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Lemon Potato Salad

Lemon Potato Salad is a bright, tangy citrus potato salad with a light dressing of mayo, lemon juice, zest, olive oil, and Dijon. Yukon Gold potatoes are boiled until tender, tossed with fresh parsley and green onions, then chilled for clean, flavorful texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes
  • 3 lb Yukon gold potatoes cubed
Lemon dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 0.25 cup lemon juice
  • 2 lemons zest of 2 lemons
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Herbs and aromatics
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 0.25 cup green onions sliced
Seasoning
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and cool the potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add the cubed Yukon gold potatoes and cook until tender, about 15–20 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when a fork slides in easily and the cubes look tender and intact.
  2. Drain the potatoes and spread them out to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. The surface should look dry and matte rather than steamy.
Make the lemon dressing
  1. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, and Dijon mustard until smooth. The mixture should look glossy and evenly colored with no streaks.
Assemble and chill
  1. Combine the cooled potatoes with fresh parsley and green onions. Toss just until the herbs are evenly distributed throughout the potato cubes.
  2. Pour the lemon dressing over the potatoes and toss well to coat every piece. The potatoes should glisten with dressing and look lightly coated, not dry.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss again briefly. The flavors should taste balanced—tangy from the lemon with no bland potato edges.
  4. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. The salad should be cold throughout with dressing set and clinging to the potatoes.

Notes

For the best texture, cool the potatoes fully before dressing so the mayo doesn’t thin from residual heat. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze is not recommended because the potatoes and mayo dressing can change texture. For a lighter option, use light mayonnaise (or a half-mayo blend) to keep the tangy lemon flavor while reducing richness.