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Grandma’s Potato Salad is how I remember potato salad growing up. It has great texture combining creamy and crunchy and is the perfect summer BBQ side dish. Peeled, cubed, and boiled potatoes are mixed with both mayo and sour cream along with hard boiled egg, olives, cornichons, and the onion is grated to add tons of flavor without over powering the recipe!
If you love good old fashioned pot luck recipes and BBQ side dishes like this, you’ll also love my Pea Salad, Homemade Macaroni Salad, Cowboy Salad, or my Mexican Street Corn Salad.
Why this recipe works:
This truly is how my Grandma used to make it! I’m sure you’re going to love it too.
- Easy to make: Yes, there is a long list of ingredients, put you don’t need to be an experienced cook to make this easy potato salad.
- Great for potlucks: Everyone loves a good potato salad! It’s one of the best side dishes you can enjoy at an outdoor picnic or BBQ.
- Customize the recipe: Although I call out specific ingredients and measurements, potato salad is one of those things where you don’t really need to measure. Rather, you can just “eye ball” the ingredient amounts. You can also switch out or modify the ingredients to satisfy your taste.
- Secret technique: You really need raw onion to give potato salad that intense flavor, but know one wants to bite into a big chunk of raw onion. That’s why I grate it!
Ingredients needed:
- Potatoes – I usually use peeled Russet potatoes, but this recipe also works great with red or golden potatoes with or without the peel.
- Mayonnaise, sour cream, and yellow mustard, and hard boiled egg make up the creamy base. You can change the amounts of each to suit your preference.
- Grated onion, chopped olives, celery, cornichons (or refrigerated dill pickles), and fresh parsley add all the flavor and texture.
- The seasonings I used include garlic salt, celery salt, and additional salt and pepper, to taste.
How to make this potato salad:
Full ingredient list and detailed step by step instructions are listed in the recipe card below, but here is a summary.
- Prepare potatoes by peeling them (this is optional) and chopping them into cubes.
- Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Lay out on a towel to cool and dry.
- Combine all ingredients except the potatoes in a large bowl and mix.
- Add potatoes and gently fold or toss to combine.
- Chill and serve!
Recipe tips for best results:
- Soak the potatoes – If time allows, soak the chopped potatoes in cold water prior to cooking them. This removes a lot of the starch and gives you a creamier, better tasting potato.
- Cutting the potatoes – It is highly recommended that you cut the potatoes into same sized pieces so that they all cook evenly.
- Grating the onion – You can use a standard cheese grater or run the onion through the food processor until it resembles a pulp.
- Mix it up! Like I said above, this is an easy recipe to modify and make your own by changing the quantity and types of ingredients.
What to serve with potato salad:
This versatile side dish goes great with so many other recipes. Turn this into a complete meal by making these favorite recipes.
- BBQ Pork Ribs
- Instant Pot Baked Beans
- Angel Hair Coleslaw
- Skillet Buttermilk Cornbread
- Collard Greens with Bacon
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes Russet recommended, peeled
- 1 hard boiled egg chopped
- 1/2 cup yellow onion about half of a small onion, grated
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1/2 cup cornichons chopped, can use dill pickles instead
- 14 ounces black olives one can, drained and chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley minced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes. Boil in salted water until tender but not mushy. Test frequently by stabbing with fork. Drain and lay out in single layer on clean towel to dry.
- In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Add potatoes and stir to combine just enough to ensure all ingredients are mixed. Be careful not to smash potatoes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if desired. Serve cold. Can be made ahead of time and even tastes better the next day.
Notes
- Soak the potatoes – If time allows, soak the chopped potatoes in cold water prior to cooking them. This removes a lot of the starch and gives you a creamier, better tasting potato.
- Cutting the potatoes – It is highly recommended that you cut the potatoes into same sized pieces so that they all cook evenly.
- Grating the onion – You can use a standard cheese grater or run the onion through the food processor until it resembles a pulp.
- Mix it up! Like I said above, this is an easy recipe to modify and make your own by changing the quantity and types of ingredients.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don’t worry – the recipe hasn’t changed!
Question: What is cornishons? No one I’ve asked knows what they are. I even looked in a dictionary. tia
Here’s a great article: http://www.foodrepublic.com/2013/06/05/what-is-a-cornichon/ If I don’t have them on hand, however, I just substitute with a firm dill pickle.
It is so good .Got to make MOORE.
This potato salad looks delicious. I have pinned it to try it out on the weekend. Thanks for sharing this Krissy.