This is my grandma’s classic potato salad! It’s a potluck favorite that’s made with eggs, celery seed, green onion, and a dreamy, creamy dressing that’s perfectly sweet and tangy. This is truly the BEST potato salad recipe, and with more than 2,000 glowing reviews to date, you could even say it’s the Internet’s favorite!
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“Don’t usually comment, but after a year of making this recipe over and over, I have to give credit where it’s due. Look no further, this [is] the only potato salad you’ll ever need.” -Tee Tee, FoodieCrush reader
This is THE BEST Potato Salad Recipe, Period.
It may be pretty bold to claim, but saying this is the BEST potato salad recipe is a statement I 100% stand behind.
But I’m not the only one. With more than 2,000 glowing reviews (and counting!), this homemade potato salad is popular all year round — not just in summer but at Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas, too. It’s the traditional side dish I grew up on and the recipe my Grandma Mary Jane passed down to my mom, aunts, cousins, sister, and me.
Now it’s your turn to give it a try. I’m spilling my family’s secrets on how to make the best potato salad ever …
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Miracle Whip is the secret ingredient that makes the dressing so good. Ditch the mayonnaise and make the potato salad dressing with Miracle Whip. It gives the dressing a hint of sweetness and lots of tang, which prevents the potato salad from tasting heavy or having a gloppy, gluey texture.
Not all potatoes are created equal. I use Yukon gold potatoes because they’re creamier, sweeter, and hold their shape better than other varieties. And because they have thinner skin, they’re easy to peel after cooking.
Always sprinkle the just-cooked, warm potatoes with white vinegar to add flavor and tang. This tip comes straight from my grandma!
Key Ingredients in Potato Salad
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
For the potato salad:
- Yukon gold potatoes — Easy to peel, with a buttery smooth texture that doesn’t fall apart after boiling. Choose potatoes that are roughly the same size for the most consistent cooking.
- White vinegar — Use cider vinegar or pickle juice if you prefer.
- Hard-boiled eggs — Eggs add to the creamy factor while adding a slightly different texture. My grandma’s original recipe calls for just three eggs, but since I’m a super fan of eggs in potato salad, I’ve added two more. (It probably stems from my adoration of egg salad, so feel free to adapt to your taste.)
- Celery — A few ribs of chopped celery adds a bit of crunch to every bite.
- Green onion — Chopped green onion adds a little heat to this salad but isn’t as bold as yellow onion. Red onion would be a fine substitute.
For the dressing:
- Miracle Whip — This is the secret sauce to the creamy potato salad dressing. Similar in consistency to mayonnaise, Miracle Whip tastes sweeter and is less eggy.
- Yellow mustard — Mustard adds spice and tang to the dressing. Like on my hot dogs, plain old yellow mustard is the best and I don’t even dream about getting fancy schmancy with German browns, hearty-seeded, or Frenchy dijon mustards.
- Celery seed — This dried spice extends the celery flavor by adding an earthy flavor.
- Paprika — Paprika doesn’t add flavor here, but I use a sprinkle as the final touch to make the salad extra pretty when served.
How to Make THE BEST Potato Salad
- Boil the potatoes. My mom says to boil the potatoes whole with the skin on, so I do too. Add the potatoes to a pot of COLD water so their temperature rises at the same rate as the water and they cook evenly. Yukon Gold potatoes need to boil for 30 to 35 minutes; you’re looking for the skin to start cracking and for them to be fork-tender.
Heidi’s Tip: Don’t peel and cut the potatoes before boiling them! Doing so allows the potatoes to absorb more water and makes for a watery potato salad.
- Peel and dice the potatoes. Once the potatoes are cool to the touch, score the tops with an “X.” The skins should then peel right off using just your fingers.
- Sprinkle the warm potatoes with vinegar. This is one of the biggest flavoring secrets for this recipe. While still warm, the potatoes absorb the vinegar’s zing as they cool, adding another flavor of mellow tang from within.
- Make the potato salad dressing. Whisk together the Miracle Whip, mustard, celery seed, kosher salt, and black pepper in a separate bowl to make sure it’s evenly combined.
- Assemble the salad. Fold together the eggs, celery, green onion, potatoes, and dressing. (Be gentle, you don’t want the egg to disintegrate.)
