The Best Potato Salad Recipe Ever
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Mar 5, 2025 
How To Make The Best Potato Salad Recipe – Today, I’m sharing our secret family potato salad recipe. My mom’s potato salad recipe is hands-down the best potato salad I, or anyone else who’s tried it, has ever eaten!
The Best Potato Salad Recipe… Ever.
My mom’s potato salad is better than your mom’s potato salad.
There, I said it, and I’m not taking it back! *wink*
Seriously though, my mother has magical abilities in the art of potato salad making. My mom makes traditional mustard, pickle, and hard-boiled egg potato salad. It’s simple, but I have never made or tasted another potato salad better than her version… And I’m not the only person to think so.
Over the years, I’ve watched countless relatives and friends swoon over her classic potato salad.
The problem is, when you ask her for the recipe, she has difficulty sharing it because she doesn’t have a recipe written down. She makes it by feel.
It’s taken years of watching, assisting her, and asking questions to come up with what I consider to be her recipe.
Want to know mom’s secrets?
Here’s What You’ll Need…
You need a few key ingredients to make the most comforting potato salad…
- Yukon Gold potatoes or Klondike Goldust potatoes – or use Russets
- Mayonnaise – your favorite brand
- Refrigerated pickle relish
- Yellow mustard – or 1 part yellow + 1 part dijon
- Apple cider vinegar
- Celery seeds
- Paprika
- Hard-boiled eggs – peeled and chopped
- Celery stalks – diced
- Sweet onion – diced
- Fresh chopped dill
- Salt and pepper
How To Make The Best Potato Salad Recipe
1) The key to making the best potato salad is to use starchy potatoes and let them get really soft, so they are partially mashed once mixed. This gives the recipe a rustic, yet thick and luxurious quality. I like to use Yukon Gold or Klondike Goldust potatoes. You can also use Russet potatoes if you like. Do not use new potatoes, because they hold their shape too well and will leave the dressing soupy.
Start the potatoes in a large pot of cold water and bring them to a boil to ensure even cooking. Make sure to salt the boiling water so the salty flavor gets deep down in the potatoes.
Once the potatoes are soft, drain off the water and peel off the skins. You can leave some of the skins on if you like the added texture.
Chop the potatoes when they are soft; this saves time on the peeling and chopping.
2) Next, mix all the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your favorite mayonnaise as the base.
I know better than to tell you what brand to use… Mayonnaise is an intensely personal condiment!
Here in the Carolinas, we use Duke’s Mayonnaise, but mom usually uses Hellmann’s. You can even go with Miracle Whip if that is your favorite.
Mix a large amount of sweet pickle relish into the dressing.
Use the good quality refrigerated relish that tastes fresh, has large chunks, and stays firm. Otherwise, the dense, ultra-sweet shelved variety might overwhelm the flavor of the dressing.
If you can’t find “good relish”, finely dice firm refrigerated sweet pickles instead.
Make sure to use yellow mustard for flavor and color. Sometimes, mom adds half yellow mustard and half Dijon mustard, but if it’s going to be one or the other, you have to use classic yellow mustard.
Apple cider vinegar, celery seeds, and a little bit of paprika round out the dressing flavor.
3) Mix the potatoes and the dressing while the potatoes are still warm. Add chopped hard-boiled eggs for richness, celery for crunch, sweet onions for a zippy bite, and fresh chopped dill for a herbaceous punch.
The onions are a point of discrepancy in our family… Personally, I would always choose scallions over any other raw onion. However, my dad insists on raw chopped sweet onions for crunch and flavor, so that’s what mom uses.
To his credit, they do provide a more potent onion essence and crisp texture when served on the second or third day.
4) Finally, potato salad, any potato salad, tastes better on the second day after the flavors have had ample time to mix and mingle.
When possible, make mom’s this recipe the day before you plan to serve it.
However, if you don’t have time to make it a day ahead, refrigerate the recipe for as long as humanly possible before mealtime.
Get the Full (Printable) Best Potato Salad Recipe + Video Below!
If you are determined to learn How To Make The Family Secret Recipe, give my mom’s recipe a try.
I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Type of Mayonnaise Should I Use?
The mayo is the base flavor in the dressing, so it is a very important ingredient. I find most people have a favorite brand. Go with your family favorite. If you don’t usually buy mayonnaise, Hellman’s is very popular, but Duke’s mayo is the brand of the South. *wink*
Why Sweet Pickle Relish?
Most brands of store-bought pickle relish are sweet. I like to use the refrigerated kind that has larger chunks. It provides a better texture, and the sweetness adds a lovely balance to the salad. If you hate the idea of adding sweetness, find a tart pickle relish or add chopped banana peppers.
Can I Peel the Potatoes Before Cooking?
Mom always cooked the potatoes with the peels on, then removed some (or all) of the peels after cooking. This allows you to leave some potato skins in the salad, if you like, for extra texture. Also, it eliminates the need for a vegetable peeler because the skins will pull right off after the potatoes are fully cooked.
However, if you do not want to incorporate any of the potato skins into the salad, you can peel them beforehand. It’s a matter of personal preference.
Is This Recipe Gluten-Free?
Yes, as long as the mayonnaise is gluten-free, the whole recipe is. (Most brands are, but double-check your jar.)
Can I Make a Dairy-Free or Vegan Version?
Of course! This recipe is already dairy-free. However, to make it vegan, simply buy a vegan mayonnaise and then omit the hard-boiled eggs.
