Mom’s Best Potato Salad Recipe

4.99 from 84 votes
122 Comments

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This is the BEST Potato Salad recipe EVER. It comes straight from Mom’s recipe box. Tender chunks of potatoes and hard-boiled eggs covered in creamy dressing are tried and true and a hit at any gathering!

Bowl of Homemade Potato Salad with sliced hard boiled eggs on top and fresh dill. Wooden spoon on the side.

In our family, we can’t imagine a family barbecue, picnic, or game day buffet without this rich and creamy homemade potato salad as a side dish. Now, I know that everyone says their mom makes the best potato salad, but in this case, it’s true! Our mom really does make the best. From tender cooked potatoes to the tangy sweetness of a special potato salad dressing, to the crunch of sweet pickles, you’ll love this easy potato salad recipe. Once you try it, you’ll never go back to that store-bought stuff again.

Ingredients to make Homemade Potato Salad including potatoes, sour cream, mayo, relish, salt, pepper, hard boiled eggs, sugar, mustard and dill.


Ingredients in this Creamy Potato Salad Recipe

There are lots of little ingredients in this potato salad, but trust me, each one makes it better and better! Don’t like one of the ingredients? Leave it out! Here’s what we use:

  • Potatoes – You can use any potatoes you like! White potatoes, Yukon gold or red, russet potatoes, etc. Anything goes! We use 5 medium-sized potatoes. Personally, Yukon Gold Potatoes are my favorite.
  • Hard-boiled eggs – you’ll need eight total. Save two eggs to use for garnish on the salad.
  • Mayonnaise – some people like the tang of Miracle Whip instead, and if that’s what you like, go ahead and use it instead of mayo.
  • Sour cream – half a cup or so
  • Yellow mustard -feel free to substitute Dijon mustard if you like that better.
  • Sweet pickle relish – or diced sweet pickles. OR use 5 to 6 diced baby dill pickles, depending on your pickle preference.
  • Dill weed – finely chopped. You can find it with the fresh herbs in your grocery store or use dried dill if you have that on hand.
  • Celery -is also optional but adds a delicious crunch to each bite.
  • Seasonings: Salt, pepper, a little sugar, and paprika
Bowl of cut potatoes and cut hard boiled eggs. Wooden spoon and salt and pepper on the side.

What Potatoes Are Best for Potato Salad?

The very best potato salad recipe begins and ends with what type of potatoes you use. We love waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold potatoes or red potatoes because they hold their shape as they cook and keep their firm texture in the salad while chopping and tossing with the dressing.

However, if you don’t have any of those kinds on hand, you can use Russets. We’ve used them in this recipe many times and they work fine. They’re just a bit softer and flakier than red potatoes or Yukon Gold but taste just as delicious.

If you love potatoes as much as we do, be sure to check out our other Potato Recipes!

Glass bowl with relish, mayo, sour cream, dill, sugar and mustard. Wooden spoon on the side.

The Best Mayo

For this recipe, Best Food’s/Hellmann’s mayonnaise is the absolute best for the sauce. It has the perfect creamy, tangy flavor that blends deliciously with the potatoes, eggs, and spices. Try it and see for yourself!

Do it all in the Instant Pot!

Make things even easier on yourself and prepare your potatoes and eggs in the Instant Pot at the SAME TIME! It’s a huge time-saver and you dirty fewer dishes.

  • Simply put the potatoes (whole) in the Instant Pot and add the eggs. Just make sure the eggs don’t touch the sides.
  • Add a cup of water and then cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, slow-release for 5 minutes, then quick-release.
  • The egg yolks are perfectly cooked every time. No green ring around the egg yolk, which makes the extra slices nice for garnishing the top.
  • Immediately put the eggs in an ice water bath for 5 minutes and allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature. Peel the skin off the potatoes (optional) and dice to use in the recipe.
Potatoes and eggs in an Instant Pot

Storing Suggestions

Potato salad lasts up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, which makes it perfect for making ahead of time for BBQs, potlucks, and camping trips. I always make this ahead of time when there is a big event coming up. I can just fix it and refrigerate it and pull it out when it’s time to eat, making the day-of the event stress free!

