COOK: Classic Southern Potato Salad Recipe
- Classic Southern Potato Salad Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make Southern Style Potato Salad
- Storing & Serving your Homemade Potato Salad
- Homemade Southern Potato Salad
This is the old-fashioned southern potato salad recipe that I grew up with back home, with a cool creamy dressing, accented with crunchy celery and green onion, a hint of pickle relish and a healthy dose of mustard, and a whole lot of chopped hard boiled eggs. My mom may not be from the south, but she was always the one who was asked to bring the pasta and potato salads for gatherings at our family or friends’ houses, and this is my version of her homemade potato salad recipe.
This isn’t the neon yellow, overly sweet deli-style potato salad, so if that’s what you’re looking for, this ain’t it, friends (though you could double or triple the mustard and pickle relish to approximate that if that’s what you’re looking for). This traditional southern potato salad is well-seasoned, balanced, and flavorful though, without being overbearing, and it’s one of my favorite versions, especially for summer parties.
Which is saying something, because I LOVE potato salad in all of its various flavors. When I was in college, we’d have potluck grilling parties all the time, but especially all summer. My friends & roommates teased me for how excited I was about the gallon food-service sized container of mayo I found when we were grocery shopping at a discount store. They said I’d never finish it… but they happily ate the giant batches of potato and pasta salad I made for every cookout that summer!
I love improvising and making creative potato salad variations, but this one is a classic for a reason, and sometimes you just want the old-fashioned comfort food version from your childhood, without too much messing around. So let’s get down to business!
Classic Southern Potato Salad Ingredients
Potatoes:
The best potatoes for potato salads are the thin red-skinned or golden varieties (or any other waxy potato). These keep their shape better when boiled, and have a nice texture that is a good contrast to the creamy dressing and crispy vegetables.
If you use red or Yukon gold potatoes, you can also skip peeling them, which is a big time-saver and adds fiber and vitamins that you would lose if you peeled the potatoes. If you use russet potatoes, you definitely want to peel them (either before or after boiling), and your finished potato salad will have a softer, creamier “lumpy mashed potato” texture. You can also use a mixture of the two types of potatoes.
The key to a flavorful potato salad starts with cooking the potatoes. They’ll absorb flavor from the cooking water, so boil your potatoes in well-salted water, the same as you’d use for cooking pasta. The exact amount will vary with the volume of water, but start with a tablespoon or so in just under a gallon of water. Taste the water after stirring until you get a feel for your preferred ratio- it should be perceptibly salty without being briny.
Mayo:
Some people have VERY strong opinions about a condiment as mild-mannered as mayonnaise. I grew up with Hellman’s being the gold standard for “the good stuff”, though if you grew up in the southeast, Duke’s is king. Since this is a relatively simple recipe, the quality of ingredients matter, so don’t go the cheap route if you can afford it!
Homemade mayo is also a delicious choice, but keep it simple, using a light, neutrally flavored oil like canola or safflower, plus lemon and mustard. Olive oil mayo can be delicious, but will also overpower the other ingredients here or at least change the flavor profile significantly. Make sure you’re using pasteurized eggs, or very fresh eggs from a trusted source, and warn anyone who might need to know that there’s uncooked egg in your mayo if you go this route (it can be a concern for folks who are pregnant or immunocompromised, even if it’s relatively safe for most people). Be especially diligent about keeping your potato salad cold if you are using freshly made mayo!
If you’d like a lighter, but non-traditional salad, you can replace up to half of the mayonnaise with plain yogurt, though this will add a tangy note. Speaking of tangy, if you’re a Miracle Whip household, we’ll have to respectfully disagree on this one. While you won’t be asked to bring the salad to the BBQ at our house, you can use that if it’s what you and your family prefer. Know that the flavor of the salad will be completely different… but maybe that’s what tastes like home to you?
Eggs:
My mom always used a generous amount of hard-boiled eggs in her potato salad, and that’s how I make mine too. You can reduce this slightly if you like, though if you also have chickens like we do, you’re probably always looking for recipes that use a lot of eggs!
They add protein and the cooked yolks add an extra creamy texture to the dressing. Some people grate or finely chop the eggs, but I prefer them diced, with discrete chunks of egg in the salad.
