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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!

closeup photo of potato salad shown served in a bowl.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S):

How do I keep my potato salad from drying out?

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.

Do I have to use mayonnaise?

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

Is it better to boil potatoes whole or cut up for 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.

Do you have to put eggs in potato salad?

Nope. You can leave them out if you prefer.

How do you make potato salad taste better?

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.

How so I store leftovers?

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.

The Best Ever Potato Salad recipe from The Country Cook, potato salad shown in a large shallow bowl with a slice hard boiled egg on the side of the bowl.

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!
potato salad ingredients shown: Yukon gold potatoes, mayonnaise, white vinegar, yellow mustard, chicken stock, salt, pepper, celery, onion, hard boiled eggs.

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.

collage of two photos: diced gold potatoes in a large pot of water; mayonnaise, mustard, chicken stock, salt and pepper shown in a clear mixing bowl.

Add potatoes, celery, onion and stir gently.

collage of two photos: potato salad dressing in a bowl; cooked diced potatoes, diced celery and diced onion added to dressing mixture in clear bowl.

Stir in eggs. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and chill.

collage of two photos: diced hard boiled eggs added to potato salad; fully mixed potato salad.

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.

serving of potato salad on a small white plate with a fork sticking into it.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Originally published February 2011
Updated and republished May 2021

The Best Potato Salad recipe

The Best Potato Salad (+Video)

This Potato Salad recipe will have everyone begging for the recipe! Creamy, flavorful and easy to make – this will be the hit of the BBQ!
4.90 from 115 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Peel and dice 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes into cubes. Place potatoes into a large pot of water.
    diced gold potatoes in 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.
    mayonnaise, mustard, chicken stock, salt and pepper shown in a clear mixing bowl
  • Add cooked potatoes, 2 stalks celery, finely chopped, 1/2 cup chopped onion and stir gently.
    cooked diced potatoes, diced celery and diced onion added to dressing mixture in clear bowl
  • Stir in 4 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped.
    chopped hard boiled eggs added on top of potato salad mixture in a bowl
  • Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and chill.
    closeup photo of potato salad shown served in a bowl

Video

YouTube 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.
 
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 34g | Sodium: 650mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g

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.

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Recipe Rating




137 Comments

  1. This sounds so yummy! I am wanting to make this this weekend, but I have a quick question. About how many people would you say this will serve?

  2. Hi! I have made so many of your recipes and some of them are my favorites! I actually just made one this AM. Anyway, I HAD to comment because I actually HAVE that cookbook! My grandmother gave it to me when I was 19. I wanted to tell you that if you have not made the Pancake recipe, you have to try it. It is the best recipe I have come across.

  3. I love your story! What kind of onion do you recommend? I made this using less onions than recommended in the recipe, and by the next day it tasted completely like onions 🙁

  4. 5 stars
    Brandie, I pinned this the last time I saw it. It sounds so much like my Mom's. She didn't use the broth and she added sweet pickle cubes and some of the juice.

    I know that cookbook and the message she hand wrote to you is something you will always cherish!!

    I enjoy your stories and your recipes!!

  5. I love your story!
    Potato Salad is one of my all-time favorites!

  6. 5 stars
    Made the potato salad Sunday. Love, love, love it! My husband is a picky eater and his mom always brings potato salad to our summer get-togethers. He said his mom's feelings are going to be hurt because he won't eat any other potato salad but this one!

  7. 5 stars
    Brandie,
    I just made the potato salad, it was really good and so easy, my family loved it. I need to make it again to get more for myself this time. As for the eggs… I bought them already hard boiled and peeled… I know its kinda lazy but its faster.

  8. 5 stars
    This potato salad recipe is the same as my mom's/grandma's, and it's perfect. Not too mustard-y, not too bland, just … perfect! Now about that cheesecake recipe … ? 😉

    1. Exactly! I know some folks see the eggs and mustard and wonder if it is good but I tell them that I promise it all blends well. Not too strong mustard or eggs. Thank you for taking the time to comment! 🙂

  9. I have that same Betty Crocker cookbook. It is the best cookbook I own–everything you need know about how to cook, from boiling an egg to making homemade gravy. Great gift for a bridal shower or a bachelor. I really enjoy your blog. Your recipes are fantastic. Thank you for sharing them.

  10. Yay!! I am so happy you had success this one! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you! I am so happy you loved it as much as we do. I hope you find lots more recipes on here that you love!

  11. 5 stars
    I made this patatoe salad yesterday for my bday party and let me just tell you my guest loved it to the point were my bowl was left licked clean lol very creamy I added crushed bacon gave it a more zing to it ty so much for this recipe

  12. 5 stars
    OH my another great hit..girl you got it goin on, everything we've tried from you has been great!! I have been looking & looking for my moms old potato salad recipe that was given to her mother & so on & so forth, but unfortunately with a passing of family members things go "missing" 🙁 Sooo for the most part from what I could remember from helping her so much when I was younger I knew some but couldn't remember exact measurements & so on. One thing I have never heard of was using chicken broth/stock in potato salad but O-M-G this is that "secret" ingredient that you wonder what it is that makes it taste soo great. Of course as we all do I put my own twist on this–i'm not a big celery person so instead of celery I used relish & for this "sauce" it was a little too much but thankfully I had made a WHOLE bunch of potatoes so it worked out well adding a little bit more potatoes, onions, relish, & eggs. Though it's not my moms it's a nice "my" modern twist of hers….thank you Brandie sooooo much

  13. 5 stars
    My Mom gave me my Grandma's Betty Crocker cookbook when I left home back in 1980. It was dated 1956. I treasure that book and seldom bring it out these days. It hangs on my dining room wall in A special rack that also holds a rolling pin. I will hand it down whwn my sons marry.
    Love the potato salad recipe. It is pure southern style, although I do love Miracle Whip in it too.
    I also boil my eggs the way you do. They turn out perfect every single time. Creamy and no green!
    Love your blog. Keep up the good work!

  14. 5 stars
    Looks wonderful! Oh those memories of our young married days can bring some good laughs huh? I have those too. Thanks for sharing yours…and your treasured cookbook. Great post Gal! Enjoy a wonderful weekend…I've already linked some favorites to Weekend Potluck. Thanks for all you do to make my life brighter! XO

  15. Potato salad is one of our all time family favorites! I've made some with only vinegar and some with only mustard, but never the two combined. Sounds like a yummy idea!

    Newly following from the Wednesday hop. I'd love to have you stop by and say hello!

    Mrs B

  16. 5 stars
    I love trying new recipes and need a good potato salad recipe for the summer – this one looks like a winner. Hubby isn't fond of mustard – how do you think it'll taste without the mustard??

  17. Tina – thanks for the comment! The mustard is not a strong flavor in it at all. It really is more in the background. Also, you could try dijon instead of yellow which has a milder mustard flavor.