Southern Potato Salad – You’ll love our creamy, old-fashioned southern potato salad; we dress fork-tender potatoes in a creamy sauce made of mayonnaise and mustard. We love get-togethers with family and friends, and this potato salad is a perfect addition to any cookout, picnic, or backyard gathering.
I love to draw inspiration for recipes from friends and family, and this potato salad is no different. I drew inspiration for this potato salad recipe from my friend’s mom. One taste of hers, and I knew I had to recreate it. While I think my version does the original justice, I’ll never reach her level of expertise. At every family gathering in Atlanta, she is the one they call on to make potato salad, so it was big shoes to fill.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Potatoes: Normally, I use waxy, small potatoes to make potato salad, but in this recipe, I prefer russet or Yukon Gold potatoes. I cut them into larger pieces to maintain their structure as they boil. Once they cool down, you can cut them down into smaller bites before including them in the salad if you prefer.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: Eggs are a classic ingredient! Use my Hard Boiled Egg Instant Pot Method guide to make perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs every time!
- Vegetables: Diced celery, pickle, and red onion add textural variation and flavor.
- Potato Salad Dressing: I love the combination of mayonnaise (Duke’s, of course), mustard, and sour cream as the base for the dressing. Flavor it with spices like dill, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and parsley.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
Change is a good thing, and here are a few ingredients to add when you feel like shaking things up a bit.
- Bacon
- Scallions
- Radishes
- Pickle Brine
- Chives
- Pickled Red Onion
HOW TO MAKE SOUTHERN POTATO SALAD
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Wash the potatoes before you begin. Then, add them to a stockpot with a teaspoon of salt and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat and cook at a rolling boil for 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
Whisk the mayo, sour cream, mustard, dill, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and parsley in a mixing bowl until combined. Then, stir in the onion, celery, and pickle.
Peel the skins off the potatoes, and cut them into ½- inch cubes. Transfer them to the mixing bowl with the sauce and stir to combine.
Add the hard-boiled eggs and gently fold them into the mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
SEARCHING FOR MORE LIKE THIS?
If you love this recipe, try one of these vegetable sides!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
- BBQ Baked Chicken Legs
- Baked Beans
- Beef Ribs
- Air Fryer Turkey Burger, Hamburgers
- Vinegar Coleslaw
- Peruvian Chicken
- Bratwurst
- Corn on the Cob
- Grilled Shrimp
- Hot Dogs
WHAT TO DO WITH THE LEFTOVERS
- Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container; it will keep for up to five days.
- Freeze – Mayonnaise separates when frozen, so I do not recommend freezing potato salad.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I make potato salad in advance?
Potato salad will keep in the fridge for up to five days, so you can easily prepare it ahead of time; I recommend making it the day before. Next-day potato salad tastes even better since the potatoes have had more time to absorb the dressing.
YOU SHOULD ALSO TRY:
Southern Potato Salad
Equipment
- Stockpot, 5-quart
- Serving Dish
Ingredients
For the Potatoes:
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold, quartered
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups chicken broth
For the Salad:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoons mustard
- 1-2 tablespoons dill, fresh or dried, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, coarse ground
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley, dried
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1-2 pickle spears, diced
- 5 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes before you begin. Then, add them to a stockpot with a teaspoon of salt and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat and cook at a rolling boil for 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set them aside.
- Whisk the mayo, sour cream, mustard, dill, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and parsley in a mixing bowl until combined. Then, stir in the onion, celery, and pickle.
- Peel the skins off the potatoes, and cut them into ½- inch cubes. Transfer them to the mixing bowl with the sauce and stir to combine.
- Add the hard-boiled eggs and gently fold them into the mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Cut the potatoes thick to boil so they maintain their structure. Once they’ve cooled down, you can cut them down in smaller bites before including them in the salad if you prefer.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
- Check out our web story for potato salad!
SAM
Monday 18th of July 2022
I was born and raised in Baton Rouge Louisiana and your potato salad has too many ingredients To be Southern.
Tressa Jamil
Monday 18th of July 2022
I appreciate your feedback. I look forward to checking out potato salad recipes from your region and looking into other variations. My recipe is based on potato salad my friend's mother made for us. She is from Georgia, and this is how her family has always prepared potato salad for gatherings.