Potato Salad recipe made the old fashioned way with a few simple ingredients. Eggs, vegetables, mayonnaise, and seasonings make this a classic recipe.
For another classic, our readers LOVE this German Potato Salad recipe. We have instructions for stove top AND Instant Pot! Or try my grandma’s Egg Salad recipe for another easy lunch staple!
Why this is the Best Potato Salad
I am certain that every family has their own potato salad recipe. This easy and delicious recipe comes from my dad’s side of the family, my Grandma Bauer.
Grandma Bauer made the best potato salad (and ham salad, too).
It’s perfect because it requires minimal ingredients and is easy to put together for a crowd.
The perfect complement to your Pulled Pork or Hamburgers!
- This is a classic potato salad that tastes great without unnecessary ingredients like pickle juice, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, or celery seed.
- All you need is potatoes, green peppers, onions, eggs, Hellman’s mayonnaise, and salt and pepper.
- The key to making my grandma’s potato salad is to dice everything into very small pieces, and I mean small. So grab your best chef’s knife and let’s make it together! You can even mash it if you like a creamier potato salad.
FAVORITE POTLUCK RECIPE: Macaroni Salad | Roasted Corn Salad
How to Make Potato Salad
Prep the potatoes. If you want your potatoes peeled, start there. I like to leave the skin on mine, but Grandma always liked hers peeled.
Cut your potatoes into smaller chunks and place them in a large pot with enough water to cover the tops of the potatoes.
PRO TIP: You can also make potatoes in the Instant Pot with this Instant Pot Potatoes recipe.
Cook over high heat and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce heat to medium low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Allow potatoes to cool.
Once the potatoes are done cooking, drain them and then dice them into small bite-sized pieces.
Dice your Peppers and Onions. While your potatoes are boiling, you can also make your hard boiled eggs and dice your peppers and onions. Remember, you want to dice them in very small pieces, about 1/4”, thumbnail size as my mom always told me!
Combine. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the diced potatoes, onions, and peppers. Stir in the diced eggs and mayonnaise. And yes, grandma always used the whole 30 ounce jar and so do I. Feel free to add as little or as much as you enjoy! Stir everything together and season with kosher salt and pepper to taste.
REFRIGERATE. Refrigerate potato salad for at least one hour before serving, allowing the flavors to mingle and chill. Then enjoy!
How to boil Potatoes for Potato Salad
Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover the tops of the potatoes with water. Add ½ tsp. of salt. Turn the heat on high and bring the water to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low. Cover with a lid and cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain the potatoes and let them cool.
PRO TIP: Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes may need a little longer to cook.
Perfect hard boiled eggs
I can now make the perfect hard boiled eggs using my Instant Pot! The Instant Pot makes it so the eggshells come off very easily and the yolk is a perfect yellow.
I have tried every way out there to make perfect hard boiled eggs and this way is the best! It also makes the most delicious deviled eggs!
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Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes
- 2 green peppers
- 1 medium onion
- 6 hard boiled eggs
- 30 ounce jar Hellman’s mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by cooking your potatoes. I prefer to leave the skin ON, but my Grandma always liked hers peeled. Cut your potatoes into smaller chunks and place them in a large pot with enough water to cover the tops of the potatoes.
- Cook over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and cover with a lid. Cook potatoes for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
- Once the potatoes are done cooking, drain them and then dice them into small bite-sized pieces.
- While your potatoes are boiling, you can also make your eggs. Dice your peppers and onions. Remember, you want to dice them in very small pieces, about 1/4”, thumbnail size as my mom always told me!
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the diced potatoes, onions, and peppers. Stir in the diced eggs and mayonnaise.
- Stir everything together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate potato salad for at least one hour before serving, allowing the flavors to mingle and chill. Then enjoy!
Notes
- No need to peel potatoes, unless you want to!
- Feel free to use less mayo than my grandmother, start with half the jar, mix and add more as desired.
- Swap out the green peppers for celery, if you prefer traditional potato salad.
Video
Nutrition
Classic Potato Salad Recipe with a few basic ingredients. It’s all about the combination of flavors, not all the extras!
I always wondered where my mom got the recipe for our potato salad. My great grandmother was from Ireland and she probably got it from her. It was very plain but oh was it so good. We only added potatoes, eggs, green peppers, onions, mayo and added celery. That’s it. Thanks. Neve knew that something from our roots.
The salad sounds very good however, can I smash the potato’s n mix until creamy? Also, what is the serving amount? I need to watch the amount of carbs I have. Could I add celery seed and want do you suggest. I am dumb as a rock when it comes to cooking.
Thank you,
Mike
You can smash them any texture you like 🙂
This same recipe has been in my family for over 50 years. It’s the best!
I just want to mention one thing about making a potato salad better. How? By using two different types of potatoes together, Red and Russet.
