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American Russet Potato Salad

American russet potato salad with tender cubed potatoes and chopped hard-boiled eggs in a creamy, tangy dressing. Chill it for 2 hours for a traditional picnic-dish texture and easy, slice-and-serve consistency.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 490
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

russet potatoes
  • 4 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed
hard-boiled eggs
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs chopped
celery
  • 0.5 cup celery diced
onion
  • 0.25 cup onion finely diced
sweet pickle relish
  • 0.25 cup sweet pickle relish
mayonnaise
  • 1.25 cup mayonnaise
yellow mustard
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
sugar
  • 1 tsp sugar
salt
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste
paprika
  • 1 tsp paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and cool
  1. Add peeled, cubed russet potatoes to a Dutch oven and cover with water; bring to a boil. Boil for 12–15 minutes, until a fork slides in easily, then drain in a colander and cool completely.
  2. Hard-boil the eggs before starting the potato salad. Chop once fully cooled so the mix stays creamy and the chunks hold shape.
Build the salad
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled potatoes, chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced celery, finely diced onion, and sweet pickle relish. Fold gently so the potatoes stay intact.
Make the dressing
  1. In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, yellow mustard, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust with a pinch more salt and pepper if needed.
  2. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture. Fold gently until every bite looks coated and glossy.
Chill and garnish
  1. Cover and refrigerate the potato salad for at least 2 hours to set the flavors. Chill until cold and thickened slightly, not soupy.
  2. Just before serving, sprinkle paprika over the top. Add as a light dusting so the garnish shows without overpowering the salad.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the potatoes completely before mixing so the mayonnaise doesn’t turn runny. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days; it’s best chilled and keeps reasonably well (not recommended for freezing due to potato texture changes). For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise and keep the same mustard-vinegar balance.