The Best Potato Salad (+Video)
This Potato Salad recipe has a special ingredient that makes it the best! Potatoes, celery, onion, eggs and an amazing creamy dressing! Everyone will want this recipe!
A CREAMY POTATO SALAD RECIPE
This potato salad will have everyone begging for the recipe! Every single time I bring this to a cookout, folks want to know who made it and they all come over to me wanting the recipe. I promise you this will be the last potato salad recipe you will ever need!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S):
As this cools the potatoes will continue to soak up the dressing. It’s just what potatoes do, they like to soak up whatever they are mixed with. So, if you notice your salad is just a little dry when you are ready to serve, add a little more milk or chicken stock and some mayonnaise and it will restore the creaminess of your potato salad.
For a classic potato salad, mayonnaise is required. You could use Miracle Whip but I do not like the taste of Miracle Whip so I would never use it personally. Want a “mayo-less” potato salad? Be sure to check out my recipe for German Potato Salad
It’s better to cut up potatoes before boiling them. They cook much faster when cut first. Also, you can leave the skin on the potatoes if you prefer.
Nope. You can leave them out if you prefer.
Use chicken stock. It is my secret ingredient! Also, use fresh ingredients. Don’t use store-bought hard-boiled eggs unless you are confident of the fresh taste. Sometimes store-bought hard boiled eggs have a funky taste to them and they can really throw off the taste of your whole salad. To make your own, check out my recipe for Homemade Chicken Broth.
Keep leftover salad stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up 3 days. Because of the mayonnaise in the salad, try to keep it cool. Do not let it sit outside of the refrigerator for longer than 30 minutes and definitely do not let it sit uncovered outside in the sun. Keep it in a ice cooler until just before serving.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- Yukon gold potatoes – I love the creaminess of Yukon Gold potatoes for potato salad but you could certainly use russet potatoes.
- mayonnaise – for me, it’s got to be real mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip) – I prefer Duke’s or Hellman’s.
- white vinegar – you can use apple cider vinegar if that is all you have but it will add a slightly different taste to this.
- yellow mustard – don’t try to get fancy here with dijon mustard or try to use dried ground mustard, just good ole standard yellow mustard is the best.
- chicken stock – I know this seems weird to use chicken stock but it just adds that little something that people won’t quite be able to put their finger on but will know it makes this potato salad different from everyone else’s but if you don’t have chicken stock, you could use milk.
- celery and onion – standard potato salad ingredients – I just like to make sure they are diced up finely so no one is getting a huge bit of celery or onion.
- hard boiled eggs – I know some people love it and some people hate it so go with what you prefer here but we personally love it!
HOW TO MAKE POTATO SALAD:
Peel and dice potatoes into cubes. Place potatoes into a large pot of water. Boil for about 20 minutes (or until fork tender). Take care not to overcook your potatoes – you don’t want them overly mushy. Mix together mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, chicken stock and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Add potatoes, celery, onion and stir gently.
Stir in eggs. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and chill.
Cook’s Note: Potatoes love to soak up all the mayonnaise, so if you noticed your salad is just a little dry when you are ready to serve, add a little more milk or chicken stock and mayonnaise and it will restore the creaminess of your potato salad.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published February 2011
Updated and republished May 2021
The Best Potato Salad (+Video)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes (about 6 medium)
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
- 3-4 Tablespoons chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 4 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Peel and dice 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes into cubes. Place potatoes into a large pot of water.
- Boil for about 20 minutes (or until fork tender.) Take care not to overcook your potatoes – you don’t want them overly mushy.
- Mix together 1 ½ cups mayonnaise, 1 Tablespoon white vinegar, 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard, 3-4 Tablespoons chicken broth, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.
- Add cooked potatoes, 2 stalks celery, finely chopped, 1/2 cup chopped onion and stir gently.
- Stir in 4 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and chill.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- Potatoes love to soak up all the mayonnaise, so if you noticed your salad is just a little dry when you are ready to serve, just add a little more mayonnaise and chicken stock and it will restore the creaminess of your potato salad.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
I've been looking for a potato salad recipe and this one is super yummy! I actually think it is the best one I have ever made!
I'm a mayo person,husband a Miracle Whip guy,so I use a combination of both A better flavour,I think.
Your potato salad looks heavenly! I bet the chicken stock adds a ton of flavor!
YUM, I love me some good Potato Salad!
I love this potato salad! My advice to others making it – don’t change a thing! It’s perfection!
Heh, I know what I'm bringing to easter dinner
yum!
kisses
heather
This looks wonderful! I have been having a blast looking through all of your tasty recipes! My mom got me a cookbook the first Christmas I was married and boy has it been a lifesaver sometimes! 🙂
I'm off to the kitchen to make some potato salad now. 🙂
I just love hearing about your early years and your family…really good stuff. The Potato dish looks so delicious, we just love dishes like this.
This potato salad looks delicious and makes me think of summer barbecues. 🙂
I'm a little behind on my reads lately, but I just had to comment on this before I hit the cheesecake post. This story sure brings back memories of my first years in marriage. My mom bought me a similar cookbook that I still like to cook out of. Only now, I'm more free to add and take away ingredients and feel completely confidant. Thanks for sharing this story Brandie:)
Just wanted to tell you that I made this and loved it!
what a precious gift! and a great recipe!
Aw, so sweet. My first cookbook was Better Homes and Gardens, back in university. That thing was so beat up and dog-eared by the time I was done with it! Great potato salad!
How very cool is this story! I still have the first cookbook my mom gave me, though mine's Better Homes and Gardens. The one with the 3-ring binder.
I LOVE this potato salad. It is so very creamy and delicious.
I love potato salad and this just makes me crave summer!!! Can't wait to make it and btw that cook book looks very similar to my mama's!!
I loved this story and the potato salad looks wonderful. All your pictures look great, too. Some wonderful recipes here!
What a great story! Betty never lets you down!
Cute story! Most of my cookbooks pages look like that too : )
Great story. First cookbooks always have such great memories baked into them!
Moms are often so inspired. That is a great looking potato salad. I can see why it is still your favorite.
Mothers are truly the sweetest 🙂
One of my first cookbook was a betty crocker one too amd i still use it…hehe.
Your salad looks delicious with all that potato goodness…drool!
What would we do without our mothers? Sweet story! You're killing me with all this delicious summer food, though, first the baked beans, now this delicious potato salad. I may have to break down and have a picnic in front of the fire place!
I love potato salad! This recipe is delicious!!
Such a great memory attached to that book! It looks very well-loved over the years. The potato salad looks delish, perfect for upcoming spring!
This was perfect – thank you!