This creamy Red Skin Potato Salad is the perfect side dish for summer cookouts, picnics, and barbecues. The combination of creamy dressing, tender red potatoes, crunchy celery, and fresh dill is simply irresistible!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
There's something undeniably delightful about a classic potato salad, especially during a summer cookout or BBQ. The creamy texture, tangy flavors, and hearty ingredients make it the perfect side dish for any occasion.
Today, I'm excited to share with you, in my opinion, the best potato salad. This recipe combines the earthy goodness of red potatoes with a creamy dressing infused with fresh dill, green onions, and a hint of tangy mustard. It's a crowd-pleaser that will leave everyone asking for seconds.
It will remind you of your grandma's potato salad! Whether hosting a summer BBQ or simply enjoying a family picnic, this potato salad is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
If you're looking for the perfect potato salad recipe, give this creamy red potato salad a try. With its fresh herbs, tangy dressing, and tender red potatoes, it's sure to be a hit at your next gathering.
If you're a fan of summer salads, you'll love my Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad, Easy Coleslaw, Panera Copycat Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad, and my Carrot Salad.
If you want something a little different, try my Greek Cucumber Salad, Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, or Creamy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad.
❤️ Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Creamy and flavorful: The combination of mayonnaise and pickle juice creates a creamy and delicious dressing that coats the potatoes perfectly.
- Simple ingredients: This recipe calls for simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store.
- Make-ahead option: This creamy potato salad can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Crowd-pleaser: The classic flavors and comforting combination of ingredients in this potato salad make it a hit with both young and old, making it a great option for pleasing a crowd.
- Time-efficient: With a cooking time of around 15 minutes, this recipe allows you to quickly whip up a delicious side dish without spending hours in the kitchen.
- Perfect for leftovers: The flavors of this potato salad often develop even more on the second day, making it an excellent option for leftovers.
🥔 Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
This easy recipe is made with simple ingredients that are easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Potatoes. I used red potatoes, which I prefer as they have a thin skin and hold their shape well. You could also use other types of potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or russet potatoes.
- Mayonnaise. You can use your favorite brand of mayo, including Hellman's and Miracle Whip. You can also use a light mayonnaise or avocado-oil mayo. Sour cream or Greek yogurt can be used as a substitute.
- Milk. I used whole milk, but you can use low-fat or non-fat milk, or even buttermilk for a tangier flavor.
- Pickle juice + sweet relish. These are my secret ingredients - they add so much flavor! You can use dill pickle juice or sweet pickle juice. Substitute lemon juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar if needed. You can also use dill pickle relish instead of sweet relish.
- Dijon mustard. Just a little is needed - it really adds so much flavor! You can also use yellow mustard if needed.
- Celery. If you don't like celery, you can omit it or use chopped bell peppers, cucumbers, or radishes for added crunch.
- Green onions. If you prefer, you can use a red onion or shallots instead.
See the printable recipe card for quantities and a complete list of ingredients.
🥓 Variations
- Substitute the creamy dressing with the bacon vinaigrette in this German potato salad.
- Roast some garlic cloves and mash them into the creamy dressing.
- Sprinkle crispy bacon bits and shredded cheese over the salad. Perfect for bacon lovers!
🥣 How To Make Creamy Dill Red Skin Potato Salad
To make this classic potato salad, follow the easy step-by-step instructions:
Prepare the Potatoes
To start, wash and scrub the red skin potatoes. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, ensuring they are all roughly the same size for even cooking. Make sure to leave the skin on - just make sure to remove any brown or bruised areas. Place the potatoes in a large pot of water. You want there to be enough water to cover the potatoes. Season the water with salt, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork. Be careful not to overcook them; we don't want mushy potatoes for our salad!
Prepare the Eggs
- Place the eggs in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them.
- Bring the water to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer the eggs for 9-12 minutes.
- While the eggs cook, make an ice bath by filling a bowl with cold water and adding a couple of handfuls of ice cubs.
