This red potato salad recipe skips the mustard, egg, and celery to keep things super simple to create a creamy potato salad that’s brightened up with a dose of fresh dill.
“This is my new favorite potato salad,” he declared as he scooped another forkful straight from the mixing bowl and into his already munching mouth.
I gotta admit, I was somewhat shocked by my husband’s declaration.
“But what about my mom’s potato salad?” I retorted. ‘It’s a total classic! It’s always been our favorite! And it’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog!”
If I had to guess the reason he loves this red skin potato salad so much, it’s because it’s so perfectly creamy without the extra crunches of celery or pickles, so it’s a more similar bite to his favorite baked potato with just a bit of onion to add a little heat and dill to add that fresh factor.
But even better, it’s so simple to make.
It’s creamy. It’s dreamy. And it’s delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This red potato salad is hearty without tasting heavy, thanks to the fresh dill and tangy sour cream in the dressing.
- It’s an easy recipe to customize using your favorite herbs and veggies.
- Red skinned potatoes are ultra creamy after being boiled, and they make this potato salad taste like it came from your favorite deli.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Red potatoes — Most often in my potato salad recipes, I use Yukon golds or a similar creamy white potato. But for this recipe, I want a potato that isn’t waxy and will fall apart a bit after cooking, so it’s easy to oh so lightly smash. That’s why I use baby red potatoes.
- White vinegar — Sprinkle the hot potatoes with a little vinegar adds tang to the otherwise rich and creamy dill and sour cream potato salad.
- Mayonnaise — You can use light or full-fat. Or, use Miracle Whip if that’s what you grew up with, just noting that the dressing will taste much sweeter.
- Sour cream — Swap with plain Greek yogurt, if desired.
- Red onion — I like using finely chopped red onion in this potato salad but if you’d like to try green onion then go for it.
- Fresh dill — Fresh dill is the big flavor builder in this recipe and the flavor really can’t be replicated with dried dill. Plus, fresh just looks so pretty. Use just the dill fronds and toss the tough stems.
- Seasonings — The dressing is seasoned simply with garlic salt and freshly ground pepper.
Optional Mix-Ins
If you just can’t stand not having a few crunchy bites in your potato salad, here are a few ingredient ideas to add to this potato salad:
- Chopped celery
- Hard-boiled egg
- Diced red bell pepper
- Chopped pickles
- Chopped bacon
- More onion, like green onion or yellow onion
How to Make Red Potato Salad
- Boil the potatoes. Always start potatoes in cold water so they cook evenly from the inside-out. Look for the skins to start breaking away from the flesh before draining.
- Add some tang. After the potatoes are cooked but while they’re still warm, I follow the same directions I give in my mom’s classic potato salad recipe and sprinkle the hot potatoes with a little white vinegar, imparting a bit of tang to the potatoes. Be sure to do this step while the potatoes are still warm so they absorb the light pucker of the vinegar flavor.
- Make the dressing. This potato salad dressing is a simple mix of mayonnaise and sour cream for the tangy bite. It’s seasoned with garlic salt, freshly ground pepper, and fresh dill…and plenty of it.
- Bring it all together. For the best flavor, let the red skin potato salad chill for a couple hours before serving. This gives the potatoes time to soak up some of the dressing and makes them even tastier.
Heidi’s Tip: Once added to the mixing bowl, give the potatoes 4-5 good smashes to create big chunks. I use a large whisk to do this but if a potato masher is all you have just be sure to leave them in big, rough chunks.
FAQs
20 to 30 minutes(ish).
Cook the potatoes a little bit longer than you might think, waiting for the potato skins to blister and begin to pull away from the whites as they cook. You’ll know when they’re done if they easily slip from the tines of a fork when tested.
I prefer to cook my potatoes whole (always start them in salted, cool water) and then cut them while still hot, but cool enough to touch.
I only halve the potatoes before boiling if they’re exceptionally large, which would increase the cook time.
You could also use baby golds in this recipe, but they’re slightly waxier and won’t start to crumble around the edges like baby reds. But feel free to use what you have.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Don’t try freezing it … just trust me on this.
What to Serve with This Recipe
- Beef — Oven Baked Hamburgers, BBQ Meatballs, Montreal Steak Kebabs
- Pork — Juicy Grilled Pork Chops, Baked Country Style Ribs, BBQ Pulled Pork
- Chicken — Creamy Dijon Chicken, BBQ Chicken, Skillet Lemon Chicken
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Creamy Red Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Potato Salad
- 3 pound small red potatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- ½ cup red onion , chopped
Dressing
- ½ cup light mayonnaise
- ½ cup light sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped dill fresh dil , divided
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water and boil them for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they easily slide off the tines of a fork and the skins begin to break away from the white potato if cut.
- Drain the potatoes, then cut into halves and then into quarters and place in a large bowl Use a large whisk, fork or potato masher to gently smash the potatoes into irregular chunks, but not too fine. Drizzle the warm potatoes with the vinegar.
- Mix the mayonnaise with the sour cream or Greek yogurt in a small bowl with the garlic salt, freshly ground black pepper and half of the fresh chopped dill.
- Add the sauce to the potato mixture with the chopped onions and the remaining dill, and stir gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours or overnight.
Notes
More Easy Potato Salad Recipes to Make
- Traditional Potato Salad
- German Potato Salad
- Chunky Pesto Potato Salad
- Roasted Potato Salad
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Greek Potato Salad
- Ranch Potato Salad
- No-Mayo Potato Salad with Herbs
- Nicoise Potato Salad
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anon
straight fire
. Thanks for the hot comment and 5-star rating. :)
Crystal McKay
This is a hit every time I make it! Thank you
Happy to hear it was a success!