This is a classic southern-style potato salad recipe made with chopped eggs, pickles, celery & celery seed, onion, and fresh dill. Everything’s coated in a tangy mayonnaise dressing, and I swear it tastes better the next day. This recipe has been passed down in my family for decades and once you try it, you’ll see why!

Skip the store-bought because my mom’s recipe blows it out of the water!

My Family’s Go-To Potato Salad Recipe

The most quintessential summer side is my potato salad, hands down. This particular celery- and egg-laden potato salad was present at every single backyard BBQ and summer cook out throughout my life.

It’s cool and creamy, with crunch from pickles and celery and a nice tang from the mustard in the dressing. I’ve had tons of potato salad recipes, but this is my all-time favorite. Not only is it nostalgic, but it really just is the best. It’s perfectly balanced with acidity, fat, texture, and bite from the onions and mustard.

Best of all, it goes with everything from burgers to grilled tri-tip to beer brats. I promise that once you try it, it’ll become a new favorite of yours too!

Jenny’s Tips & Tricks for the Best Ever Potato Salad

• Use the right potatoes! Opt for potatoes with the right blend of starchy and waxy, like red or Yukon gold potatoes. They have a great texture when cooked and absorb the dressing well.
• Slightly overcook the potatoes. This feels counter intuitive, but in my opinion the best potato salad is where the pieces of potatoes almost turn into mashed potatoes. The potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork and just starting to come apart.
• Toss the potatoes with the dressing while warm. There are conflicting ideologies here, but my Mom always tossed the potatoes with the mayonnaise dressing while they were still slightly warm so that they’d absorb the dressing better.
• Wait to add the garnishes. Make sure to give the potato salad a toss before serving. Sprinkle with more fresh dill and paprika right when you serve.

The Key Ingredients (+ Substitutions)

• Potatoes. We always use Yukon gold or red potatoes for out potato salad. You want a potato that is creamy when cooked and not too starchy, so russets are out. Note that you do NOT have to peel the potatoes if you’re using Yukon golds or baby reds since they have such tender skin.
• Shallot + green onion. I love the nuanced yet subtle onion flavor that shallots and green onions give the potato salad, but you can use any onion (just be sure to dice very finely).
• Celery + celery seed. Celery adds a great crunch while celery seed adds bold flavor.
• Diced pickle. I like using dill pickle here, but you can use your favorite.
• Hard boiled eggs. I love eggs in potato salad, but I know it can be very divisive. You can skip them if needed.
• Fresh dill. I grew up with my Mom using dried dill, but I really love the flavor that fresh dill gives.
• Mayonnaise. My Mom also sometimes swaps in Miracle Whip, but I am personally team mayo. If you use Miracle Whip, your dressing will be even tangier since Miracle Whip has some tang to it already.
• Mustard. No fancy mustard needed, just classic yellow mustard. If you can find the dill pickle mustard at Trader Joe’s, that’s my new favorite!
• Red wine vinegar. This helps add balance and acidity to the dressing and really any vinegar (except balsamic) will do. You could also use a bit of pickle juice.
• Paprika. I love the flavor and color that paprika adds.

Tools I Recommend

• 4-6 qt Pot
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowl

The 3 Simple Steps to Making Egg Potato Salad

Jenny’s Tip: Make this recipe in advance because it’s better when it sits so the flavors can meld.

1. Boil the potatoes. The chopped potatoes should always start in cold water and then be brought up to a boil. If you try to cook them like you do pasta (i.e. adding them to boiling water), you’ll end up with soft outsides and crunchy insides.
2. Mix the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise dressing. I like to use the same bowl I plan on serving the potato salad in (one less dirty dish that way!).
3. Fold in the ingredients. A rubber spatula works great for folding all of the ingredients into the creamy dressing.

What to Serve with Potato Salad

This egg and celery seed potato salad makes THE perfect side for just about every gathering or cook out. But what should you serve alongside it? Here are my favorite dishes to serve with potato salad:

• Banh Mi Hot Dogs
• Beer Can Chicken
• Grilled Chicken Wings
• Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
• Italian Picnic Sandwich
• Grilled Cheeseburgers