Ahh, the potato salad. Here in America we know it well. It’s the comfort food your momma served you growing up, the side dish that accompanies every barbecue, and the picnic staple you crave on a warm day. When it comes to prepping this dish, everyone has their own recipe they swear by. Some call for mayo, others choose to go with a vinegar base, and some completely redefine the definition of this side.
While we wouldn’t want to insult by dubbing one as better than all the rest, we can put our two-cents into the argument. Gathering up what we deem to be worthy of your fork, here are the 12 best potato salad recipes we think reign supreme.
1. Texas Potato Salad
You haven’t tried potato salad until you’ve had it the Texan way. Tangy and spicy, flash pickle some red onions and mix it in with boiled new potatoes, hard boiled eggs, jalapeño, yellow mustard, celery, and of course, some creamy mayo.
2. Mediterranean Mustard Potato Salad
If you are looking for a no-mayo recipe, give this vinegar based Mediterranean style one a try. Baby potatoes are tossed with dill, parsley, red onion, and salty capers, then drenched in a homemade Dijon vinaigrette.
3. German Potato Salad
The American potato salad that we know and love is rooted in German cuisine. So celebrate the love of this salad with a German style potato salad consisting of red potatoes, bacon, onion, celery, ground mustard, and white vinegar.
4. Old Fashioned Potato Salad
There is something to be said for the comforting flavor of a classic potato salad. To do this dish justice, in a large bowl mix a little more than a cup mayonnaise, white vinegar, hard boiled eggs, celery stalks, yellow mustard, salt, and black pepper. Boil a couple pounds of potatoes in salted water, drain, then add them to the mix. Let it chill then serve it as a side dish with your favorite barbecue or guiltily indulge as a meal. We’re not judging.
5. Southern Potato Salad
When in doubt, do it like the South. This foolproof recipe consists of russet potatoes, sweet pickle relish, celery, sweet onion, mayo, mustard, hard boiled eggs, and apple cider vinegar. Who can say no to that?
6. Cheddar Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
Sometimes you need to give in to those fatty, creamy, carb-filled cravings. Do it right with this recipe. Ranch smothered potatoes with bacon and shredded cheddar cheese is precisely the ticket.
7. Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad
If it’s considered cheating to take the flavor of a jalapeño popper and turn it into a potato salad, then we are guilty as charged. Spicy and creamy, this is a real treat.
8. Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Not big on the traditional mayo-based potato salad? That’s okay, Averie Cooks has just the recipe for you. It’s Tex-Mex meets potato salad in the most delicious way.
What you’ll need is some sweet potatoes, black beans, red bell pepper, green onion, corn, cilantro, and a spicy lemon Dijon mustard dressing to coat it in. All it needs now is a little sour cream.
9. Dill Pickle Potato Salad
Give your potato salad a makeover with this recipe. Crunchy dill pickles, chunks of hard boiled eggs, and a pickle juice buttermilk dressing is exactly what your potatoes have been asking for.
10. Smoky Salt and Vinegar Potato Salad
Want to impress your buddies at the next cookout? Bring a big side dish of this. A little bit smoky, a little bit tangy, this is the new way of doing potato salad.
11. Balsamic Roasted Potato Salad
When making a vinegar based potato salad, mix up the usual apple cider vinegar or white vinegar and try balsamic. It adds a sweet acidity that is matched by some garlic, a pinch of cayenne, a touch of honey, and savory red potatoes.
12. Roasted Mixed Potato Salad
Okay, so we said we wouldn’t name a number one potato salad. But if we were too, this one would be in the running. What’s in it your wondering? Mixed potatoes, pungent blue cheese, purple beans, watercress, and toasted walnuts all drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil. This potato salad is unlike any you’ve had before.
