The best easy red potato salad made with cool and tender red-skin potatoes, coated in the tastiest creamy dressing. With tangy mustard, subtle hints of paprika, zesty lemon, and fragrant fresh herbs to ensure every mouthful is utterly delicious.
Whether you use it to accompany Crispy Chicken Wings with a Garlic Butter Sauce, serve it alongside Panko Breaded Chicken or Pesto Crusted Salmon, this super tasty summer side is sure to become a new seasonal favourite.
Just like my mouth-watering Strawberry and Rocket Salad, delicious Canned Corn Salad, and flavourful Blue cheese, Grape and Walnut Salad, this dish is an absolute hit at barbecues and picnics.
The post contains additional information and helpful tips to ensure the recipe turns out great the first time. Please use the link above to jump to the recipe card at the end if you are in a hurry!
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What makes this recipe the best
- The best creamy dressing. With zesty lemon, subtle hints of paprika, punchy mustard and fragrant fresh herbs salad dressings don't get any tastier than this.
- Terrific texture. With crunchy scallions/spring onions and optional fried onions to finish.
- Ready in 30 minutes and super simple to make.
- Easy to scale and make ahead. A perfect crowd-pleaser for summer gatherings.
🛒 Key ingredients:
- Potatoes - small waxy red-skinned potatoes work best like Red Bliss, Norland, Chieftain and Dakota Pearl. Avoid floury potatoes that will fall apart like Cranberry Red or Viking Red. There's no need to peel the potatoes unless you want to. The red skins add texture to the salad.
- Mayonnaise - feel free to use full or low fat. You can also make your own.
- Scallions/spring onions - add umami flavour and crunch.
- Optional crunchy onions - to sprinkle over the salad when serving to bring some extra crispiness.
Substitutions:
Note that the recipe has not been tested with all the substitutions and variations below, so the results cannot be guaranteed.
- Red skin potatoes: substitute with waxy white potatoes like Yukon Gold, Kennebec or new potatoes.
- Honey: can be switched for the same amount of sugar.
- Mustard: you can use mustard powder instead at a ratio of 3:1.
Variations:
- Spicy potato salad: add pickled or fresh jalapenos or a little hot sauce to the dressing
- Add chopped hard-boiled egg
- Add leftover or rotisserie chicken
- Add cooked bacon or ham
- Use white potatoes instead of red
🧑🍳 Recipe steps
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions! *
Step 1: Cook the potatoes in salted simmering water until fork tender.
Step 2: Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise, paprika, salt, pepper, mustard, honey, lemon juice and lemon zest in a salad bowl.
Step 3: Add the scallions capers, parsley and chives.
Step 4: Leave the cooked potatoes to cool then toss them in the bowl with the dressing. Serve slightly warm or chilled, topped with optional crunchy onions.
🍽️ Serving suggestions
Potato salad is a timeless favourite for BBQs and picnics, complementing a variety of grilled meats such as Lamb Shish Kebabs, juicy burgers, and sizzling hot dogs.
I often serve it with Panko Chicken Breasts. It's also an excellent side dish to pair with fish dishes like Pesto Crusted Panko Salmon, Furikake Salmon, Air Fryer Panko Cod, or Blackened Cod.
Leftover potato salad can be transformed into a tasty and nutritious light lunch by adding cooked chicken, bacon, ham or diced hard-boiled eggs.
Expert Tips
- Salt the water when you cook the potatoes to ensure they are tasty and flavourful.
- Cut the potatoes into uniform pieces, so they cook evenly.
- Leave the potatoes to cool before you add them to the salad, so they retain their shape and don't absorb the dressing.
- Add the crunchy onions when serving. They'll get soggy if you leave them in the dressing for too long.
🙋 Recipe FAQs
This depends on the size of the potatoes and can range from less than 10 minutes to 25 minutes. Potatoes are done when they are fork-tender. Ensure you keep checking on them and drain them when you can easily put a fork into them.
Cutting the potatoes is generally advisable to ensure they cook evenly and more quickly. Ensure the potatoes are roughly the same size, so they take the same time to cook.
American-style and German-style potato salads differ in their ingredients, flavour profiles, and preparation methods. American potato salad has a creamy dressing base, often made with mayonnaise, while German potato salad utilizes a vinegar-based dressing, giving it a tangy and more acidic flavour.
Another difference lies in the serving temperature. German potato salad is traditionally served while still slightly warm or at room temperature, allowing the flavours to meld together. On the other hand, American potato salad is typically served chilled, emphasizing its refreshing and creamy qualities.
The potato salad will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Storing the potatoes and dressing separately is advisable if making ahead. Potato salad is not suitable for freezing.
Waxy white or red potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, Red Bliss, or Fingerling potatoes, are ideal for potato salad. Their low starch and high moisture content make them hold their shape well when cooked. They have a creamy texture and a pleasant bite, which pairs perfectly with dressings and other ingredients in potato salad.
Potato salad can be a healthy dish when prepared with nutritious ingredients and enjoyed in moderation. Potatoes are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Opting for a lighter dressing, like a yoghurt-based or vinaigrette dressing, can reduce the calorie and fat content. Adding fresh vegetables and herbs can also boost the nutritional value.
However, potato salads can become less healthy when loaded with high-fat dressings, excessive amounts of mayonnaise, or added sugars.
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📖 Recipe
Red Skin Potato Salad
Equipment
- Chopping board
Ingredients
- 700 g (25 oz) red skin potatoes cut into even bite-size pieces (Note 1)
- 115 g (½ cup) mayonnaise (Note 2)
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tsp mustard (Note 3)
- ½ tsp honey (Note 4)
- 6 scallions/spring onions finely chopped
- 20 g (2 tbsp) capers finely chopped
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 10 g (4 tbsp) parsley finely chopped
- 10 g (1 tbsp) chives finely chopped
- 4 tbsp crispy fried onions optional
Instructions
- Place a generously salted pan of water on a medium to high heat. Add the potatoes when the water begins to boil, reduce the heat a little and leave the potatoes to simmer until fork tender. (Note 5)
- Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise, paprika, salt, pepper, mustard, honey, scallions/spring onions, capers, lemon juice and zest, parsley, and chives in a large bowl.
- When the potatoes are done, drain them, and leave to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Toss the cooked potatoes with the dressing.
- Top with optional crunchy onions and serve. (Note 6)
Notes
- Potatoes: Choose small waxy red-skinned potatoes like Red Bliss, Norland, Chieftain and Dakota Pearl. Avoid floury potatoes that will fall apart like Cranberry Red or Viking Red. There's no need to peel the potatoes unless you want to. The red skins add tasty texture to the salad.
- Mayonnaise: you can use full-fat, low-fat, store-bought or homemade.
- Mustard: you can substitute with a third of the amount of mustard powder.
- Honey: substitute with the same amount of sugar.
- Cooking the potatoes: the chopped potatoes usually take 10-15 minutes to cook, but this can vary depending on their size. Ensure you check on them often. They are done when you can easily put a fork into them.
- Crunchy onions: Add them when serving the salad. You don't want them going soggy.
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