Southern Potato Salad Recipe
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This delicious Southern Potato Salad recipe has been in my family for generations and is a go-to favorite! It makes the perfect side dish for holidays, casual suppers, potlucks, and cookouts! With its soft potatoes, crunchy pickles, yellow mustard, and hard-boiled eggs, this classic potato salad is one you’ll make again and again!
This Southern potato salad recipe is a simple and classic side dish that’s easy to make. It is a favorite year-round, from summer cookouts to potlucks to a southern Sunday meal. It pairs perfectly with a variety of dishes, from hamburgers and grilled chicken to other side dishes, such as fried okra and baked beans.
I love potato salad – all kinds! But I’m especially fond of this Southern potato salad recipe that has been in my family for so many years. My great-grandmother made this recipe and passed it down through the generations. Mama has told me stories about her grandmother letting her help with taste testing, and it’s one of many favorite memories with her grandmother. She has my great-grandmother’s lidded glass container, which she used to store her potato salad in the icebox, as it was called back then. Mama taught my sister and me how to make it, and it’s always been our go-to recipe. I love most potato salads, but this is my all-time favorite.
I originally shared this family recipe back in 2012 and am sharing it again now, with updated photos and tips. Enjoy!
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 many suppers and family gatherings as well. So I got to test it a lot.
Featured Comment from Misty:
“This is my absolute favorite potato salad!! It’s the only one I will make after I found your recipe several years ago. Thanks!”
How to Make Southern Potato Salad
To make this recipe, you will need these ingredients.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
Potatoes – Use starchy potatoes that become slightly soft when cooked. I prefer Russet potatoes, but Yukon Gold potatoes will work, too. No waxy potatoes for this one.
Hard-boiled Eggs – Chop your boiled eggs to add to the recipe.
Onion – You can omit if you wish.
Dill Pickles – These add a delicious crunch to the potato salad. I’ve used dill pickle spears in this photo, but I also love those little kosher dill pickles that are not sliced. Save your pickle juice because you may need to add a little to the salad later. I know some other southern recipes use sweet pickles or sweet pickle relish, but I don’t in this recipe. My great-grandmother, grandmother, and Mama all made it with dill pickles – and it’s delicious!
Yellow Mustard – Use yellow prepared mustard for this potato salad. Not a Dijon or a spicy mustard, just regular yellow mustard. Some people even refer to this type of potato salad as a Southern mustard potato salad.
Mayonnaise – I use regular mayonnaise in this recipe; avoid using the “sweet salad dressing” type.
Salt – I use kosher salt as listed in the detailed recipe. You may add a bit more to taste if needed.
Step-by-Step Instructions
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 so long that they become mushy. Then make sure to thoroughly drain them before mixing the salad.
Boil and peel eggs. At the same time, hard-boil the eggs and then peel them once they’re done. Chop the eggs in preparation for the salad.
Dice the onion and pickles. While the potatoes are boiling, dice your onion and dill pickles.
Combine all ingredients. Stir together the drained potatoes, chopped eggs, diced onion, diced pickles, and salt with the mayonnaise and mustard until well combined and creamy. Add more mustard, mayo, and even pickles to taste. And another trick I love – if you need a tad more creaminess, add a couple of tablespoons of dill pickle juice and mix. So good!
Taste test. Make sure your tasting spoons are lined up and at the ready! Taste and add a little more of something if your taste buds want it.
Serve Warm or Cold. Once you’ve prepared your potato salad, you can either serve it immediately or refrigerate it to serve a little later when it’s chilled a bit. If the potato salad is still warm, give it a minute to cool down before wrapping and refrigerating so the condensation doesn’t make your salad watery. Serve at your desired temperature – warm or chilled – and enjoy!
Storage Tips
To store: Cover tightly or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
To make ahead: While this potato salad tastes great on the day you make it, it tastes amazing the second day. You should cover it well and refrigerate until ready to serve. Again, it should last for 3 to 4 days if refrigerated.
Safe time out of the fridge:
Since potato salad is often served at cookouts and potlucks, many people wonder how long it can sit out and still be safe to eat. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that potato salad with mayo and eggs, like most perishable foods, should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours at room temperature. If the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), the recommended time is reduced to one hour. Please use your best judgment, but if the temperature is hot, as is often the case with most outdoor summertime cookouts, I recommend refrigerating within one hour.
Recipe Success Tips
- When serving guests, chop into larger pieces. I sometimes chop ingredients into larger pieces so that people can remove them if they don’t want to eat them.
- Let your potato salad cool a bit before placing it in the refrigerator. It’s a good idea to let the salad cool for a few minutes after mixing before covering it and placing it in the fridge to chill. The steam from the warm potatoes can add too much moisture to your potato salad if not given a few minutes to cool down.
