Potato salad with yogurt is a lighter take on the classic potato salad with fork tender potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and fresh veggies tossed in a creamy yogurt dressing. Make this simple potato salad your go-to for the next summer cookout or BBQ.
Key Ingredients
- Potatoes: Small, waxy potatoes are the best choice for potato salad because they hold their shape after boiling. I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or red potatoes.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: Hard-boiled eggs are a classic addition. Make them using this Instant Pot hard-boiled egg recipe for perfectly cooked eggs every time.
- Vegetables: Crunchy celery, red onion, and dill pickles add texture and balance the creaminess of the side.
- Yogurt Dressing: The combination of sour cream and full-fat Greek yogurt is the base for the potato salad dressing. Whisk in some apple cider vinegar, yellow or Dijon mustard, chopped fresh dill, kosher salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
Additions and Substitutions
This easy potato salad recipe is just a starting point, so if you’re looking to shake things up, consider trying one of these additions to make it your own.
- Experiment with mix-ins. Add some crispy bacon bits, capers, or a splash of pickle brine or lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar. You can even switch up the fresh herbs by adding chopped parsley or chives to the potato salad.
- Load up on veggies. Swap out your veggies based on what you have. Chopped scallions (or green onions), bell peppers, and radishes are a tasty addition.
How to Make Potato Salad with Yogurt
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Wash the potatoes and cut the larger ones in half. Transfer them to a stockpot with a teaspoon of kosher salt and cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
Step 2: Reduce the heat and cook at a gentle boil for 15-20 minutes over medium heat. Drain the potatoes through a colander and set them aside to cool.
Step 3: Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredient—Greek yogurt, sour cream, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, chopped dill, paprika, salt, and black pepper—in a large bowl. Then, stir in the diced celery, onion, and pickles.
Step 4: Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-sized pieces and fold them into the creamy dressing.
Tip
You can peel the potato skin before cutting them into pieces.
Step 5: Roughly chop the hard-boiled eggs and gently stir them into the mixture. Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Expert Tips
- Uniformly cut the potatoes. Halve or quarter larger potatoes before boiling so they’re all roughly the same size. Evenly sized pieces cook at the same rate for perfectly tender potatoes every time.
- Start in cold water. Always place your potatoes in cold water before bringing them to a boil to help them cook evenly from the inside out.
- Don’t overcook the potatoes. You want them tender but not falling apart. The cooking time varies from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes you use.
- Peel the potatoes. Peel the potato skins or leave them on—it’s up to you. If you prefer them peeled, do it under cool running water to make the skins easier to remove.
If you enjoy potato salad with yogurt, try one of these summer cookout recipes!
Serving Suggestions
This potato salad with yogurt the perfect side dish for a summer barbecue, cookouts, potlucks, or just an easy make-ahead lunch.
It pairs perfectly with BBQ baked chicken legs, beef brisket in the oven, pulled pork sandwiches, Instant Pot beef ribs, grilled chicken drumsticks, and burgers like my homemade turkey smash burgers or these air fryer chicken burgers.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftover potato salad with yogurt in an airtight container for 3 days. The dressing will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator, so give it a gentle stir before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What potatoes are best for potato salad?
Waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Golds or red potatoes, hold their shape best and stay creamy without falling apart after boiling.
I don’t recommend starchy potatoes, like Idaho or Russets, since they tend to break down when boiled. They’re great for mashed potatoes, but not ideal for potato salad. If you do use Russet potatoes, be sure to peel the thick skins before cooking.
How long can potato salad sit out?
Although this potato salad recipe uses yogurt instead of mayonnaise, it’s still perishable. Don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. On hot days (above 90°F / 32°C), aim for a maximum of 1 hour. After that, it’s best to keep it chilled.
If you’re serving it at a picnic or BBQ, place the bowl over ice or keep it in a cooler to keep it fresh longer.
Should I peel the potatoes?
It’s totally up to you! I leave the skins on since petite potatoes have thin, delicate skins and it saves a bit of extra work. But if you prefer a smoother texture or cleaner look, peel them under running water for the best results.
More Potato Recipes:
Potato Salad with Yogurt
- Serving Dish
- 2 pounds waxy potatoes, cut larger potatoes in half
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper coarse ground
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 5 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped
- 2 medium celery stalks, finely diced
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced
- 1-2 dill pickle spears, finely diced
- Wash the potatoes and cut the larger ones in half. Transfer them to a stockpot with a teaspoon of kosher salt and cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat and cook at a gentle boil for 15-20 minutes over medium heat. Drain the potatoes through a colander and set them aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, whisk the dressing ingredient—Greek yogurt, sour cream, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, chopped dill, paprika, salt, and black pepper—in a large bowl. Then, stir in the diced celery, onion, and pickles.
- Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into bite-sized pieces and fold them into the creamy dressing.Tip: You can peel the potato skin before cutting them into pieces.
- Roughly chop the hard-boiled eggs and gently stir them into the mixture. Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours before serving.
- Uniformly cut the potatoes. Halve or quarter larger potatoes before boiling so they’re all roughly the same size. Evenly sized pieces cook at the same rate for perfectly tender potatoes every time.
- Start in cold water. Always place your potatoes in cold water before bringing them to a boil to help them cook evenly from the inside out.
- Don’t overcook the potatoes. You want them tender but not falling apart. The cooking time varies from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes you use.
- Peel the potatoes. Peel the potato skins or leave them on—it’s up to you. If you prefer them peeled, do it under cool running water to make the skins easier to remove.
Kristen
Sunday 22nd of May 2022
Delicious! A tangy, fresh and flavorful take on potato salad. Was a great side dish with our hamburgers and caprese salad.
Tressa Jamil
Sunday 12th of June 2022
Yum! Burgers and caprese, that sounds like quite a meal.