My old-fashioned potato salad recipe is incredibly easy and tastes better than anything you can buy in the supermarket. A combination of potato, onion, pickles, celery, mustard, and mayonnaise never tasted so good! The perfect recipe for those of us who prefer our potato salad without those chopped eggs.

Try with classic crispy pan-fried chicken!

homemade potato salad in clear bowl

Why This Recipe Works

Most importantly, this simple potato salad is deliciously flavorful, easy to make, and tastes even better the next day.

Homemade potato salad is good any time of the year. Great for brown bag lunches, picnics, or BBQs. Make a larger batch for an office potluck.

Ingredients

Potato,diced onion and celery, jar of pickles, a jar of mayo and mustard.
  • Potato – Peeled russet or red potatoes work great for a classic potato salad. If you use a red potato, leave the peel on and slice instead of cube.
  • Celery – The celery needs to be finely chopped, and removing the strings from the celery is always good, but it’s not critical. If you have extra potatoes, make these tasty warm scalloped potatoes.
  • Onion – Sometimes I use green onion.
  • Pickles– Sweet Pickles, bread-and-butter pickles, or pickle relish are really good. Some people even prefer the flavor of Dill pickles in their potato salad recipe. Use whatever you have on hand for your unique taste.
  • Mayonnaise – this recipe calls for plain mayo, however, you can use garlic mayo for a little extra oomph. Some people prefer a sour cream base as you can substitute 1:1.
  • Mustard – Plain yellow mustard is the classic ingredient, or if you like a little more heat, use a Dijon mustard.

Optional

  • Olives
  • Pimentos

How to make old-fashioned potato salad

  • Boil the potatoes until tender. Be careful not to overcook them; otherwise, they will turn to mush when you mix in the other ingredients. Let them cool down completely before adding the other ingredients.
  • In a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and sweet pickle juice. Adjust the amounts to your taste preference.
  • After the potatoes have cooled, add in the celery and onions, and mix.
  • Next, add in the mayonnaise mixture slowly until you get a creamy consistency.
  • Chill before serving.

Can I microwave the potatoes instead of boiling them?

If I want a firmer potato, I’ll microwave it instead of boil. Leftover baked potatoes are also good to make this old-fashioned potato salad recipe

Have extra potatoes, make these tasty warm scalloped potatoes.

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homemade potato salad in clear bowl

Classic Potato Salad

A creamy small batch potato salad made from scratch. tangy mustard and pickles give this recipe a little zing.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author:Sydney Dawes

Ingredients

  • 1 large russet potato peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons onions diced
  • 1 celery rib finely chopped
  • 2 sweet pickles minced
  • 1 teaspoon pickle juice
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons mustard
  • black olives sliced (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon pimentos optional

Instructions

  • Boil potatoes until tender, let cool down completely
  • In a medium bowl combine the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, and sweet pickle juice. Adjust the amounts to your personal taste preference.
  • After the potatoes have cooled add in the celery and onions, mix together
  • Add in the mayonnaise mixture slowly until you get a creamy consistency.
  • Optional step: Top with sliced olives and pimentos.
  • Chill before serving.

Notes

Don’t Overcook the Potatoes: Boil the potatoes until they are just tender. Overcooking will make them mushy and they’ll fall apart in your salad.
Cool Before Mixing: Allow the potatoes to cool down before adding your dressing. This helps to keep them firm and absorb flavors better.
The olives and pimento are mainly used for decoration.

Nutrition Disclaimer

I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below is an estimate only and provided as a general guide only.

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 191mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g
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5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I found this searching for “potato salad no eggs.” Bonus: it’s small batch, so I don’t have to worry about waste. It was really good! It definitely captures the taste of traditional potato salad.