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Southern Potato Salad

Southern potato salad with rich, creamy dressing made by folding tender Yukon gold potatoes with chopped hard-boiled eggs, pickles, and relish. Chill for hours so the flavors meld into a thick, cohesive BBQ side.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes
  • 3 lb Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed
Eggs and vegetables
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs chopped
  • 0.5 cup celery finely diced
  • 0.25 cup onion finely diced
  • 0.25 cup sweet pickle relish
Dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup yellow mustard
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 0.5 salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
  • 1 paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and cool the potatoes
  1. Boil the Yukon gold potatoes until fork-tender, about 15 minutes at 212°F (100°C), then drain and cool.
Build the salad base
  1. Combine the potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, onion, and sweet pickle relish in a large bowl.
Make the Southern dressing
  1. Mix mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, celery seed, salt, and pepper until smooth.
  2. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and fold gently so the potatoes stay intact.
Chill and garnish
  1. Refrigerate the salad for at least 3 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld.
  2. Garnish with paprika before serving for a classic, speckled finish.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, cool the boiled potatoes fully before combining—warm potatoes can thin the dressing. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; this does not freeze well due to mayonnaise separation. For a lighter option, use a mayonnaise blend or reduced-fat mayonnaise while keeping the rest of the dressing amounts the same.