- Taste your potato salad to see if it needs any adjustments after refrigeration, before serving. If the potato salad is warm when mixed (as it will be for most of us), the potatoes will absorb a lot of flavor from the other ingredients, and you may need to taste it to see if it needs a little something extra, such as more mustard.
- Use dill pickle juice to make your potato salad creamier! It gives this Southern potato salad an extra “tang” that is so delicious! Add a couple of tablespoons at a time and taste to avoid over-saturating with liquid. This works especially well when serving the cold potato salad after it’s been refrigerated and you want to make it a tad creamier before serving. Delicious tip!
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!
Again, I am a fan of most potato salads, and another one for you to try is my Warm Potato Salad with Bacon Dressing. It’s a German-style potato salad that’s also really delicious, and it’s mayo- and mustard-free, making it great for outdoor meals. I hope you try it sometime, too.
More Delicious Side Dishes and Salads
Here are a few more scrumptious sides to try for summer cookouts, potlucks, and family suppers! Many of these are make-ahead favorites as well!
Here’s my family’s Southern 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
Since potato salad is often served at cookouts and potlucks, many people wonder how long it can sit out and still be safe to eat. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that potato salad with mayo and eggs, like most perishable foods, should not be left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours at room temperature. If the temperature is above 90°F (32°C), the recommended time is reduced to one hour. Please use your best judgment, but if the temperature is hot, as is often the case with most outdoor summertime cookouts, I recommend refrigerating within one hour. Recipe Success Tips
- When serving guests, chop into larger pieces. I sometimes chop ingredients into larger pieces so that people can remove things (onion, pickles) if they don’t want to eat them.
- Let your potato salad cool a bit before placing it in the refrigerator. It’s a good idea to let the salad cool for a few minutes after mixing before covering it and placing it in the fridge to chill. The steam from the warm potatoes can add too much moisture to your potato salad if not given a few minutes to cool down.
- Taste your potato salad to see if it needs any adjustments after refrigeration, before serving. If the potato salad is warm when mixed (as it will be for most of us), the potatoes will absorb a lot of flavor from the other ingredients, and you may need to taste it to see if it needs a little something extra, such as more mustard.
- Use dill pickle juice to make your potato salad creamier! It gives this Southern potato salad an extra “tang” that is so delicious! Add a couple of tablespoons at a time and taste to avoid over-saturating with liquid. This works especially well when serving the cold potato salad after it’s been refrigerated and you want to make it a tad creamier before serving. Delicious tip!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Looks very delicious!!! I will most definitely try this southern potato salad recipe.
I hope you enjoy the salad, Debra.
I use sweet pickles instead of dill pickles and miracle whip instead of mayonnaise. Otherwise it’s the same Recipe, I prefer a sweeter potato salad
I don’t buy dill pickles, however, I do sometimes use dill relish. How much of the relish would I need?
I’m sorry, Mary, but I have never used relish in my salad so I’m not sure how much you would need. Maybe someone else on here has and can answer your question.
This is just like my mom used to make and is how I now make it. I will usually eat potato salad only if either of us has made it. I can even eat it by itself as a snack or in a slice of bread as a sandwich. I usually leave out the raw onion though and add celery salt and dill weed. Super recipe!!
I love this potato salad as a snack, too! Thanks, Savannah.
This was the exact southern potato salad that I was searching from my childhood memory. Delicious.
Susie, I’m happy you found this recipe. This is the one my mother has always made.
Simple and delicious
Thanks, Katina!
This is the way my family makes potato salad. Dill pickles instead of sweet. Sometimes I add sliced green olives.
Taste just like my grandma use to make, talk about wonderful memories in every bite. Definitely will be a regular in our house!
Thank you, April. I love these recipes that our grandmothers made and the memories they bring back.
The ‘recipe’ for our potato salad was in Mom’s head too. Very similar to this. We grew up on Miracle Whip and still don’t care for mayo so Miracle Whip and yellow mustard base. After I left home it was ‘by guess and by golly’ until I got it right. It really still is as I don’t measure anything and go by taste and how big of a dish I want to make. Mom used a bit of sweet pickle juice in hers. I use a tiny bit of sugar on the end of a spoon. DH is the designated tester here. He could eat potato salad every week I think. 😉
Karol, my mother has told me that one of her grandmothers made potato salad with sweet pickles and juice, too but without mustard. She was always the tester for her grandmother’s potato salad. It’s funny that she never made that version when I was growing up.
My husband is the cornbread dressing taster in our house before it goes in the oven. lol Love the potato salad recipe. Especially that you use dill pickles. “Don’t be putting no sweet pickles in my tater salad!” 🙂 Thanks Robin!
Glad you like the potato salad, Parrish! I like the dill pickles better, too!