Classic Red-Skinned Potato Salad

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/12/21
Classic potato salad on a plate

The Spruce Eats / Diana Rattray

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings

There's no such thing as having too many potato salad recipes. Regardless of whether they're vinegar-based or mayonnaise-based, potato salads are a classic accompaniment to any picnic or cookout. This recipe uses red potatoes which are an ideal type to use because of their waxy texture, along with hard-boiled eggs, celery, relish, and mustard. But if you didn't have one with all those customary ingredients, plus cucumbers, now you do.

The diced cucumbers make this nicely seasoned red-skinned potato salad refreshing and crunchy. This is a great potato salad to take along to a potluck or use this recipe for your family cookout.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds  red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut in 1/2-inch cubes, peeled if desired

  • 3 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped

  • 1/2 cup diced celery

  • 1 medium cucumber, seeds scooped out, diced

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

  • 3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise

  • 3 tablespoons dill pickle relish, or sweet pickle relish

  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard, or your favorite gourmet mustard

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with salted water. Cover the pan and bring the potatoes to a boil.

  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain and let cool completely.

  4. Combine potatoes, eggs, celery, cucumber, and onion in a large bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup mayonnaise, the relish, and mustard. Add more mayonnaise, as needed, to taste.

  5. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

  6. Serve and enjoy!

    Tip

    You can prepare aspects of this salad ahead of time, from several days ahead of time to the night before.

    • The eggs, for example, can be hard boiled the traditional way (or even in an Instant Pot) and stored in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the salad. Just keep the eggs unpeeled.
    • The potatoes can also be cooked several hours ahead of time or the night before. Just keep them well covered and in the refrigerator until ready to use, and toss all ingredients together just before serving.

    How to Store Classic Red-Skinned Potato Salad

    Potato salad should be kept in the refrigerator, covered, and this one will keep for 3 to 4 days. Serve cold.


    Potato salad does not freeze well; it's a dish best made and served right away.

    Variations

    If you can't find red-skinned potatoes, you can try any of those multi-colored baby potatoes instead, or even fingerling potatoes would work in a pinch, as they are lower in starch. New potatoes, named for their status as freshly harvested while young, would also work. They're sweeter and typically thin-skinned.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
445 Calories
31g Fat
35g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 445
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 39%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 109mg 36%
Sodium 477mg 21%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 21mg 104%
Calcium 42mg 3%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 957mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)