Best Potato Salad
Buttery-soft potatoes, laced with a satiny mayo dressing, and studded with smoky bacon, crunchy celery, fresh green onions, and sweet pimentos. This will be the best (and easiest) potato salad you will ever eat. And it’s completely foolproof.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
Few things rival the classic potato salad when it’s made right. The process seems easy enough, but – let’s be honest – homemade potato salad can be pretty lame. Sorry, but you know it’s true. Why? Typically it’s from over- or under-cooking the potatoes, or under-seasoning, or not dressing the spuds at the right time. Never fear, follow my suggestions/recipe below and you’ll craft a perfect, show-stopping potato salad every time.
Let’s start with the potatoes. What type should you use?
Not Russets. Potatoes are divided into three general categories based on their texture — starchy, all-purpose, and waxy. Russet potatoes are starchy, and they’ll likely fall apart during cooking, or later when you combine the ingredients. All-purpose potatoes (like white and Yukon Gold) are less starchy than Russets, but the absolute best potatoes for potato salad are the low-starch, waxy varieties because they hold their shape during cooking. For the best results, use New (also called Baby) potatoes, Red Bliss, or Fingerling potatoes.
Cut your potatoes in uniform sizes. It doesn’t matter if you start with tiny baby potatoes or medium-size Yukon golds, cut the potatoes so that every piece is about 2 inches. That might mean some potatoes are halved, while others are quartered, or cut even more. When sizes and shapes are similar, the pieces will finish cooking at the same time.
Start with cold water. Never drop your cut potatoes in boiling water. Why? It promotes uneven cooking – and most commonly, leads to potatoes that become mushy on the outside by the time the center gets soft. Start the potatoes in a pot of cold water, bring the water to a boil, reduce the temperature to medium-high and gently boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Take note, cooking time can be as short as 5 minutes.
Season your water. A respectable potato salad is seasoned from the very beginning. Season your boiling water and you’ll season your potatoes from the inside out. Add about 1 teaspoon of salt to the pot once your water comes to a boil (the rolling boil will dissolve the salt quickly, versus adding it in the beginning).
Cook your potatoes until they’re just right, not over/under cooked. Start checking your potatoes after they’ve been boiling for 5 minutes. Pierce the potatoes with a fork and if the prongs enter cleanly with a little resistance, the potatoes are finished cooking. This can take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of your potato pieces. Wait any longer and the potatoes will fall apart.
Toss cooked potatoes in apple cider vinegar and spread them out to cool. This might be the most important tip of all, and one that may be new to you. Dressing potatoes while they’re still warm is the key to flavor. When the spuds are warm, ingredients can penetrate the flesh. But that only works with vinaigrette-based dressings.
If you add a mayo-based dressing (like the one below), the hot potatoes will melt the dressing and the salad with be oily.
To add flavor to the potatoes while they’re still warm, toss them with apple cider vinegar and spread them out on a baking sheet to cool for at least 30 minutes before adding the dressing and remaining ingredients. This guarantees great flavor, a buttery-soft texture, and allows any excess water to evaporate, which ensures that the dressing will cling to the spuds.
Use a combination of mayonnaise and sour cream. Mayonnaise-based dressings can be heavy; use equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream and your dressing will be delightfully light and extra creamy.
Let your potato salad chill. For the best marriage of flavors, let your potato salad chill before serving, preferably a minimum of 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Best Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds New/Baby potatoes, Red Bliss, or Fingerling potatoes, halved or quartered, depending on the size of the potatoes (we want 2-inch pieces)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise, regular or light
- 1/3 cup sour cream, regular or light
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 pound bacon, about 6 to 8 strips, cooked until chewy-crisp and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 4- ounce jar pimentos, drained and chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Paprika for serving
Equipment
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and pour over enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Set the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, reduce the heat to medium-high and gently boil until the potatoes are just fork-tender (see tip above), checking for doneness after 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the apple cider vinegar and toss to coat.
- Transfer the potatoes to a large baking sheet and spread out in a single layer. Let cool for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
- When the potatoes have cooled completely, add them to the mayonnaise mixture and stir gently to coat. Fold in the bacon, green onions, celery, pimentos, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, and up to 24 hours before serving.
- Sprinkle with paprika and serve.