Best Potato Salad

This potato salad recipe is perfect for picnics and barbecues! A creamy, tangy dressing coats tender potatoes, fresh herbs, and crunchy veggies.

If you grew up in the Midwest, chances are that homemade potato salad was a fixture at every gathering you went to. At least, it was for me. Pale yellow and ultra-creamy, it had a permanent spot between the macaroni salad and the hamburger buns. No barbecue, picnic, cookout, or potluck was complete without it.

This potato salad recipe is a fresh riff on that classic one. Over the last few summers, it’s become a new favorite on our picnic table. It’s just as creamy, savory, and tangy, but it has a lighter dressing, no hard boiled eggs, and plenty of veggies tossed in for crunch. It couldn’t be more perfect for picnics, because it tastes best when you make it in advance. We’ll be making it all summer long, and I hope you will be too!

Best Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this potato salad recipe:

• Potatoes, of course! Look for Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes. Their creamy texture makes them perfect for this potato salad recipe.
• Celery – It offers a delicious crunchy contrast to the creamy dressing and potatoes, and it infuses the salad with savory flavor.
• Radishes and red onion – For extra color and crunch.
• Capers – Many classic potato salad recipes call for dill pickles or sweet pickles, but I love using capers instead. They add a punch of briny flavor to the salad.
• Dill, chives, and celery seed – They deepen the salad’s savory flavor.
• And the dressing – It’s creamy, tangy, and bright, made with Greek yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper. You can also stir in turmeric for color, but it’s completely optional. The salad still tastes great without it!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Potato Salad

This potato salad recipe couldn’t be simpler to make! Here’s how it goes:

• First, chop the potatoes. Try to cut them to a similar size, into about 1/2-inch chunks, so that they cook evenly.
• Next, cook them. Place the chopped potatoes in a large pot, and cover them with one inch of cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
• While the potatoes cool, whisk together the dressing. If you try it on its own, it will taste strong and salty. Don’t worry! The flavor will balance when it’s poured over the starchy potatoes.

• Finally, pour the dressing over the potatoes and stir in the remaining ingredients. Season to taste. That’s it!

If you’re serving the potato salad right away, garnish it with extra radish slices and more fresh herbs. Otherwise, cover the salad and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’ll taste even better on days 2 and 3!

Homemade Potato Salad Serving Suggestions

This potato salad is a great addition to any summer cookout spread. Pair it with another side or two, like Grilled Corn on the Cob or Grilled Zucchini, and cook up any of these recipes to serve as a main dish:

• Best Veggie Burger
• Easy Black Bean Burger
• BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches
• Portobello Mushroom Burger
• Crispy Cauliflower Po’ Boy Sandwiches

Round out the meal with my Summer Fruit Salad and Homemade Brownies for dessert. Enjoy!

More Favorite Summer Salads

If you love this potato salad recipe, try one of these delicious summer salads next:

• Easy Pasta Salad
• Best Broccoli Salad
• Creamy Coleslaw
• Greek Salad
• Classic Caprese Salad
• Cucumber Salad
• Easy Macaroni Salad
• Or any of these 37 Best Salad Recipes!

Best Potato Salad

rate this recipe:

5 from 20 votes

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 25 mins

Serves 4 to 6

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The BEST potato salad recipe! A perfect summer side dish, this recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• ½ cup diced red onions
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 4 red radishes, halved and thinly sliced, reserve some for garnish
• ⅓ cup chopped chives, reserve some for garnish
• 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh dill, optional
• ¼ teaspoon celery seed, optional

Dressing

• ¾ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, I like Stonyfield Grassfed
• ¼ cup mayonnaise, I like Sir Kensignton's
• 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric, optional, for color
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 1-inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes, set aside to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, turmeric, if using, and several grinds of pepper. Note: this will taste strong and salty at this step; it’ll balance once it’s mixed with the potatoes.
• Pour the dressing over the potatoes and stir to coat. Stir in the celery, red onions, capers, radishes, chives, and dill and celery seed, if using. Season to taste and garnish with the reserved radishes and chives.