This potato salad with egg recipe is a classic with hard-boiled eggs, a tangy creamy dressing, and crunchy pickles and celery. Perfect for summer picnics and potlucks!
Love eggs? Try my Deviled Eggs recipe for a crowd-pleasing favorite.
This is one of those recipes where everyone's mom or grandmother makes it slightly differently. I never grew up with egg in my potato salad, but lots of people did, and I aim to please... so this is Salt & Lavender's version of this traditional recipe with eggs. I made sure to include celery salt and pickles - two of the ingredients that give this particular variety of potato salad its signature flavor.
I didn't want to make a crazy large amount of potato salad, so I only used 2 pounds of potatoes. I'd say this recipe comfortably serves about 6 people, but you could definitely get more than 6 servings out of if you've got a selection of other dishes and/or you're feeding kids. You can easily double the recipe by doubling all ingredients if you need to.
I know that this can be a topic of debate, but I like to cut the potatoes up before boiling them. I know some people prefer to boil them then peel them and cut them up (that's what my mom does), but I find it easiest to just dice 'em up and throw them in the pot. As long as you don't overcook them, they will be fine. If you swear by the other method, you can definitely do that, though! 🙂
This is a good make-ahead recipe. If you make it the morning of or even the day before you're serving it, the flavors will have a chance to nicely meld.
What kind of potatoes are best for potato salad?
I prefer using Yukon Golds (yellow) potatoes. They're firm and waxy enough and don't fall apart. I also like to leave the skins on (they're thin enough that it works!). Red potatoes are a good option too. Russets tend to fall apart, but if you want that texture (more like mashed potatoes), feel free to use that variety.
Recipe customization ideas:
You can definitely play with this potato salad... I consider it a good base recipe. Some tweaks you can do include:
- Use a different kind of mustard (yellow mustard, grainy mustard, or a sweeter mustard would be good choices)
- Use a different kind of vinegar (try apple cider vinegar)
- Try pre-made relish instead of pickles
- Use sweet pickles instead of dill pickles
- Try scallions instead of red onions
- Sub the mayo for Miracle Whip, or do a half Greek yogurt/half mayo mix to make it a bit lighter.
- Add another egg or two... or leave them out altogether
- Add in some peas and ham (my mom would do this in her version)
Recipe notes & tips:
- I use the old trick of sprinkling on some vinegar while the potatoes are cooling to add a bit more flavor/zip to the potato salad. Definitely try it if you haven't!
- It's best to not let potato salad sit out for too long (like during a picnic or BBQ) for food safety reasons if you plan on eating the leftovers.
- How long does potato salad keep? Leftovers will be good for 3-5 days in the fridge.
More potato salad recipes to try:
- Easy Potato Salad with Bacon
- Grainy Mustard Potato Salad
- Warm German Potato Salad
- Creole Ranch Potato Salad
- Chimichurri Potato Salad
Do you enjoy a classic potato salad like this one? How do you make yours? Questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments below. 🙂
Potato Salad with Egg
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes diced
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 cup dill pickles chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion chopped small
- Paprika to taste (optional)
Dressing:
- 3/4 cup mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce optional but recommended
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes up into small bite-size pieces (try to ensure they're around the same size so they cook evenly). I don't peel them, but feel free to if you want. Add them to a large pot (don't salt the water) and ensure that they're covered by 1" of water. Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and let them simmer until they're tender when pierced by a knife (about 8-10 minutes from when they start to boil).
- At the same time, cook the eggs in a separate pot so they're hard-boiled. I simply time 10 minutes from the point where they start to boil. I cool them by running cold water over them for a few minutes. Peel the eggs once they've cooled.
- While the potatoes and eggs cook, add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix together until smooth. Refrigerate dressing until needed.
- Once the potatoes are done, drain them thoroughly and then return them to the pot they were cooked in. Drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and toss gently with 2 spoons. Let them cool for 20 minutes (I gently toss them again a couple of times to speed up the cooling process by getting some air circulating).
- While waiting for the potatoes to cool, chop the other salad ingredients (pickles, celery, onions, and eggs).
- After the potatoes have cooled for the 20 minutes (they will still be warm but not so hot they wreck the dressing), add them to a large salad bowl along with the other ingredients and the dressing. Toss until coated. Sprinkle some paprika over top if desired. You can eat the potato salad right away if you like it warm or chill for an hour or two first to let the flavors meld more (cover the bowl tightly).
Notes
- Potato salad will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days in a tightly sealed container.
- This recipe doesn't make a massive amount, so feel free to double all ingredients if you need to feed a crowd. Feeds 6-8 depending on how much people eat/what else it's served with.
- See blog post for more suggestions on how to customize this recipe.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Scott Schreiber says
First time making Potato Salad, and made it exactly as per the recipe. Turned out very good, very happy with the recipe as written! Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it, Scott!
Jarred says
Looks good. What about fresh dill? I love fresh dill. If you were to use fresh dill would you substitute it in for the parsley?
Natasha says
Sure, why not! Let me know how you like it.
Sophia says
I love how detailed you are it really helps I've tried a couple other recipes of yours and they came out great plus i haven't received any complaints from the family so thank you
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that, Sophia! 🙂