based on my recipe in the recipe notes. Without fail, I get the most compliments on my potato salad when I make the mayonnaise from scratch. It’s super easy and foolproof as long as you add the oil in a very thin, slow stream. However, quality avocado oil mayonnaise from the store, like Chosen Foods, is a good second.
- Potato salad is a food of childhood nostalgia for most Americans, so feel free to customize my mom’s recipe to suit what you grew up with! Whatever you’re used to having in your potato salad (onions, celery, etc) is what you’re most likely to enjoy.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Egg-free – omit the hard-boiled eggs for potato salad with no eggs and use a good quality eggless mayonnaise like Hellmann’s.
More Summer Side Dish Recipe Inspiration
I really hope you enjoy this Potato Salad recipe! If you do get a chance to make this, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Potato Salad (no eggs)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes - or red potatoes
- 1/3 cup dill pickles - finely chopped, 3-4
- 3 eggs - optional, hard-boiled, see notes
Potato Salad Dressing:
- 2 tbsp dill pickle juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar - or white wine vinegar
- 3/4 cup avocado oil mayo - see notes
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Loaded Potato Salad add-ons:
- 1/4 cup green onions or chives - thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup crispy bacon bits
- 1 cup cheddar cheese - grated
- 1/4 cup sour cream - to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Start by cutting up your potatoes into 3 to 4-inch pieces. Peel them first if desired.
- Boil them in a large pot in heavily salted water until fork-tender. You want the fork to slide easily into the potato, but it still retains enough texture that you can pick it up out of the water without it crumbling apart.
- When the potatoes are done, drain them into a colander and let them cool a bit.While the potatoes are cooling, finely chop the pickles, and make the hard-boiled eggs if you're using them.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, chop them into bite-size pieces, then add them to a mixing bowl.
- Mix the apple cider vinegar and pickle juice before pouring it over the warm potatoes in a large bowl, and toss slightly to combine.
- Next, add the pickles, mayo, and mustard and mix just to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the ingredients for the 'loaded' version if using and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.
- Right before serving, garnish the potato salad with a generous sprinkling of smoked paprika.
I love Kari’s Inspired gluten-free recipes, and this potato salad recipe is a lot like our family recipe.
I substitute Veganaise for mayonnaise and use organic sweet pickle relish instead of dill.
I suggest you research the health and culinary benefits of cooking the potatoes the day beforehand. It changes their texture (firms them up) and lowers their glycemic index (what’s not to like about that).
Your potato salad sounds delicious as well, and thanks for the tip about potatoes!