When the heat of summer is upon us, everyone needs some good picnic salad recipes. (Have you tried my quinoa and black bean salad?) This cream red potato salad recipe is as classic as it gets. It perfectly balances flavor and texture to create a crowd-pleasing result.

A white bowl filled with creamy potato salad.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s no wonder potatoes were a staple food for a Great Depression pantry. It’s easy to grow potatoes or source them from your local grocery store.

They are incredibly versatile, and we even store potatoes without a root cellar to use throughout the winter for recipes like cream of potato soup, a simple old-fashioned beef stew, or traditional borscht.

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But, during the summer months when we harvest new potatoes, this creamy potato salad recipe is a must. Here’s why you’ll love it.

Simple Ingredients – If you keep a well-stocked pantry, you likely won’t need to go grocery shopping to make this recipe. No complicated or hard-to-find ingredients!
Easy – Creamy potato salad is made with basic cooking techniques, so it’s very beginner-friendly.
Make-Ahead – We live in busy times where cooking from scratch can feel overwhelming. One of my tricks is to find pockets of time to sneak in meal prep to make mealtimes come together faster. You can make this creamy potato salad recipe up to three days in advance, and it actually tastes better when made at least a few hours before serving.

Ingredients Needed

Creamy potato salad Ingredients: red potatoes, onion, celery, pickles, hard boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, pickle juice, salt and pepper.

A full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.

Baby Potatoes – The best potatoes for potato salad are waxy varieties such as red or Yukon Gold. Additionally, young potatoes lend a creamy texture.
Eggs – If you raise chickens for eggs, you might find peeling farm-fresh eggs frustrating. Immediately submerge the eggs in an ice bath as soon as they finish boiling. This should help separate the peel from the egg for easier peeling.
Celery – Celery adds to the variety of textures with a hint of crunch.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Wooden bench knife scooping onions up and putting them into a bowl.

Pickles – There is debate over whether to use sweet or dill pickles in potato salad. This recipe calls for dill, but if you prefer, you can use sweet pickles or a combination of sweet and dill.
Onion – I prefer the mild taste and added color red onion adds to the salad, but you can substitute white or yellow onion..
Mayonnaise – Like pickles, there is debate over whether to use mayonnaise or Miracle Whip in potato salad. Because I prefer to avoid GMOs and make fail-proof mayo, I prefer mayonnaise.

How to Make This Red Potato Salad Recipe

A knife chopping red potatoes on a cutting board.

Step 1: Peel and chop the potatoes into 3/4 in chunks.

Boiling chopped red potatoes in a saucepan.

Step 2: Boil potatoes in a large pot with salt for 7-8 minutes until tender. Once done, drain the potatoes and run them under cold water to stop the cooking.

Ingredients for creamy potato salad measured and ready to mix together.

Step 3: Transfer the potatoes to a shallow dish, drizzle with 1-2 Tablespoons vinegar, and lightly toss. Set aside while making the dressing.

A bowl holding mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, pickle juice, salt and pepper to mix together for a creamy dressing.

Step 4: Mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl, taste to adjust the vinegar as needed.

Chopped onions, celery, pickles, chives and boiled potatoes layered into a mixing bowl to make potato salad.

Step 5: To assemble the salad, place your cooked and cooled potatoes in a large bowl with chopped celery, pickles, onion, and chives.

A bowl with chopped pickles, potatoes, hard boiled eggs, and onion ready to mix for potato salad.

Step 6: Add in your chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped, and gently stir to combine.

Creamy dressing drizzled over a bowl of potato salad ingredients.

Step 7: Drizzle some dressing over the potato mixture, stir and taste.

A serving bowl filled with creamy potato salad.

Step 8: Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavor marinate. Stir again before serving.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Hands holding a spoon and transferring creamy potato salad from a serving bowl into a storage container.

You can safely serve potato salad at room temperature for 2 hours. However, when serving outdoors in 90°F weather and above, you shouldn’t leave it out longer than an hour. Leftover potato salad is unsuitable for long-term storage. It will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Recipe Tips

Prevent Mushy Potatoes – Choose waxy potatoes such as red or Yukon Gold for the perfect texture. Furthermore, rinse your potatoes in cold water after boiling so they do not become mushy.
Make Ahead – Serve potato salad at its peak flavor by allowing the ingredients to meld and soak into the potatoes. The ideal time is a couple of hours before serving. After a few days, the potato salad flavors may begin to fade. You can revive it with a splash of pickle juice or vinegar and chopped fresh herbs.
Serving Suggestions – Creamy potato salad complements a variety of dishes, including oven-roasted chicken, burgers, old-fashioned fried chicken, steaks, a whole roasted pig, and more!
Food Safety — To prevent food-borne illnesses, potato salad should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. In temperatures 90°F and above, reduce serving time to one hour.

Harvest to Table Magazine

This creamy potato salad recipe was featured in the July edition of Harvest to Table Magazine. Eating fresh, seasonal produce is one of the best ways to improve your health and grow as a homesteader, but it can often feel overwhelming to keep track of it all.

Each month, a new Harvest to Table digital issue is available. It includes what fruits and vegetables are in season, helpful guides and delicious recipes so you can make the most of your produce.

With your subscription, you’ll also receive access to our Pioneering Today Academy Vault – a library of exclusive videos and tutorials! All for less than 30¢ a DAY! So subscribe today, and gain instant access!