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    Home » Recipes » American

    Southern Potato Salad Recipe

    Published: Apr 18, 2017 · Modified: Apr 13, 2023 by Sherri · This post may contain affiliate links · 137 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
    closeup of potato salad with text overlay

    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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    southern style potato salad in a white bowl with txt overlay

    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.
    4.95 from 138 votes
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    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

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Roy

      September 10, 2016 at 5:52 pm

      5 stars
      Same way my family makes it in Texas awesome thanks for the recipe now I can make it myself….

      Reply
    2. Judith graham

      July 03, 2016 at 5:05 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent and easy. I added some sliced green onions. Chopped celery would be a good addition, too. I I sprinkle paprika on the top for a pretty look.

      Reply
    3. DEE

      May 31, 2016 at 7:17 pm

      How many potatoes is 2 lbs?

      Reply
    4. Jess

      April 18, 2016 at 12:54 am

      Just used this recipe. Fantastic and easy! Thanks for posting. I pinned this!

      Reply
    5. Christy

      March 27, 2016 at 10:10 am

      True southern potato salad has diced onions and DILL relish…and you never measure ingredients.

      Reply
    6. Sobxgal

      March 27, 2016 at 9:43 am

      Yummy! I’m a Carolina girl, too. Havelock/Cherry Point born-n-bred. This is almost identical to mine ~ I add a couple green onions and a bit of celery. Love, love, love potato salad.

      Reply
    7. edna

      March 21, 2016 at 11:25 am

      Hi im confused about the egg part Step 1 is this after the eggs are hardboiled and chopped?

      Reply
      • Sherri

        March 21, 2016 at 1:02 pm

        Step 1 is to hard boil cook the eggs. You will chop them after they are cooked and add to the cooked and cooled potatoes. 🙂

        Reply
    8. SwiftChefs

      March 19, 2016 at 1:25 am

      I’m from the New England area too (Boston) and I know some friends who have made this kind of potato salad. I never knew it was a southern recipe though!

      Reply
    9. Kathleen

      March 11, 2016 at 6:22 pm

      5 stars
      I am going to try this with the sweet pickle relish one time and of course add onion .
      Being German we made exactly the same way except usually use 3-5 lbs of potatoes and slice real thin. ( Boil with the jackets on, cool and peels slide right off and slice thin) then cut quite a bit not onion and add salt and pepper to taste and use a jar of mayo of choice ( I prefer Best and or Hellmans) yellow mustard to desired coloring and keep adding sugar till sweeten taste is reached. Then pour over sliced potatoes and mix well. Pour into nice bowl and slice boiled eggs all over top and sprinkle with paprika. Like to refrigerate overnight! We also make German potato salad that is sooooooooooooooo good!. Not like what you find most places. An Easter tradition for sure plus any other time we want. You boil potatoes, remove jackets and slice evenly thin, sprinkle with salt pepper lots of onion and cider vinegar and let sit shaking up ever so often while you boil water! When water boils pour small amount at a time until good consistency and at that time can adjust vinegar and seasoning. You want a little watery as will soak up when it sets. After it cools down refrigerate and oh wow!. People rave and always ask me to make.

      Reply
      • Chrissy

        May 19, 2017 at 12:54 pm

        Kathleen,
        My grandparents were from Germany and we make our German potato salad exactly how you make yours. I’m so happy to see someone else’s makes it this way

        Reply
    10. Tom

      October 14, 2015 at 6:39 am

      Sounds like a great recipe, but are you sure you are from the south? I have lived all my life in Eastern NC and Georgia, and true southerners ALL use Dukes!

      Reply
      • Sherri

        October 14, 2015 at 8:24 am

        Yes, born and raised. 🙂 Growing up we did use Duke’s a lot. But I’m now a Hellman’s girl.

        Reply
        • Chrissy

          May 19, 2017 at 12:51 pm

          I’m definitely a Hellmans girl too

    11. Sherri

      September 14, 2015 at 11:47 am

      Oh my gosh. This is exactly the way I make mine and I am from NJ! I do not measure. And I mix it up while the potatoes are still warm. I,too, like my potato salad warm.

      Reply
    12. Holly

      August 26, 2015 at 12:08 pm

      Yum! We pretty much have potato salad ready in the fridge all summer long. Do you use russet or red potatoes? I’ve always used russet potatoes, but my mother in law uses red because she says they stay more firm.

      Reply
      • Sherri

        August 26, 2015 at 2:18 pm

        I could eat it every single day no problem! I usually use russet or white potatoes myself. 🙂

        Reply
    13. Kim

      August 01, 2015 at 11:37 pm

      5 stars
      I add a little bit of sweet pickle juice along with the relish as well. This is the best potato salad!

      Reply
    14. Kim

      August 01, 2015 at 11:36 pm

      5 stars
      I add a little bot of sweet pickle juice along with the relish as well. this is the best potato salad!

      Reply
      • Sherri

        August 03, 2015 at 5:53 pm

        Great idea! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Miz Helen

      July 08, 2015 at 5:51 pm

      5 stars
      There is nothing like a great Potato Salad to compliment any summer meal and this salad looks delicious. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe with us at Full Plate Thursday!
      Come Back Soon,
      Miz Helen

      Reply
    16. Beverly

      July 08, 2015 at 9:52 am

      Perfect Southern Potato Salad! I don’t think I’ve ever actually measured my ingredients, but mine is similar to yours except I omit the mustard. I prefer it warm, too. Thanks for sharing on Snickerdoodle Sunday.

      Reply
      • Sherri

        July 08, 2015 at 8:21 pm

        I’m glad I’m not the only one who likes it warm! 🙂

        Reply
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