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Overhead shot of Southern potato salad with creamy potato chunks, chopped eggs, pickles, paprika, and parsley on a pink platter with a wooden serving spoon
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4.96 from 23 votes

Southern Potato Salad

My cousin Johnnie Mae's Southern potato salad is creamy, tangy, and seasoned just right, with sweet pickles and plenty of hard-boiled eggs. This one belongs at the cookout, boos!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 323kcal
Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 7 medium white potatoes about 2- 2 1/2 lbs, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise such as Duke’s
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped whole sweet baby pickles about 6 pickles, plus some of the pickle brine, not all, from the jar for additional flavor
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt such as Lawry’s, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon celery salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon Accent Flavor Enhancer
  • 5 hard-boiled eggs
  • Paprika Sweet or smoked, for garnish

Instructions

  • Place 7 potatoes in a large pot and add water to cover. Throw a little salt in to season it. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Drain the potatoes and then set aside to drain and cool completely.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, pickles, some but not all of the pickle brine so it's not too wet, mustard, sugar, vinegar, seasoned salt, celery salt, pepper, and Accent until combined.
  • Very neatly chop 4 of the hard-boiled eggs and add them to the bowl, followed by most of the potatoes.
  • Gently fold until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and add more potato until you get the consistency you enjoy.
  • Taste and adjust the seasonings according to your taste buds, my friends.
  • Serve at room temperature or cover and refrigerate until needed.
  • When ready to serve, sprinkle paprika over the salad, then slice the remaining egg and fan it out over the top.

Notes

How to Store

  • Fridge: Store your potato salad in an airtight container for up to 5 days. After that, toss it. For a cookout, put out a small serving bowl and keep the rest chilled so you can refill as needed.
  • Freezer: I don't recommend freezing this one boos. The dressing can separate and the potatoes lose their texture after thawing.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 323kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 629mg | Potassium: 687mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg