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!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“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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Sally LoVoi
This is now the only potato salad recipe I use. I make it all summer long. I do add some chopped dill pickle and I agree that the vinegar is a critical step!
Hayley
Thanks, Sally! We’re so happy you love this!
Christ Goggins
I usually use 2 Tbsp. pickle juice instead of vinegar plus adding a little finely chopped pickles for my potato salad. I was out of pickles and the juice when I decided to make a potato salad and went on Pinterest to check out other recipes and decided to try this one. It turned out pretty good but used red salad potatoes instead of white/Yukon. My husband does not care for green onion so use chopped sweet onion. It was fun to try out another recipe but my husband told me to stick to my original recipe.
Hayley
Thanks for sharing with us–we appreciate the honest feedback and you giving the recipe a try!
Toni D
Really is my favorite potato salad recipe!
My kids and grandkids love it as well.
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Toni! We’re so happy you and your kiddos love this!
Charles Tufts
I have made this recipe for a few years now for my American Legion cookout that feeds the town for free and there is never a shred of it left over. I have used mayo in the past but this time I’ll give MW a shot. I also cut the potatoes up prior to boiling, just my thing, otherwise pretty much stick to the recipe. Thanks!
Hayley
We’re so glad you love the recipe, Charles! We appreciate you taking the time to share. :)
Lucille
I followed this recipe to a “ t “ . The vinegar was a “ no “ for me , to me it made the recipe less tasty then what my preference is .And more “ zesty “ not good for a potato salad.
Hayley
We appreciate your honest feedback, Lucille. Sorry this wasn’t as much your cup of tea!
Gail C.
I have commented before on how good this recipe is, but I just made it yet again and wanted you to know I have not made another recipe since yours. It’s perfect and I always have MW. It’s my goto!
Hayley
Thank you for your kind words, Gail! We’re so happy you love it as much as we do! :)
Amara
I made this for a family BBQ tonight, and it was a big hit with everyone! It does help to make ahead of time and let sit in the fridge.
Hayley
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed this, Amara! Thanks for giving the recipe a try.
Edd
I googled a recipe or potatoe salad and your grandmother’s recipe came up and it was a great success except I had to use mayo, my mother always used miracle whip which I prefer and since I conceded to the majority (family size 22). Thankyou for the recipe and I did subscribe to your blog.
Hayley
Thank you for sharing with us, Edd! We’re so thrilled you gave this a try and that you enjoyed it!
Brit
I followed all the instructions and recipe to a T and this potato salad came out so plain. I was not a fan and was super disappointed. the vinegar does not replace relish or pickles being in it at all.
Hayley
We’re sorry to hear this wasn’t your cup of tea, Brit! We appreciate you giving it a try.
Rob Meldrum
I used your recipe and instead of vinegar I used dill pickle juice. I had a generous bagful of Yukon gold potatoes from a friend’s organic garden so I eyeballed my measurements and adjusted to taste. Small-diced celery and dill pickles, Hellmans mayo, yellow mustard, dill weed, lots of hard-boiled eggs. Let it sit in fridge for a few hours and yum-yum!
Hayley
Thanks for sharing, Rob—we’re so glad you enjoyed it (it defnitely benefits from some extra time in the fridge)! :)
Vivian Ruble
Miracle Whip is not “ real food” to us. We use real mayo ( we make it). Seems like the MW/ vs real mayo debate is still raging. This is very similar to the potato salad we have made for years. and love. We use dill pickle juice in place of the vinegar and add dill pickles and leave out the green onions.
Barbara Panopoulos
Can I substitute Apple Cider Vinegar for the White Vinegar?
Hayley
Hi Barbara! We haven’t tried that but we think it should work okay. If you give it a go, let us know how it turns out. Thanks!
Lori
Heidi this is exactly the ingredients my grandmother used. They must of been in the same error. So good.
Hayley
That’s so cool, Lori!
Trisha Stanley
OMG!!! I love a good potato salad, but good ones are hard to find. THIS is now my “go to” recipe. It is AMAZING!!! I grew up in a Miracle Whip house, so I’ve always used it in my potato salad. I think it’s the celery seed that makes it absolute PERFECTION!!! I plan on taking it to my in-laws for Easter lunch this Sunday. Thanks for sharing!!
Hayley
Thank you so much, Trisha! We’re thrilled to hear this is your go-to recipe now! :) Happy Easter to you and your family.
Alexis
don’t know why this is 4.5 rating, I have made it a few times now and people love it, I give it a 5 plus!
Hayley
Thanks, Alexis! We’re so glad you love it (we think it’s a a 5 plus too). ;)
Cyd
I don’t know if I commented a few years ago, so I felt I needed to send another review. This recipe is THE BOMB!! I have made it so many times I can’t count and it’s always delicious. I generally make a wee bit more dressing to add the next day, as well as extra eggs.
I never need to search out another Potato Salad recipe! Thank you so much for sharing, Heidi!
Hayley
Thank you so much, Cyd! We appreciate you taking the time to rate and review the recipe, and we’re so happy you love it as much as we do! :)
Freddie Bradley
you boil the potatoes with the skin on tell tender, do you cut up the potatoes with the skin on or peal the off the skin. when to cut the potatoes in cubes
Hayley
Hi Freddie! We leave the potato skin for boiling. Then we peel the skins from the them after cooking 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. We hope this helps and that you enjoy!
Diana
This is also my mother in laws recipe that I have been making for years. I do not add the vinegar or the celery, but I may try it. People love it because you taste all the food flavors and not too much tartness.
Carol
Great recipe! For an alternative, try Italian dressing sprinkled on the potatoes in place of the vinegar, and I like to use 1/2 MW and 1/2 mayo. I do this when making chicken salad and ham salad, too.
Hayley
Thanks for the tip, Carol, we’ll have to try that sometime! :)
christina P
Fantastic! Potato salad is very nostalgic for me and usually has pickles/carrots. Made this exact recipe as stated with mayo and its unreal, my new go-to potato salad! Thanks!
Hayley
You’re so welcome! We’re so glad to hear you loved it!
Lee Ballard
This is very close to my mother’s Pennsylvania Dutch potato salad. We use yellow onion and omit the vinegar. My mother however said the secret was to mix everything when it was warm. It’s the only potato salad we ever make. Now I’m hungry!
Hayley
Very cool, Lee! Thanks for sharing with us. This potato salad has a special place in our hearts! :)
Sonya R. White
I had a gathering for my friend’s birthday. This is the first time I used a recipe for potato salad. It was definitely a huge hit. I will surely use this recipe again.
Hayley
We’re so glad it was a hit, Sonya! Thanks for giving it a try! :)
Rick94131
The amount of celery seed was overpowering for me, it was all I could taste. I only used 1/4 teaspoon the second time I made it and it was perfect.
Hayley
We’re glad you were able to find an amount that worked for you, Rick. Thanks for trying this! :)
Jane
This is very close to my potato salad recipe, my mother’s (now 95). Only we use dill pickle juice instead of vinegar and onion powder instead of the green onions (too many finicky eaters when I was a kid, probably!). She always used Miracle Whip; I have been using mayo instead for years. In any case, delicious and I think it is the eggs and the mustard which make it a real stand-out when it comes to traditional potato salad!
Hayley
That’s very cool, Jane! It’s such a nostalgic dish, isn’t it?
Kerry Hollenbeck
KETO-friendly version:
Make recipe as shown and substitute roasted cauliflower rice, approximately 6 cups, for the potatoes.
Was skeptical at first but I’m eating my four batch now. Yum!
Interesting take on it Kerry. Thanks for sharing.
Apryl
This is my favorite no fail potato salad recipe! I need to make this for a large group next weekend (like 40-50 people.) The recipe states that it serves 8. What size are the servings? 8 oz? I normally just make it for our family, so I haven’t paid attention to how much it actually makes. Thank you!
Mike
Go to recipe for potato salad and smoked brisket events. Everyone loves it. I use Dukes Mayo (only) instead of the Miracle Whip.
Dukes is so good! But I do like this recipe best with MW :) Thanks for the comment and 5 stars!
Gary
This is the only potato salad recipe the family will now eat.
So glad they enjoy it Gary! Thanks for the comment and 5 stars!