Heidi’s Tip: Giving the flavors time to meld is important. If I’m planning on eating the salad the day I make it, I’ll prepare it at lunch so the flavors can build, or I’ll make it a day ahead of time.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
Homemade potato salad will last up to 4 days in the fridge, but I suggest eating it within a day of making it while the celery and green onion still have some crunch.
In fact, this is one potluck salad that tastes better after it’s had time to chill in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, so feel free to make a batch of potato salad in advance. (This is a handy tip to remember for holidays!)
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
THE BEST Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Potato Salad:
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes , skin on (choose medium-sized potatoes)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional for adding flavor to potatoes)
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 celery stalks (ribs) , diced
- 6 green onions , diced
- 5 hard-boiled eggs , peeled
Dressing:
- 1 ½ cups Miracle Whip , or mayonnaise if you prefer
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 ½ teaspoons celery seed
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- paprika , for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a large pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a lightly rolling boil over medium heat and add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt (optional). Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork or paring knife. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Peel and chop the potatoes. Peel the skins from the potatoes and cut into ½" to ¾" square pieces. Transfer the warm potatoes to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the white vinegar. Toss the potatoes with the vinegar and set the potatoes aside to cool, about 15-20 minutes.
- Add the mix-ins. Add the celery and the green onions to the potato mixture. Chop 4 of the hard boiled eggs and add to the potato mixture.
- Make the creamy dressing. In a medium bowl, mix the Miracle Whip, yellow mustard, celery seed, and ¾ teaspoon salt and pepper. Fold into the potato mixture and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Slice the last egg into thin slices and place them on top of the salad. Sprinkle with paprika if desired.
- Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe FAQs
You’ll want to boil your Yukon Golds whole and with the skin on. Add them a pot of room temperature water, then bring to a boil (never add potatoes to already boiling water or else the outsides will turn mushy while the insides will be undercooked).
Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes for about 30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when you can pierce them easily with a fork.
I’ve tried this recipe with diced pickles because everything tastes better with pickles … except for this version of potato salad. So I’m saving the pickles for my tuna salad sandwiches.
Simply put, Miracle Whip is sweeter, tangier, less eggy, and overall less rich than mayonnaise.
You can use mayonnaise, but give the ol’ Whip a try.
Several readers have left comments saying they ignored my grandma’s suggestion and used mayo instead, and that it was a big mistake and Miracle Whip is the way to go!
Did you use a different type of potato? Yukon golds cooked with the skin on absorb the dressing and hold it well, while other varieties of potatoes don’t properly soak up enough dressing.
Did you add the dressing before the potatoes cooled down? You also must wait for the potatoes to cool before tossing with the dressing. Potatoes sweat water as they cool, and that can contribute to watery potato salad.
Did you use low-fat or fat-free Miracle Whip? Ingredients used to make lower-fat versions of salad dressings can contribute to a less stable product that releases more water into the dish.
What to Serve With Potato Salad
- Grilled Proteins — Grilled Salmon, BBQ Chicken, Garlic Burgers, Greek Chicken, Grilled Pork Chops
- Potluck Sides — Homemade Mac and Cheese, Classic Macaroni Salad, Creamy Coleslaw, BBQ Baked Beans, Three Bean Salad
- Holiday Favorites — Glazed Ham, Roast Turkey Breast, Ambrosia Salad, Waldorf Salad, Broccoli Casserole
Potato Salad Variations to Try
- No Mayo Potato Salad
- Greek Potato Salad
- Creamy Red Potato Salad
- Roasted Potato Salad
- German Potato Salad
- Nicoise Potato Salad
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Ranch Potato Salad
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Duncan Friesen
This is the first potato salad I ever made. I made it with all fresh vegetables from the garden. It is amazing! I have made it twice now and this time I will share it with others ha ha..
Thank you Duncan! I’m glad it was a success!
Ashley
My family absolutely loved this. I substituted the salt for a jar of sliced green olives, half a yellow onion instead of green, then added a fair amount of real bacon bits and some dill relish, and this turned out incredible. My mom refuses to give up her potato salad recipe, and with your help, I think I’ve officially one upped her! Thanks for the awesome recipe :)
I’m glad you all enjoyed Ashley!
