Tangy, creamy, bright, and a true taste of the south, Classic Southern Mustard Potato Salad is the sidekick that will turn any barbecue into an event. Combining classic flavors, this is a potato salad any southern granny would be proud of!
Fire up the grill and get that Texas Smoked Brisket going. This creamy potato salad combines ingredients you probably already have laying around with a simple, and straight forward technique. This is a side that will be the star of any party or barbecue!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Meal Prep - Not only does this mustard potato salad need to refrigerate for an hour, it's actually better the longer it has set. You can make this a day in advance for the best flavor and texture.
- Easy Process - The only real cooking involved for making this potato salad recipe is boiling the potatoes and eggs. Feel free to take the help of the grocery store and buy already boiled eggs.
- Familiar Flavors - The flavor profile for this southern potato salad is a classic mustard based dressing. It has that creamy mayonnaise texture but with the tang of yellow mustard.
- Accessible Ingredients - This recipe combines pantry staples like mayonnaise and mustard with fresh ingredients like potatoes and hard boiled eggs.
Ingredients
Get that pot of water boiling and peel your potatoes. With just a few simple ingredients this Classic Southern Mustard Potato Salad comes together in no time.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes - These potatoes cook up creamy while still holding their shape. They do have a thinner peel so you can peel them like I do or leave the skin on.
- Mayonnaise - Gives this potato salad it's creamy texture.
- Hard Boiled Eggs - These bring both texture and flavor to the potato salad.
- Yellow Mustard - Gives this potato salad both it's bright tang and also trademark color. It's not southern potato salad unless it has that pop of mustard yellow!
- Seasoning - Keep it simple with salt, pepper, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
- Vinegar - Enhances the tang of the mustard,
- Relish - Gives a little crunch and zip to this mustard. I used Wickles Pickles for that addition of heat.
How to Make Classic Southern Potato Salad
Not only is potato salad a universally beloved side dish, it's also easy to prepare. This is a great way to get the kids in the kitchen while also being perfect for any level of cook. Not only will you be eating this mustard potato salad straight from the bowl, but it's highly encouraged!
Time needed: 2 hours and 40 minutes.
Pillowy chunks of potatoes and a tangy mustard dressing make this potato salad a true southern favorite.
- Into the Pot
Add your peeled and diced potatoes to a large pot and add enough water to cover them. Bring them to a boil and allow them to boil until they are just fork tender. Drain them and allow them to cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Eggs
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Roughly chop the egg whites and add the yolks to a bowl.
- Dressing
Add the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, vinegar, and seasonings to the bowl with the egg yolks. Use a fork to break up the yolks while mixing the dressing together.
- Mix
Add in the potatoes and egg whites and gently mix to fully combine and coat the potatoes. Taste and add any additional seasoning if needed.
- Chill
Cover the potato salad and allow it to refrigerate for at least an hour. This can be made the day before. Enjoy!
Potato Salad Additions
This recipe for mustard potato salad is perfect on its own but it's also a great base to add any of your favorite additions. Here are just a few ideas.
- Celery
- Onions
- Fresh Herbs
- Bacon
- Green Onions
- Bell Pepper
- Pickled Jalapeno
- Ham
Substitutions
Yukon gold potatoes are great for potato salad. They hold their shape well and have a creamy texture. However, you can also use other potato varieties for this such as red potatoes. They also have a creamy texture and with their thin skin don't require any peeling. Russet potatoes aren't recommended for this as they have a grainy texture and can quickly overcook, becoming mushy.
Storage
Potato salad is the ultimate make ahead side dish. It only gets better the longer it refrigerates, allowing the potatoes to fully absorb the dressing and the flavors to come together. Because this is a mayonnaise based dressing make sure that you keep it refrigerated unless serving. If stored in an airtight container or tightly covered, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Top Tip for Classic Souther Mustard Potato Salad
While this potato salad recipe doesn't have that many ingredients, each component brings its own layer of flavor. This is a purely savory potato salad, and it starts with the potatoes themselves. Don't forget to add salt to your water when boiling your potatoes. This is your only chance to truly season the potatoes and not just the dressing.
Also be careful of overcooking your potatoes. Use a fork and not a knife to test their doneness. The fork should easily pierce through the potatoes and they should cleanly split apart if broken. Bake sure they you cut them into fairly even sizes. This will allow them to cook evenly without smaller pieces overcooking and larger pieces being more raw.
Classic Southern Potato Salad
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 Serving bowl
- 1 Colander
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½" cubes
- 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- 6 hard boiled eggs, peeled
- ⅓ cup yellow mustard
- 1 ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp vinegar
- ¾ cup relish, such as Wickles
Instructions
- Add your potatoes to a large pot and add enough water to cover them. Salt your water.
- Bring the potatoes to a boil. Allow them to cook until they're just cooked through. A fork should easily pierce them and they should cleanly break in half.
- Drain the potatoes.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Place the egg yolks in a large serving bowl.
- Chop up the egg whites.
- Add the mayo, mustard, vinegar, relish, and seasonings to the bowl with the egg yolks. Break up the yolks as you mix the dressing together.
- Add the warm potatoes and egg whites to the bowl. Gently mix to combine.
- Allow the potato salad to refrigerate for at least an hour covered before serving.
- Enjoy!
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