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This Old-Fashioned Potato Salad is the creamy, tangy kind that shows up at every cookout: tender potatoes, chopped eggs, crunchy celery and a mustard-mayo dressing with a little pickle relish.

It’s built on a bag of potatoes and a few eggs, two of the hardest-working staples in a tight grocery budget, and one batch fills a big bowl.

It’s also better made ahead. A night in the fridge lets the potatoes soak up the dressing, which makes it an easy dish to check off early for our backyard BBQ menu.

Ingredients and Swaps

Potatoes: Yukon Golds hold their shape and stay creamy. Russets are softer and soak up more dressing. Red potatoes work too. Our guide to how to cook potatoes covers the differences.
Eggs: Four hard-boiled eggs. See Easy Hard-Boiled Eggs if you need a method.
Mayonnaise and mustard: Regular mayo and plain yellow mustard give the classic flavor. Swap half the mayo for plain Greek yogurt or sour cream for a lighter, tangier salad.
Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or a splash of pickle juice.
Crunch: Celery and red onion. Green onions are milder if raw onion isn’t your thing.
Relish: Sweet pickle relish, or chopped dill pickles for a less sweet salad.

Tips for the Best Potato Salad

Start the potatoes in a large pot of cold, salted water so they cook evenly and are seasoned all the way through.
Stop when a fork slides in easily. Overcooked potatoes turn to mash when you stir.
Drain well in a colander and sprinkle the vinegar over the potatoes while they’re still warm. Warm potatoes absorb flavor that cold ones won’t.
Let the potatoes cool before adding the mayo dressing so it stays creamy instead of oily.
Taste again after chilling. Cold dulls seasoning, so it often needs another pinch of salt.

Prices are from Walmart’s and ALDI’s websites for stores in Columbus, Ohio, checked in October 2026. Ohio’s grocery prices are within about 1% of the national average, so you may pay more or less depending on where you live, and prices change often. Here’s how we price our recipes.

Cost: Ingredients – $6.02 from Walmart, $7.85 from ALDI · Per Serving – $0.75 to $0.98

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Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

Creamy potato salad with tender potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery and a tangy mustard-mayo dressing. A make-ahead side for cookouts and potlucks.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Chilling Time 2

Total Time 2 35

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Salad

3 pounds Yukon Gold or russet potatoes peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 tablespoon salt for the cooking water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
4 hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery finely diced
¼ cup finely diced red onion

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Paprika for sprinkling

Method

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10–12 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
Drain well. Spread the potatoes in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of vinegar and let them cool for 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, relish, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, ¾ teaspoon of salt and the pepper.
Add the eggs, celery and onion to the potatoes. Pour the dressing over the top and fold gently until everything is coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Taste, adjust the salt and sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Notes

Leave the skins on Yukon Gold or red potatoes if you like.
Lighter version: use ½ cup mayonnaise and ½ cup plain Greek yogurt.
Add-ins: crumbled bacon, chopped fresh dill or a pinch of celery seed.
Keep it cold. Don’t leave potato salad out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour in hot weather.

What to Serve With It

It belongs next to Backyard Cheeseburgers, Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs and Brown Sugar Baked Beans, and it’s a good match for Ham and Cheese Sliders at a potluck.

Make-Ahead, Storage and Food Safety

Make it up to 1 day ahead. Stir before serving and add a spoonful of mayo if it looks dry.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it’s above 90°F outside. At a cookout, set the bowl in a larger bowl of ice.
Potato salad doesn’t freeze well. The potatoes turn grainy and the dressing separates.