Few things rival the classic potato salad when it’s made right. But sadly, most homemade versions can be lackluster. The process seems easy enough, so what’s the issue?
Truthfully, when crafted at home, potato salad can go side in many ways. Hiccups run the gamut from over- or under-cooked potatoes to under-seasoning. These missteps lead to potato or to firm, bland, or oily — not potato salads that are what you want when making America’s favorite spring and summer side dish.
The best and easiest potato salad you’ll ever make starts with buttery-soft potatoes laced with a satiny mayo dressing and studded with smoky bacon, crunchy celery, fresh green onions, and sweet pimentos.
It’s a completely foolproof recipe I know you’ll keep coming back to.
Follow my suggestions below to create the perfect potato salad every time.
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The best types of potatoes for potato salad
Let’s start with the potatoes. What type should you use? Not Russets. Potatoes are divided into three categories based on their texture: starchy, all-purpose, and waxy.
Russet potatoes are starchy, whichmeaning’ll likely fall apart during cooking or when you’rning ingredients.
All-purpose potatoes, like white and Yukon Gold, are less starchy than Russets and will work. But the best potato salad potatoes are the low-starch, waxy varieties because they hold their shape during cooking.
Use New (also called Baby) potatoes, Red Bliss or Fingerling for the best results.
How to prep potatoes for potato salad
Consider prepping your potatoes the day before. To save time, cut your potatoes up to one day in advance and place the cut potatoes in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until you’re ready to cook.
When cutting your potatoes, make sure they are uniform in size. That might mean some potatoes are halved while others are quartered or cubed. It doesn’t matter if you start with tiny baby potatoes or medium-sized Yukon golds; just be sure to cut them, so every piece is about two inches.
When sizes and shapes are similar, the pieces will finish cooking simultaneously.
Never drop your cut potatoes in boiling water as it promotes uneven cooking and often leads to potatoes becoming mushy on the outside by the time the center gets soft.
DID YOU KNOW? You can stop spiralizing zucchini and pick up a peeler instead.
Start the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the temperature to medium-high and gently boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Keep in mind that cooking time can be as short as five minutes.
And be sure to season your water. A good potato salad is strengthened from the beginning, so add a teaspoon of salt to your boiling water to improve your potatoes from the inside out. Please wait until your water is at a rolling boil so your salt will dissolve quickly, rather than adding it initially.
If you use New, Red Bliss, or Fingerling potatoes as suggested, you’ll find that the skins are delightfully thin and tender and add great texture to the salad. Plus, the skin has nutrients and fiber that aren’t found in the flesh. And you can go with the potato skins for color, flavor, and nutrition.
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How long does it take to boil potatoes for potato salad
Cook your potatoes until they’re just not over or undercooked. Start checking your potatoes after boiling them for five minutes by piercing them pththemfork. The potatoes are finished cooking if the prongs enter cleanly with a little resistance. This can take five to eight minutes, depending on the size of your potato pieces. Wait any longer, and the potatoes will fall apart.
Dress your potatoes while they are warm.
This might be the most important tip, and one that may be new to you, but dressing potatoes while,e they’re still warm is t, he key to flavor. When the spuds are warm, ingredients can penetrate the flesh.
Keep in mind you should only add vinaigrette-based dressings while warm. If you add a mayo-based sauce, the hot potatoes will melt the dressing, and the salad will become oily.
To add flavor to the potatoes while they’re still warm, toss them with apple cider vinegar and spread them out on a baking sheet to cool for at least 30 minutes before adding the creamy sauces and remaining ingredients.
This step guarantees great flavor and a buttery-soft texture and allows any excess water to evaporate, ensuring that the creamy dressings cling to the spuds.
How to make potato salad light and creamy
Mayonnaise-based dressings can be heavy, so use equal parts of mayonnaise and sour cream for a delightfully light sauce.
For the best marriage of flavors, let your potato salad chill before serving, preferably for a minimum of one hour and up to a day.
How to make potato salad a little fancy
Consider adding fresh herbs to “brighten” the salad and add a clean, peppery bite and vibrant splash of color. Try parsley, fresh basil, chives, oregano, or any fresh herb.
A fun and easy way to serve your potato salad at picnics and barbecues is to spoon the salad into little cups and do it with plastic forks.
Store the cups in sealable containers that fit nicely inside your cooler, and your potato salad will be ready to serve when you are (without having to dish it out).
Recipe: The ultimate potato salad
This is my go-to potato salad recipe. Feel free to make adjustments to seasonings and mix-ins to suit your taste.
Servings: Six to eight
Ingredients
2 pounds New/Baby potatoes, Red Bliss, or Fingerling potatoes, cut into two-inch piecesSalt2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar⅓ cup mayonnaise, regular or light⅓ cup sour cream, regular or light1 teaspoon Dijon mustard freshly ground black pepper½ pound bacon, about 6 to 8 strips, cooked until chewy-crisp and chopped½ cup chopped green onions2 stalks celery, finely chopped4-ounce jar pimentos, drained and chopped2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsleyPaprika, for serving
Preparation:
Place the potatoes in a large pot and pour over enough cold water to cover them by about two inches. Set the pan over high heat and bring it to a boil. Add one teaspoon of salt and reduce the heat to medium-high. Gently boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, checking for doneness after five minutes of cooking. Drain and transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add apple cider vinegar and toss to coat. Transfer the potatoes to a large baking sheet and spread them in a single layer. Let cool for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. When the potatoes have cooled completely, add them to the mayonnaise mixture and stir gently to coat. Fold in the bacon, green onions, celery, pimentos, and parsley. Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 24 hours before serving. Finish with a sprinkle of paprika, if you like.
