This Classic Potato Salad recipe is made with Yukon Gold potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and a creamy dressing. It is a family favorite, and a must-have at any BBQ!
Want more side dishes? I love this Corn Salad, Cucumber Salad, Baked Beans, and Coconut Rice!
Why I love this recipe:
- Classic – No funny stuff here, this easy potato salad recipe is the traditional one everyone loves, with the best sauce to coat the potatoes.
- Fresh – Making this salad with fresh ingredients is absolutely worth it. You won’t buy one at the grocery store again!
- Make-Ahead – Throw it together when you have time, and pull it out of the fridge and serve when you are ready!
Potato Salad Ingredients:
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: these are my favorite kind for potato salad, but russet would also work.
- Hard Boiled Eggs: we use the egg yolk to make the best creamy sauce to coat the potatoes.
- Mayonnaise: good quality, like Hellman’s or Kewpie.
- Buttermilk: a must for the amazing potato salad dressing. You can make your own buttermilk, if in a pinch.
- Yellow Mustard (or Dijon)
- Dill Pickles
- Celery
- Red Onion
- Salt and Pepper
How to make Potato Salad:
Boil Potatoes: Place whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain water from the pot, then cover with a lid to allow the potatoes to steam for 5-10 minutes. Peel potatoes, if desired, and cut them into 1 inch chunks.
Make Potato Salad Dressing: Mix together egg yolks, mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, a splash of pickle juice, and salt and pepper, to taste.
Combine: Pour dressing over the potatoes. Add chopped egg whites, celery, onion, and pickles. Stir well.
Serve: Cover, and refrigerate for a few hours.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions:
To Make Ahead: This is the best potato salad recipe because you can make it up to 2-3 days ahead of time and it will taste great! Make it at least a few hours before and refrigerate.
To Store: Keep potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Recipe
Classic Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the salad
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tablespoons yellow mustard (or half dijon)
- 2 dill pickles , minced + splash of pickle juice)
- salt and pepper
- 2 ribs celery , chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion , chopped
Instructions
- Boil and chop potatoes: Place the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a large pot of water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the water completely from the pot and then cover the pot with a lid to allow the potatoes to steam for 5-10 minutes. Peel potatoes, if desired, and cut them into ½ inch chunks.
- Make Dressing: Separate egg yolks from the whites of the hard boiled eggs and place the yolks in a bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork and then stir in the mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard, a splash of pickle juice, and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Assemble: Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes. Chop the egg whites and add them to the potatoes along with the celery, onion, and pickles. Stir well, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.
Notes
Nutrition
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*I first shared this recipe in May 2013. Updated May 2019 and May 2023.
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Thanks. Tastes delicious.
What is your serving size on your nutrition stats?
Can you replace buttermilk with whole milk?
Awesome recipe! Easy and delicious as written. I did add fresh dill as my wife loves dill So glad I found this!👍❤️👍
This was easy and tasty too! Depending on the size of your potatoes, you may need some extra cooking time. Also I didn’t have any milk or buttermilk so I just used sour cream mixed with a little water. Everyone loved it. I think mixing the egg yolks with the dressing makes it nice and rich. The addition of fresh dill would add a yummy punch.
This was the perfect potato salad recipe! The only thing I did differently was use dill relish instead of chopping up the pickles. Thanks so much for this yummy recipe.
Thank-you for this awesome recipe. It looks so easy to do.
My first attempt for my wife’s birthday, she loves it. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
My husband and daughter made this as a surprise. I was skeptical because I am very picky with potato salad. This WOWED me. It tasted just like my mothers passed down to me recipe. Great instructions. I wish he had made more.
Can you make without the milk if you are dairy free?
I used apple cider vinegar (2 TBL) instead of buttermilk, I also left out the pickle juice since vinegar is enough tang for me. Tasted great
This recipe has good bones but I, personally, found it to be quite bland. I doctored it up pretty extensively to give it some flavor.
Hi! I don’t know if this will help, but I’m lactose intolerant and I use Lactaid (lactose free milk) in all my recipes. If you’re off dairy completely maybe try more of a German-style potato salad, which uses vinegar, bacon and bacon fat, veg, and some herbs. This is typically served warm or room temp, not cold. Great for an outdoor picnic because you don’t have to worry about the mayo on a hot day!