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Japanese Potato Salad

Japanese potato salad is a creamy mashed-potato style side with tender vegetables, sweet corn, and chopped hard-boiled egg. After boiling and gently mashing the potatoes, you fold in a mayonnaise-rice vinegar dressing and chill until sliceable and smooth-tender.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes and vegetables
  • 3 lb russet potatoes Peeled and cubed.
  • 2 carrots Diced small.
  • 1 cucumber Seeded and sliced thin.
  • 0.5 cup corn kernels
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs Chopped.
Creamy dressing
  • 0.5 cup Japanese mayonnaise Or regular mayo.
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 0.25 tsp salt To taste.
  • 0.25 tsp pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Boil and mash the potatoes
  1. Boil the peeled, cubed russet potatoes until very tender, then drain thoroughly.
  2. Mash the potatoes while still warm, leaving some chunks for a slightly mashed texture.
Prep the vegetables and eggs
  1. Blanch the diced carrots for 2 minutes, then drain well.
  2. Salt the cucumber slices and let them sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess liquid.
  3. Chop the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the mashed potatoes, carrots, cucumber, corn kernels, and chopped eggs in a mixing bowl.
  2. Whisk together Japanese mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth.
  3. Fold the dressing into the potato mixture until evenly coated.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving for the best creamy set.

Notes

For the closest texture to classic Japanese potato salad, keep the potatoes warm when mashing and fold the dressing in gently so you don’t fully smooth out the chunks. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because the cucumber and mayonnaise can break. For a lighter option, swap in light mayonnaise for a reduced-fat version while keeping the same vinegar-sugar balance.