Potato Salad Recipes: How to Make the Best Potato Salad Ever

For those who like healthy but delicious food, potato salad can be an option. Soft potatoes, plus mayo sauce and some crunchy vegetables can be served along with a favorite grilled meat dish.

Potato salad is a classic dish that can be enjoyed in many ways. Whether you prefer it creamy, tangy, chunky, or smooth, there is a potato salad recipe for you. Potato salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks, barbecues, or any occasion where you want a delicious and satisfying side dish.

In this article, we will show you how to make the best potato salad ever, with tips and tricks from experts and chefs. We will also share some of the most popular potato salad recipes from around the world, so you can try something new and exciting. Let’s get started!

What are the best potatoes for potato salad?

The first step to making a great potato salad is choosing the right potatoes. There are many types of potatoes, but not all of them are suitable for potato salad. You want to use potatoes that are waxy, firm, and hold their shape well after cooking. Some of the best potatoes for potato salad are:

• Small white potatoes: These are also known as new potatoes, baby potatoes, or creamers. They have a thin skin and a creamy texture. They cook quickly and evenly, and absorb the dressing well. They are ideal for making a simple and elegant potato salad.
• Red potatoes: These are also waxy and firm, with a smooth skin and a slightly sweet flavor. They add a nice color and contrast to the potato salad, and pair well with herbs and vinegar-based dressings. They are often used for making German potato salad or Mediterranean potato salad.
• Yukon gold potatoes: These are a cross between waxy and starchy potatoes, with a yellow flesh and a buttery flavor. They are creamy and tender, but not too mushy. They work well with both creamy and tangy dressings, and can be used for making American-style potato salad or French potato salad.

You should avoid using starchy or mealy potatoes, such as russet potatoes, Idaho potatoes, or baking potatoes. These potatoes have a high starch content and a dry texture. They tend to fall apart and become mushy when cooked, and do not absorb the dressing well. They are better suited for making mashed potatoes or baked potatoes.

How to cook potatoes for potato salad?

The next step to making a great potato salad is cooking the potatoes properly. You want to cook the potatoes until they are tender, but not overcooked or undercooked. Here are some tips on how to cook potatoes for potato salad:

• Wash and scrub the potatoes well, and remove any eyes or blemishes. You can peel the potatoes if you prefer, or leave the skin on for extra flavor and texture. If you are using large potatoes, cut them into bite-sized pieces. If you are using small potatoes, you can leave them whole or halve them.
• Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Add some salt to the water, about 1 teaspoon per quart of water. This will help season the potatoes and prevent them from becoming bland. You can also add some aromatics to the water, such as garlic, onion, bay leaf, or herbs, for extra flavor.
• Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes until they are fork-tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. You can check the doneness by piercing a potato with a fork or a knife. It should slide in and out easily, but the potato should still hold its shape. Do not overcook the potatoes, or they will become mushy and watery.
• Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly. You can transfer them to a large bowl or a baking sheet, and spread them in a single layer. This will help them cool faster and prevent them from steaming and becoming soggy. You can also sprinkle some vinegar over the potatoes while they are still warm, about 1 tablespoon per pound of potatoes. This will add some acidity and flavor to the potatoes, and help them absorb the dressing better.
• Refrigerate the potatoes until they are completely cool, or at least room temperature. This will help them firm up and prevent them from breaking apart when you mix them with the dressing. You can also refrigerate the potatoes overnight, and make the potato salad the next day.

How to make potato salad dressing?

The final step to making a great potato salad is making the dressing. The dressing is what gives the potato salad its flavor and texture, and there are many variations to choose from.

You can make a creamy dressing, a tangy dressing, a spicy dressing, or a herbaceous dressing, depending on your preference and the type of potato salad you are making. Here are some of the most common ingredients for making potato salad dressing:

Mayonnaise

This is the base for most creamy potato salad dressings. It adds richness and creaminess to the potato salad, and binds the ingredients together. You can use regular mayonnaise, light mayonnaise, or vegan mayonnaise, depending on your dietary needs. You can also make your own mayonnaise from scratch, using eggs, oil, vinegar, and mustard.

Sour cream

This is another ingredient that adds creaminess and tanginess to the potato salad dressing. It also helps balance the sweetness of the mayonnaise, and adds some freshness and brightness to the potato salad.

You can use regular sour cream, low-fat sour cream, or Greek yogurt, depending on your preference. You can also use crème fraîche, which is a French version of sour cream, with a higher fat content and a milder flavor.

Mustard

This is an ingredient that adds flavor and spice to the potato salad dressing. It also helps emulsify the dressing, and gives it a nice color and texture. You can use any type of mustard you like, such as yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, or honey mustard.

You can also use horseradish, which is a root that has a similar flavor and heat to mustard, but more pungent and intense.

Vinegar

This is an ingredient that adds acidity and brightness to the potato salad dressing. It also helps preserve the potato salad, and prevent it from spoiling. You can use any type of vinegar you like, such as apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, red wine vinegar, or balsamic vinegar.

You can also use lemon juice, which is a citrus fruit that has a similar acidity and freshness to vinegar, but more fruity and aromatic.

Herbs

These are ingredients that add freshness and flavor to the potato salad dressing. They also add some color and contrast to the potato salad, and make it more appealing and appetizing. You can use any herbs you like, such as parsley, dill, chives, tarragon, cilantro, or basil. You can use fresh herbs or dried herbs, depending on what you have available.

Fresh herbs have a more intense and vibrant flavor, but they also wilt and lose their color faster. Dried herbs have a more concentrated and lasting flavor, but they also need to be rehydrated and softened before using.

Seasonings

These are ingredients that add saltiness, sweetness, spiciness, or smokiness to the potato salad dressing. They also help enhance the flavor and aroma of the potato salad, and make it more complex and interesting.

You can use any seasonings you like, such as salt, pepper, sugar, paprika, garlic, onion, celery, pickle, bacon, cheese, or eggs. You can use fresh, minced, grated, chopped, sliced, or diced ingredients, depending on the texture and appearance you want.

To make the potato salad dressing, you simply need to whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl, until they are well combined and smooth. You can adjust the amount and ratio of the ingredients, depending on your taste and preference.

You can also taste the dressing and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, or mustard, as needed. You can make the dressing ahead of time, and refrigerate it until you are ready to use it. This will help the flavors meld and develop, and make the dressing more flavorful and delicious.

How to assemble the potato salad?

To assemble the potato salad, you simply need to toss the potatoes with the dressing, until they are well coated and evenly distributed. You can use a large bowl or a baking dish, depending on the size and shape of your potato salad.

You can also add some extra ingredients to the potato salad, such as chopped hard-boiled eggs, crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, sliced olives, or chopped nuts, for more protein, texture, and flavor. You can also garnish the potato salad with some more herbs, such as parsley, dill, chives, or cilantro, for more freshness and color.

You can serve the potato salad immediately, or refrigerate it until you are ready to serve it. You can serve the potato salad cold, or at room temperature, depending on your preference and the weather. You can also serve the potato salad as a main dish, or as a side dish, depending on the occasion and the menu.

You can serve the potato salad with bread, crackers, chips, or salad greens, for more variety and balance. You can also serve the potato salad with grilled meat, fish, or poultry, for a complete and satisfying meal.

Tips For Making The Perfect Potato Salad

Here are the tips for making the perfect potato salad.

Choose the right type of potato

It depends on personal preference. If you like salads with contrasting textures, think of hard potatoes and creamy sauces, as the texture will be better after boiling.

Season the cooking water

The next Tip For Making The Perfect Potato Salad is season the cooking water.

The water stew of a very salty potato will help put the seasoning from the inside out. Skip this step and the potatoes will become bland because they will only be marinated on the outside.

Read also: Tips: How To Reduce Excess Salt In Food

Do not overcook; Don’t be undercooked

To avoid the undercooked potatoes, make sure you start to boil them in cold water. Why? Because inserting raw potatoes in boiling water allows the outer part to be mushy before the inside is cooked

On the other hand, to make sure your potatoes are not overcooked, remove your potatoes from boiling water when it’s tender when you’re stabbing it with a fork.

Cut evenly

It’s the key to maintaining a consistent texture. If your potato size varies, some will be overcooked while others will be raw.

Serve at the right time

If you are going to make a mayonnaise based sauce, let the potatoes be completely chilled before you mix up the other ingredients to avoid the melted mayonnaise (this will produce a dish that is too oily).

However, if you use vinegar-based sauce, you should mix the potato slices with the sauce while the potatoes are warm so that the seasoning can permeate.

