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Home » Recipes » Side Dishes » Southern Potato Salad Recipe

Southern Potato Salad Recipe

By Sherri On April 18, 2017, Updated December 10, 2020 98 Comments

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potato salad in a white bowl with text overlay
closeup of potato salad with text overlay

This Southern Potato Salad is the best traditional, creamy version with hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, pickle relish and a dash of mustard. It’s a must-have recipe for any celebration or barbecue.

You know those recipes you call your mom for.  This is one of those recipes.  I grew up (in Eastern NC) on my grandmother’s old-fashioned Potato Salad and for the longest time never had a true “recipe”.  She just tossed in the ingredients and did the taste test.

Thank goodness I finally learned that making potato salad from scratch is much easier than you think. It’s that side dish that everyone looks forward to at so many  holidays throughout the year. You can even make it up to 2 days in advance!

southern Potato Salad recipe with hard boiled eggs in a white bowl with text overlay width=

 

Ingredients you will need for this Southern Style Potato Salad

4 whole potatoes 7 hard-boiled eggs, mayo, relish and a teaspoon of mustard on a counter

Psst – all the quantities are listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Makes 8 servings

I like to use white potatoes because I think they are creamier. But Yukon potatoes work well too. Peel and dice them into inch pieces.  Russet potatoes typically do not do well in potato salad since they have a tendency to fall apart after boiling them. I always peel my potatoes prior to cutting and boiling them. But you can also cook the potatoes with the skin on if you prefer.

Chopped hard-boiled eggs are a must for potato salad. I like my potato salad with lots of egg but if you prefer just 3 or 4 that is fine as well.

Mayonnaise is, of course, another must for any potato salad. I’m a Hellman’s lover myself. Some people do prefer a whipped salad dressing for a tangier flavor. I personally think regular mayo is best but feel free to use light mayo if you want to cut calories a little more.

A tad of yellow mustard adds just the right amount of a tangy flavor.

Sweet pickle relish has always been in our version of potato salad.

Finish it with salt and pepper to taste.  You can also sprinkle the top with a little paprika too if you’d like.

Other additions you can add is chopped onions and chopped celery. My grandmother didn’t add either of these but I know they are popular in some variations.

How to Make this Homemade Potato Salad

Place eggs in a pan covered with cold water. When the water starts to boil, reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 1 minute

Remove from heat and COVER and let stand for 20 minutes. Or you can make hard boiled eggs in the oven  or Instant Pot hard boiled eggs for the perfect hard boiled egg!

Peel and dice the potatoes into about 1 inch pieces.  You can boil the potatoes with the skin on and scrape the skin off with a knife after you have cooked and drained them.

diced potatoes in a stainless steel pot

Cover them with water and bring them to a boil for about 15 minutes UNCOVERED or until tender. Drain in a colander.

diced potatoes in a silver colander

Let the potatoes cool completely before mixing them so they won’t crumble. I actually put mine in a bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour.

a bowl of mayonnaise with a teaspoon of mustard and some relish

In a separate bowl, mix the other ingredients together.

Then add the potatoes and mix in gently to avoid overworking.

ENJOY!!!

Pro Tip:

Plan to give your potato salad several hours in the refrigerator before diving in.  The flavors get better and better as the hours go by.  (usually 4-6 is plenty of time). As I mentioned earlier, making it a day or 2 before is even better if you have time.

How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?

If you happen to have any leftovers, they will keep just fine for about 4 days in the refrigerator. If your potato salad has been at room temperature longer than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the temperature is over 90 degrees F), discard any leftovers since bacteria can grow if left out longer.

Oh, I have a question. How do you like your potato salad? Warm or Cold? I like it warm.  Is that weird?

Try these other side dish recipes too:

Roasted Corn Orzo Pasta Salad

Spinach and Mushroom Quinoa

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Tabouli Salad

Easy Succotash Salad

homemade Potato Salad with eggs in a big white bowl

southern potato salad recipe in a white bowl

Southern Potato Salad Recipe

This Southern Potato Salad is the best traditional, creamy version with hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, pickle relish and a dash of mustard. It's a must-have recipe for any celebration or barbecue.
4.83 from 28 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Southern
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 334kcal
Author: Sherri Hagymas

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs potatoes peeled and diced
  • 7 hard boiled eggs chopped
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp yellow mustard
  • 4 TBSP sweet pickle relish
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Place eggs in a pan covered with cold water. When the water starts to boil, reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 1 minute .
  • Remove from heat and COVER and let stand for 20 minutes. Or you can bake your eggs in the oven for the perfect hard boiled egg!
  • Peel and dice the potatoes into about 1 inch pieces.
  • Cover them with water and bring them to a boil for about 15 minutes UNCOVERED or until tender. Drain in a colander.
  • Let the potatoes cool before mixing so they won't crumble. I actually put mine in a bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the other ingredients together.
  • Then add the potatoes and mix gently.
  • ENJOY!!!

Notes

You can boil larger chunks of potatoes with the skin on if you prefer.  After you have cooked and drained them, just scrape the skin off with a knife.
Plan to give your potato salad several hours in the frig before diving in.  The flavors get better and better as the hours go by.  (usually 4-6 is plenty of time). Making it the day before is even better if you have time.
If you happen to have any leftovers, they will keep just fine for about 4 days in the refrigerator. If your potato has been at room temperature longer than 2 hours, discard any leftovers since bacteria can grow if left out too long. 

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 311mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 4.3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!

By Sherri Holiday Recipes, Popular Recipes, Recipes, Side Dishes

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  1. Katie says

    June 23, 2014 at 11:02 am

    omg. This potato salad sounds delish! I may just have to make a picnic date for the husband and I just so I can make this potato salad. I would love it if you linked this up to my Motivate Me Monday linky party on IT’S A ginger SNAP.

