Our all-time favorite Potato Salad Recipe – it’s simple, flavorful and filled with chunks of potatoes, eggs and olives! It’s the perfect addition to any BBQ or picnic and is so creamy and tasty, it will wow everyone who tries it.
This potato salad is a popular side dish during the summer months with all the BBQ’s and get togethers we attend. Broccoli salad and cheesecake fruit salad are some other summer salads that are a hit at parties!
a famous family recipe
We LOVE potato salad, and the recipe we love best is one my mom came up with years ago. It’s creamy, delicious and easy to make. Over the years, I’ve learned to make it myself, and any time I bring it to an event people ask for this side dish recipe.
For so long, my mom had made it from memory, so we made her sit down and measure everything out so we could get it all written out. I’m glad we did this because we can now all make it and enjoy it whenever we want.
What makes it so special? We love how creamy and flavorful it is. The mixture of mayonnaise, mustard and the secret ingredient (pickle juice), along with the chunks of potatoes, eggs, olives and pickles makes it so delicious.
How to Make Potato Salad
This potato salad is very simple to throw together. It does take time to boil the eggs and potatoes, but they are easy steps that require little work. Once you have those taken care, the rest of the steps are easy.
Boiling the potatoes: I boil the potatoes whole. This is why it takes the russet potatoes about 40 minutes to cook. Smaller potatoes may need less time. You can tell if your potatoes are cooked when you can easily push a fork through the center.
POTATOES. Let potatoes cool. Peel off skins and cube your potatoes. It’s okay if they are soft or fall apart. Place in a large bowl.
CHOP. Cube eggs and add to bowl. Cut olives and desired amount of pickles (we used 3) into small pieces as well and add to your bowl.
MIX. Add your mayonnaise and mustard and mix well (add more or less mayonnaise depending on what you like). Add salt and pepper and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Potato salad without mayo: If you’re not a fan of mayo, you can sub it out for sour cream or greek yogurt, although it will have a slightly different flavor.
NOTE: We like to make this the day before and let it refrigerate for 18 – 24 hours, but this step is not required.
recipe TIPS & FAQ
Best potatoes for potato salad? Different types of potatoes create different texture. If you want them to stay firm and hold shape, use waxy potatoes like yukon gold or red potatoes.
If you want the potatoes to slightly mash when you mix, use starchy potatoes like russets (which is what we typically use).
Variations: I love the simple classic ingredients in this potato salad. Thankfully, the flavors pair well with other ingredients and you can add in some of your favorite mix ins such as:
- Onions
- Sprinkle dill on top
- Add paprika
- Sweet pickles
- Chopped celery
- Bacon bits
- Dijon mustard
Can potato salad be made ahead? How to store? Yes! In fact, I encourage making it ahead. I think it’s even better a day after it’s made once the flavors have time to combine.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge until it’s time to serve. Afterwards, you can keep it refrigerated for up to one week.
Making for a crowd
I’ve found that about ½-1 potato per person (depending on how large your potatoes are) is a pretty good estimate for servings. This recipe uses 10-12 potatoes, and usually serves 12-15 people.
- 12 People – 1 batch
- 24-25 people – 2 batches
- 36-40 people – 3 batches
- 50 people – 4 batches
If you’re a fan of Potato Salad, you will definitely want to give this a try. It is perfect any time of year, but is especially wonderful any time you BBQ. Best of all, it saves really well and is a great leftover (if there are any leftovers that is – ha!)
Sometimes, there’s just nothing better than delicious meat (like pulled pork or steak) with sides like baked beans and coleslaw for a family BBQ! It’s all just too good! We really hope you enjoy this recipe as much as our family does. 😉
For more Salad recipes, check out:
- Pasta Salad
- Easy Coleslaw
- Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad
- Summer Corn Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Berry Cheesecake Salad
Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 10-12 potatoes we use a 5 lb bag
- 6-7 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 small can black olives
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
- baby dill pickles diced
- 1 tbsp mustard
- salt and pepper to taste to toaste
Instructions
- Place your potatoes in a pot and bring to a rolling boil. Boil potatoes for 40-45 minutes or until tender (a knife should easily pierce a potato).
- While potatoes are cooking, boil your eggs. Peel them and set aside.
- Let potatoes cool. Peel off skins and cube your potatoes. It's okay if they are soft or fall apart. Place in a large bowl.
- Cube eggs and add to bowl. Cut olives and desired amount of pickles (we used 3) into small pieces as well and add to your bowl.
- Add your mayonnaise and mustard and mix well (add more or less mayonnaise depending on what you like). Add salt and pepper and mix well.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. (We like to make this the day before and let it refrigerate for 18 - 24 hours).
Video
*NOTE: For a great tutorial on how to boil eggs go HERE.
Hands down greatest potato salad recipe out there! My husbands family always brings the store bought kind to our family gatherings :/ I think I’ll be volunteering from now own, to bring the potato salad! Really great recipe!
Best potato salad hands down! It’s the only one I’ve ever used. Don’t even bother trying other recipes.
this potato salad is the perfect side dish for any meal! my family loves it!
This looks good!
Thank you!! It tastes super good, too 😉
The perfect Summer recipe!
This Potato Salad Recipe is a keeper! Definitely will be using it a lot this summer!
Thanks for including seRving size. I have a Hard time Figuring out POTATO:person ratioS. This will be super helpful in making your recipe. Love the idea of adding pickles & pickle juice! Can’t wait to try it.
You are welcome! I am glad it was helpful! Thank you for letting me know!
My grandmother was raised in Hawaii. She makes this potato salad but instead of mustard and pickles, she puts in a can of grated spam. I couldn’t believe that someone actually knew how to make my Grammie’s potato salad!
There’s an option! Thanks for letting me know!
We made this potato salad this week! We loved it! So easy and so delicious.
Do you use sweet pickle juice or the dill pickle juice? You did not stAte what kind specIfically. Thank you.
I just use dill pickle juice, but I bet the other would work great, too!
like YOU’RE RECIPES
Awe, thank you so much!
Your recipe calls for pickle juice but doesn’t say when to add it. I assume with the Mayo and mustard?
My mother-in-law’s potato salad is divine and mine never measures up. She told me one time that pickle juice was her secret ingredient. I’m going to give your recipe a try and hope it is similar to what my MIL does. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, pickle juice is the secret recipe here! It makes the potato salad so yummy. And yes, you would add it when you add the mayo and mustard. 🙂 Hope you enjoy it!
Hi, I always make this with no pickles or pickle juice. Add red onions celery optional. Also I found that the red potatoes make a better potato salad. No mustard either. Just mayo. This is the way I was raised to make it. Sometimes my great aunt would add canned shrimp to it. Especially if it was for a special occasion.
Just thought I would throw this out for a different twist.
Thank you for the recipe shares. Pinned the Cole slaw recipe.
Thanks for sharing! Your version sound tasty too. 🙂
Have you ever tried cutting up an apple and putting in the potato salad. It gives it a little different flavor and crunch. A friend of mine makes it that way, although she won’t give me her recipe.
I can’t say that I have ever tried that before. Sounds very exciting!! Thanks for sharing!
This tasted so amazing! Thanks a lot for sharing this super easy to make potato salad recipe! Fam really loves it! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!