Classic Potato Salad
This Classic Potato Salad is creamy, flavorful, and the kind of side dish that always disappears first at summer get-togethers. Made with tender potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and a simple homemade dressing, it’s the perfect addition to barbecues, picnics, and family dinners. Honestly, I always sneak a spoonful straight from the fridge because it’s just that good.
Servings 6
Equipment
- Potato Peeler
Ingredients
- 2½ Pounds Yukon Gold or red potatoes peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
- 3 Large Eggs hard-boiled
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ Cup Celery diced finely
- ½ Cup Onion diced finely
Instructions
- Cover the potatoes with cold water in a large pot.
- Bring the water to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Drain the water and allow the potatoes to cool slightly.
- Peel and chop the hard-boiled eggs.
- Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- Fold in the potatoes, celery, and onions until evenly coated.
- Chill for at least one hour before serving.
Notes
Helpful Tips
- Start the potatoes in cold water – this helps them cook more evenly from the inside out, rather than ending up mushy on the outside and firm in the middle.
- Don’t overcook the potatoes – You want them fork-tender, not falling apart. Overcooked potatoes can turn potato salad mushy fast.
- Let the potatoes cool slightly before mixing – If they’re piping hot, the dressing can get oily or overly thin. Slightly warm potatoes work best.
- Cut the potatoes into similar-sized pieces – Keeping the chunks close in size helps everything cook evenly.
- Finely dice the celery and onion – Smaller pieces blend better into the salad, so you get flavor and crunch in every bite without big chunks.
- Taste before chilling – Cold foods tend to mellow in flavor, so give the dressing a taste and adjust salt or mustard if needed before refrigerating.
- Give it time to chill – Potato salad tastes best after the flavors have had time to mingle. Even an hour in the fridge makes a big difference.
- Stir gently – Fold everything together carefully to keep the potatoes from breaking apart too much.
- Save a little dressing if you like extra creaminess – Potatoes can absorb dressing as they chill, so stirring in a spoonful of mayo before serving can freshen it up.