Mayonnaise Potato Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 10 pieces of curly lettuce, torn up
• 2 cucumbers, discarded in contents, cut into pieces
• 100 gram corn sweet, removed from the cob
• 1 piece of imported carrot, thinly sliced
• 2 tomatoes, discarded seeds, sliced lengthwise
• 150 grams of mini potatoes, steamed, peeled

Sauce Ingredients

• 275 grams of Mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons of chili sauce (for those who like spicy)
• 2 eggs chicken, boiled, taken white, chopped roughly

How to make

• Sauce: mix mayonnaise, tomato sauce, and egg. Stir well.
• Mix lettuce, cucumber, sweet corn, carrot, tomato, and mini potatoes. Add the sauce. Stir well.
• Serve.

Baked Potato Salad Recipe

Baked potatoes and green bean Salad.

This Salad is easier to make. You cube the potatoes, then bake with onion and garlic. You can add green beans, cherry tomatoes, or chicken to this salad to make it tasty and suitable for dinner.

Best potato salad recipe with egg

Ingredients:

• 6 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds) * peeled or unpeeled
• 1 teaspoon of salt to cook potatoes
• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 cup of chopped celery
• 3/4 pieces of onion
• 1/2 cups of fresh curly parsley pieces
• 3 pieces of hard-cooked eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of mustard chocolate
• 1 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1/2 teaspoons of white pepper
• 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper.

How to make it:

• Cook potatoes in boiling salt water until soft, about 30-40 minutes. Drain, chill, slice, and place in a large bowl.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the potatoes in a bowl, and gently but thoroughly stir to mix well.

Perfect potato salad recipe

Serving: 8

Prep time: 0 hours 15 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds of peeled potatoes
• 1 cup of Fresh corn Seeds
• 3 tbsp of vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. Pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon of mild mayonnaise and fat-free yogurt
• Water
• 1 tsp of Dijon Mustard
• 3/4 cup of chopped celery and sliced scallion
• 1/2 cup of Chopped fresh Dill.

How to make it

• Take the potatoes and enough water to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer 6 minutes or until the potatoes are almost tender.
• Add corn; Simmer 1 minute or until the potato is tender and corn crispy. Drain. Move to the bowl and stir with vinegar, salt and pepper. 
• In another bowl, stir the mayonnaise, yogurt, water and mustard until smooth. Add potatoes, celery, scallion and fennel; To be well blended and coated. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.

What are some of the best potato salad recipes?

There are many potato salad recipes to choose from, and each one has its own unique flavor and style. Here are some of the best potato salad recipes from around the world, that you can try and enjoy:

American potato salad

This is the most common and classic potato salad recipe, that is popular in the United States and Canada. It is made with boiled potatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, celery, onion, pickle, and hard-boiled eggs.

It has a creamy and tangy flavor, and a crunchy and smooth texture. It is often served at picnics, barbecues, or family gatherings.

German potato salad

This is a traditional and authentic potato salad recipe, that is popular in Germany and Central Europe. It is made with boiled potatoes, vinegar, bacon, onion, sugar, and parsley. It has a tangy and smoky flavor, and a warm and tender texture. It is often served as a side dish with sausages, schnitzel, or roast pork.

French potato salad

This is a light and elegant potato salad recipe, that is popular in France and Southern Europe. It is made with boiled potatoes, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs. It has a fresh and zesty flavor, and a soft and moist texture. It is often served as a salad course with cheese, bread, or wine.

Mediterranean potato salad

This is a colorful and flavorful potato salad recipe, that is popular in Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East. It is made with boiled potatoes, yogurt, cucumber, tomato, onion, olives, feta cheese, and mint. It has a creamy and tangy flavor, and a crisp and juicy texture. It is often served as a main dish with pita bread, hummus, or falafel.

Asian potato salad

This is a unique and exotic potato salad recipe, that is popular in Japan, Korea, and China. It is made with boiled potatoes, mayonnaise, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, carrot, corn, and ham. It has a sweet and savory flavor, and a creamy and crunchy texture. It is often served as a snack or a side dish with sushi, fried chicken, or noodles.

FAQs about potato salad recipes

Here are some of the frequently asked questions about potato salad recipes, and their answers:

Read also: Secrets That Make McDonald’s Fried Potatoes Delicious

Thank you very much for reading Tips For Making The Perfect Potato Salad, hopefully useful.