Easy Potato Salad Recipe
If you want the best potato salad this easy potato salad recipe is where it's at. The only recipe I will eat anymore, you will love it!
For a really long time I thought I didn't like potato salad. Now, I mourn for all those lost days! It turns out I just needed the best easy potato salad recipe in my life and I would be immediately converted!
This recipe is chock full of delicious ingredients, without being runny or mushy... both big no-no's for me.
Potato Salad With Green Olives
This recipe reminds me of my Grandma Bickmore, because it is a recipe that she really loves and looks forward to at family gatherings. I know that as long as I live, when I eat this recipe I will think of her, and I love that.
Let's start by covering a couple of commonly asked questions.
What You Need to Make This Easy Potato Salad
The ingredients in potato salad can be pretty easily adjusted, so if you really don't like something feel free to leave it out. Also, if you really love something feel free to add more of it. For example, I love green olives, so if I am making this recipe specifically for myself I will sneak in a few more than it calls for.
That being said here is what goes into our recipe:
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Celery
- Sweet or Dill Pickles (I prefer dill)
- Green Olives
- Mayo
- Mustard
- Garlic Salt
How to Make This Quick and Easy Potato Salad
- Peel and cook your potatoes until tender. To cook potatoes, fill a large pot with water, add your potatoes and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Let potatoes cook in gently boiling water until done. Typically around 15 minutes for small, halved potatoes.
- Mix all ingredients together and let sit in the fridge until ready to serve. I typically make the night before and let sit overnight!
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!
*Note: You may use anywhere between ½ cup to 1 full cup of mayo for this recipe. I tend to start with a half and then see if it needs more, but I don't prefer my salad with too much mayo so I like to start small and add more as needed.
Can this recipe be made in advance?
Yes, absolutely! In fact, I usually do. Since we typically make this dish for parties or special occasions it is really nice to make it the night before and having it already waiting in the fridge. Plus, it is definitely one of those things that gets better with time as the flavors blend a little bit.
Tips For Making The Best Potato Salad
- Choose the Right Potatoes: Opt for waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or red potatoes which hold their shape better after boiling and offer a creamy texture. Avoid overly starchy potatoes like Russets, which can fall apart and turn mushy in your salad.
- Season the Potatoes While Warm: Dress the potatoes with your garlic salt and pepper while they're still warm. Warm potatoes absorb flavors more effectively, ensuring your potato salad is evenly seasoned and more flavorful.
Best Potato Salad Variations
If this traditional American potato salad recipe is not what you are looking for, you may like one of these yummy variations.
- German Potato Salad: Served warm, this version includes boiled potatoes sliced and dressed in a warm vinaigrette made from bacon fat, vinegar, mustard, and sugar, garnished with crispy bacon, chopped parsley, and finely sliced onions. It's tangy with a slight sweetness and savory depth.
- French Potato Salad: This variation is lighter, using a Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar vinaigrette, often with shallots and fresh herbs like tarragon and parsley. It's made with boiled, sliced potatoes and sometimes includes capers or finely chopped gherkins for an extra zing.
What to Serve With The Best Potato Salad
Really anything! As long as you serve with a protein and a vegetable you are pretty much covered. Whether you are having ham, turkey, steak, chicken, hamburgers or really anything else this recipe is a great complimentary dish.
We typically serve this easy potato salad recipe on big holidays like Easter, Mother's Day, Christmas, and of course all summer long at BBQ's! Creamy potato salad is the perfect BBQ side dish. It's also a great recipe to bring to a pot luck.
If you make this we would love if you would leave a positive review for us in the comments! Nothing is as rewarding as hearing that someone made something from our site and loved it, and the time you spend coming back to comment means so much to us.
Best Recipe for Potato Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 16 Smallish Yukon Gold Potatoes
- 12 Hard Boiled Eggs Sliced
- ½ Cup Sweet or Dill Pickles Chopped
- 12 Green Olives Sliced
- ½ - 1 Cup Mayo Add more a little at a time if necessary to cover.
- ¼ Cup Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Instructions
- Peel and cook your potatoes until tender. To cook potatoes, fill a large pot with water, add your potatoes and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover. Let potatoes cook in gently boiling water until done. Typically around 15 minutes for small, halved potatoes.
- Mix all ingredients together and let sit in the fridge until ready to serve. I typically make the night before and let sit overnight.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy.
Notes
CAN THE BEST POTATO SALAD RECIPE BE MADE IN ADVANCE?
Yes, absolutely! In fact, I usually do. Since we typically make this dish for parties or special occasions it is really nice to make it the night before and having it already waiting in the fridge! Plus, it is definitely one of those things that get's better with time as the flavors blend a little bit.TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST RECIPE FOR POTATO SALAD
- Choose the Right Potatoes: Opt for waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or red potatoes which hold their shape better after boiling and offer a creamy texture. Avoid overly starchy potatoes like Russets, which can fall apart and turn mushy in your salad.
- Season the Potatoes While Warm: Dress the potatoes with your garlic salt and pepper while they're still warm. Warm potatoes absorb flavors more effectively, ensuring your potato salad is evenly seasoned and more flavorful.
Nutrition
Congratulations friends, your potato salad game just totally leveled up! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
xo,
Truly, the best potato salad I’ve ever made! Thank you ????
I'm so glad you love it!
Young ladies, you are doing such a great job! Keep it up I just read your potato salad recipe . It is similar to mine. I use at least a cup to a cup and 1/2 mayo in mine but much less mustard. I use yellow mustard or Dejurn (spelling?). , kosher dills, chopped onions, sometimes chopped celery. Finally, I want you add a spice to just taste it one time in your recipe. The heavy use of eggs, mayo, dill pickles and mustard( 2-3 teaspoons for mine ) for me screams for marjoram flakes. Try it please and email me if you have time. Love reading and using your recipes. Instead of watching the game, Gin (almost 82)
Thanks Gin! You are so sweet, that recipe does sound simple and delicious, thanks for sharing!
I bought ingredients for one recipe and forgot that I emailed it to myself, so I mostly used this recipe, but used 6 boiled eggs, 20 green olives. I forgot to use buttermilk even tho I had it on hand as well as garlic powder or garlic salt. I was in a hurry;) I added celery and red onion. I would have loved to have added paprika, but was out. I did have fresh dill and forgot that. Regardless of all that, my in-laws really enjoyed it. I like it too!
Buttermilk?
I added some black olives, garlic powder, chives and crushed pimentos
Finding some awesome recipes here. The last potato salad I made I put sliced Kalamata Olives and a bit of the juice in it. Gave it a very tasty flavor.
Give me the bowl!! Love potato salad!! It's a must for any summer BBQ!
Potato salad is my favorite BBQ side dish! So, so delicious!
This quickly became a favorite at my house! So easy and so good!
Making this the day before helped in so many ways! I was perfect!
This is such a great recipe. It's very similar to the one I grew up eating too! So many memories with every bite!!!