How Long Does This Salad Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this salad will last a week.
Can You Freeze This Recipe?
I wouldn’t. The thawing process will change the texture, and the dressing will not be as creamy.
Can I Add Other Ingredients to Mix Things Up?
Sure! Try adding bacon, rosemary, scallions, chopped banana peppers, shredded cheese, or sour cream.
More Fabulous Make-Ahead Side Dish Recipes
- Perfect Southern Macaroni Salad
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- The Best Broccoli Salad
- Provencial Potato Salad
- Market Bean Salad
- Hot German Potato Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Pickled Banana Peppers
- Hoppin John Recipe
- Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad With Potatoes
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- Buttermilk Drop Biscuits
How To Make The Best Potato Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes or Klondike Goldust potatoes
- 2 cups mayonnaise (your favorite brand)
- 1 cup refrigerated sweet pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, or 1 part yellow + 1 part dijon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon celery seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 4-5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into quarters and place them in a large stockpot. Fill the pot with cold water until it is 1 inch over the top of the potatoes. Set the pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon salt and cook the potatoes for 13-15 minutes, until fork tender.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl mix the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish including juices, mustard, apple cider vinegar, celery seeds, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Stir until smooth. Then chop the eggs, celery, onions, and dill.
- Once the potatoes are very tender, drain off all the water. Remove the loose peels and chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch chunks. It's okay if they are soft and crumbly. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Gently mix in the dressing until it coats the potatoes well. Then stir in the eggs, celery, onions, and dill. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with fresh dill and paprika.
- Cover the potato salad and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. If you have time to make it ahead, it tastes even better on day two! Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
- If you can’t find golden potatoes, use Russets.
- For best flavor, make your potato salad a day ahead.
Nutrition
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Raw onions and dill? Yuck. Disgusting
Wow, what a rude comment. It’s funny you’re the only one that thinks so……
I’ve made this recipe several times for our large family gatherings/cookouts and I thank you GREATLY for generously sharing. My family & friends absolutely LOVE it and I’ve always received many compliments! I’ll never try a different recipe for it now!! Thank you again! ❤
I made this last night and was very delicious!
You probably are a very picky eater! Thats too bad! More for others then!! This recipe is such a hit!!!!!
Omg, I love both!! 😂
My wife and I made this together — with these minor variations:
1) We measured out 3.3 lbs of potatoes to scale to available bowls and fridge space. We adjusted the other ingredients to yield a little extra of the Mayo mixture, relative to the potatoes. Then we added most of the Mayo mixture to the potatoes, and gradually added more to fine-tune the consistency to our liking.
2) We used a combination of sweet pickle relish and diced sweet gherkins. We didn’t have enough relish, and needed to supplement with the gherkins. That worked out well — dampening the sweetness of the relish and adding delectable bits of gherkin to the mix.
3) On my servings, I substituted a sprinkling of cayenne for the paprika.
This is a GREAT recipe! Can’t wait to make it again.
Potato salad connoisseur here and this might be my favorite ever! My mom and grandmothers would be sad to hear that I’m saying this after growing up on their amazing versions, but this ones really special. It’ll be my new go to. The only addition I made was grating a medium carrot to add color and more variety, oh and I also omitted the egg and used vegan mayo as we’re all vegan in my house. No sacrifice at all, simply delicious flavors.
What is vegan mayo? Sounds gross.
🤣🤣🤣 that’s hysterical!
It is gross, it’s made from highly processed garbage. Congrats on being released from prison Bill, now you can enjoy this excellent potato salad recipe made with real mayo.
Super good! Everyone loved it.
I first tried potato salad from Mcallister’s Deli over the weekend and have been craving it since. This is the first time I’ve made it and it turned out great. My husband is a connoisseur of potato salad and he said it was spot on! I didn’t have celery seeds and I used white distilled vinegar instead of apple cider. Can’t wait to taste it after resting it in the fridge. Thank you!
Your moms recipe is the closest to my moms- Pennsylvania Dutch, born on a farm in Washington State in 1908. Except she added more herbs.. . parsley, some thyme, a little rosemary and it was the most-asked for dish in a big, big family! 🙏🏽
Great! I halved the recipe and it turned out fabulous.
Clearly there are certain people on here that have gone nutty from covid and quarantining. Ignore the haters.
I made this recipe. This is the best recipe for potato salad that I have come across. This will be my go to recipe from now on.
Delish! I used yellow & Dijon mustard, drained the relish… potato salad (ps) can get watery (yuk) … a pinch of dill … a perfect traditional ps ! Thx You, everyone loves a good ps Easter Brunch will be delish!
Made this recipe, just halved – since it was for a small audience. Even before resting in the fridge, the flavors and textures are really great.
I just made this recipe. No joke, it really is one of the best I’ve ever come across. The only change I made was that I stayed with only Dijon because, for my taste, the American yellow mustard is too strong. There will be a repeat. I’ve made German, French, and other American potato salads, but this was a pleasant surprise. This one ranks among the top. It doesn’t deserve 5 stars, it deserves 6 stars.
My husband is a potato salad obsessed man. I made this recipe as my first attempt at the homemade stuff and woah, he was blown away. He is convinced this is the holy grail. I made it multiple times for many occasions in the past year. Two days ago when I went to find this page and I accidentally clicked a totally different recipe and by the time we were ready to eat, we were so disappointed because it just did not taste good. I finally found my saved recipe (this one) and realized where we went wrong! I will never stray from this recipe. Ever!