- Immediately place eggs in the ice bath and let them cool for 5 minutes.
- Gently crack the shell, then peel the eggs.
- Rinse under cold water.
- Place in the fridge until ready to use.
Expert Tip: If you have an Instant Pot, check out my article on How To Make Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs.
Prepare the Creamy Dressing
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing. Whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, pickle juice, sweet relish, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. This combination of tangy and creamy ingredients creates a delightful balance of flavors.
Once the dressing is well combined, chop the celery, hard-boiled eggs, green onions, and fresh dill. Set aside.
Bringing it All Together
Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them in a colander and let them cool slightly. Transfer the slightly warm potatoes to a large bowl.
Add eggs, celery, green onions, and fresh dill to the bowl.
Now it's time to add the creamy dressing. Pour it over the potato mixture, using a spatula or wooden spoon to gently toss everything together.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the flavors meld together and for the salad to chill.
Before serving, stir the potato salad and transfer it to a serving bowl. And, for added color, garnish the potato salad with a sprinkle of paprika and fresh dill, if desired.
Enjoy!
💭 Expert Tips
- Use fresh dill to add a burst of flavor to your potato salad.
- Leave the skins on as the skin of red potatoes is thin and tender, so there's no need to peel them.
- Let the potato salad chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld together.
- While mixing the ingredients is important, be careful not to overmix them. Overmixing can cause the potatoes to break apart and become mushy.
- Feel free to experiment with different dressings, herbs, and add-ins like bacon bits or chopped dill pickles.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make this recipe ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Leftover potato salad will last for up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container.
I do not recommend you freeze potato salad as the texture of the potatoes may become watery and mushy upon thawing.
Absolutely! This recipe serves as a great base, and you can add other vegetables such as diced bell peppers, grated carrots, or even sweet corn to add more color and crunch.
🍔 What To Serve With Classic Potato Salad
This creamy potato salad pairs well with so many different foods. Some of my favorites are Smoked Brisket, Traeger Smoked Salmon, Smash Burgers, Smoked Whole Chicken, and Traeger Smoked Steak.
It also goes great with Smoked Chuck Roast, Smoked Pork Chops, Grilled Teriyaki Chicken on a Stick, Smoked Lamb Chops, and Smoked Pineapple Stand Chicken.
👩🏻🍳 More Delicious Side Dishes
If you like this post on the Red Skin Potato Salad recipe, please take a moment to rate the recipe 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and leave a comment below with your thoughts!
Recipe
Best Creamy Red Skin Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes washed and diced, skins on
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup sweet relish
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 large hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped (½ cup)
- 2 green onions finely chopped (¼ cup)
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped
- ½ teaspoon paprika, for garnish optional
Instructions
- Wash and scrub the red skin potatoes, removing any brown or bruised areas. Cut them into bite-sized pieces, leaving the skin intact.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water, ensuring there's enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork. Be careful not to overcook them.
- While the potatoes cook, prepare the creamy dressing by whisking together mayonnaise, milk, pickle juice, sweet relish, Dijon mustard, dill, sugar, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
- Chop the celery, hard-boiled eggs, green onions, and fresh dill. Set aside.
- Drain the cooked potatoes in a colander and let them cool slightly. Transfer them to a large bowl. Add the eggs, celery, green onions, and fresh dill to the bowl with the potatoes.
- Pour the creamy dressing over the potato mixture and use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently toss everything together.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld together and the salad to chill.
- Before serving, give the potato salad a final stir. Garnish with paprika and fresh dill for added color, if desired.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- Use fresh dill to add a burst of flavor to your potato salad.
- Leave the skins on as the skin of red potatoes is thin and tender, so there's no need to peel them.
- Let the potato salad chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld together.
- While mixing the ingredients is important, be careful not to overmix them. Overmixing can cause the potatoes to break apart and become mushy.
- Feel free to experiment with different dressings, herbs, and add-ins like bacon bits or chopped dill pickles.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Amy Liu Dong says
.