Southern Potato Salad Recipe
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This Southern Potato Salad recipe is a delicious side perfect for casual suppers and cookouts! Potato salad is an easy make ahead favorite!
This potato salad recipe is a simple, classic side dish that’s so easy to make. It is a favorite year round – from summer cookouts to potlucks to a southern Sunday meal. Potato Salad goes so well with everything from hamburgers and grilled chicken to other side dishes like fried okra and baked beans.
When I was a girl I loved being the taste tester when Mama made her potato salad. What a lucky job it was because her Southern Potato Salad is the best! She was asked to make it for every cookout or family reunion because everyone loved it. And my family requested it for so many suppers and family gatherings too. So I got to test it a lot.
Southern Potato Salad Recipe
This potato salad recipe has been in my family for so many years. My great grandmother made it by this recipe and passed it down through the generations. Mama taught my sister and me how to make it and it’s always been our go-to recipe.
Best Potatoes for Southern Potato Salad
You need to use starchy potatoes that get a little bit soft when you cook them. I prefer Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, but I most often use Russets. A waxy potato won’t do for this southern favorite, so get one that will get somewhat soft.
How to Make Potato Salad
To make this recipe you will need these ingredients.
Southern Potato Salad Ingredients
- Potatoes (Russets preferably)
- Eggs
- Onion
- Dill Pickles
- Yellow Mustard
- Mayonnaise (not the sweet dressing type)
- Salt
Cook potatoes. Start by scrubbing and peeling 3 pounds of potatoes. Cube them, add to cold water and boil until tender enough to pierce with a fork, but not until they are mushy. Drain well once they are done.
Boil eggs. At the same time, hard boil 6 eggs and then peel them once they’re done. Chop the eggs in preparation for the salad.
Dice onion and pickles. While the potatoes are boiling, dice your onion and dill pickles.
Combine. Stir together the drained potatoes, chopped eggs, diced onion, diced pickles and salt with the mayonnaise and mustard until creamy. Add more mustard, mayo and even pickles to taste.
Taste test. Make sure your tasting spoons are lined up and at the ready. You will want to have them for your own taste tests!
Once you’ve completed your potato salad, you can either serve right away or refrigerate to serve later.
Make Ahead Favorite
My family’s Southern Potato Salad recipe is one that is delicious made the day of serving, but is a great make-ahead dish as well. Just keep it tightly covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Perfect for Cookouts, Picnics and Suppers
You’ll find this dish served at most family get-togethers in my family – from holidays like Easter alongside my Cola-Glazed Ham to reunions to cookouts to Sunday suppers! It’s a great potluck dish anytime, too. Potato salad is delicious with chicken, beef, and pork and is a dish that everyone in my family loves!
More Delicious Side Dishes and Salads
Here are a few more scrumptious sides for summer cookouts, potlucks and family suppers to try! Many are make ahead too!
Here’s my family’s Potato Salad recipe. It’s a special favorite!
Southern Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender
- 6 boiled eggs, chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 medium dill pickles, diced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup yellow mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together and mix until well-combined and creamy. Add more mayonnaise and mustard depending on tastes.
Notes
Store potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
My recipe, too. Some people have said too many eggs, but the eggs add so much to it. Good kosher pickles, Vidalia onions and Duke’s mayo!
This is exactly like my family makes it. We live in the West now, but all the family is from the South. When I saw it was the perfect yellow I knew it must be like ours, when we go to potluck we avoid tater salad that isn’t yellow enough, lol.
If the potato salad is not yellow enough I already know it’s not the kind I like! It has to meet the color requirements haha.
This is the first time somebody makes my potato salad!! Sometimes I chop up some green olives!
You can use white, red (best) or regular. Hope this helps you.
When I lived in the South and “had” to make potato salad, we didn’t use quite so many eggs. We also used pickle relish instead of plain old pickles, but I’m betting the plain old pickles would be just as good if not better! We also used Duke’s Mayonnaise as it’s about the best Mayo out there, too bad I can’t get it where I live now. :o( Since I saw your recipe, I can’t wait to make some Potato Salad now!! LOL
Made ours similar to Diane’s with less eggs and plenty of pickle relish(sweet). Love it.
Dukes mayo, north US, and Hellmans, southUS, is the same product
Yes. Looks good. But again, what kind of potatoes do you use? I usually use red potatoes.
For a little variance, try adding a chopped (peeled) apple – Gala, Honeycrisp, etc. Some slightly sweet crunch. And, I leave out the pickles sometimes… depends on your taste.
I use my G’MOTHER ‘s recipe & she put chopped celery & green onions so naturally I do the same.Red onions r added for their sweet flavor ,and
If new potatoes r available I use them but generally use red.
This looks so yummy! What kind of potatoes do you use? I’ve only made potato salad a couple of times and it was just ok so I’m excited to try your recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Do you boil the potatoes whole and then cut them up? Or cube them, then boil? I have a problem getting them to the perfect consistency to where they’re cooked, but not mushy.