Celery:
The celery is essential, so don’t skip it or skimp on it! The small diced pieces of crunchy celery contrast with the softer potato and creamy dressing. It’s also an important flavor element in the salad.
I like to thinly slice skinnier pieces of celery into little half-moon shapes, but larger pieces I cut first into sticks (halves or thirds of a stalk, lengthwise) and dice finely. I include the inner celery leaves as well, but only use the nicer inner parts of the celery for your salad.
Trim any tough outer stalks and leaves, and save those, the base, ends, and very fibrous pieces for the stockpot (or your freezer bag of trimmings for stock). Make sure that you wash the celery well before chopping to remove any grit or dirt, especially from the base of the stalks.
Scallions:
Some people use minced or grated regular or sweet onions, but to my mind, green onions are key for a classic southern-style potato salad. They add a nice bright color along with a mild, bright onion note.
Wash them well, trim and discard the root ends and any tough or papery outer layers, and then slice them very thinly. You want a hint of subtle green onion flavor throughout the salad, not chunks! I use all of the whites and most of the green tops, saving any tough or wilted bits for the stock pot.
Mustard:
Most potato salad recipes use yellow mustard. I will use a bit of yellow mustard if I have any on hand, but generally prefer a more grainy, homestyle mustard or a mild dijon. If you want a more traditional deli-style mustard potato salad, use yellow mustard, and more of it.
I prefer a more balanced potato salad where you can taste the flavors of all of the ingredients, and I just don’t love plain yellow mustard that much (other than on a Chicago-style hot dog, where it’s a key part of the whole flavor profile). I used a yellow horseradish mustard along with some homemade dijon for my batch, but you do you (and use what you like).
Seasoning:
I never make a potato salad exactly the same way, but generally improvise on a few themes. You can keep it simple, with just the mustard, mayo, and plenty of fresh black pepper, and a healthy sprinkle of paprika (sweet, hot, or smoked) to garnish the top, and maybe some fresh herbs, which is what we’re doing here.
Sweet pickle relish, or finely diced sweet or dill pickles, are essential additions to a traditional southern potato salad. I always add at least one (but not all) of these! The sweetness and tang from the relish or pickles balances the flavor of the otherwise heavy ingredients.
A sprinkle of minced parsley or chives are a nice addition or garnish, though not strictly traditional and definitely not necessary for southern potato salad.
I also usually add a very light sprinkle of garlic powder and a healthy dose of Old Bay. The main ingredient in Old Bay is celery salt, plus a nice blend of spices that add warmth and complexity to the salad without overpowering it.
You could also use some Cajun seasoning blend if you want a bit more kick, but go easy. The potato salad is supposed to be a cool, creamy foil to offset any spicier foods that might be present! The last thing you probably want at the cookout after your mouth is on fire from one of your uncle’s bacon wrapped smoked jalapenos or your friends’s habanero-peach BBQ chicken is a big bite of unexpectedly spicy potato salad!
Kitchen Equipment Needed
Stock Pot & Strainer (+ optional Steamer):
You’ll need a large pot to boil the potatoes, and a strainer to drain them. You’ll need another pot to boil the eggs (or to boil them first), or a steamer basket or tray that will fit over your potato pot if you’re steaming your eggs.
Large mixing and/or serving bowl:
You can mix and serve the salad in a large mixing bowl, or mix it in a large bowl and transfer it into another smaller bowl for serving.
How to Make Southern Style Potato Salad
prep potatoes:
- Scrub the potatoes and trim any sprouting eyes, or green or soft spots. If you prefer, you can peel them, though I like to leave the peels on red or gold thin-skinned waxy potatoes, which are the best ones to use for potato salad. If you are using russet potatoes, you’ll definitely want to peel them, submerging them in cold water so they don’t brown before you cook them.
- Small potatoes can be boiled whole and cut smaller later, but large potatoes should be halved or quartered. You want all the potato pieces to be roughly the same size so that they cook evenly, but I prefer to cut them smaller after cooking, so that they do not get mushy.
cook potatoes & eggs:
- Boil potatoes in well-salted water & steam eggs over the pot of boiling potatoes (or hard boil the eggs if you prefer). The potatoes are done when the are cooked through, tender, and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- If you are steaming the eggs, place the egg steamer over the pot of potato water as you bring it up to a boil, or add a few minutes to the cook time. Steam the eggs for 9 minutes over the boiling potato pot (if you started steaming them over cold water).
