This Southern Potato Salad recipe is the best classic, creamy version with hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, pickle relish and a dash of mustard. It’s a must-have 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 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!
Ingredients you will need
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 think more eggs are better 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
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 Southern 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.
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 completely before mixing them 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 in gently to avoid overworking.
ENJOY!!!
Pro Tips:
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). As I mentioned earlier, making it a day or 2 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 (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:
Southern Potato Salad Recipe
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!!!
Katie says
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.
Sherri says
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!
Tanya says
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.
Dean says
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.
gigibear says
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 🙂
Brenda says
I need to feed about 15 people. Can you tell me how many this recipe will serve? thanks
Sherri says
This recipes makes about 8 servings 🙂 So doubling it should work for you.
Leah says
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!
Melanie says
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!
Lynn says
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!
Diane Balch says
I’m from CT and we always ate potato salad like this… I didn’t know it was Southern. PInned.
Stephanie says
This recipe was featured at Tasty Tuesday! Come check it out and grab a feature button here!
Ann says
I also add onions too.
Betty Smith says
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
Stephanie says
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!
katherines corner says
one of my favorite things! This looks wonderful. Thank you for sharing your wonderful blog at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop ♥
Cindy @ Hun... What's for Dinner? says
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.
Daphne says
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
Kim @ The Cookie Puzzle says
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!
Kelly says
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!
Sherri says
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 🙂
Mindie Hilton says
Looks really good! Please come share your potato salad at the Anything Goes linky, if you have not already.
Dale says
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.
Sherri says
That’s exactly what I do!
Leanna @ Alldonemonkey says
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 🙂
Sherri says
That’s so funny! 🙂 It is so yummy! I have to admit I had a little for breakfast yesterday too.