Are you looking for a crowd pleasing side dish to bring to your next cookout? Our Southern potato salad is an easy summer recipe that is sure to be an instant hit at your cookout.
Looking for more great salads for your summer bbq? We recommend trying our Italian pasta salad and creamy coleslaw!
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Ingredients
The ingredients for this Southern potato salad recipe are pantry staples except the white pepper which you can order online or find at a large grocery store. Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.
- Potatoes: We used red potatoes and kept the skins on for color and ease.
- Eggs: We used hard-boiled eggs that were peeled and chopped.
- Add-ins: We used red onion and dill pickles that were diced small.
- Dressing: We used a southern inspired mayo, vinegar, and mustard dressing. See the recipe card for the complete ingredient list
- Garnish: We used a sprinkle of parsley and paprika.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients to make Southern potato salad. Chop up the red onion, dill pickle, and parsley.
- Scrub and rinse the red potatoes, then cut into small cubes. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then add the salt and simmer until fork tender.
- Drain in a colander and shake out the excess water. You can choose to leave the spuds to cool in the colander or return them to the cooking pot so the hot pot can eliminate any extra water.
If you want the potatoes to absorb more vinegar, add the vinegar to them while they are still warm; otherwise, wait to add the vinegar to the dressing.
3. While the potatoes are cooking, boil the eggs in a separate pot for 9 minutes. Drain the eggs, then submerge them in an ice bath to stop them from cooking. Let the eggs sit in the ice bath for 10 minutes, then peel and rinse off any eggshells. Chop the eggs on a cutting board.
4. To make the dressing for our Southern potato salad, whisk the ingredients until they're smooth, then adjust seasonings to taste. (If you choose to add the vinegar to the potatoes when they are still warm, omit it from the southern style dressing.)
5. Use clean hands to mix the potatoes with the egg, red onion, and dill pickle.
6. Add the dressing. Carefully fold in the dressing with a spatula, making sure each potato has dressing on it. Always taste and adjust seasonings in your Southern potato salad because different potatoes soak up dressing differently.
7. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
When ready to serve Southern potato salad, taste and adjust seasonings. This step is important, as the potatoes will absorb the dressing. Feel free to add a bit more mayo, vinegar, or spices.
8. Don't forget to garnish your Southern potato salad with a sprinkle of paprika and fresh parsley. Serve our Southern potato salad while it is still warm just after making it or chill it and serve it cold.
Recipe FAQs
The most common cause is the introduction of water to the Southern potato salad while you are making it. Be sure to drain the boiled spuds in a colander and then shake off the excess water.
After draining, transfer them back to the hot cooking pot and place the pot back on the burner with it turned off. This allows any remaining water to evaporate as they cool.
No, leaving the peels intact is actually better. They absorb less water, more starch is preserved inside the potato and it's quicker and easier to do. Once they are cooked the peels will come off easily if you want to take them off.
Add vinegar to your dressing to bring in the acid. Try apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar. Or you can try another acid. If you are a pickle lover, add some pickle juice. If you love lemon, add some freshly squeezed juice to your dressing. Mustard, another staple ingredient such as Dijon, whole grain, yellow, dry ground mustard, or a combination will give your dressing a wonderful color and improve the flavor. Use spices, dried herbs (celery seeds, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, pepper), or fresh herbs (chives, dill, parsley, mint, basil, or tarragon) to customize your dressing. Add some sweetness with a pinch of white sugar or a pinch of ground cloves.
Unfortunately, potato salad doesn't freeze well. If you are using a mayo-based dressing, the mayo will separate. Chopped eggs and celery don't freeze well either.
Serve
Serve up your Southern potato salad as a side dish with a variety of meals.
- Fried chicken
- Hamburgers and hot dogs
- Pulled pork
- Sausage and sauerkraut (with a German potato salad)
Store
- Make ahead: Most kinds of potato salads taste best when chilled making them great to prepare ahead of time. This time gives the salad more time for the flavors to meld. Just remember to taste and adjust the seasonings before serving.
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
- Outdoors or at Room temperature: Prepared Southern potato salad can be stored for 2 hours at room temperature or 1 hour outside with temperatures above room temperature.
Expert Tips
- I used Duke's mayo, which has a lemony taste. If you are using another kind of mayo, I suggest adding some freshly squeezed lemon juice to the dressing.
- Unpeeled, unsliced spuds will absorb less water while being boiled and will keep more starch.
- Start cooking them in cold water. It provides more even cooking.
- Once the water begins to boil, add the salt. They will absorb some of the salt and will taste better.
- Don't under or overcook them. Cook until just tender when pierced with a fork, as you don't want them mushy or crunchy.
- If you want more of a tang, add vinegar when they are still hot, as it will absorb better.
- Let them cool 30 minutes before adding the dressing if you're using a mayo-based dressing.
- Apply the dressing when they are warm if using a vinaigrette dressing.
- Always adjust to taste. Different potatoes soak up the dressing ingredients differently.
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Recipe
Southern Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 pounds red potatoes, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced
- ½ cup dill pickles, finely chopped
For the Dressing
- 1 cup mayo
- 1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
For the Garnish
- sprinkle paprika or smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon flatleaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Rinse and dice the red potatoes, making sure each piece is a similar size. Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil; then add 1 tablespoon of salt. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, then drain in a colander and shake off the excess water. Let the potatoes cool for 30 minutes in the colander.
- While the potatoes are cooking, boil some water in a smaller pot to cook the eggs. Carefully lower the room temperature eggs into the boiling water and boil for 9 minutes. Drain and submerge the eggs in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then peel and rinse off any eggshells. Finely chop them on a cutting board.
- Cut up the red onion and dill pickles. Set aside.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the mayo, vinegar, mustards, and spices in a medium bowl.
- Gently mix together the potatoes, eggs, pickles and onions in a large bowl, then fold in the dressing with a large spoon. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Cover tightly and refrigerate until cool or overnight.
- When ready to serve, taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. The potatoes will absorb the dressing and will may need additional mayo, vinegar, or spices. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle paprika and fresh parsley on top.
Notes
- I used Duke's mayo, which has a lemony taste. If you are using another kind of mayo, I suggest adding some freshly squeezed lemon juice to the dressing.
- Once the water begins to boil, add the salt. They will absorb some of the salt and will taste better.
- If you want more of a tang, add vinegar when they are still hot, as it will absorb better.
- Let them cool 30 minutes before adding the dressing if you're using a mayo based dressing.
- Always adjust to taste. Different potatoes soak up the dressing ingredients differently.
- Unpeeled, unsliced spuds will absorb less water while being boiled and will keep more starch.
- Start cooking them in cold water. It provides more even cooking.
- Don't under or overcook them. Cook until just tender when pierced with a fork, as you don't want them mushy or crunchy.
- Apply the dressing when they are warm if using a vinaigrette dressing.
Nutrition
Our Southern potato salad post was originally published on May 1, 2018.
Beth
I love creamy potato salad! Potatoes are so good! The potatoes are soft and the onion and pickles adds some crunch. This is the best salad ever!!!
Emma
Potato salad is the best for picnics and barbecues! So glad that you enjoyed it, Beth.