Name: Southern Potato Salad Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds Russet potatoes (about 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes); 1 ¼ cups Mayonnaise; 1 tablespoon Yellow mustard; ¼ cup Pickle relish; ½ teaspoon Garlic powder; 2 teaspoons Sugar; 2 teaspoons White vinegar; 5 Hard boiled eggs (diced); 2 Stalks celery diced; 5 Green onions diced; Salt & pepper to taste; Paprika

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Southern Potato Salad is a classic recipe that’s perfect for potlucks, picnics, and BBQs. It’s creamy, tangy, and whips up in less than 30 minutes. You can even make it up to a day ahead of time.

Potato Salads are perfect for a family cookout or as a potluck dish. I promise you everyone will be asking for this Southern Potato Salad recipe!

dish of southern potato salad with a large serving spoon, pink napkin

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About the Recipe

This old-fashioned Potato Salad recipe has tender chunks of potato, hard-boiled eggs, and pickle relish with a creamy mayo-based dressing.

It’s the perfect side dish to serve with everything from backyard BBQ favorites like Juicy Grilled Hamburgers, Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs, and Grilled Chicken Breast to picnic fare like a Club Sandwich or Fried Chicken Thighs.

recipe walkthrough

Ingredients for Potato Salad

ingredients to make southern potato salad

Potatoes – read on for the best potatoes to use for my Southern potato salad recipe. I am a fan of russets or red potatoes.
Hard Boiled Eggs – choose whichever cooking method suits your fancy – Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs, Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs, or learn the basics of How to Boil Eggs the traditional way.
Celery + Green Onions – to add crunch and flavor. Add more veggies if you want, like shredded carrots or olives.
Dressing – the potato salad dressing has creamy mayo, tangy mustard, vinegar, pickle relish, garlic powder, and sugar. Follow the measurements, but then give it a taste and decide if you want to adjust anything. Feel free to customize it to something you really love. You can replace the mayo with Miracle Whip, or use chopped dill pickles instead of relish.

How to Make Southern Potato Salad

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

Boil the potatoes: Peel and dice your potatoes into bite sized pieces. Watch until they are just fork tender – don’t overcook or they will become mushy. Boil, drain, and set aside to dry.

2 bowls with ingredients for potato salad dressing, then the dressing mixed

Make the dressing: While the potatoes are drying and cooling, mix the creamy dressing in a large mixing bowl. Taste and add more mustard or mayo, or maybe more pickle relish.

Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the dressing, then fold in the celery, onions, eggs, and potatoes to the large bowl with the dressing and gently stir everything together.

Cover and chill until you’re ready to serve. Sprinkle paprika on top for color.

Best Potatoes for Potato Salad

I use good old russet potatoes when I make Southern Potato Salad. Red potatoes, New potatoes or Yukon Golds will work, too. The key is to choose a potato that will hold it’s shape when cooked.

I love reds and whites because you can eat the skins. You do have to peel russets but they hold their shape the best which is why I love them in homemade potato salad.

I’ve used red potatoes for other potato salad recipes like my Bacon Ranch Red Potato Salad and Lemon Herb Red Potato Salad and I use New or Yukon Gold potatoes for my Grandma’s German Potato Salad.

Storage Tips

Storing Leftovers

Store potato salad in an airtight container and it will keep in the fridge for several days. If it seems a little watery, give it a good stir. If it seems dry, add more mayo.

Recipe Tips

Drying the potatoes – Lay potatoes out on a flat surface to dry and sprinkle with a little salt. This will help them dry out quicker.
Flavor variation – For heightened flavor, try a fancy mustard in the dressing, like ground mustard or dijon.
Make Ahead – Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, and make ahead up to 24 hours in advance.
Keep Cool. Most food, but especially mayo and dairy based foods, should not sit out longer than 2 hours. In the interest of food safety, you should refrigerate your potato salad within 2 hours of serving.

bowl of potato salad sprinkled with paprika, forks, pink napkin

More Potato Recipes to Love

Recipe

Southern Potato Salad Recipe

4.71 from 155 votes

Kristin Maxwell

Southern Potato Salad is a classic recipe for potlucks, picnics and BBQs. It's creamy, tangy and ready in 30 minutes, or make it a day ahead.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings

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Ingredients

3 pounds Russet potatoes about 5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 ¼ cups Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Yellow mustard
¼ cup Pickle relish
½ teaspoon Garlic powder
2 teaspoons Sugar
2 teaspoons White vinegar
5 Hard boiled eggs diced
2 Stalks celery diced
5 Green onions diced
Salt & pepper to taste
Paprika

Instructions

Place diced potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a couple teaspoons of salt and bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
Cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Watch closely and do not overcook or the potatoes will become mushy. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, mustard, pickle relish, garlic powder, sugar and vinegar.
Add potatoes and stir to coat completely. Fold in eggs, celery and green onions. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. If desired, top with a few sliced eggs and a sprinkle of paprika.

Notes

Feel free to adjust any of the ingredients for the potato or the dressing.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve, and make ahead up to 24 hours in advance.
Store covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 8gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 16gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 383mgPotassium: 813mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 321IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.