Classic Potato Salad

This delicious classic potato salad is creamy with a little bit of crunch from the onion, celery, and pickles and it’s so easy to make!

This classic potato salad recipe from Cooks Illustrated is so easy to make and takes me back to my childhood. I had some hard boiled eggs in the fridge and potatoes in the cupboard so I threw this simple potato salad recipe together. I adapted the recipe a bit by using dill pickles instead of sweet relish because my family prefers it that way but other wise kept to the original recipe. This creamy potato salad paired nicely with some baked chicken drumsticks, baked beans, and a big spinach salad for dinner.

How to Make Classic Potato Salad

Cook the potatoes by placing the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt along with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1-inch in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer the potatoes for 8-10 minutes, or until fork tender. Side Note: Don’t overcook the potatoes or your potato salad will be mushy.

Season the potatoes by draining them well then gently dump them into a large bowl. Immediately drizzle the vinegar on top of the hot potatoes and gently toss them with a rubber spatula to coat them evenly; set aside to cool completely, about 20-30 minutes. Side Note: Don’t skip this step! The vinegar really helps flavor the potatoes. 

Make the salad dressing while the potatoes cool by combining the mayonnaise, celery, pickles, onion, chives, mustard, celery seeds, sugar, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper; stir well and place into the refrigerator to allow flavors time to mingle until needed.

Prepare the salad by gently fold the salad dressing into the cooled potatoes along with the chopped eggs until evenly mixed and coated. Top with additional chives, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy.

Classic Potato Salad

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Potato Cooling and Flavor Mingling Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Course: Salad, Side Dish, Sides

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4

Author: Pam - For the Love of Cooking / Original by Cooks Illustrated

Equipment

• Large saucepan

Ingredients

• 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled & cut into ¾-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, (for the potato cooking water)
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 stalk of celery, finely diced
• 3 tbsp dill pickles + 1 tbsp pickle juice **OR 3 tbsp sweet pickle relish
• 2 tbsp red or yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped, plus more for garnishing, if desired **You can also use fresh parsley
• ¾ tsp dry mustard
• ¾ tsp celery seed **NOT celery salt
• Pinch of sugar, to taste
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled & chopped

Instructions

• Cook the potatoes by placing the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt along with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1-inch in a large saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer the potatoes for 8-10 minutes, or until fork tender. Side Note: Don't overcook the potatoes or your potato salad will be mushy.
• Season the potatoes by draining them well then gently dump them into a large bowl. Immediately drizzle the vinegar on top of the hot potatoes and gently toss them with a rubber spatula to coat them evenly; set aside to cool completely, about 20-30 minutes. Side Note: Don't skip this step! The vinegar really helps flavor the potatoes. 
• Make the salad dressing while the potatoes cool by combining the mayonnaise, celery, pickles, onion, chives, mustard, celery seeds, sugar, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper; stir well and place into the refrigerator to allow flavors time to mingle until needed. 
• Prepare the salad by gently fold the salad dressing into the cooled potatoes along with the chopped eggs until evenly mixed and coated. Top with additional chives, if desired.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy. 

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