Grandma's Potato Salad Recipe

Grandma's Potato Salad Recipe is an easy old fashioned potato salad with few ingredients. A delicious side dish for summer and a family favorite! This classic potato salad tastes just like Mom used to make!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Best Potatoes for Potato Salad
• How to Make Grandma's Potato Salad
• Cook Time
• Variations
• How to Store
• Recipe
• Reviews

My family honestly thinks my grandma's potato salad recipe is the best potato salad recipe on the planet. But every family has a favorite potato salad, right?

This homemade potato salad recipe has been in my family forever. It's a very simple potato salad with few ingredients. This is my husband's favorite summer side dish and it's absolutely delicious!

Our old fashioned potato salad is the perfect side dish for summer cookouts and potlucks. The mild flavor pairs well with any main dish, especially burgers and ribs.

Serve this summer side salad along with grilled corn on the cob for a delicious meal!

Ingredients

You only need a few basic ingredients for homemade potato salad. If you don't have these pantry staples at home, you can find them in your grocery store.

• Small red potatoes
• Celery stalks -- chopped
• Hard-boiled eggs -- peeled and chopped
• Salt and Pepper -- to taste
• Mayonnaise

Best Potatoes for Potato Salad

Mom and grandma always said red potatoes or waxy potatoes are the best potatoes for potato salad since they hold their shape well after cooking.

White potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes will work, as well. Russet potatoes aren't the best choice since their fluffier flesh is better for baking.

However, I know people who love russets in salad, so it really is a personal preference.

How to Make Grandma's Potato Salad

First, scrub the potatoes well under cold running water. Then, slice them in half or quarters to that they are about the same size.

Grandma always peeled potatoes before cooking, but I like to leave the skins on. Skins add flavor and nutrients, and it's a lot easier to peel potatoes after cooking!

Cook Time

Fill a large pot with cold water, place the potatoes in the pot, add salt, and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to simmer, and cook potatoes until just fork tender.

This takes about 10 minutes cooking time depending on how large the potatoes are. Be sure not to over cook potatoes.

You should be able to easily poke a fork or the tip of a knife through the middle of the potato, but it shouldn't fall apart.

When the potatoes are fully cooked, drain them right away into a colander in the sink. You don't have to run them under cold water.

Place the potatoes on a cutting board or large baking sheet, and allow to cool down until you can handle them. You can chop up the eggs and celery while you are waiting.

Then, peel the skins off and cut potatoes into small pieces or small cubes. You want to aim for bite size pieces here. If you can't get some of the potato skins off, no worries. It just adds to the flavor!

Place the potatoes, chopped hard boiled eggs and diced celery into a large bowl. Then, add 1 cup of mayonnaise, and mix until blended.

Stir in additional mayo until you get the texture you like. I usually add more mayo right before serving since the potatoes absorb the mayo.

Stir in salt and pepper, to taste. For best flavor, refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight!

This is one of those old fashioned recipes that was never written down. Mom and Grandmas always eyeballed the ingredients until it tasted good to them!

To serve potato salad, we like to add sliced hard boiled eggs on top of the potato salad and a sprinkle of paprika. And that's it.

This easy potato salad recipe has no onions, no mustard and no pickles. It's super simple and so good!

Variations

There are a couple ways to customize this creamy potato salad recipe to your tastes.

I like to keep this classic recipe simple with just mayonnaise, but you can whatever you like. Yellow mustard, Miracle Whip, sour cream, and white vinegar will all work in this dressing mix.

Add your favorite potato salad ingredients. Green onions, red onions, sweet onions, sweet pickles, dill pickles, relish pickles are great additions!

Instead of regular salt, use celery salt for more flavor.

If you want to make this recipe even easier, try my Instant Pot potato salad. The basic ingredients are the same, but you cook the eggs and potatoes in the pressure cooker at the same time!

You can peel and cut your potatoes before cooking if you prefer.

How to Store

Store leftover potato salad in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap. It'll last in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Do not leave out for more than 2 hours for safety.

Potato salad will not freeze well.

Enjoy your leftovers straight out of the fridge with hamburgers, ribs, hot dogs, or alone as a snack!

Recipe

There's nothing better for summer than a good potato salad--and traditional potato salads made with easy, simple ingredients are the best ones! I hope you enjoy this classic potato salad recipe as much as we do!

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Originally published in 2014 and updated in 2022.