Perfectly Creamy Red Potato Salad, made with a delightful creamy sauce, celery and red onion for crunch and flavor.
This red potato salad recipe is fantastic side dish for any bbq, or dinner at home with Grilled Steak or Honey BBQ Cowboy Burgers.
Red skin potato salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish that effortlessly combines the hearty texture of red potatoes with a few simple spices and a beyond creamy dressing. It’s a refreshing twist on the classic potato salad, making it a popular choice for gatherings, picnics, and barbecues.
Red Potato Salad Recipe
Red potatoes are known for their creamy texture and thin skin (no peeling needed!) and serve as the perfect vehicle for a few crisp vegetables and a creamy dressing made with a combination of sour cream and mayo that ties the whole ensemble together.
Ingredients
Here’s the basic list of ingredients you’ll need to whip up Creamy Red Potato Salad. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.
- Red Potatoes – baby ones, whole
- Dill Pickle Juice – adds a nice tangy flavor to the sauce
- Celery – adds texture and crunch to the salad
- Red Onion – adds color, and flavor!
- Scallions – a classic ingredient in potato salad
- Mayonnaise – creamy base for the sauce
- Sour Cream – creamy and tangy flavor, adds body to the sauce
How To Make Red Potato Salad
I’ll walk you through instructions for making the potato salad. It’s a fairly simple process and comes together in a flash.
Cook Potatoes
Bring a large pot of water to boil with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt added. To the pot of water add the whole baby red potatoes, and cook until fork tender, about 20-30 minutes.
Cut Potatoes
Drain the potatoes and cut them in half, then quarter them if needed. Add the potatoes to a large bowl and splash with 2 Tablespoons of dill pickle juice while they’re still hot.
PRO TIP: Adding the pickle juice while the potatoes are hot helps them to both cool down and soak up the juices better.
Add Onion and Celery
Add in the celery, red onion, and scallions (green onions) to the potatoes and mix well.
Make The Creamy Sauce
In a separate dish combine the mayo, sour cream, 1 Tablespoon dill pickle juice, garlic salt, and black pepper. Whisk together until smooth.
Pour over the potatoes and stir until coated completely.
Garnish with chopped green onion and more freshly cracked pepper. Serve warm or chilled. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- Make sure the potatoes are completely cooked before draining. Test with a fork to make sure they are easy to pierce but do not fall apart.
- Try adding 1 teaspoon of lemon zest on top for a fun pop of flavor and color.
- Mix in 1 Tablespoon of freshly chopped parsley for a different flavor profile.
- Sliced black olives are always a hit with this potato salad.
Make Ahead and Storage
Potato salad is super easy to make a day or two ahead!
Refrigerate: Once cooked and cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing a potato salad with a mayo based sauce because the defrosted texture is lackluster and not nearly as delicious when made fresh.
Common Questions
Red potatoes hold shape better and have a creamier firm texture when cooked, while russet potatoes are much softer when cooked and are better for mashed potatoes.
Yes, that way the flavors can blend and the creamy sauce can soak into the potatoes.
However, this salad is so simple to make and has great flavors right away.
1. Don’t forget to season the water with plenty of salt when cooking the potatoes! It adds effortless flavor.
2. Don’t use the wrong kind of potatoes (russet) for potato salad. It could make the difference between a nicely textured salad or a mushy one.
3. Don’t forget to add the pickle juice while the potatoes are still warm. It definitely helps the flavor!
Not for this recipe. Red potatoes have lovely thin skin that adds color and vitamins and minerals to the potato salad. There’s no need to add extra work by peeling them!
More Delicious Potato Salad Recipes
We’re big potato fans around here, it’s one of our favorite vegetables. I have MULTIPLE potato salad recipes you need to try, they’re all amazing!
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
- Creamy Greek Potato Salad
- Instant Pot Potato Salad
I hope you enjoy this red potato salad as much as we do! Make sure to tell me how you like it in the comments below.
Creamy Red Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 lbs baby red potatoes, whole
- 3 tbsp dill pickle juice, divided
- ½ cup celery, finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- ⅓ cup scallions, chopped
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tbsp green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water with 1 tsp of kosher salt to a boil. Add the whole baby red potatoes and cook for 20-30 minutes, until they are fork tender.
- Drain potatoes and cut them in half, then quarter them. Add the potatoes to a large bowl and splash with 2 tbsp dill pickle juice while they're still hot.
- Add the celery, red onion and scallions to the potatoes.
- In a separate dish combine the mayo, sour cream, 1 tbsp dill pickle juice, garlic salt and black pepper. Whisk until smooth. Pour over potatoes and stir until coated. Garnish chopped green onion and more freshly cracked pepper.
- Serve the potato salad warm or chill and serve. Enjoy!
Easy Pico de Gallo Salsa
Marla Reynolds
I think I would add eggs &pickles & maybe sliced olives.
Lilith
This was so delicious! I didn’t change any ingredients, will be making this for our summer BBQ’s!
Cheryl C Robertson
Hello,
Question1. will it change the taste of the potato salad if I used miracle whip instead of mayo?
Question 2 Do you have a recipe for a Greek Salad?
Shawn
Miracle whip will make it significantly more sweet, but if you prefer that flavor over mayo, then go for it!
Yes, I do have a Greek Salad recipe! Here are a few of my favorites… Greek Pasta Salad, Greek Potato Salad, Greek Spinach Salad