- Using a potholder, carefully remove the egg steamer rack (being mindful of the steam, and lifting the steamer lid away from your face).
- Shock the eggs with cold water. Peel them under gently running water, which makes it easier to remove the shell.
prep veggies & dressing:
- Wash and dice the celery, herbs, and green onions with the cooked eggs.
- Combine these in a large bowl with the mayo, mustard, and seasonings.
assemble the potato salad:
- Drain the potatoes, letting them dry in the colander for a minute or two to make sure they’re fully drained and slightly cooled before mixing them into the salad.
- Fold the potatoes into the large bowl with the veggies and dressing until all ingredients are well combined.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- You can serve this salad immediately while it’s warm (I usually sneak a bowl after making it… to check the seasoning, of course), but it’s really best well-chilled. This also gives it time for the various flavors to meld. I recommend chilling the salad for at least two or three hours before serving.
Storing & Serving your Homemade Potato Salad
Chill the salad quickly after mixing, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours to make sure it’s thoroughly chilled. Your homemade potato salad will be best if you can make it a day ahead of time, as this lets all of the flavors come together, and the dressing has time to soak into the potatoes.
You can make and refrigerate your southern potato potato salad up to 4 days before serving (I have kept leftovers for up to a week, as long at they have always been refrigerated). This does not freeze well, and I don’t recommend it.
Discard any leftovers that sat out un-refrigerated for more than two hours, and keep your salad bowls on ice or in a cooler if possible if you’re serving this at an outdoor BBQ or picnic!
Homemade Southern Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 lbs waxy potatoes (red or yukon gold)
- 1 tbsp salt (or to taste) for potato cooking water
- 12 large eggs, steamed or boiled, peeled, & chopped (you can use a few less eggs if you prefer)
- 3 cups celery, small diced
- 2 cups mayonnaise (for a lighter salad, replace up to half with plain or greek yogurt, or reduce the total amount slightly)
- 1 cup green onions, chiffonade (finely sliced) (one small bundle)
- 3 tbsp mustard (or to taste)
- 2 tbsp pickle relish or finely chopped pickles
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley or chives, minced (optional)
- 1 tsp Old Bay (optional but recommended)
- ½ tsp black pepper (or to taste)
- ½ tsp paprika (sweet, hot, or smoked) (plus a sprinkle to garnish)
Instructions
prep potatoes:
- Scrub the potatoes and trim any sprouting eyes, or green or soft spots. If you prefer, you can peel them, though I like to leave the peels on red or gold thin-skinned waxy potatoes, which are the best ones to use for potato salad. If you are using russet potatoes, you’ll definitely want to peel them, submerging them in cold water so they don’t brown before you cook them.
- Small potatoes can be boiled whole and cut smaller later, but large potatoes should be halved or quartered. You want all the potato pieces to be roughly the same size so that they cook evenly, but I prefer to cut them smaller after cooking, so that they do not get mushy.
cook potatoes & eggs:
- Boil potatoes in well-salted water & steam eggs over the pot of boiling potatoes (or hard boil the eggs if you prefer). If you are steaming the eggs, place the egg steamer over the pot of potato water as you bring it up to a boil, or add a few minutes to the cook time.
- Steam the eggs for 9-10 minutes over the boiling potato pot (if you started steaming them over cold water, otherwise add one or two minutes to this time).
- Using a potholder, carefully remove the egg steamer rack (being mindful of the steam, and lifting the steamer lid away from your face).
- Shock the eggs with cold water. Peel them under gently running water, which makes it easier to remove the shell.
prep veggies & dressing:
- Wash and dice the celery, herbs, and green onions with the cooked eggs.
- Combine these in a large bowl with the mayo, mustard, and seasonings.
assemble the potato salad:
- Drain the potatoes, letting them dry in the colander for a minute or two to make sure they're fully drained and slightly cooled before mixing them into the salad.
- Fold the potatoes into the large bowl with the veggies and dressing until they’re well combined.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- This salad is best well-chilled, which also gives it time for the flavors to meld. Make it at least two to three hours ahead of time to make sure it has plenty of time to chill (a half-batch will cool faster, or you can transfer it into smaller serving containers if you're in a hurry).
Nutrition
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