Tips Reviews From Our Readers

“This is very similar to my potato salad recipe also! I love all your recipes and the fact that y’all are home cooks who like to cook simple straightforward recipes that don’t require fussy ingredients! Thanks and I look forward to all you post!” – Lynn

“I always a little celery seed gives the celery taste without the crunch.” – Jan

“Just for something different, I tried this recipe, mostly because of the sour cream. My husband and I loved it! So nice to find a good recipe with lots of flavors, not bland at all. The recipe I have used all my life is made with bacon and it is good but this one is going in my cookbook for a nice change from the same old one.
Thanks!” – Kelli

Wooden spoon resting in a bowl of Homemade Potato Salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I keep my potatoes from getting mushy?

Cook the potatoes whole by boiling or steaming them for about 25 minutes. Poke the potatoes with a fork at 20 minutes to see how they are coming along. Once there is no “crunch” in the middle, they are ready. Just be careful not to overcook!

What should I do if my potato salad is too dry?

Add a little more mayo or sour cream (a little at a time) until you reach your desired consistency. You can also add a splash of milk.

READ NEXT: 50+ Picnic Food Ideas

More BBQ Side Dishes

Looking for more sides to round out your next picnic or party buffet? In our opinion, the more sides the better. So try a few of our favorite recipes:

Bowl of Homemade Potato Salad with sliced hard boiled eggs on top and fresh dill.

Mom’s Best Potato Salad Recipe

4.99 from 84 votes
Our best potato salad recipe comes straight from Mom's recipe box. Tender chunks of potatoes and eggs covered in creamy dressing is tried and true and a hit at any gathering!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 10

Video

Ingredients

  • 5 medium potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes
  • 8 eggs hard boiled (save 2 eggs to use for garnish on salad)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish or 5 to 6 diced baby dill pickles, if you don’t like it sweet
  • 1 teaspoon dill weed finely chopped
  • black pepper to taste
  • kosher salt to taste
  • paprika (optional)
  • celery chopped (optional)
  • green onion or red onion, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  • In a large pot, boil potatoes with peel on for about 25-30 minutes until potatoes are fork tender, but still firm. After potatoes are cooked, drain the water and allow to cool until cool enough to handle. Peel and dice into small cubes and place in a large bowl.
    Bowl of cut up cubed cooked potatoes.
  • Peel and dice 6 of the eggs (save 2 eggs for garnish) and place in the bowl with the potatoes. Add salt and pepper and lightly toss.
    Bowl of cut potatoes and cut hard boiled eggs. Wooden spoon and salt and pepper on the side.
  • In a small bowl, stir mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, mustard, relish, dill and any other mix-ins together.
    Glass bowl with relish, mayo, sour cream, dill, sugar and mustard. Wooden spoon on the side.
  • Fold mixture into the eggs and potatoes until well combined.
    Stirring potato salad with a spatula in a glass bowl.
  • Slice remaining 2 eggs and layer on top of salad. Garnish with dill weed or paprika. Refrigerate overnight (or at least 6-8 hours).
    Bowl of Homemade Potato Salad with sliced hard boiled eggs on top and fresh dill. Wooden spoon on the side.

