Dinner

Southern Style Potato Salad Recipe

BySimon Carel November 12, 2025November 12, 2025

Introduction

Southern Style Potato Salad is a classic, hearty side dish perfect for picnics, barbecues, or family gatherings. This creamy and tangy salad combines tender potatoes with a flavorful dressing and crunchy vegetables for a satisfying bite.

A white bowl filled with a creamy yellow potato salad, showing large chunks of yellow potatoes and white hard-boiled eggs cut in halves and quarters, all mixed with bright light green pieces of celery and finely chopped green onions scattered on top. The texture looks rich and smooth with a thick yellow dressing coating everything evenly. A wooden spoon is placed behind the bowl, resting on a white marbled surface, with a colorful cloth napkin underneath the bowl. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

3 pounds Russet potatoes, medium
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup mustard
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large eggs, hard-boiled, cut into chunks

Instructions

Step 1: Place water in a large pot and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender and a knife easily pierces through.
Step 2: Transfer the cooked potatoes to an ice bath to cool quickly. Once cool, peel off the skins and dice into large chunks.
Step 3: In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and onion powder until smooth.
Step 4: Pour the dressing over the potatoes and stir gently to combine. Add sweet pickle relish, chopped celery, chopped onion, and the chopped hard-boiled eggs. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated.
Step 5: Chill the potato salad for at least an hour before serving to allow flavors to meld. Enjoy!

Tips & Variations

Use Yukon Gold potatoes instead of Russets for a creamier texture.
Add crispy bacon bits for extra flavor and crunch.
For a tangier salad, increase the apple cider vinegar by 1 teaspoon.
Customize the sweetness by adjusting the amount of sugar or relish to taste.
Chilling the salad overnight enhances the flavors even more.

Storage

Store Southern Style Potato Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Before serving, give it a gentle stir. If the salad thickens after chilling, you can stir in a little extra mayonnaise or a splash of milk to loosen the texture.

How to Serve

A white scalloped bowl filled with a chunky potato salad sits on a crumpled red, white, and blue checkered cloth over a white marbled surface. The salad shows about three layers: a base of yellow potato chunks coated in a creamy, smooth yellow dressing, mixed evenly with white pieces of hard-boiled eggs, and pieces of pale green celery scattered throughout. Bright green chopped scallions top the salad, adding a fresh pop of color. In the background, a large brown onion is slightly blurred against a plain white background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make this potato salad ahead of time?

Yes, this salad actually tastes better after resting for a few hours or overnight in the fridge, allowing the flavors to meld beautifully.

What type of potatoes work best for potato salad?

Russet potatoes are traditional and work well due to their starchy nature, which absorbs the dressing nicely. However, Yukon Gold potatoes are a great alternative if you prefer a creamier texture.