Old Fashioned Potato Salad

Old fashioned potato salad is just like what grandma used to make! You can always buy potato salad pre-made at the store, but it will never compare to this delicious homemade potato salad. Perfect for BBQs, Fourth of July, summer potlucks or just a weeknight meal, it’s sure to become a family favorite!

Reasons We Love This Recipe

• This homemade potato salad is the perfect side dish. Whether you need a side for your Easy Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches or one for your Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks, it’s always the best way to go.  
• It’s bursting with flavor. You won’t find bland flavors. Instead, this red potato salad is bursting with savory flavors everyone will love. 
• Easy to make. Old fashioned potato salad is super easy to make. The longest part is cooking the potatoes and the eggs. After that, it whips altogether.

Old Fashioned Potato Salad Recipe

If you remember, grandma’s famous potato salad at every cookout, you know just how delicious this old fashioned potato salad is. Instead of trying to remember a pinch of this and dash of that, we have the recipe perfected for you. 

Once you make your own homemade potato salad, you won’t ever go back to the store bought stuff again!

How To Make Potato Salad

This old fashioned potato salad recipe is so easy that after making it a few times, might not even need to look up the recipe! However, make sure to  come back and snatch up some more side or main course recipes as well as delicious desserts!. 

Just a reminder, the full printable recipe with exact measurements and instructions is at the bottom of this page. Below, you will find discussion, helpful tips, and answers to common questions about the recipe.

What You Will Need

• Red potatoes: You can use regular white potatoes or yellow potatoes, but I find red potatoes work the best for this recipe. If you decide to use russet potatoes, I recommend peeling the potatoes before cooking.
• Celery: You will just need a couple stalks of celery to add a little crunch. 
• Eggs: Before you begin this recipe, make sure you have 4 hard boiled eggs that have been chilled, peeled, and chopped. 
• Pickles: We used dill pickles in our red potato salad, but you can also use sweet or bread and butter pickles for a different flavor.
• Mayo: I like to use Hellman’s real mayonnaise, but you can use any mayonnaise you choose. Miracle Whip is a decent substitute if you like the flavor.
• Greek yogurt: For the perfect consistency and flavor, you will want simple plain Greek yogurt. You can substitute with sour cream. 
• Mustard: You can’t have potato salad without a little mustard. It mixes perfectly with the mayo for the best flavor. 
• Apple cider vinegar: Don’t use regular vinegar as you won’t have the same flavor. Apple cider helps blend everything in for a creamy delicious texture. 
• Seasonings: For a flavorful salad everyone will love, you will want to add garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, dried basil, and salt. 
• Optional: You can also add some optional garnishes such as chopped parsley, green onion, or chives. 

Steps To Take

Once you have everything you will need, you will want to begin with your red potatoes. Fill your pot with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring it to a boil. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add your red potatoes into the pot. Cook them for about 5-7 minutes. 

While your potatoes are cooking, you will want to whisk together the mayonnaise, plain Greek yogurt, mustard, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, dried basil, and salt in a bowl.

Once the potatoes are done, drain the water off of them. Then, combine them with your pickles and hard boiled eggs in a separate bowl. Finally, you are going to mix your potato mixture with the creamy dressing mixture. Stir until it’s thoroughly combined. 

Refrigerate your potato salad for 1-2 hours before serving. If you choose, top it with chopped parsley, green onion, or chives. 

Potato Salad F.A.Q. and Expert Tips

• Make sure your potatoes are tender, but not mushy. You should be able to stick a fork through them easily but without the potato falling apart.
• Make sure your potatoes are fully cooked. While we don’t want them to be mushy, there is a distinct difference in the taste of an undercooked potato.
• Put dressing on warm potatoes. The dressing soaks into the potatoes better when the potatoes are still warm. Have it ready to go so that you can combine them immediately after they are finished cooking.

How do I store this Red Potato Salad? You can store any leftover potato salad in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you want to, you can also put the leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. 

What is another way to cook potatoes? If you don’t want to boil your potatoes, you can roast them instead. To roast the potatoes, cut them into wedges and place them on a sheet pan, greased or lined with parchment paper. Then, sprinkle them with oil and salt for flavor. Bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit until tender. 

Can I Substitute the Yogurt? Absolutely! If you don’t want to use Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream instead. 

If you enjoyed this recipe, here are some more fabulous recipes to try! Don’t miss all of our Potato Recipes!

More Delicious Recipes To Enjoy

Main Course Recipes

• Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
• Air Fryer Cheeseburgers
• Crockpot BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
• Crockpot Sloppy Joes
• Curried Chicken Salad

Side Dish Recipes

• Air Fryer Baked Potato
• Old Fashioned Macaroni
• Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes

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