Southern Potato Salad

This old-fashioned Southern potato salad is creamy, tangy, and loaded with hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, and yellow mustard. It comes together easily and only gets better after a few hours in the fridge, making it the perfect make-ahead side for cookouts, potlucks, and holiday tables.

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword classic southern potato salad, Southern Potato Salad, southern style potato salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 40

Servings people

Calories 205kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

2 lbs. red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes
½ cup mayonnaise (plus more as needed)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1 celery rib, finely diced
Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Paprika, for garnish

Instructions

Rinse and scrub the potatoes. Place them whole in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt, and cook until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Very small potatoes may be done in 10 minutes. Drain well and let cool until you can handle them comfortably.
Peel the potatoes and dice into bite-size pieces, about ¾ to 1-inch. Transfer to a large bowl.
In the same bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, and relish. Gently fold in the potatoes, eggs, green onions, and celery. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours before serving. Before serving, taste and stir in a little extra mayo if the salad has thickened up.
Sprinkle paprika over the top just before serving.

Video

Notes

Potatoes: Red potatoes and Yukon Golds are ideal. They're waxy and hold their shape well after boiling. Avoid russet potatoes, which are high in starch and tend to fall apart.
Start in cold water: Place the potatoes in cold water before bringing to a boil for more even cooking. Don't drop them into already-boiling water.
Salt the water: Season the cooking water well. It's the only opportunity to season the potatoes from the inside out.
Cool completely before mixing: Mixing warm potatoes with the dressing makes the salad watery and heavy. Let them cool until comfortable to handle.
Relish: Sweet pickle relish is the classic Southern choice. Dill pickle relish (or finely chopped dill pickles) works well if you prefer a more savory, less sweet flavor. Start at the lower end of the range and adjust to taste.
Make ahead: This salad is best made at least 1-2 hours in advance, or even the day before. The flavors meld and the texture firms up beautifully as it chills.
Before serving: The potatoes absorb the dressing as the salad sits. Stir in a spoonful more mayo before serving if needed to loosen it up.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Food safety: Do not leave potato salad out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Discard any portions that have been sitting out longer, especially in warm weather.
Freezing: Not recommended. Mayo-based dressings separate and turn watery when thawed.

Nutrition