Best Potatoes For Potato Salad Recipe

The Best Way To Cook Potatoes For Potato Salad

Waxy potatoes and all-purpose potatoes can be boiled whole or cut starchy potatoes must always be boiled whole.

When cooking any potatoes, add them to a pot, cover them with cold water by an inch, add a big pinch of salt and turn the heat to high. When the water boils, reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes until they are firm but tender when pierced with a fork or paring knife. Test cut potatoes as soon as the water comes to a boil, it doesnt take long to cook small pieces of potato, especially if theyre slices. Whole Russet potatoes will take longer to test, remove one from the pot with tongs and pierce it with a paring knife, which should slide into the center of the potato easily. For a step-by-step guide complete with photos, head over to our story, How to Boil Potatoes.

To peel the skin from potatoes, use a paring knife and gently tug off large pieces. The hotter the potatoes are, the easier they are to peel we suggest wearing 2 pairs of disposable gloves to protect your hands from the heat. After peeling, cut the potatoes in cubes.

How Does Ina Garten Make Potato Salad

Ina Garten makes potato salad by boiling the potatoes until tender. Theyre then left to steam and drain while she makes the dressing, a blend of mayo, buttermilk, two kinds of mustard, and seasonings. Once the potatoes are cool, she coats them with the sauce and chills the dish before serving.

Sounds easy enough, right? Lets break that down a little.

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Tips For Making The Best Potato Salad

Want your potato salad to be easy to prepare and taste amazing? Check out this pro tip list:

• Use fresh potatoes wash and scrub them well.
• Peel the potatoes well and dig out any large eyes or dark blemishes with a sharp knife.
• Use cold water to rinse the cooked potatoes. This helps speed the cooling process.
• Definitely use real mayonnaise! Dont substitute miracle whip.
• Use an extra large mixing bowl to stir the ingredients up. You want plenty of room to evenly distribute the celery, onion, and hard boiled eggs throughout the potatoes and creamy dressing.
• Prepare the potato salad at least 3 hours in advance so it can completely chill in the refrigerator before serving.
• You can also prepare it a day before and serve it the next day.

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Best Potato Salad Recipe

This Potato Salad Recipe makes the best classic potato salad! This favorite side dish is easy to make with potatoes, egg, pickle relish, onion, celery and a creamy homemade dressing.

Potato salad is a classic summer side dish thats perfect for serving with your favorite meals. If you love potato salad, youll also enjoy my Macaroni Salad, Coleslaw Recipe, Pasta Salad and Broccoli Salad.

I love my Instant Pot Potato Salad recipe for convenience, since the potatoes and eggs cook at the same time in the Instant Pot. But if youre looking for a traditional potato salad recipe that you can make on the stove, then this is the recipe for you!

Potato salad is surprisingly simple to make, but, just like making perfect creamy Mashed Potatoes, there are a few tips and tricks that will make your homemade potato salad the hit of the party.

How Long Does Potato Salad Last

Potato salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Be sure to refrigerate potato salad promptly for food safety. Never leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or less if outside on a hot day. Salads with mayonnaise-based dressings can spoil quickly if they are left out of the refrigerator, especially in a warm environment.

Potato salad tastes best after it has chilled in the refrigerator. For the best taste, refrigerate it for at least 2 hours before serving. It will taste even better on the second day.

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Try Our Easy Macaroni Salad Recipe

The texture of this salad is creamy-smooth, with little pops of crunch mingled throughout.

Perfect for barbecues, picnics, and potlucks, youll definitely want to share this life-changing version of macaroni salad.

My family is nuts over this recipe. Its a side dish they ask for again and again.

I bet yours will, too!

Serve This Dish With

What Type Of Potato Is Best For Potato Salad

We use white potatoes, or Yukon Golds, in our familys recipe. Because they have a thinner skin, theyre easy to peel after boiling and taste creamier, a little sweeter, and hold their shape well after cooking. Avoid using starchier potatoes like russets that too easily turn to mush in salads like this.

Also remember to choose potatoes of the same size for the most consistent cooking.

Read Also: How To Make A Good Salad At Home

The Best Kind Of Potatoes For Potato Salad According To Experts

Water-logged, mushy and mealy is not what were after in a good potato salad, and choosing the right spud for the job can help you avoid that. After talking to food scientists and chefs, weve found the three best kinds of potatoes for the job, based on flavor, texture and simplicity when making this dish.

Can You Make It Ahead Of Time

You can make this simple potato salad recipe ahead of time, cover it and store it in the refrigerator, and it will keep well for 3 to 4 days.

