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Korean Potato Salad

Korean potato salad (gamja salad) is a creamy, sweet mash-style side made by boiling potatoes until very tender, then roughly mashing for a hearty texture. It’s mixed with crisp vegetables, corn, and chopped hard-boiled eggs, then chilled for best flavor.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Korean
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Russet potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed
Vegetables and eggs
  • 2 carrots diced small
  • 1 cucumber seeded and diced
  • 0.5 cup corn kernels
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs chopped
Sweet creamy dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Boil and mash potatoes
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil in a Dutch oven, then boil the peeled, cubed russet potatoes until very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. You should be able to pierce pieces easily with a fork.
  2. Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then mash them roughly (not completely smooth) while still hot for a thick, creamy texture.
Blanch vegetables
  1. Blanch the diced carrots in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain well. Keep them bright and just tender, not soft.
Combine salad base
  1. Add the mashed potatoes, blanched carrots, diced cucumber, corn kernels, and chopped hard-boiled eggs to the pot and mix until evenly distributed. The vegetables and egg pieces should be visible throughout.
Make dressing and chill
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, rice vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl until the sugar dissolves and the dressing looks smooth and cohesive.
  2. Fold the dressing into the potato mixture until everything is coated and creamy, with no dry pockets of potato.
  3. Refrigerate the Korean potato salad for at least 2 hours before serving, covered, so the flavors meld and the texture firms slightly.

Notes

For the best texture, mash the potatoes while hot and keep them rough so the salad stays creamy without turning paste-like. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the salad doesn’t freeze well due to the mayonnaise base. For a lighter option, swap regular mayonnaise for light mayo to reduce calories while keeping the sweet-tangy flavor.