Summer’s heating up, and cookouts are looking good this year, so don’t forget this Southern Potato Salad! This recipe has the perfect amount of tang and saltiness in its creamy dressing. A classic side fit for an easy Summer recipe served at BBQs, weeknight dinners, or for lunch.
Do you know what the key ingredient is for southern-style potato salad? Pickle juice, and for this tangy potato salad, we use dill pickles and pickle juice. My favorite addition when I want extra tang is green olives. They are deliciously salty and a great contrast to the creamy dressing.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
We have been making this southern red potato salad recipe for almost 20 years! It is a family favorite and always complimented at parties.
Here is a simple recipe for Southern-style potato salad with egg. The creamy dressing is made with mayonnaise, yellow mustard, pickle juice, salt, pepper, and a touch of sugar. It strikes a delicious balance between creaminess, tanginess, and savory flavors. Enjoy!
- Tangy – The best part of this recipe is the tanginess from the pickle juice and yellow mustard. This southern-style potato salad recipe also has chopped dill pickles for crunch.
- Quick and Easy – While the potatoes are cooking, you can prepare the dressing and have this side dish ready in under 25 minutes and cooled to serve in about an hour.
- Traditional – We keep to this traditional southern mustard potato salad recipe for nostalgia and because it is a tried and true recipe everyone loves. I have plenty of potato salad recipes, but for summer BBQs, it’s definitely a go-to recipe
Ingredients
Before heading out to the grocery store, take a quick inventory of your pantry and fridge. Chances are, you already have all the necessary ingredients to make the best Southern potato salad recipe. With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll be able to whip up a crowd-pleasing dish in no time.
- Potatoes – Red potatoes are perfect for potato salad. They have a nutty flavor to them and stay firm for a nice bite. Keep the skin on! It adds to the texture and color and retains beneficial nutrients.
- Boiled eggs – We like are Southern tater salad to have a bunch of eggs!
- Pickles + Juice – Dill pickles are the way to go. They are perfectly sour and crisp, and adding the juice adds more zing and saltiness to the dressing.
- Yellow mustard – A classic ingredient for potato salad with eggs.
- Salt and pepper
- Sugar – Just a pinch to smooth out the flavors.
- Green olives – (optional) We already have the mustard and pickles, but green olives are so yummy in potato salad. Add whole or chop.
How to Make Southern Potato Salad
1. Place eggs in a small pot of water with salt. Boil, cool, peel, and chop the eggs.
2. Rinse potatoes and dice them into bite-sized pieces. Rinse once more and place into a large pot of water. Boil until just fork-tender.
3. Drain the potatoes and return back to the hot pan to dry completely. Let cool for about 15 minutes or until room temperature.
4. Use a potato masher and mash the potatoes 2-3 times only. Just enough to add texture.
5. While the potatoes are cooling, mix together the dressing ingredients.
6. Add eggs and potatoes to the dressing mix. Cover and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Recipe Tips
I’m happy to share that this recipe for potato salad is not only delicious but also easy and quick to make. To ensure the best outcome, I have a few helpful tips to share.
- Mix dressing at the right time. Toss the potatoes and dressing together while the potatoes are at room temperature. Not too hot because this mayo-based dressing will become greasy when heat is added to the mayonnaise. It will combine together best at room temperature. It’s not too fussy, but for the best results, this step helps.
- Use dill pickles. For a zesty, sour potato salad that is traditional for Southern style, dill pickles are the way to go!
- Ensure even cooking. You should always start with cold water when cooking eggs and potatoes. This is to make sure they cook evenly.
- Avoid overcooking potatoes. The potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork but not too soft that they fall apart. If they end up slightly overdone, drain them and spread them evenly on a plate or pan to cool before mixing them into the salad.
- Seasoning the salad. Enhance the flavor of the salad by adding diced onions, chopped celery, fresh herbs like parsley or dill, and a hint of paprika or cayenne pepper for a little kick.
- Let it chill. After combining the cooled potatoes, dressing, and other ingredients, refrigerate the potato salad for at least an hour before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together.
Substitutions
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Instead of pickle juice, use vinegar. When I do this, I’ll drizzle the cider vinegar on the potatoes after draining them and then toss them into the dressing.
- Change out the mayo – If you don’t like mayo or are looking for a healthy option, try using Greek yogurt. It’s thick like mayo and still has great flavor. Regular plain yogurt or plant-based yogurt would also work.
- Use a different potato – Red potatoes are a favorite, but Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes would also work. Russets are more tender, so don’t overcook!
- Switch out the mustard – Southern potato salad is made for yellow mustard, but if you prefer, try using Dijon mustard or spicy mustard.
What to serve with Southern Potato Salad
- Bacon-Wrapped Greek Peppers
- Grilled Burgers
- Southern Macaroni Salad
- Pulled Pork
- Fried Chicken
- Grilled Brats with Peppers and Onions
Frequently Asked Questions
Red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes are best for potato salad because they are firmer and hold their shape.
You may need to add more dressing mix. Squeeze in a little more mayo, mustard, and/or pickle juice to loosen the potato salad.
Water may have transferred over from draining the potatoes. To ensure your potatoes are dry, after draining, make sure all water is removed and then add it back to the hot pot. The residual heat from the pot will dry the remaining moisture from the potatoes.
No. The starch will dry to the potatoes and will allow the dressing to still to them better.
Absolutely! After chilling overnight, the ingredients meld together for a much better-tasting potato salad.
You can make potato salad 1-2 days in advance when stored properly in the refrigerator and within 5 days.
No, life is simpler when you don’t have to peel potatoes for potato salad. They add a little chewiness and cut down prep time. There’s no need to peel potatoes, but if you prefer, you can peel the potatoes first.
This recipe is about 6 servings of creamy country potato salad. To make enough for 25 people, multiply the recipe by 4. The serving size is around 1/2 cup.
Here’s an easy reference on how much potato salad to make per person if making from scratch: How Much Potato Salad Per Guest for You BBQ
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
I hope you enjoy this Southern Potato Salad recipe. Let me know in the comments if you tried this recipe. Be sure to tag #ladleandgrain on Facebook and Instagram!
More Potato Recipes
Southern Potato Salad
Course: All Recipes, Dinner, Lunch, quick and easy, SidesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
servings10
minutes20
minutesThis Southern-style Potato Salad has the perfect amount of tang in a creamy dressing fit for any BBQ or as a dinner and lunch side dish.
Ingredients
3 pounds red potatoes, cubed
4 large eggs, boiled and diced
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 large dill pickle, chopped
2 tablespoons pickle juice
salt and pepper to taste
- Additional Toppings (optional)
diced green olives
chopped chives
chopped bacon
Directions
- In a medium pot, boil eggs. Cool, peel, and chop. Set aside.
- In another pot, add cubed potatoes and enough water to boil. Cook until tender. Drain and return to pot. Use a potato masher and mash 2-3 times. Allow to cool and dry for about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine mayo, mustard, pickles and juice, chopped boiled eggs, and seasonings.
- Toss in the potatoes and cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