You can also make ahead just the boiled potatoes, chop the pickles, red onion and eggs, or just prep the mayo Dijon dressing ahead to save some time.

Because this salad contains mayo, it shouldnt be kept at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

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For The Best Potato Salad

• It is very important to season the potatoes with salt, vinegar and sugar while cooking and adding additional vinegar and salt to the potatoes while still hot.
• Dont cook the potatoes in already boiling water. Add them to cold water and bring everything to the boil together so that they cook evenly through.
• Take care not to over or undercook the potatoes. They should be fork tender when you remove them from the water.
• Let the potatoes cool before mixing them with the mayonnaise. If you add the mayonnaise to hot potatoes it can become quite oily.

If You Enjoyed This Recipe For How Long To Boil Potatoes For Potato Salad You Might Enjoy These Other Potato Recipes At Loaves And Dishes

Tuesday 30th of March 2021

Hi Scott! I hope they turned out perfectly!

Lee Lee

Wednesday 28th of October 2020

Thank you Soooo Much! This comes out perfect everytime. I add a few black olives to it & it’s my husband’s favorite

Wendi Spraker

Wednesday 28th of October 2020

Hi Lee Lee, Thanks for coming back and leaving a comment, I appreciate it so much. I’m glad your husband loves it!

Hi! I’m Wendi and I believe that food made with love and passion has power. It can bring people together AND carry them home. I’ll show you how to get amazing flavor from simple dishes. Your family and friends will exclaim, “WOW! Amazing! I NEED this recipe!” Join me and nourish your body and soul.

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Potato & Radish Salad

Give potato salad a healthy makeover with sliced radish, mustard, chives and crème fraîche to give maximum flavour – a tasty side dish for ham

Can I Peel The Potatoes Before Cooking

Mom always cooked the potatoes with the peels, then pulled off some of the peels after cooking. This allows you to leave some potato skins in the salad, if you like, for extra texture. Also, it elements the need for a vegetable peeler because the skins will pull right off after the potatoes are fully cooked.

However, if you do not want to incorporate any of the potato skins into the salad, you can peel them beforehand. Its a matter of personal preference.

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Here’s How To Make The Best Mashed Potatoes Of Your Life

There are few chefs more qualified to lend advice about mashed potatoes than RJ Harvey.

Harvey is a registered dietitian and the culinary director of Potatoes USA. He’s also a Johnson & Wales-trained chef with an impressive resume that includes Grant Achatz’s Alinea and Thomas Keller’s French Laundry.

In his work with Potatoes USA, which represents more than 2,500 commercial farms in the nation, Harvey has been to 54 countries. U.S.-grown potatoes really get around.

“Think about all of the quick-service restaurants all around the globe,” Harvey said. “They all have some sort of potato dish on the menu.”

More: You’ve heard of butter boards, now it’s time to try a loaded baked potato skin board

The Rest Of The Ingredients

Now we have perfectly cooked and seasoned potatoes and a creamy dressing, its time to add some extra ingredients.

Potato salad is a personal process, and there are lots of opinions out there as to what makes it perfect or the best. The recipe below is our version it includes everything we love, but remember that its your potato salad, so add what you like!

Celery and Pickles The celery adds a lovely crunch and our house isnt stable without dill pickles in the refrigerator so adding them is a no-brainer for us. If you dont like pickles in potato salad leave them out .

Red Onion I love the sweetness and crunch of red onion in this. To make sure that the onion doesnt overpower the salad with raw onion flavor, I deflame the onions. Its a simple process, simply add cool water to chopped onion and set aside for 10 minutes. The time in the water takes the raw edge off the onion.

Hard-Boiled Eggs Maybe its how we were brought up or what were used to but, potato salad without eggs is missing something. Hard-boiled eggs add texture and extra creaminess.

Fresh Herbs The most common herbs are parsley and chives, but dill, cilantro, and tarragon all work well. In our recipe below, we use both dill and parsley. Experiment for yourself to see what you love. Add a tablespoon at a time then taste. Also, remember dill and tarragon are a little stronger than other herbs so add accordingly.

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Use Salty Smoky Or Fiery Ingredients

Classic potato salad recipes dont stray far from chopped onions, celery and pickles, but that doesnt mean you cant get creative. Look to fresh herbs, thinly sliced jalapenos, radishes or chopped fennel to add a pop of flavor. You could also try salty ingredients like capers, olives or anchovies. Dont be afraid to add meat, either. Smoked meats like ham, bacon or smoked salmon are especially flavorful.

How To Boil Potatoes For Potato Salad

Waxy potatoes can be cooked whole or cut, with or without the skin.

Starchy potatoes should be cooked whole with the skin on, then peeled and cut after theyre cooked. Select medium Russet potatoes, not large ones, to ensure the skin doesn’t split while cooking. Peel them when they’re hot , then cut them into cubes.

For both waxy and starchy potatoes, always start by adding cold water to a pot. Then add a generous pinch of salt and the potatoes. Bring the water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are just tender enough to easily yield when pierced with a knife.

For even more details on how to boil potatoes, head over to our story How to Boil Potatoes.

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Other Ingredients For Potato Salad

Here is what else you will need to make my best potato salad.

Bacon you can use bacon rashers or middle bacon and it has to be pan-fried to crispy!!! Pancetta or other cured pork meat can be used and if you dont eat pork, replace it with a beef alternative. Crispy bacon adds salty notes and a crunchy texture. PS. Using smoked chicken is another hot tip!

Capers you will need baby capers, ideally in salty brine, which need to to be drained and paper-dried to remove excess liquid. If the capers come in salt, rinse them well before draining. Capers are pan-fried to crispy as well, which gives them a salty, nutty flavour its the bomb.com, a secret ingredient and a MUST in this salad

Green apple this is my second secret ingredient and adds a sweet crunch that works well against all those salty bits like bacon and capers. Green apple is best but any other kind will do.

Cucumbers fresh cucumber and sweet pickled gherkins or dill pickles are used one adds freshness and the other adds a little acidity and sweetness once again. Do use both if you can.

Fresh dill I mean, I love dill with potatoes so this was a no-brainer for me. If you dislike dill, I would suggest trying parsley or omitting the herb altogether. You can add little chives if you want something green.

Spring onions also known as green onions or scallions give the salad a little sharpness and savoury notes and I use the white and green parts of the onions.

Whats The Best Potato For Potato Salad

Waxy potatoes are the best potatoes for potato salad because they have a lovely buttery flavor and a great texture soft and creamy with a nice chew. Theyre also able to hold their shape after boiling. For this reason, Yukon Golds are the best choice.

That said, it boils down to personal preference.

Yukons are more expensive than, say, Russets, but I think theyre worth it because Russets are more likely to turn to mush as you mix the dressing in.

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The Best Macaroni Salad Recipe

How to describe this Macaroni Salad. Well, its ridiculously addictive.

Once you start, you just cant stop eating it.

In all honesty, Im usually not a fan of macaroni salad. Most of the recipes Ive tried over the years have been too sweet, too mayonnaise-y, too bland, or too dry and clumpy.

However, I was recently at a barbecue restaurant and decided to give their macaroni salad a taste. I was pleasantly surprised by the zesty flavor and silky texture. It still wasnt life-changing for me, but it did inspire me to come home and make a version I could really enjoy.

This The Best Macaroni Salad recipe might be better titled The Only Macaroni Salad Recipe Youll Ever Need because it is truly the only version Ive ever tasted or made that I get excited about.

In fact, its hard not to eat it right out of the serving bowl.

Ingredients For Simple Potato Salad

Potatoes Use the potato of your choice like gold or red skin potatoes.

Mayonnaise You can use your favorite mayonnaise or Miracle Whip.

Mustard This recipe calls for yellow mustard but you can also use Dijon.

Vinegar Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. This adds a wonderful layer of flavor to the potatoes.

Salt, pepper, celery seed Basic seasonings for the salad. You will also want extra salt to salt the potato water.

Green onions You only need 2-3 green onions for this recipe.

Hard boiled eggs These are optional but I think are key to a classic potato salad recipe.

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How To Make Classic Macaroni Salad

Best Potatoes For Potato Salad Ina Garten

There are many different types of potatoes that can be used for potato salad, but Ina Gartens favorite type is the Yukon Gold potato. These potatoes have a thin skin and a buttery flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients in the salad. Another type of potato that can be used is the red potato, which has a slightly firmer texture and a slightly sweeter flavor.

One of Ina Gartens favorite Easter side dishes is potato salad. This potato salad uses an unusual method for ensuring the perfect potato texture. This potato salad tastes like a recipe from the kitchen, but it can be made in the comfort of your own home. This method yields a delicious dressing made from potatoes, vegetables, and dressing. Ina Gartens potato salad recipe is a classic with layers and layers of delicious flavor. Salads made with mayonnaise do not freeze well, and potato salad is no exception. I dont think the mayonnaise will work well in the freezer, but it will work because it comes together so quickly.

According to Ina Garten, her potato salad recipe is a completely different take on the classic dish. This simple recipe will be simple to make, with layers of flavor to go along with it. To serve warm or cold, its so tasty that it can be used as a dip or dipped into any type of food.

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