Go Back

Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

Classic potato salad with a creamy, tangy dressing made from mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar. Russet potatoes are boiled until tender, then folded with chopped eggs, celery, and sweet pickle relish for a traditional picnic salad texture.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes
Eggs and vegetables
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 0.5 cup celery
  • 0.25 cup onion
  • 0.25 cup sweet pickle relish
Dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste
  • 0.25 paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and cool the potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then cook the russet potato cubes until tender, about 15 minutes. Look for a fork-tender center before draining.
  2. Drain the potatoes and let them cool until no longer steaming. A quick cool-down helps prevent the dressing from getting runny.
Mix the salad
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled potatoes with chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced celery, finely diced onion, and sweet pickle relish. Toss gently so the ingredients distribute evenly.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the dressing looks uniform.
  3. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and fold gently to coat. Stop mixing as soon as everything is covered to keep the potatoes from breaking.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours. The texture should look thicker and the flavors should taste blended after chilling.
  2. Just before serving, garnish with paprika. Sprinkle lightly over the top for a traditional finish.

Notes

For the best classic creamy potato salad, cool the boiled potatoes fully before mixing in the dressing—warm potatoes can thin the mayo mixture. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze is not recommended. For a lighter option, use half mayonnaise and half plain Greek yogurt to reduce richness while keeping the tangy mustard-vinegar flavor.