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American Russet Potato Salad

American russet potato salad with a classic creamy dressing and tender boiled potato cubes. This traditional salad is mixed with chopped hard-boiled eggs and crisp celery/onion, then chilled until thick and sliceable for picnic-ready serving.
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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, peeled and cubed
  • 4 lb russet potatoes
Hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
Celery, diced
  • 0.5 cup celery
Onion, finely diced
  • 0.25 cup onion
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 and pepper to taste
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.125 tsp pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish
  • 1 tsp paprika for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and cool the potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the russet potatoes. Boil at 100°C/212°F for 15-20 minutes, until a fork slides in easily, then drain and cool completely at room temperature.
Mix the potato base
  1. In a large bowl, combine the cooled potatoes with hard-boiled eggs, celery, onion, and sweet pickle relish. Fold gently until everything looks evenly distributed.
Make the creamy dressing
  1. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth and glossy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Combine, chill, and serve
  1. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and fold gently until the potatoes look creamy and coated. Avoid vigorous stirring to keep the cubes intact.
  2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (up to overnight) to let the flavors set. The salad should look thicker and hold together when scooped.
  3. Before serving, garnish the top with paprika in a light dusting. Serve chilled, with a classic presentation in a serving bowl.

Notes

Pro tip: cooling the boiled potatoes completely prevents the dressing from turning watery—if needed, spread them out to cool faster. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days; freeze is not recommended for best texture. For a lighter option, use half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt (or full Greek yogurt) for a tangier, less fatty dressing.