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Classic American Potato Salad

Classic American potato salad with creamy mustard dressing and tender yellow potatoes folded with crisp celery, red onion, and dill. Chill it overnight for thick, tangy flavor and a fork-tender bite.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
chill time (hours) 2 minutes
Total Time 49 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420

Ingredients
  

Salad Base
  • 3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 4 eggs hard-boiled and chopped
  • 3 celery thinly sliced
  • 0.5 cup red onion finely diced
  • 0.25 cup dill pickles finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill chopped (plus more for garnish)
Dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar 1 tsp sugar
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.125 tsp black pepper to taste
Garnish
  • 0.25 tsp paprika for dusting
  • 2 fresh dill sprigs for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the potatoes and cool completely
  1. Place the cubed Yukon Gold potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10–12 minutes, until fork-tender but not mushy.
  2. Drain the potatoes and spread them on a sheet pan to cool completely. Look for no steam rising and fully cooled, room-temperature potatoes before mixing.
Hard-boil the eggs
  1. Place the eggs in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Then remove from heat and let them sit covered for 10 minutes.
  2. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath, then peel and chop roughly. Keep them cool and dry enough to prevent excess water from loosening the dressing.
Make the mustard dressing
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Assemble and chill
  1. Add the cooled potatoes to the bowl and gently fold to coat in the dressing. Do not overmix so the potatoes stay intact.
  2. Fold in the chopped eggs, celery, red onion, dill pickles, and fresh dill. Stir just until everything is evenly distributed.
  3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor. The dressing will thicken and the potatoes will absorb tangy flavor as it chills.
Serve
  1. Before serving, taste and adjust salt and black pepper. Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl.
  2. Dust generously with paprika and garnish with fresh dill sprigs. Serve cold and let the garnish sit on top for a fresh, green finish.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the potatoes fully on the sheet pan before mixing so the dressing stays creamy instead of watery. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days; the flavor improves overnight. Freezing is not recommended for this creamy salad. For a dietary swap, use mayonnaise made with olive oil or a plant-based mayonnaise for a dairy-free version.