Classic Potato Salad
This classic potato salad recipe is creamy, tangy, and loaded with fresh dill, dill relish, and hard-boiled eggs. It's everything you want in a summer side dish. Make it ahead and let it chill for the best flavor.
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It’s the unofficial start of summer, which means it’s potato salad season! I mean, when isn’t it potato salad season, really?
While I make several versions of this American favorite, there’s nothing like a Classic Potato Salad. This is the kind of potato salad you find in your grocery store deli section, only better. It’s the style you might have learned to make from your grandma. Mine uses both fresh dill and dill relish for a tangy, herb-forward bite that I think is absolutely essential to balance the creaminess of the dressing.
Whether you’re bringing it to a backyard barbecue, making it for a family gathering, or building out your weekly meal prep, this recipe delivers every time.
What Makes This a Great Dill Potato Salad
The dill does double duty here. Fresh dill goes into the dressing for brightness, and dill relish adds a tangy, briny depth that you just can’t get from pickles alone. Some versions of potato salad with dill pickles swap in chopped pickles for that same tangy quality. While that works, I find relish distributes more evenly throughout the salad and gives you that flavor in every single bite without taking away from the potatoes.
Yukon Gold potatoes are my potato of choice here. They’re buttery, hold their shape well after boiling, and their thin skins mean I skip peeling entirely, similar to my Red Potato Salad. That version uses a Dijon herb dressing for a slightly different take on a summer classic.
How to Make Classic Potato Salad
The method here is straightforward, but a few details make a real difference. Start your potatoes in cold water rather than dropping them into a boiling pot. This helps them cook evenly from the inside out so you don’t end up with a mushy exterior and an underdone center.
Once the potatoes are fork tender, drain them and give them time to cool before adding the dressing. If you toss hot potatoes with mayo, the dressing breaks down and can turn oily. Gently rinse the potatoes with cold water to stop the cooking and speed up the cooling.
The dressing comes together quickly while the potatoes cool. Mayonnaise, yellow mustard, fresh dill, dill relish, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Hard-boiled eggs and diced celery go in last for texture and added flavor. This recipe is easily Whole30 friendly with compatible mayonnaise.
Make It Ahead
This is one of the best make-ahead side dishes you can have in your summer rotation. After tossing, refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. The potatoes absorb the dressing, and the flavors meld into something far better than a freshly mixed bowl. It keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to four days, making it a great option for meal prep or planning in advance for weekend cookouts.
Classic Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 5 hard-boiled eggs
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- ½ cup sweet white onion, diced (or red onion)
- 3 tablespoons dill relish
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried dill)
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and let cool.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. Add mayonnaise, mustard, kosher salt, pepper, dill, and paprika to a large bowl. Whisk together until combined. Add diced celery, onion, and dill relish to the bowl.
- Peel hard-boiled eggs and dice into pieces. Add to the bowl with cooled potatoes. Toss until everything is well coated and combined. Refrigerate for an hour, up to overnight, before serving. Sprinkle the top with extra dried dill (optional) to serve.
Notes
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