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This old-fashioned recipe for Easy Potato Salad has probably been passed down by our grandmas for generations. It’s a summer classic destined for backyard barbecues, family celebrations, and picnics.
I’d probably eat (and enjoy) any potato salad you put in front of me, but this is the one that makes my heart sing. I love chunks of potatoes paired with hard-boiled eggs and celery, all coated in a dressing that is creamy and flavorful.
It’s the classic American potato salad, and it’s as good as your mom made but better than you remember. Try it at your next picnic or barbecue – you’ll love it!
Table of Contents
Best Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Potatoes: Waxy varieties like new potatoes or Yukon golds hold their shape well. But, I like big Russets because they are easiest to peel and I don’t mind if the potatoes fall apart a bit in the salad.
- Vinegar: Or substitute cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Mustard: Substitute 1 teaspoon ground mustard for the prepared yellow mustard.
- Paprika: I love to garnish potato salad with sweet paprika, but dill (fresh or dried), chives, or scallions are also delicious. Or use a combination.
Best potatoes for Potato Salad
The best potatoes for potato salad often come down to personal preference and the style of potato salad you want to make. The two main styles of potatoes are baking potatoes and boiling potatoes. Baking potatoes, such as Russets, are high-starch spuds that break down easily in a salad, but some cooks prefer their taste and that texture.
Waxy boiling potatoes, such as Yukon golds or red salad potatoes, hold their shape better after boiling and will not break apart as easily in a potato salad. If a sturdy salad with proper cubes of potatoes is your goal, reach for boiling potatoes.
How to Make This Potato Salad Recipe With Egg
- In a large pot, add potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and enough water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well and cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard, and garlic powder.
- In a large bowl, add potatoes, onion, celery, and chopped eggs. Add mayonnaise mixture.
- Stir to combine and season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper). Garnish with paprika.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 10 cups of potato salad, enough for 10 large (1-cup) servings or even more smaller servings.
- Make ahead: The potatoes can be cubed and submerged in water in the refrigerator up to 24 hours in advance. The hard-boiled eggs can be boiled a week in advance.
- Mix-ins: Make this potato salad your own by adding cooked bacon, fresh chives or other herbs, minced pickles or relish, peas, capers, or slivered radishes.
Storing Potato Salad
Store potato salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Stir well to recombine before serving.
How long can Potato Salad sit out?
Potato salad can sit out on a table or buffet for up to 2 hours. According to the USDA, cold perishable foods such as potato salad should be discarded if left at room temperature longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the room temperature is 90 degrees). [Source: USDA Leftovers and Food Safety.] It’s better to be safe than sorry!
How long will Potato Salad last in the refrigerator?
Potato salad will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator (the temperature should be 40 degrees or lower). Depending on your exact recipe, the salad may get watery over time, but you can stir to recombine before serving. Or, add additional mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to freshen it up. Even if there is a loss in quality, the salad is safe for up to 4 days.
Recipe FAQs
Potato salad should not sit out at room temperature longer than 2 hours. According to the USDA, “If the potato salad was held in excess of 41°F for over two hours, then discard.” It’s better to be safe than sorry.
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Potato Salad Recipe With Egg
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks (see note 1)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (see note 2)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 medium onion peeled and minced (about 1 cup)
- 2 ribs celery thinly sliced
- 6 hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped
- paprika for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, add potatoes, 1 tablespoon salt, and enough water to cover. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well and cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, mustard, and garlic powder.
- In a large bowl, add potatoes, onion, celery, and chopped eggs. Add mayonnaise mixture and stir to combine.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ¾ teaspoon pepper). Garnish with paprika.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Potatoes: Waxy varieties like new potatoes or Yukon golds hold their shape well. But, I like big Russets because they are easiest to peel and I don’t mind if the potatoes fall apart a bit in the salad.
- Mustard: Or substitute 1 teaspoon ground mustard.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The potatoes can be cubed and submerged in water in the refrigerator up to 24 hours in advance. The hard-boiled eggs can be boiled a week in advance.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Simple family style potato salad like grandma used to make! Taste even better made ahead of time.
Thank you, Davi! – Meggan
Love this, but my family rejects celery and raw onion- so we use lots of chopped sweet pickles (and some juice instead of vinegar!) and a big dollop of sour cream and lots of pepper with the mayonnaise- and you are definitely so right about using russet potatoes! My grandmother was making this in the 1920s- with her garden potatoes and chopped cucumbers and lots of sour cream from her dairy- she was a true pioneer woman and i love to see so many basic old recipes still being used and adapted! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Nana! I appreciate you taking the time to write! – Meggan
Meggan, this recipe is the same as my families. We thought it was our secret. The only thing we do not add is garlic powder. We like to use redskin potatoes.
I am asked to make it every time we have a party or picnic. It is a big hit with our family.
Thank you for sharing all your great recipes.
You’re welcome, Beverly! Thank you for writing! I bet it’s delicious with red skin potatoes. Thanks again! – Meggan
Delicious! The only ingredient I added was celery seed because I like the taste of it! My husband loved it as a side dish with BBQ ribs.
So glad you loved it, Jhanie! – Meggan
Was looking for a simple recipe. Had all the stuff except celery. It turned out great. I’m usually hesitant to add sugar to random things but this works. And I always cooled my potatoes completely before adding the mayo but obviously, I’ve been doing it wrong. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Bina! Thank you for trying my recipe and trusting it to work. Take care! – Meggan