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A picnic or cookout would not be complete without this delicious Southern Potato Salad! The easy side dish recipe is a crowd pleasing classic that pairs nicely with just about any entrée — from barbecue to burgers, steak, chicken or ribs!
It’s potluck season, friends! If you’re hosting a group at your house, joining family for a gathering, or just pulling together an easy dinner for your kids, this easy potato salad recipe is sure to be a major hit!
The cool, creamy, and slightly sweet dressing coats tender potatoes, hardboiled eggs, onion, pickle relish and celery for a satisfying dish that’s full of flavor and texture. It’s truly the perfect companion for a juicy cheeseburger straight from the grill!
How to make Southern Potato Salad:
While you need to allow time for this salad to chill in the refrigerator before serving, it’s actually a really simple recipe with just a handful of basic ingredients.
What goes in Southern Potato Salad?
You’ll need:
- Red potatoes (or another waxy potato)
- Yellow mustard
- Sugar
- Mayonnaise
- Sweet pickle juice
- Sweet pickle relish
- Hardboiled eggs
- Vidalia onion
- Celery
First, the potatoes. I like to use either red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes. These waxy potatoes hold their shape when cooked and maintain a firm texture in the salad.
Place the potatoes whole in a pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to boil. Boil the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and dice into bite-size pieces.
Next, prepare the dressing by combining mustard, sugar, mayonnaise, sweet pickle juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl or measuring cup.
I recommend Duke’s mayonnaise (it’s the BEST!!!), but you can substitute with any mayonnaise that you prefer.
For the sweet pickle juice, I just spoon out a couple of tablespoons of the liquid from a jar of Bread and Butter pickles, which I always have in my fridge. If you prefer a less-sweet dressing, you can use dill pickle juice instead.
Then it’s just a matter of combining all of your ingredients! Place the diced potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and add the eggs, onion, celery and pickle relish.
Pour the dressing over top and toss gently to combine.
Store the salad covered in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours. This will give it time to chill!
Then garnish with chopped fresh parsley, sliced green onions or a dash of paprika just before serving.
Can I make potato salad in advance?
Yes! You can prepare the salad 1-2 days in ahead. Keep the salad covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.
How long will potato salad keep in the refrigerator?
If your potato salad has been sitting out at room temperature (or in the hot summer weather at a picnic) for more than 2 hours, you should discard any leftovers.
Potato salad that has been kept properly chilled will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
How much potato salad for a crowd?
This recipe yields 6 cups of potato salad, or about 12 (1/2-cup) servings. If you need Southern Potato Salad for 25, I suggest that you double the recipe ingredients. To feed 100 people, multiply the recipe ingredients by 4.
What to serve with Southern Potato Salad:
The options are practically endless, but here are a few great entrées that go well with the salad:
- Hamburgers or Juicy Turkey Burgers
- Garlic Herb Grilled Chicken Breast
- Root Beer Barbecue Chicken {Instant Pot or Slow Cooker}
- Slow Cooker Beef Barbecue
- Pulled Pork with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce
- Marinated Grilled Shrimp
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes or other waxy potatoes in lieu of the red potatoes.
- Boil the potatoes whole. Do NOT dice or peel the potatoes before they go in the water. Cutting or dicing the potatoes causes them to release steam while cooking, which will result in a mushier potato.
- Substitute dill pickle juice and dill pickle relish for the sweet pickles if you prefer a more savory dressing.
- Add fresh herbs of choice, including chopped fresh chives or chopped fresh dill.
- If you prefer a potato salad without eggs, simply omit the hardboiled eggs and add an extra potato instead.
- Stir in some diced pimentos for a colorful Southern addition to the potato salad.
- Add crispy chopped bacon to the salad for even more flavor.
Other easy salads that you might enjoy:
- Aunt Bee’s Shrimp and Pasta Salad
- Classic Southern Macaroni Salad
- Chicken and Tortellini Salad
- Southern Chicken and Rice Salad
- B.L.T. Pasta Salad
Southern Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. (about 8 medium) red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise (I like Duke’s brand)
- 1 tablespoon sweet pickle juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
- ½ of a sweet Vidalia onion, diced
- 1 large celery rib, diced
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish (or sub with dill pickle relish if you prefer)
- Optional: 3-4 slices of crispy cooked, chopped bacon
- Garnish: sliced green onions, chopped fresh parsley, or a sprinkle of paprika
Instructions
- Rinse and scrub the potatoes. Place the whole potatoes in a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender (about 15-20 minutes, but very small red potatoes may be done in 10 minutes). Drain; let the potatoes cool until you can handle them. Peel the potatoes and dice into bite-size pieces.
- In a separate bowl, mix mustard, sugar, mayonnaise and pickle juice. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- Place diced potatoes in a large bowl. Add eggs, onion, celery, pickle relish and bacon (if using). Pour dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Garnish with sliced green onion, fresh parsley, or a dusting of paprika just before serving.
Notes
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes or other waxy potatoes in lieu of the red potatoes.
- Boil the potatoes whole. Do NOT dice or peel the potatoes before they go in the water. Cutting or dicing the potatoes causes them to release steam while cooking, which will result in a mushier potato.
- Substitute dill pickle juice and dill pickle relish for the sweet pickles if you prefer a more savory dressing.
- Add fresh herbs of choice, including chopped fresh chives or chopped fresh dill.
- If you prefer a potato salad without eggs, simply omit the hardboiled eggs and add an extra potato instead.
- Stir in some diced pimentos for a colorful Southern addition to the potato salad.
- Add crispy chopped bacon to the salad for even more flavor.
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