    Reply
    • Sherri says

      June 23, 2014 at 5:53 pm

      It is so good! I can’t wait to have it 4th of July 🙂 I will head over and link up. Have a great week!

      Reply
  2. Tanya says

    June 14, 2014 at 6:20 am

    This is my Mom’s recipe as well, except here in British Columbia, Canada, she dices up one or two of her own canned dill pickles and a adds in a tablespoon or 2 of the juice to give the salad an extra kick.

    Reply
  3. Dean says

    June 14, 2014 at 12:57 am

    I’m from the midwest, born and raised. This is the exact kind of potato salad we always had. I’ll eat other kinds, but this is my all-time favorite.

    Reply
  4. gigibear says

    June 12, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    Minus the sweet relish same recipe my sister came up with when our kids were little. They didn’t like all the extras people would put in ie, onions, celery, pickles. This is super simple and tasty. Everyone is grown (late 20s – early 30s) but we still make it this way 🙂

    Reply
  5. Brenda says

    June 5, 2014 at 9:45 am

    I need to feed about 15 people. Can you tell me how many this recipe will serve? thanks

    Reply
    • Sherri says

      June 5, 2014 at 10:00 am

      This recipes makes about 8 servings 🙂 So doubling it should work for you.

      Reply
  6. Leah says

    May 26, 2014 at 3:24 pm

    I’m from Alabama and this is the basic potato salad recipe I use…..with a few alterations….I use dill pickle relish instead of sweet and I add a tbsp of sugar and a tbsp of white vinegar….it gives it that extra twang!

    Reply
  7. Melanie says

    May 20, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    This is exactly the recipe I was looking for! I just wanna know how much does this serve. I’m making some for a Memorial Day picnic. Please help!

    Reply
  8. Lynn says

    May 12, 2014 at 2:57 pm

    I have loooooved potato salad all my life. My recipe is very similar to yours, except I add chopped onion & a little chopped green pepper & salt of course.Try it sometime. Everyone loves my potato salad!

    Reply
  9. Diane Balch says

    May 6, 2014 at 3:43 pm

    I’m from CT and we always ate potato salad like this… I didn’t know it was Southern. PInned.

    Reply
  10. Stephanie says

    May 6, 2014 at 12:54 am

    This recipe was featured at Tasty Tuesday! Come check it out and grab a feature button here!

    Reply
  11. Ann says

    May 5, 2014 at 8:06 am

    I also add onions too.

    Reply
    • Betty Smith says

      December 1, 2015 at 4:36 pm

      I also put onions in and have add a few dill pickles but most of the time leave off the dill. This is a true southern receipt I grew up with in the south.I also put some of the juice from the pickles

      Reply
  12. Stephanie says

    May 3, 2014 at 10:36 pm

    Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again next week!

    Reply
  13. katherines corner says

    May 3, 2014 at 9:19 pm

    one of my favorite things! This looks wonderful. Thank you for sharing your wonderful blog at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop ♥

    Reply
  14. Cindy @ Hun... What's for Dinner? says

    May 3, 2014 at 8:40 pm

    We practically live on potato salad during the summer months. I love the eggs and pickle relish in this one. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Simple Supper Tuesday.

    Reply
  15. Daphne says

    May 2, 2014 at 2:37 pm

    Good Evening Sherri, I love potato salad and I love the creamy texture. When I lived in Germany I adored the potato salad as the German mayonnaise had a real creamy texture….. trouble was, I could eat far too much of it as it was so scrummy. I have never used eggs in my potato salad, I use chopped chives, or chopped spring onions…. but I agree with you, there is something lovely about eating a warm potato salad. When the summer finally arrives here in England I am going to try your recipe and include eggs and pickle.
    Have a lovely weekend.
    Best Wishes
    Daphne

    Reply
  16. Kim @ The Cookie Puzzle says

    May 2, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    You are killing me! I love Southern Potato Salad. I have not had it is years either, my mom used to make it all the time and it was always my favorite. What a great idea to put the potatoes in the fridge to cool. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe…my mom is also one of those mix and taste cooks…drives me crazy!

    Reply
  17. Kelly says

    May 1, 2014 at 10:12 pm

    My momma’s family is from NC (although we just about all live in Florida now) – and this is exactly our potato salad. I’m just has happy to leave the relish out if I don’t have any, and every once in a while I’ll get a urge to dice up some onions.

    I see all these fancy ‘tater salads with tarragon dressing and olive oil and all these other ingredients – and I think “Y’all just need to put some Kraft or Duke’s in there and let it be!

    Reply
    • Sherri says

      May 2, 2014 at 9:38 am

      I know right! No fancy for me either. I will have to add a little onion one day too! I used to only use Duke’s! Now I’m in love with Hellman’s 🙂

      Reply
  18. Mindie Hilton says

    April 29, 2014 at 8:28 am

    Looks really good! Please come share your potato salad at the Anything Goes linky, if you have not already.

    Reply
  19. Dale says

    April 25, 2014 at 10:41 pm

    This is the way I make Southern Potato Salad too and I’m from Georgia! I love it freshly warm and if it has been in the ref. I zap it a tiny bit in the microwave.

    Reply
    • Sherri says

      April 26, 2014 at 8:33 am

      That’s exactly what I do!

      Reply
  20. Leanna @ Alldonemonkey says

    April 20, 2014 at 2:46 am

    I’m also from NC (Charlotte), and this looks just like what I grew up eating! I’ve never had a recipe of it either, just the taste test, so how nice to have a real recipe for it 🙂

    Reply
    • Sherri says

      April 20, 2014 at 9:05 am

      That’s so funny! 🙂 It is so yummy! I have to admit I had a little for breakfast yesterday too.

      Reply
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