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Southern Potato Salad

Southern potato salad with creamy potatoes, chopped hard-boiled eggs, and pickle relish in a classic Southern-style dressing. Boiled until fork-tender, then chilled for a firm, scoopable texture and bold tang.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 465
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Southern potato salad base
  • 3 lb Yukon gold potatoes Peel and cube before boiling.
  • 6 hard-boiled eggs Chop into visible pieces.
  • 0.5 cup celery Finely diced.
  • 0.25 cup onion Finely diced.
  • 0.25 cup sweet pickle relish Drain if very wet so the salad stays creamy.
Southern-style dressing
  • 1 cup mayonnaise Use for rich, creamy texture.
  • 0.25 cup yellow mustard Stir well for even flavor.
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar Adds tang.
  • 2 tbsp sugar Balances the vinegar.
  • 1 tsp celery seed Classic Southern flavor note.
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 black pepper To taste.
  • 0.5 paprika For garnish before serving.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and cool the potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the Yukon gold potatoes until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain them and spread on a sheet pan to cool completely.
Make the salad
  1. Add the cooled potatoes, chopped hard-boiled eggs, finely diced celery, finely diced onion, and sweet pickle relish to a large bowl and toss to combine. Fold gently so the potatoes stay chunky.
Mix the dressing
  1. In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, celery seed, salt, and black pepper until smooth and evenly colored. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Combine and chill
  1. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and fold gently until everything is coated. Scrape the bottom so no dry spots remain.
Chill and serve
  1. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld. Before serving, garnish with paprika for a bright, speckled finish.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the potatoes completely before mixing so the mayonnaise doesn’t thin out. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days; freezer not recommended because the creamy dressing can separate. For a lighter swap, use Greek yogurt–based mayo or a half-and-half mayo/yogurt blend to keep the creamy feel while reducing richness.