Your recipe is great but my mother’s is great also! Very similar to your’s.The difference is that you use all Mayo and I use half Mayo and half miracle whip. Try it sometime.
You’re right we used all miracle whip we didn’t use mayo
This recipe IS Absolutely Delicious.!! . 😋Yummm.!!
Measurements to ANY recipe are just guidelines for all of us to start out with & go by, basically not written in gold..
If anyone thinks this recipe may have to much “Mao” in it – no problem
– just start out with 1 CUP – then slowly add more to your likings.!!
My GramMa always said – that’s when you make a recipe “your own”!! . 😘
My whole family are definitely a 100% true blue “Hellmann’s” family.!!
((we are not into – Miracle Whip – pickles or adding in any vinegar in our salads))
This “Potato Salad” IS exactly how my GramMa made her’s – PERFECT.!!
Thank-You for sharing your GramMa’s recipe with us.!! . 😘 . Mel..
I have used a very similar recipe , but I don’t use eggs. All the other ingredients are the same except I also use celery seed and put some paprika on top for a nice appearance. Also I have used a small amount of paprika in the salad. I don ‘t use as much mayonnaise and don’t dice my potatoes into to such small pieces. I adjust the recipe for the amount of potato salad I want. I cut the potatoes into smaller pieces after boiling them and with mixing the potatoes get even smaller. This recipe was one I got from my mother.
I made this potato salad exactly like the recipe except I used 1 Green & 1 Red Bell pepper rather than 2 Green, as called for in the recipe.
When it came time to add the Mayo, I did NOT use a spatula to completely clean out the jar. I simply shook the jar until the majority of the mayo came out and into the bowl.
First, let me be clear — there never was a 32 oz. Hellmann’s Real Mayo — there is a 30 oz. jar.
I have to agree with the other people who provided comments about the recipe with respect to the amount of mayo specified in the recipe.
30 oz. is too much! Unless you prefer some potatoes and peppers with your mayo!
I think I will try this recipe again, only next time, I’ll use 2 1/2 cups of mayo, which in theory is about 10 oz. less.
I don’t see any problem with a minimalist approach to potato salad like this recipe (potatoes, onions, peppers & eggs only).
I have settled on 5 “standard” potato salad recipes over the years of experimenting. I may add this one to my list to make it 6.
I will definitely be experimenting with this recipe by adding things like celery, garlic, pickles, etc.
Could I sub celery for the green pepper? I cannot digest green pepper and have a slight allergy to it.
Absolutely!
Thanks so much. I’m so happy I found your recipe. This is the recipe my mother-in-law taught me.
I think of her every time I make it.
I looked for a recipe for potato salad without vinegar or mustard as I am allergic to those ingredients and your recipe came up. However, as Hellman’s mayonnaise has vinegar in it, this won’t work for me.
Any suggestions? Thank you.
I think you could make your own mayonnaise?
Have you looked at Dukes Mayo? I’m not sure of the ingredients but I’m positive it’s a really good quality Mayo.
More mayo the better
if you make potatoe salad out of canned potatoes, do you have to cook potatoes or make it right out of the can thank you
I’ve never bought canned potatoes. Sorry!
I actually diced my potatoes into small pieces and put them into the water. Still worked nicely
Yes finally a potato salad without celery, or pickles, or sugar!
This is how my mom made her potato salad.
That is a ridiculous amount of mayonnaise!
If you don’t like the amount of mayonnaise, don’t make it! Keep your negative talk to yourself.
Ease up. Good grief. Overreact much?
Comments like Sue’s are actually very helpful because it might stop someone from mixing in the whole jar of mayonnaise at one time. Once it’s mixed in, it can’t be fixed if it’s too much.
I agree. An entire jar is too much, for us. Add a bit at a time. You can always add more but can’t take away.
I agree. I don’t even use the whole jar when I use 5 pounds of potatoes! That’s why the calorie count is so high on this recipe.
Yes, it is! Got this amount of potatoes you would need between a cup and a cup and 1/2.
I made the recipe and followed it exactly — I can testify to the fact that your assessment of the amount of mayonnaise is correct!
Nice!
When I make potato salad I cook eggs and potatoes together in same pot at boil
I set timer for 14 mins . Eggs and potatoes are done perfectly at same time . Also I use kraft may and Kraft miracle whip 1 cup of each . About 1/2 cup of tartar sauce and I mix 1/2 cup of sugar some celery seed 1/2 cup apple cider vin 1/2 cup fine diced celery optional 1 small onion diced small mix the sauce together and mix in with potatoes and hard boiled eggs that are sliced , and you have kick ass potato salad oh and a tbls of dry mustard
I will stick with recipe at hand – just what I was looking for simple & delicious.You Charles have totally rewritten the recipe to your liking – you are not giving remarks about this recipe but giving your 2cents about what you feel is the best. These comments are better kept to yourself