Homemade Potato Salad

Creamy homemade potato salad flavored with fresh herbs is always a winning side dish. In the time it takes to cook the potatoes you can make the dressing and then you just toss and serve. It’s my favorite easy potato salad recipe.

I first shared this potato salad recipe eleven years ago just after I had started blogging and before I knew what I was doing with blogging. It was a hobby and my potato salad post was mostly a rant with the recipe tacked on at the end almost like an afterthought.

In the years since I’ve learned, “oh, hey, let’s actually write about the recipe we’re sharing!” and have finally gotten around to updating the recipe and giving it new life. It is summer, after all, and when it’s summertime it’s time for all the summer side dishes and homemade potato salad is a classic.

This is a very simple recipe. Potatoes coated in a creamy dressing flavored with fresh herbs, some red onion, and simple salt and pepper. I used to make it with homemade mayonnaise but these days I just go with my favorite Hellman’s mayonnaise combined with some tangy sour cream. It’s a really good combo.

About the Potatoes

Any waxy potato is great for potato salad because it holds its shape when cooked. So, new potatoes, red-skinned potatoes, or even fingerlings will work well. Yukon golds are also good.

Cut them into bite-sized pieces and cover them with cold water in a pot. Bring them to a boil and cook them until they are fork-tender. Starting them in cold water cooks them more evenly.

I like to drain the potatoes and spread them out on a baking sheet to cool. Tossing hot potatoes with a mayo-based dressing can cause the mayo to break, which leads to a runny dressing.

Mayonnaise and Sour Cream Dressing

• Mayonnaise
• Sour cream
• Finely diced red onion
• Finely chopped parsley
• Thinly sliced chives
• Apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper

You can go all-mayo for the dressing, but the sour cream adds a tangy flavor that I really like. Just mix it all up together in a large bowl.

Once the potatoes have cooled up just gently stir them into the dressing. At this point you might think there’s too much dressing, but as the salad sits the potatoes absorb the dressing so it ends up being just right.

You can serve the salad right away or chill it for a few hours before serving. Homemade potato salad will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. Like all mayo-based recipes, don’t leave it to sit out for more than two hours. If it’s really warm, it’s best to keep it chilled.

Serve it will all the summer main dishes – it pretty much goes with all the things. Enjoy 🔆

Happy Cooking,

More Side Dish Recipes

• Italian Pasta Salad
• Green Bean Potato Salad (mayo-less!)
• Orzo Pasta Salad
• White Bean Tomato Salad

📣 Do you love this recipe? I would love to know! Leave a comment below the recipe along with your recipe star rating.

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Post and recipe updated from the archives. First published in June 2009.