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Classic Potato Salad with Eggs

Classic potato salad with eggs—cubed russet potatoes boiled until tender and folded into chopped hard-boiled eggs with a creamy mustard dressing. Chill for a couple hours so the flavors blend, then finish with a light paprika garnish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Russet potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed
Hard-boiled eggs
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs chopped
Celery
  • 0.5 cup celery diced
Onion
  • 0.25 cup onion finely diced
Mayonnaise
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
Yellow mustard
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
White vinegar
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
Sugar
  • 1 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste
Paprika
  • 0.5 tsp paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and cool the potatoes
  1. Bring the potatoes to a boil in a Dutch oven and cook until tender, about 15 minutes, until a fork slides in easily. Drain and cool until no longer hot, about 5 minutes, so the dressing won’t turn runny.
Build the potato and egg mixture
  1. Combine the potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, and onion in a large bowl and stir just enough to distribute the egg pieces and vegetables. Stop when everything looks evenly mixed in a pale, creamy base without smashing the potatoes.
Make the creamy mustard dressing
  1. Whisk the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and evenly colored. Taste and adjust with more salt and pepper if needed so the dressing is well-seasoned.
Toss, chill, and garnish
  1. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and fold gently until the potatoes are coated and the egg remains in visible yellow bits. Fold slowly for a creamy, chunky texture without breaking the potatoes.
  2. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors meld and the dressing thicken. Cover for best results and look for a thicker, more cohesive salad after chilling.
  3. Sprinkle paprika over the top right before serving for a light speckled finish. Add it at the end so the color stays bright.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the boiled potatoes completely before mixing so the mayonnaise dressing stays creamy instead of watery. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 4 days; the texture softens slightly after that. Freezing is not recommended for this salad. For a lighter version, use reduced-fat mayonnaise (or a Greek-yogurt blend) while keeping the same mustard and vinegar.