Here’s my favorite recipe for red potato salad! The herby creamy dressing is everything! Every time I make it, people always ask for the recipe!
We took our most popular potato salad recipe and made it even better with creamy red potatoes and an outrageous amount of fresh herbs. I’m completely in love, and I think you will be too!
Serve this creamy, herby salad alongside classic summer dishes like corn salad, shrimp salad, broccoli slaw, and more! I also especially love it for dinner next to my lemon dill baked salmon! If you love herbs but want a mayo-free salad, see my lemon herb potato salad!
Key Ingredients
- Red Potatoes: I love using smaller red potatoes since I can cook them whole. Chopping them does help them cook a bit quicker, but potatoes that have been cooked whole taste better and are fluffier in the middle. I do not peel my potatoes for this red potato salad.
- Vinegar: My trick for the best tasting salad is to scatter vinegar over the cooked potatoes while they are still warm. It’s incredible how much of a difference in flavor the vinegar makes. I use red wine vinegar for this salad, but apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and even dill pickle juice work well. I use pickle juice in the video!
- Celery and Pickles: Both add a fresh crunch. I love dill pickles, so we always add them, but you can leave them out or use bread and butter pickles instead.
- Fresh Herbs: I use a lot of fresh herbs in this salad and love it! I use parsley, dill, and chives.
- Creamy Dressing: Have you heard the statement, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? Well, that’s how we feel about our favorite potato salad dressing. We use this dressing in our original potato salad and love it so much that we don’t see a reason to change it. Our readers love it, too! You’ll need 3 ingredients: mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard.
How to Make the Best Red Potato Salad
For the best red potato salad (or any potato salad for that matter), always cook your potatoes in water with a good amount of salt. Seriously, if you don’t season them from the start, and there’s no seasoning you can do later on that will help them.
I also highly recommend that you toss the potatoes with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar (or pickle juice) right after draining them. The vinegar makes a huge difference in flavor, and since the potatoes are warm, they really soak up all that vinegary goodness.
Then, you need a fantastic dressing, and this recipe delivers! The simple combo of mayo, sour cream, and mustard might seem basic, but trust me, it’s absolutely perfect.
My last tip is to let your potato salad sit for a bit. This salad gets better with some time in the fridge since it allows all the flavors to mingle. In other words, this is an excellent make-ahead salad!
Creamy Red Potato Salad
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Small potatoes are best for this red potato salad. This way, the potatoes maintain their natural moisture and sweetness. We prefer the texture when cooked whole, but you can chop the potatoes if you’re in a pinch for time or if your potatoes are large.
If you don’t have red potatoes, use other waxy potatoes, such as Yukon potatoes, white or creamer potatoes, and fingerling potatoes. These are quick-cooking, and since they are already small, there’s no need to chop them before cooking them. Russet or baking potatoes will also work, but the salad’s texture will be less creamy.
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
2 pounds (907g) small red potatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or dill pickle juice
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
1/4 cup (58g) mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard, substitute Dijon or whole grain mustard
2 celery stalks, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
1 to 2 medium dill pickles, finely chopped, about 1/3 cup
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with 1 ½ inches of water. Season with salt (use one teaspoon for every quart of water).
2Bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (boiling the potatoes can cause them to hit one another and break apart). Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.
3Meanwhile, set up an ice bath. Add cold water to a medium bowl filled with ice. Drain the potatoes and then place them into the ice bath.
4When cool enough to handle, chop the potatoes into bite-size chunks and add them to a large bowl. Scatter the vinegar over the potatoes and lightly season with salt.
5Stir the mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard in a bowl.
6Add the mayonnaise mixture, celery, pickles, and herbs to the potatoes. Gently stir to combine, being careful not to mash the potatoes too much.
7Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you have the time, refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving (it’s tastes better).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- What to serve it with: Thanks to the red skins, it’s beautiful on a serving table. It’s perfect for all of your summer gatherings and cookouts. I love it next to grilled steak, grilled chicken, burgers, and hot dogs. It’s also lovely with fish like cedar plank salmon, baked trout, and grilled swordfish.
- Storing: Make potato salad up to 3 days in advance. Keep covered in the refrigerator.
- Sour cream: Substitute 1/2 cup crème fraîche for the sour cream.
- Dried herbs: You can use dried herbs for this salad. We recommend adding one to two tablespoons. I especially love dill and chives.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
Wow!!!! Wow!!!! Wow!!!. I don’t usually care for potato salad but I made the homemade mayo and added some red pepper flakes to get some kick and it was awesome. Had to stop eating so I had some left for the family. 😆
Yay! Good to hear that you left some for your family 🙂
Delicious ! I have tasted this type of salad before but this recipe tastes much better. My husband loved it too. He said this recipe is a keeper and that I should make more often. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Carmelita