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The best BBQ side dish has got to be Classic Potato Salad. This recipe is filled with bite size tender potatoes, hard boiled eggs, a few veggies and the best creamy dressing.
What better to accompany a grilled burger, pork chop or piece of chicken on a great sunny day than a classic potato salad? It's the perfect side dish for grilled foods and picnics. It can be made a day ahead which makes it perfect for pot lucks and parties.
This post was originally posted on 07/07/2015 and updated on 04/14/2021.
Classic Potato Salad Ingredients
- Potatoes: Peeled, Cubed and Cooked
- Eggs: Hard Boiled and Peeled
- Onion, diced
- Celery, diced
- Miracle Whip
- Classic Yellow Mustard
- Paprika
- Onion Powder
- Sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Substitution Suggestions
- Potatoes: Use a good starchy potato. Russet and Yukon Golds are the best options.
- Miracle Whip: I prefer to use miracle whip because its how my Grandma made it and it's what I prefer, but feel free to use your favorite mayonnaise.
- Onions: My Grandma always used yellow onions, however green onions or red onions are good replacements. For non onion lovers, you can leave them out too. The onion powder in this recipe helps replace the flavor.
- Yellow Mustard: Don't worry if you are not a mustard fan, I actually dislike yellow mustard, and it doesn't make this salad taste mustardy at all. It helps balance it all out and helps give the salad the tang it's known for. It can be left out if needed.
- Sugar: This is a personal preference. I like the dressing to have just a touch of sweetness and I feel it helps balance all the flavors. If you don't like sugar in your salad, feel free to leave it out. You may have to adjust other seasonings.
How to Make Simple Potato Salad Recipe
- Once your potatoes and eggs are cooked, let them cool completely.
- Chop 8 of the eggs, and slice the other 4. An egg slicer makes it super easy.
- In a bowl whisk together: onion, celery, Miracle Whip, mustard, paprika, onion powder, sugar, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
- Pour dressing over cooled potatoes and mix gently.
- Fold in the chopped eggs.
- Chill potato salad before serving.
- Before serving, arrange sliced eggs on top of salad and sprinkle with a touch more paprika.
Tips for Best Classic Potato Salad
- Make this potato salad a day ahead, it tastes so much better after the salad has time to rest and meld all its wonderful flavors.
- Don't salt the potatoes during cooking or after cooking. Salting the potatoes draws out extra moisture and can make the dressing become too loose and watery. Only add salt to the dressing.
- Make the potatoes and eggs in the Instant Pot! I cook them separately because I add a lot of eggs to my potato salad. For the potatoes: Add ¾ cup water and the diced potatoes (make sure they are bite size pieces) in the instant pot. Set the timer for high pressure and 6 minutes and do a quick release. Drain any excess water. For the eggs: Add 1 cup of water to the instant pot. Add the trivet and place 12 eggs on the trivet. Set the timer to high pressure for 6 minutes. Do a manual quick release and then place the eggs in an ice water bath right away.
What Goes with Classic Potato Salad with Eggs Recipe:
- Oven Roasted BBQ Chicken Breasts
- Easy Turkey Burgers
- Iowa Maid Rites
- Oven Fried Chicken Legs
- Family Favorite Sloppy Joes
FAQs About Classic Creamy Potato Salad
I prefer a good starchy potato like Russet or Yukon Gold. They hold their shape well and absorb the flavors of the dressing nicely.
Store potato salad in an air tight container in the fridge. It will last 4-5 days in the fridge.
Yes, cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces making sure they are all about the same size to ensure even cooking. Add the potatoes to a pot, top with cool water and bring to a boil. Boil until fork tender, then drain the potatoes and let cool.
More Delicious Potato Side Dishes:
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Roasted Ranch Potatoes
- Smashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Oven Fries
- Taco Steak Fries
- Air Fryer Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Casserole
Classic Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Russet potatoes, peeled, cubed, and cooked until fork tender
- 12 large eggs, boiled and peeled
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced (about ½ cup)
- 3 cups Miracle Whip, or your favorite mayo
- 1 Tablespoon classic yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Let potatoes and eggs cool to room temperature.
- Chop 8 eggs and using an egg slicer, slice the remaining 4 eggs.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together onion, celery, Miracle Whip, mustard, paprika, onion powder, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Add the dressing to the potatoes and gently mix together.
- Fold in chopped eggs.
- Add salad to a serving bowl and lay sliced eggs on top of salad..
- Chill for at least 1-2 hours before serving. The longer the better.
- Before serving sprinkle the top with a dash of paprika.
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