Recipes / Sides

Sides

Old-Fashioned Southern Potato Salad

4.7(302)

Creamy mustard-flecked mayonnaise dressing coats tender potatoes, chopped boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, and crunchy celery in this cookout classic.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 20 min Total: 1 hr (with chilling) 8

Every family cookout has a potato salad debate, and this one settles it with a dressing that's tangy from mustard and relish but still rich enough to coat every bite. My mother always said the secret was seasoning the potatoes while they're still warm, and she was right. It disappears fast at every gathering.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 5 large eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
  • 2 celery stalks, finely diced
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp paprika, plus more for garnish
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
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Instructions

  1. 1
    Boil the potatoes
    Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted cold water, bring to a boil, and cook until fork-tender, about 12-15 minutes; drain well.
  2. 2
    Season while warm
    While the potatoes are still warm, drizzle with the apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt, tossing gently so they absorb the flavor.
  3. 3
    Mix the dressing
    In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, relish, sugar, and paprika until smooth.
  4. 4
    Combine
    Gently fold the celery, red onion, chopped eggs, and dressing into the potatoes, being careful not to mash them too much.
  5. 5
    Season and chill
    Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let the flavors meld.
  6. 6
    Serve
    Sprinkle with a little extra paprika before serving cold or at cool room temperature.
Okra & Oak Tip

Cut the potatoes into evenly sized cubes so they finish cooking at the same time without turning mushy at the edges.

Storage

Keep covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; potato salad is best served cold and should not sit out longer than 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Peeling before boiling is easier and gives a smoother texture, but leaving skins on and peeling after cooling works too if you prefer a firmer bite.
Yes, it actually tastes better the next day once the dressing has had time to soak into the potatoes.

Nutrition

Per serving. Values are estimates.

320
Calories
6g
Protein
28g
Carbs
21g
Fat
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