Notes

  • To get the best flavor from the dried dill, crush it between your hands before adding it to the salad.
  • Make things even easier on yourself and prepare your potatoes and eggs in the Instant Pot at the SAME TIME! It’s a huge time-saver and you dirty less dishes.
  • For this recipe Best Food’s/Hellmann’s mayonnaise is the absolute best for the sauce. It has the perfect creamy, tangy flavor that blends deliciously with the potatoes, eggs and spices. Try it and see for yourself!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 236kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 8gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 142mgSodium: 246mgPotassium: 505mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 420IUVitamin C: 12.4mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 4.2mg

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About the author

Echo Blickenstaff

Echo lives in Spanish Fork, Utah with her husband, Todd, who works in advertising. She has four kids: two girls and two boys. She deploys her accounting degree as the blog’s resident problem solver. In her time outside the kitchen, Echo loves to get away from the phones and busy schedules and spend quality time with the family. Anywhere’s great – but getting out into nature in the mountains or on the beach – is the best kind of getaway.

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4.99 from 84 votes (31 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    The sour cream adds so much flavor to this potato salad! This is my new favorite recipe! Making it again next week!

  2. 5 stars
    Just for something different I tried this recipe, mostly because of the sour cream. My husband and I loved it! So nice to find a good recipe with lots of flavor, not bland at all. The recipe I have used all my life is made with bacon and it is good but this one is going in my cookbook for a nice change from the same old one.
    Thanks! 🙂 Kelli Cotey

  3. 5 stars
    Great recipes on your blog, a trick I learned, cook your potatoes in the microwave for potato salad, eliminates mushy potatoes, cook them whole. Try it sometime.

  4. 5 stars
    This recipe is the exact one my grandmother and Mother used. I have been making this for fifty years. Everybody wants my potatoe salad. That’s the ultimate compliment. 🥰

    1. My rule of thumb is one teaspoon of seasoning for one cup of fresh veggies. So I would start with one teaspoon, taste it, and then add more as needed.

  5. good start one, we mash potatoes add green onions dry mustard or a good spicy mustard, ranch drewssing or aa plain greek yogurt if you dont have sour cream at hand, and some of the dill pickle juice too if you like always mix together while potatoes aare warm to soak the flavor up

  6. 5 stars
    First time ever making potato salad, it was a hit. Everyone loved it. Making it again right now.

  7. 5 stars
    I make my potato salad almost the same way but I do not use sour cream. I prefer dill , so I use some of the dill pickle juice to coat my cooked and cubed potatoes first. Then I add my Mayo, mustard, diced dill pickles, onion, celery, hard boiled eggs, marjoram, tarragon, summer savory, sweet basil and toss lightly to mix but not making the potatoes mushy . I sprinkle paprika and dill weed on top for garnish. ( I prefer to steam my potatoes for my salad, peel, cool, and cube for the salad.) Thank you for your recipe ; it makes me hungry looking at the delicious bowl full :)…

  8. I REALLY don’t like chunky potato salad! Especially when some of the potatoes are not completely cooked through! Being a Texas guy, I like some mustard in the salad, rather than mayo, and even some olives. Not into crunchy. I like mine smooth.

  9. 5 stars
    Sounds yummy. I will definitely grate onions, use celery salt and fresh dill. I’m Finnish and dill is used in everything. Thanks for recipe. I also like dukes msyo. I’m from Maryland and dukes is the choice th e re.

  10. ~~ Whenever I make potato salad ~ I bake my potatoes and then let them cool and the they peel just fine. That way you keep the nutrition in the potatoes. 🙂

  11. 5 stars
    Yum, this sounds great! I’ll definitely have to make some- I’ll probably go the dill relish route, although I always have trouble deciding which one to pick when it comes to egg salad!

  12. I save time by putting my potatoes and/or macaroni in my stovetop pressure cooker with the eggs on a rack for eight minutes. Cooked together perfectly! Just take the pressure off immediately and get the eggs in cold water, you don’t want them to continue cooking.

  13. Too many eggs for me and my family but otherwise close to my own. I don’t measure anything. I use dill pickle relish and celery.

  14. Looks good, but I have been using my grandmother’s recipe for years…I steam my potato’s that way they are not mushy I also cut up sweet onion & celery really fine and add my seasoning then put into the refrig overnight that way the potato’s take on the flavor