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    Home » Recipes » Holiday Recipes

    Southern Potato Salad Recipe

    Published: Apr 18, 2017 · Modified: Apr 13, 2023 by Sherri · This post may contain affiliate links · 122 Comments

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    southern style potato salad in a white bowl with txt overlay
    potato salad in a white bowl with text overlay
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    This Southern Potato Salad is the best creamy version made with simple ingredients. Tender potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, sweet relish and a dash of mustard come together perfectly in must-have recipe for any celebration or barbecue.

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

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    Thank goodness I finally learned that making this classic potato salad is much easier than I thought. I was so nervous the first time for some reason.

    There are many versions of Potato Salads, but this is traditional southern potato salad I grew up on. To me, this is by har the best potato salad recipe around!

    It’s one of those family favorite easy side dishes that everyone looks forward to at so many holidays and family gatherings throughout the year. I mean is there anything better to have with burgers or hot dogs at a cookout than this great recipe!

    Ingredients you will need:

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

    Makes 8 servings

    Potatoes – Peeled and diced. I think the best potatoes are white potatoes because they are so creamy But Yukon gold potatoes and red potatoes work well too. Starchy potatoes, like Russet potatoes, typically do not do well in potato salad since they have a tendency to fall apart after boiling them.

    Hard-boiled eggs – 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 – Another classic ingredient for any potato salad. My personal preference is Hellman’s mayonnaise. But I know there are some die hard duke’s mayonnaise lovers that swear by it too . Some people do prefer a whipped salad dressing ,like miracle whip, 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.

    Yellow Mustard – adds just the right amount of a tangy flavor.

    Sweet pickle relish – has always been in our version of potato salad but you can also use dill pickles or dill relish if you prefer.

    Salt and pepper – You can also sprinkle the top with a little paprika too if you’d like.

    Other additions you can add is chopped yellow onion and chopped crunchy celery. Green onions, sweet onion and red onion are also great too. My grandmother didn’t add either of these but I know they are popular in some variations.

    How to Make this Homemade Potato Salad

    Step 1: Place the large eggs in a pot of water. When the water comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 minute.

    Step 2: 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!

    Step 3: 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

    Step 4: Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water and bring them to a boil over high heat for about 15 minutes UNCOVERED or until fork tender. Drain in a colander and then place the hot potatoes in a large bowl or the serving bowl you want to use.

    diced potatoes in a silver colander

    Step 5: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for about an hour to give the potatoes ample time to cool completely. If you try to mix warm cooked potatoes, they tend to crumble when stirring.

    Step 6: In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and sweet pickles together. Then add salt and black pepper to taste.

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

    Then add the potatoes and fold in gently.

    ENJOY!!!

    Tips

    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).

    Make a day or 2 before if you have time to let the flavors blend even more.

    Variations

    Cook the potatoes with the skin on if you prefer.

    Use dijon mustard if desired.

    Add a dash of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar if you prefer a tangier flavor

    Add a little celery seed and/ or garlic powder if desired.

    southern potato salad recipe in a white bowl
    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.

    Can you serve potato salad warm?

    You can serve potato salad warm or cold. I actually love it warmed. Just be sure to heat it up and not let it sit out to get warm.

    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

    Potato Salad recipe with hard boiled eggs in a white bowl with text overlay class=
    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.
    4.94 from 125 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American, Southern
    Prep Time: 1 hour hour
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 334kcal
    Author: Sherri Hagymas

    Ingredients

    • 2 lbs potatoes peeled and diced
    • 7 hard boiled eggs chopped
    • 1 cup mayonnaise
    • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
    • 4 tablespoon 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

    Nutritional Disclosure

    Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!

    Sharing of this recipe to social media is both encouraged and appreciated. Please share the direct link back to the recipe. Copy/Pasting and/or screenshots of the recipe to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bonnie Dietrich

      September 24, 2023 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      Very very good

      Reply
    2. Pat

      September 17, 2023 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious

      Reply
    3. Alice Blackwell

      September 03, 2023 at 12:15 pm

      My husband was born and raised in Oklahoma and I have learned so much over my 23 years with him about country cooking. He loved his Mama’s potato salad using mashed cold potatoes. I on the other had was raised in Indiana and we always made it with diced potatoes. I love it both ways and this recipe is right on the money for us. Making it today for our Labor Day cookout. I like it year round but with warm potatoes in the winter. Thanks for allowing me to pin this.

      Reply
    4. Freida

      June 25, 2023 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect recipe with clear instructions and a great outcome. Love it!

