Best Potato Salad Recipes
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These are the only potato salad recipes you’ll ever need, plus five common mistakes to avoid when making potato salad!
Below, you will find several recipes we love, from notable chefs to family traditions you might want to consider for your next holiday, picnic, barbecue, or backyard summer kind of day.
Chunks of fork-tender potatoes, well-seasoned and tossed with crunchy veggies are truly summertime delights. However, to make a really great potato salad, there are 5 mistakes you will want to avoid. Be sure to read these at the end of this post.
Potato Salad Season
Summers are synonymous with baseball, hamburgers, apple pie… and potato salad. And every cook, it seems, has their own recipe, and their own twist on the classic. There are several varieties in my family alone. I’m sure there are in yours too.
I can’t imagine a summer without potato salad. My German maternal grandmother made the most divine potato salad (recipe following) for every summer celebration, from Memorial Day through Labor Day and every picnic. To this day, the family always begs for her salad. It’s the hallmark of summer!
I love that about potato salads (or any family recipe). So much more than the salad itself, it’s the memories and remembrances all wrapped up in creamy goodness, texture, and flavor.
Best Potato Salad Recipes
Here are some scrumptious potato salad recipes you’ll want to make your own. If you have a favorite recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!
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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Potato Salad
1. Using the wrong type of potatoes.
Not all potatoes are created equal when it comes to potato salad. Potatoes are divided into three general categories based on their texture — starchy, all-purpose, and waxy. For this dish, avoid using starchy potatoes, like Russets, which have a tendency to fall apart during cooking.
2. Not starting the potatoes in cold water.
When we cook veggies, we often start them in boiling water, but this shouldn’t be the case with potatoes. The biggest problem with starting potatoes in boiling water is uneven cooking. This leads the outside of the potato being overcooked and mushy, while the inside is undercooked.
3. Not seasoning the water when cooking the potatoes.
A good potato salad has to be seasoned, especially if it’s being served cold. You’ll never get as much flavor if you wait to season when the potatoes are cool or when you’re dressing the salad. The key is seasoning as soon as possible.
4. Undercooking or overcooking the potatoes.
Potatoes are the main ingredient, so it’s essential that they’re cooked just right. Don’t let them cook long enough, and you’ll be left with firm, crunchy potatoes — not a texture potatoes should ever take on in this dish. Cook them too long, and you’ll have mushy potatoes.
5. Not dressing the potatoes at the right time.
The type of dressing you plan to use, mayo-based dressing or vinaigrette, will determine when the salad should be dressed. When using vinaigrette, don’t let the potatoes cool before dressing them. And when making a mayonnaise-based potato salad, stay away from dressing warm potatoes. The hot potatoes will cause the mayonnaise to melt and become oily.
More Potato Salad Recipes to Try
- This classic potato salad recipe is the one I grew up with, is my grandmother’s recipe, and the one it wouldn’t be summer without!
- It also isn’t picnic season with German Potato Salad. This twist on the classic uses multi-colored, rainbow potatoes tossed with savory bacon and fresh parsley in a tangy dressing.
- This quick and easy Instant Pot Potato Salad is a delicious, creamy creation that saves you so much time!
- This color-packed Hot Potato Salad is a delicious variation of a warm potato salad tossed in a mustard vinaigrette. Yum!