Ninja's Mama
The Miracle Whip is a hard no, but cooking the unpeeled potatoes whole (or as close to whole as possible) and soaking the cooked potatoes in vinegar while they’re still warm is the secret to truly excellent potato salad. This is a good recipe that covers the fundamentals and can be easily customized for your tastes. It definitely improves as it sits in the fridge, so it’s a perfect make-ahead dish.
Kathy R
Just like my mom used to make♥️
Rebecca Barcia
The BEST potato salad EVER! We have always had our potato salad using Best Foods Mayo. I also added some pickle relish…just WOW! The Mayo mixture is spot on, simple and perfect.
Thank you Rebecca! I’m glad you enjoyed!
David
Good recipe, but how do you differentiate the many potato salad recipes out there? I added a few things like chopped baby dill pickle, dill, chopped carrots, Sriracha and yes, some apple chunks. Turned out great!
I’m glad you enjoyed David!
Mary Honan
Made this for a cookout and everyone loved it!
Happy to hear Mary!
Lea Castle
I choose this recipe for my first attempt in making homemade potato salad. This was easy to follow and very good. I did add a little sugar to add sweetness but followed it exactly from the recipe provided.
I’m glad you enjoyed Lea!
Nicola Murphy
The vinegar really make a difference. I love the tang.
Daddy68
WOW…..better than my mom’s
Judy A
Delicious and truly reminded us all of my mom’s / grandma’s potato salad!! I added just a little sweet pickle juice (my secret ingredient in many salads) and equal parts of mayo and salad dressing. I doubled the recipe for our crew of 12 and there as only a little leftover. This one is a keeper!
Sounds great Judy! Glad you could adjust!
Ina
I’m 81 years old. I decided I wanted to try a new recipe. This one is very similar to mine with the exception of adding the vinegar to warm potatoes. Other thank adding several ch red radishes, I followed the recipe. Excellent!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed Ina!
Shirley
was very good salad don’t think I used enough miracle whip. but the family liked it
Glad you all enjoyed, Shirley!
PK
Recipe sounds good, but have a question. Is the calorie count really 171K cal?
Hayley
Hi there, yes, that is the amount we calculated.
Eileen
Delish!
Judi
This was my mother’s recipe! She never measured it out, and neither did I back in the day, lol. I wanted exact measurements so the taste would be perfect and this was it! I made exactly like the recipe, except left out the onions because my friend has an allergy! I think the vinegar and celery seed are the secret to the best taste AND Miracle Whip also! My husband tasted it and said THIS is how I remember potato salad used to taste!
I’m glad you both enjoyed Judi!
Amanda
I made it this way using mayo. I left the eggs out because my hubby does not eat them. I also added some dill pickles. It tastes great! I also doubled the green onions. I might peel the potatoes first next time. The vinegar on the potatoes trick works great!
I’m glad you enjoyed Amanda! Sounds delicious!
Naomi
So many compliments when I made this. It was absolutely delicious.
Happy to hear it Naomi!
Trish Clark
Fantastic recipe! I did use three dill pickle spears, 1 cup pickle juice mixed with the mayo, and instead of white vinegar, zesty Italian over the potatoes while they were warm
Glad you enjoyed Trish!
Jasmine
Mash half the potatoes, add garlic powder and relish. Then, it’s the BEST potato salad.
Chris
I find it easier to cut potatoes into 1” cubes than put in boiling water for 6 minutes then drain and run under cold water. I always cut up Dave’s Spicy pickles (or another brand of sweet hot pickles). I always get compliments because it just adds that little bit of something different. Also although I love onions, I don’t in potato salad and leave it out. Just a different flavor that just tastes off…. Lastly I put in an ample splash of Apple cider vinegar. Let it set in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours for the flavors to set. Awesome recipe!
Danny
Great potato salad, I’ve made this 5 times now. I add 2 medium dill pickles (chopped) and 1 table spoon of the pickle juice.
Thank you Danny! Glad you enjoyed!
Sherry
Thank you so much! This potato salad was a big hit this year at my family’s annual camp dinner.
I’m glad everyone enjoyed Sherry!
Michael
Absolutely delicious! I did sprinkle a little dill weed top, mainly for presentation, along with the paprika dusting. Highly recommend.
Glad you enjoyed Michael!
Kim
perfecto