      Reply
    5. Linda

      May 23, 2023 at 6:07 pm

      So nice to see a simple Potato Salad with out a lot of extra ingredients. This is exactly how I learned from my Mama to make Postato Salad & yes our family is from the South. I do use sweet pickles [or relish], chopped onion & a little paparika on top. We liked it fresh, slightly warm & ready to eat, better than after refrigerated. Also, we tended to stir it a little more rather than leaving big chunks of potato. A friend told me she didn’t like it that way because it was too much like creamed potatoes, so I try not to mash the potatoes up as much as I did before.

      Reply
      • Sherri

        May 25, 2023 at 9:25 am

        It’s my favorite!!

        Reply
      • Terri Lorraine Young

        June 29, 2023 at 9:25 am

        I like my potatoes a little smashed, seems like the flavor goes through better. I add a little sweet onion and vinegar too,

        Reply
    6. Genny

      May 04, 2023 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      I have been looking for a good potato salad recipe. Southern Potato Salad is it!!!

      Reply
      • Claudis

        May 08, 2023 at 3:26 pm

        Also needs chopped onion. I like a little chopped red bell pepper, too, for looks as well as flavor. And all southern potato salad has paprika sprinkled on top. Born and reared in Texas. Eaten gallons of potato salad. Mom liked sweet relish, but I like dill relish better. But I don’t care much for sweets.

        Reply
    7. Tammy

      February 01, 2023 at 2:21 am

      4 stars
      I made this tonight since I couldn’t sleep. I added a few diced dill pickles as well as sweet relish. It taste amazing. My husband and son will be happy when they get home from work. Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s going to be great with the chicken im making in the crockpot.

      Reply
      • Sherri

        February 06, 2023 at 9:49 am

        I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂 I love making it year round too!

        Reply
    8. LILLIE MARIE HAWES

      January 17, 2023 at 2:55 pm

      5 stars
      This how I make my potato salad, but I prefer dill relish over sweet relish and I add a little pickle juice to my salad

      Reply
    9. Soi cau 247

      June 16, 2022 at 12:59 am

      I like it and will give it a try tonight Soicau247.

      Reply
    10. Sadie jean

      May 15, 2022 at 7:31 am

      5 stars
      This tastes just like what my southern mother-in- law makes. Ha! she won’t share her recipe.Thank you To Simply inspire! I can’t wait to bring it to my next family cookout. It’s delicious

      Reply
    11. Ed

      May 06, 2022 at 6:21 pm

      What does one do with the eggs?

      Reply
      • Sherri

        May 09, 2022 at 8:43 am

        Hard boil the eggs, dice them and mix them in

        Reply
    12. Cassie

      November 07, 2021 at 10:26 am

      5 stars
      This is the version mu mother always made, but she boiled the potatoes and eggs together and the potatoes with the skin on. It def adds more flavor to the dish. I lightly score my potatoes with a knife prior to cooking and the skin peels off beautifully!

      Reply
      • Debra

        November 08, 2021 at 4:36 pm

        I see this a lot: “A stalk of celery”. Shouldn’t it be a “rib of celery”? If someone were to put in a whole stalk, it would be celery salad instead. Am I wrong?

        Reply
        • Chris

          April 10, 2022 at 7:37 pm

          4 stars
          According to the USDA, a “stalk” means the whole bunch or head and a single piece or stick is called a “rib.” This does not reflect common usage, however, so use caution in interpreting recipes! “Celery stalk,” in American English, is commonly used to mean one piece/rib/stick of celery.

    13. Ed Matthews

      September 24, 2021 at 2:47 pm

      4 stars
      Just another hint at making great tater salad is to use two different types of taters together….i.e. Red and Russet as an example..

      Reply
    14. Amanda

      January 17, 2021 at 3:58 pm

      5 stars
      This is my recipe as well though I use dill relish and a splash of lemon juice, it’s amazing!!!!

      Reply
    15. Donna

      September 26, 2020 at 12:11 pm

      4 stars
      Definitely needs onion but no pickle relish!! And, needs much more mustard!!

      Reply
      • Janice Laws

        December 23, 2021 at 3:38 pm

        5 stars
        This is my potato salad for the Holidays.Don’t put onions in because some can’t eat them.Love this just the way the recipe is.

        Reply
      • Sue

        July 02, 2023 at 6:01 pm

        5 stars
        Yep. It ia amazing without the relish. I used the two different mustards and half of a celery heart.

        Reply
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    Hi there! I’m Sherri I love creating a variety of easy recipes that anyone can make and enjoy! From healthy to comforting, I hope you find something that inspires you!.

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