Crafting the Ultimate Homemade Potato Salad

No picnic, barbecue, or potluck spread is complete without a hearty bowl of homemade potato salad that everyone will love. These expert tips will ensure your potato salad turns out perfect every single time.

How to Prepare Potato Salad

Potato salad comes in many variations. From creamy to vinegar-based, warm to cold, and with countless ingredients to add flavor, there's a style for everyone. Plus, whether you use Russets, Yukon Golds, or reds, we'll guide you through the best ways to cook potatoes and suggest some of the most popular recipes to try.

Check out this recipe for Perfect Classic Potato Salad by Nicole McMom, and watch the video above for all her insider tips on creating her favorite potato salad.

1. Choosing the Right Potatoes

The type of potatoes you choose plays a crucial role in the texture of your potato salad. Many chefs opt for waxy varieties like Yellow Finn, Yukon Gold, or red potatoes, as they hold their shape during cooking and remain firm when chopped and mixed with dressing.

Russet or Idaho potatoes have a drier, starchier texture and may break down during cooking, cutting, and mixing with dressing. However, this can actually be an advantage, as these potatoes absorb the dressing beautifully, creating a softer, creamier texture. Learn more about how to pick the perfect potato for your recipe.

Potato Pro Tip: Potatoes can bring a pop of color to your salad. Red potatoes are creamy white on the inside with a red skin, while purple potatoes maintain their vibrant hue all the way through. You can even add sweet potatoes for a burst of orange, like in this Caribbean Sweet Potato Salad.

2. Preparing and Cooking Your Potatoes

To peel or not to peel? If you want to add a bit of texture and color to your salad, consider leaving the skins on. Just be sure to scrub them clean with a vegetable brush before cooking. Once your potatoes are prepped—scrubbed or peeled—cut them into bite-sized pieces, place them in a large pot, and cover with water. Be sure your pot is large enough to prevent the water from boiling over. Bring the water to a boil, then generously salt it. Lower the heat if necessary to maintain a gentle boil.

How long should you boil potatoes for potato salad? Depending on how large your potato chunks are, cooking time will range from 8 to 15 minutes. When the potatoes are tender enough to cut easily with a fork, drain them and let them rest in the strainer for a few moments to allow excess steam to escape. Keep in mind, the residual heat will continue to cook the potatoes even after draining.

Hot or Cold?

• If you're making a warm potato salad to be served immediately, prepare your dressing before you cook the potatoes so it's ready to use as soon as the potatoes are drained.
• If you're cooling the potatoes before adding dressing, spread the potatoes out on a baking sheet in a single layer to cool. This is a good time to add some seasonings, since potatoes are at their most absorbent when they're still warm. Sprinkle the warm potatoes with salt, pepper, dried herbs, and a spritz of your favorite vinegar. When the potatoes are no longer steaming, transfer them to the refrigerator to chill.

Beyond Boiling. Boiling isn't the only option when it comes to cooking potatoes for potato salad. Explore other tasty cooking methods like these:

• Grill: Grilled Potato Salad (pictured below)
• Microwave: Colorful and Easy Potato Salad
• Slow cooker: Slow Cooker German Potato Salad
• Pressure cooker: Pressure Cooker Potato Salad
• Oven: Loaded Baked Potato Salad

3. Adding Ingredients

Some prefer to keep the potatoes simple, adding just a few ingredients for flavor and texture, while others go all out, packing in as many extras as possible. It's your salad—customize it the way you like!

Whether you're making a creamy or tangy potato salad, popular dressing seasonings include apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, pickle brine, horseradish, paprika, hot sauce, herbs (fresh or dried), and any variety of mustard, from mild yellow to spicy Dijon or stone-ground.

Dill, chives, and parsley are classic herb choices for potato salad, but other great options include sage, tarragon, basil, thyme, and rosemary.

Beyond herbs and spices, there are plenty of other tasty additions to experiment with:

• Tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, sweet bell peppers of any color, pickles, capers, chiles, peas, celery, green beans, red onions, green onions, shallots, olives, fennel, pimentos, watercress, and artichoke hearts
• Crumbled cheeses including Gorgonzola, blue cheese, smoked Cheddar, or feta
• Raw or toasted nuts and seeds, especially sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, or pecans
• Tidbits of cooked or cured meats like salami, ham, prosciutto, smoked salmon, shrimp, chicken, or bacon
• And, of course, hard-cooked eggs

4. Selecting a Dressing

Are you a fan of creamy potato salad, or do you lean toward a zesty, vinegar-based dressing? The choice is yours!

Creamy Potato Salads typically feature a mayonnaise-based dressing, but variations can include sour cream, yogurt, or creamy-style salad dressings. This variety is usually served cold, though there are plenty of warm options to consider.

More delicious creamy potato salad recipes to explore:

• Old Fashioned Potato Salad (pictured above) is a classic creamy potato salad.
• Warm Dijon Potato Salad is made with boiled red potatoes and thinly sliced red onions tossed with a creamy mix of mayo, Dijon mustard, vinegar, and Parmesan cheese.
• Bacon and Eggs Potato Salad is a creamy, hearty mix of red potatoes, bacon, eggs, and peas tossed together and cooled for an hour to let the flavors meld.
• Amish Potato Salad has a sweet and sour cooked dressing to coat the potatoes, eggs, celery, and onion before chilling in the fridge for a day.
• Baked Potato Salad is "like a baked potato in a bowl" with creamy sour cream, bacon, Cheddar cheese, and just a titch of mayo.

Explore More: Browse all of our recipes for creamy potato salads.

Vinegar-based Potato Salads, often referred to as German potato salad, are typically dressed with a mix of vinegar and vegetable oil, sometimes with a touch of sugar to balance the acidity. This style is traditionally served warm.

More vinegar-based potato salad recipes to explore:

• Real German Potato Salad (pictured above) is warm and savory with bacon and onions.
• Picnic Potato Salad with No Mayonnaise gets its tangy edge from balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, fresh basil and chives, and crumbled blue cheese. You'll toss the warm potatoes with the dressing, and let the salad chill before folding in the cheese and chives.
• Light and Easy Greek Potato Salad features a zippy dressing of olive oil, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, a touch of sugar, and dried rosemary. Serve this warm or cold.
• Warm Green Bean and Potato Salad with Goat Cheese includes roasted red peppers and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Discover More: Check out all of our recipes for German-style potato salads, no-mayo potato salads, and dairy-free potato salads.

5. Mixing Everything Together

After choosing your dressing ingredients, mix everything thoroughly and taste. Do you need more salt, vinegar, or spice? Adjust the seasonings before tossing the potatoes with the dressing. The less you stir, the more visually appealing your salad will be. Keep in mind that the potatoes are milder than the dressing—so a spoonful of strong dressing will balance perfectly once combined with the potatoes.

The flavors of your potato salad will deepen and improve over time. If possible, prepare your salad a day in advance to allow the ingredients to fully combine and develop their best taste.

How long can you keep potato salad in the fridge?

Try to consume your potato salad within three to four days. But how long is it safe to leave potato salad out at room temperature? According to the FDA, don't leave it out for more than two hours. If it's over 90°F outside, reduce that time to just one hour. For optimal freshness, store your potato salad in a cooler with ice during picnics.

Discover our collection of Potato Salad Recipes, featuring mouthwatering photos, reviews, and helpful tips.