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Korean Potato Salad (Gamja Salad)

Korean potato salad (gamja salad) with creamy sweet mashed potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Boiled until very tender, then roughly mashed for a thick, scoopable texture before chilling for at least 2 hours.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Korean
Calories: 550
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Russet potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed
Vegetables
  • 2 carrots diced small
  • 1 cucumber seeded and diced
  • 0.5 cup corn kernels
Eggs
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs chopped
Dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and prep the potatoes
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil at 212°F/100°C, then add the peeled and cubed russet potatoes. Boil until very tender, then drain.
  2. Mash the drained potatoes roughly (not completely smooth) to create a thick base for the salad. Keep some texture so the salad stays chunky.
Blanch vegetables and combine
  1. In the same boiling water, blanch the diced small carrots for 2 minutes at 212°F/100°C. Drain well.
  2. Combine the mashed potatoes, blanched carrots, seeded and diced cucumber, corn kernels, and chopped hard-boiled eggs in one bowl. Stir until evenly distributed.
Make dressing and chill
  1. Mix mayonnaise, sugar, rice vinegar, salt, and pepper until the dressing is smooth and glossy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
  2. Fold the dressing into the potato mixture until everything is coated and creamy. Stop mixing once no dry potato remains.
  3. Cover and refrigerate the Korean potato salad for at least 2 hours. Chill until set and cold before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: Roughly mashing the potatoes (instead of fully smooth) helps the salad keep a creamy-but-chunky texture. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; it’s best within that window for crunch from the cucumber. Freezing isn’t recommended because the vegetables and potatoes can become watery. For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise or make it half mayo/Greek yogurt to reduce overall fat while keeping the sweet-tangy dressing.