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Square side shot of southern potato salad recipe served in a blue ceramic bowl.
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Southern Potato Salad

A picnic or cookout would not be complete without this delicious Southern potato salad!
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Southern
Keyword Creamy Potato Salad Recipe, old fashioned southern potato salad, Potato Salad Recipe, Southern Potato Salad, southern potato salad recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 334kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. (about 4 large or 8 medium) red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes
  • ¾ cup mayonnaise (I like Duke's brand)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sweet pickle juice
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 large hard boiled eggs, chopped
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • 1 large celery rib, diced
  • 1 tablespoon 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 dash of paprika

Instructions

COOK THE POTATOES

  • Rinse and scrub the potatoes. Place the whole potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and season the boiling water with a good amount of kosher salt. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender (about 15-20 minutes for medium-large potatoes or about 10 minutes for small potatoes). Drain; let the potatoes cool. Peel the potatoes and dice them into bite-size pieces.
    Boiling red potatoes in a Dutch oven.

WHISK TOGETHER DRESSING

  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, mustard, and pickle juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
    Whisking mayonnaise dressing for potato salad.

STIR TOGETHER SALAD

  • Place the diced potatoes in a large bowl. Add the eggs, green onions, celery, pickle relish, and bacon (if using).
    Stirring together ingredients for southern potato salad.
  • Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine.
    Process shot showing how to make a classic southern potato salad recipe in a white bowl.

CHILL AND SERVE

  • Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 1-2 hours. Garnish with sliced green onion, fresh parsley, or a dusting of paprika just before serving.
    Horizontal image of southern potato salad on a white surface.

Notes

  • Start the potatoes in cold water. This ensures even cooking. If you drop the potatoes into already boiling water, the outside of the potatoes will cook quickly, while the inside will stay hard.
  • Boil the potatoes whole. Do not dice or peel the potatoes before they go in the water. Cutting or dicing them in advance will result in a mushier potato.
  • Don't overcook the potatoes. The potatoes will take about 15-20 minutes to become fork-tender in the boiling water. If you’re using baby potatoes, they may only require about 10 minutes, so keep a close eye on them — you don’t want to overcook them and end up with mushy potatoes.
  • Allow the potatoes to cool before tossing with the dressing and other ingredients.
  • The potatoes will absorb some of the dressing while the salad chills in the fridge, so you will likely need to add an extra spoonful of mayonnaise right before serving.
  • Sprinkle paprika on top of the salad just before serving. My mom and grandmother have always done this for a colorful touch!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the recipe | Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 266mg | Potassium: 756mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 204IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg