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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Yvonne M Kriz
Thank you thank you for your recipe! For years I have tried to make it and basically gave up. Husband would tote some home from grocery store, I would eat some of it. I liked the containers more than the contents. I happened to have a bag of potatoes that I had parked in my crisper drawer and thought I better do something with them. So what else do you do with potatoes? I decided I would give it a whirl one more time. My husband was so jazzed up he went to the store to pick up the celery seed, celery and I made him get a bag of radishes which he looked dejected over. But he came home with everything I put on the list. Well, I have to tell you he, we loved it! I cant include a picture because it is already gone. I read all your tips beforehand and followed the recipe. My husband refuses to allow me to use MW. And I will work on that because I would like to try it with MW. Told me it was right up there beside his own mothers potato salad. And it was so spectacular I dont know whose mother could top it. Yes, I kept that to myself. I can finally bring something I made to gatherings and serve company that I made myself. The celery seeds are amazing! Who knew? Thank you Thank you Thank you!!
Robert R Gayda
Absolutely wonderful recipe the texture the crunch the taste everything is just as good as it gets
Gina
Just like grandmas! Thank you!
Sharon
I made this… Delicious!
Harsh
Hi Heidi
I loved the recipe. Although I tried a kind of different version since my wife doesn’t like eggs.
So I mixed Cottage Cheese and Potato’s and shallow fried it in butter. Actually more like roasted than fried.
Then added lemon and Jalapeños and olives and black pepper and salt.
I am sure it was way different than your receipt but tasted great.
My wife loved it. Thanks for the idea of Potato salad although I did it different.
Cathy
This is identical to the recipe I grew up on in the 50s and 60s except it was made with Hellmann’s real mayonnaise. I didn’t taste Miracle whip until I visited friends who were originally from the Midwest and only had Miracle whip. I thought it was too sweet.
Susan Dubose
Your recipe is awesome! This recipe is definitely a keeper in my kitchen! Great every time. I might add a bit more mustard too, but that’s just personal preference. Thank you for sharing!
Anthony Allen
I don’t add celery because I simply don’t like it but otherwise, this recipe is just so good for our family.
Richard Tunner
This potato salad recipe is a MUST try!
Connie Buckley
This recipe is very similar to one from my Grandmother/Mother that I grew up with and have made for years. The differences are mlnor. Instead they/we use Best Foods mayo instead of Miracle Whip, but add a bit of sugar to the sauce. We used lots of eggs. We used red onions instead of green ones, but I can see the appeal of both. They/we use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar, and sprinkled it on the hot potatoes. They/we then added the remainder of the vinegar to the dressing to make sure the tang appeared throughout the salad. Both are great recipies!
Sugar seems to be the secret Connie :)
Teresa
Can I use russet potatoes instead of Yukon ?
Yes Teresa, you can, but they will break apart more when mixed.
Emily
I’ve seen a Japanese potato salad recipe that calls for mashing half the potatoes. It’s really good that was as well.
Faruk
I have never tried potato salad and this is going to change after reading this post. have to try it to see how it tastes.
Cheryl Stephens
I have made many potato salads and didn’t like very many of them. I made your grandmother’s yesterday and I love it. Great Pinterest find! Thanks for sharing!
Heidi
Glad you like it Cheryl!
Petiteqwen
Wow! I just wanted to verify ingredients and quantity before i started putting the salad together…but then i scrolled down here and WOW! Again!!!
So MANY mom and grandma and daughter stories ABOUT POTATO SALAD. Sorta seems like that is the spice that makes EVERYONE’S salad so good!!!
Thanks for the smiles that will make my salad tonight’s favorite food on the plate.
Karen
Love this salad!!! I’ve been making one that’s very similar but I got some great tips here. I just bookmarked your page!
Funny, my mom used to make her potato salad by mashing the potatoes and then adding the the onions, celery, etc to the salad. I’ve personally always cubed my potatoes.
I think she made hers this way because of where she came from.
Agabi Godwin
would love to try this asap.
linda
Pretty much like my moms as well but I add celery red onion hard boiled eggs dill pickles and a little pickle juice and I use MW its the only potatoe salad my hubby will eat sometimes I had a hint of mustard for the tang. salt and pepper I like it warm not so much cold but love it warm .Or when its first made
Marilyn
Love my potato salad warm too & i dont add eggs
Emily Stimpson
I made this potato salad recipe today and it is the best type of potato salad ever hands down! I will continue to make this for any and all occasions easy peasy thank you for the recipe
Cathy McBride
Nice and tangy the way I like It!
Ron
I must say that this is one of the most interesting comment strings I’ve ever read on a food blog. Surely, potato salad must be a personal thing. I found your recipe as I was looking for a typical potato salad like I used to eat when I lived in the US. Yours sure seems to fit the mold. We don’t have Miricle Whip in Sweden, but our mayo tends to be sweeter than Helman’s, so I’ll be using that. Thanks so much for the recipe…
crystal
good stuff!
Sandy
I just have to say I thought I hated Miracle Whip, (Best Foods girl), but this is my favorite potato salad. Thank you for a great recipe and making me try MW:)
Heidi
Glad you enjoyed Sandy!
Melissa
I quite like this recipe.. Not overpowering with seasonings like a lot of recipe’s.. simple & delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Heidi
Glad you enjoyed Melissa!
Blessing
I’ve not tried potato salads, but this is a great recipe. Lots of good suggestions, too. I read that you should add your mayo mixture while the potatoes are still warm which encourages absorption of the yummy flavour. I do that, saving back a bit, and add the other good bits after a short while and then finish with the rest of the dressing about 1 1/2 hours before serving. Then it is not too dry and not too runny.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
You will love it! Enjoy!
Laura Duarte
Great Recipe