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American Russet Potato Salad

American russet potato salad with a creamy, traditional mayonnaise dressing and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Russet potatoes are boiled until tender, cooled completely, then folded gently for a classic picnic-style texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chill 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 525
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Russet potatoes
  • 4 lb russet potatoes Peeled and cubed
Eggs
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs Chopped
Vegetables and relish
  • 0.5 cup celery Diced
  • 0.25 cup onion Finely diced
  • 0.25 cup sweet pickle relish
Dressing
  • 1.25 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt To taste
  • pepper To taste
Garnish
  • paprika For garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil the potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then boil the peeled and cubed russet potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. You should be able to pierce a cube easily with a fork.
  2. Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then cool completely before mixing. Make sure there is no lingering warmth so the salad stays creamy instead of watery.
Mix the salad base
  1. Combine cooled potatoes with the chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced celery, finely diced onion, and sweet pickle relish. Fold just until evenly distributed.
Make the dressing
  1. Whisk mayonnaise, yellow mustard, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning so the dressing is balanced.
Assemble and chill
  1. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and fold gently until everything is coated. Stop folding as soon as the dressing disappears to avoid breaking up the potatoes.
  2. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours. The texture should look cohesive and the flavors should taste better after chilling.
  3. Garnish with paprika right before serving. Add it lightly so the color pops on top of the creamy salad.

Notes

For the best texture, cool the boiled russet potatoes completely before mixing—warm potatoes can thin the mayonnaise. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freezing is not recommended because the mayonnaise dressing may separate. For a lighter option, use a mayonnaise made with olive oil or reduce the mayonnaise to 1 cup and add 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt.