Potato salad is a classic side dish that pairs well with a variety of mains—from grilled meats and poultry to hearty deli sandwiches. It’s a staple at summer cookouts, barbecues, and picnics, but it’s delicious enough to enjoy year-round. With countless variations featuring ingredients like mustard, mayonnaise, fresh herbs, and bacon bits, there’s a potato salad for every palate. To inspire your next potato salad, we’ve rounded up a collection of our favorite potato salad recipes, each offering a unique, flavorful twist in addition to the traditional classics we all know and love.
Old-Fashioned German Potato Salad
Kelsey Hansen
Unlike American potato salad, this old-fashioned German potato salad is mayo-free, served warm, and studded with chopped bacon for rich flavor. The potatoes are simmered in a mixture of beef broth, bacon, and onions to create a creamy sauce that keeps them moist.
All-American Potato Salad
This traditional all-American potato salad delivers a tangy and creamy flavor all at once, thanks to the vinegar and mayonnaise. The potatoes are also tossed with chopped hard-boiled eggs, celery, red bell peppers, cornichons, and scallions for a colorful crunch.
Deviled Egg Potato Salad
Deviled eggs and potato salad are both classic summer side dishes—so why not combine them into one? Our deviled egg potato salad is a hefty, flavorful dish that delivers equal parts comfort and flavor in every bite.
Dijon Potato Salad
Jacob Fox
Our Dijon potato salad is a delicious dairy-free alternative that’s perfect for cookouts. Made without mayo, it comes together with just five simple ingredients you likely already have on hand: potatoes, mustard, vinegar, parsley, and olive oil.
Smoky Potato Salad With Corn and Chipotles
Bryan Gardner / MSLO
We gave this potato salad a bold Mexican twist, with the addition of boiled corn, lime juice, crumbled cotija cheese, chili powder, and smoky canned chipotle chiles for a kick. It’s a go-to side dish for all your favorite cookout mains—burgers, grilled chicken, fish, and more.
Basic Potato Salad
Andrea Araiza
If you’re a fan of classic, no-frills potato salad, this recipe is for you. It’s a reliable crowd-pleaser—perfect for bringing to a summer potluck party.
Martha’s Favorite Potato Salad
Martha Stewart
Martha’s favorite potato salad is a cherished family recipe passed down from her Aunt Catherine. It features red-skinned potatoes, and they are steamed instead of boiled, then peeled, sliced, and tossed with white vinegar, mayonnaise thinned with buttermilk, and sliced cornichons. Martha always garnishes the dish with thinly sliced hard-boiled eggs, just the way her Aunt Catherine did.
Balsamic Potato Salad
Lately, pepperoncinis are popping up everywhere—first in martinis, and now in potato salad. Our balsamic potato salad offers a unique take on the traditional side dish, boasting bold flavor without mayonnaise. Yukon gold potatoes are tossed with Dijon mustard, white balsamic vinegar, pepperoncini brine, and fresh thyme.
Test Kitchen’s Favorite Potato Salad
The test kitchen’s favorite potato salad strikes the perfect balance of creamy and tangy. It blends vinegar, mustard, and mayonnaise with classic mix-ins like chopped celery, scallions, and cornichons. The result is a well-rounded side dish with just the right amount of crunch.
New Potato Salad With Red-Wine Vinaigrette
This mayo-free potato salad combines our favorite Mediterranean flavors—like oregano, lemon, parsley, and olive oil—with slightly smashed potatoes. It’s a lighter rendition of potato salad that everyone is destined to devour at your next summer cookout.
Classic Potato Salad
Carson Downing
This classic Southern potato salad features all the good things—hard-boiled eggs, freshly chopped dill, sweet onion, and lemon juice. It tastes even better than it looks and is the perfect addition to your cookout spread.
