Best Mashed Potato Salad

Getting tired of the same old potato salad at every summer cookout? You know the one—it’s either too watery, too bland, or just plain boring. And let’s be honest, nobody wants to be stuck making the same recipe their mom’s been bringing to family gatherings for the past twenty years.

That’s where this mashed potato salad comes in to save the day. It combines the creamy, comforting texture of mashed potatoes with all those classic potato salad flavors you love, creating something that’s familiar yet totally different from what everyone else is bringing to the table.

What Kind of Potatoes Should I Use?

For this mashed potato salad, you’ve got two great options: Russets or Yukon Golds. Russets are your classic baking potatoes with a fluffy, starchy texture that makes them perfect for mashing – they’ll soak up all those creamy ingredients like a dream. Yukon Golds have a naturally buttery flavor and a creamier texture, which means your salad will be extra rich and smooth. Either way, make sure to pick potatoes that are firm with no soft spots or green patches, and try to choose ones that are similar in size so they cook evenly. If you’re at the store and can only find one variety, don’t stress – both will give you a delicious result.

Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• Potatoes: Russets and Yukon Gold both work great here – Russets give you fluffier mashed potatoes while Yukons are creamier. You can use either one or mix them together based on what you have.
• Milk and butter: For a richer taste, swap the milk for heavy cream or half-and-half. If you’re out of butter, use an equal amount of olive oil or more mayonnaise.
• Mayonnaise: You can replace half or all of the mayo with Greek yogurt or additional sour cream for a tangier, lighter version. Just know it will change the flavor a bit.
• Pickle juice: Don’t have pickle juice? Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar mixed with a pinch of sugar to get that tangy kick.
• Fresh chives: Green onions work perfectly as a substitute, or you can use dried chives (about 2 teaspoons) if fresh herbs aren’t available.
• Red bell pepper: Swap this with finely diced celery for crunch, or leave it out completely if you prefer a simpler salad.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making mashed potato salad is adding the mayonnaise and sour cream while the potatoes are still warm, which can cause them to turn greasy and separate – always let your mashed potatoes cool completely to room temperature first.

Overcooking your potatoes is another common issue that leads to a watery, gluey texture, so pull them from the heat as soon as a fork slides through easily and drain them right away.

For the creamiest results, don’t skip the step of heating your milk and butter together before adding them to the potatoes, and when mashing, stop as soon as you reach a smooth consistency since overworking the potatoes releases too much starch and makes them gummy.

Finally, taste and adjust the seasoning after chilling, as cold temperatures can dull flavors and you might need to add more salt or pickle juice before serving.

What to Serve With Mashed Potato Salad?

This mashed potato salad is perfect for any backyard barbecue or picnic, so I love serving it alongside grilled burgers, hot dogs, or barbecue chicken. It also pairs really well with pulled pork sandwiches or grilled brats, since the creamy texture complements smoky, savory meats. If you’re keeping things simple, some grilled corn on the cob and coleslaw make great side dish companions. For a full cookout spread, add some baked beans and watermelon slices to round out the meal.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your mashed potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It actually tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to meld together, so don’t be afraid to make it ahead for your next gathering.

Make Ahead: This is a great make-ahead dish for parties or meal prep. You can prepare it up to 2 days in advance and just give it a good stir before serving. If it seems a bit dry after sitting, just mix in a splash of milk or a dollop of mayo to bring back that creamy texture.

Serve: This salad is best served cold or at room temperature. If you’re bringing it to a picnic or potluck, just pull it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Give it a quick taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1350-1550
• Protein: 16-20 g
• Fat: 65-75 g
• Carbohydrates: 180-200 g

Ingredients

For the potato base:

• 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the dressing and mix-ins:

• 1/4 red pepper (finely diced)
• 3 tbsp fresh chives (chopped)
• 1/4 cup pickle juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp sour cream
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Step 1: Prepare and Cook the Potatoes

• 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
• Salt for cooking water

Peel and cut the Yukon Gold potatoes into even 1-2 inch cubes to ensure uniform cooking.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the potato cubes and cook for 12-15 minutes until they’re completely tender and easily pierced with a fork.

Drain thoroughly in a colander, shaking gently to remove excess water—this prevents the mashed potatoes from becoming watery.

Step 2: Create the Mashed Potato Base

• cooked potatoes from Step 1
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

While the potatoes are still hot, return them to the pot off heat and add the butter and warmed milk.

Mash until you reach your desired consistency—I prefer leaving it slightly chunky for a more interesting texture in a salad, but you can make it smoother if you prefer.

Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper, then spread the mixture on a plate or shallow bowl to cool to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes.

This prevents the warm potatoes from cooking the sour cream and mayonnaise.

Step 3: Prepare the Dressing and Mix-ins

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp sour cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup pickle juice
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 red pepper
• 3 tbsp fresh chives

While the potatoes cool, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, pickle juice, and onion powder in a medium bowl until smooth and well combined.

This creates your creamy dressing base.

In a separate small bowl, combine the diced red pepper and chopped fresh chives.

Step 4: Combine and Season

• cooled mashed potatoes from Step 2
• dressing mixture from Step 3
• red pepper and chives from Step 3

Once the mashed potatoes have cooled to room temperature, gently fold in the creamy dressing mixture from Step 3 until evenly distributed.

Then fold in the red pepper and chives mixture, being careful not to overmix as you want to maintain a slightly chunky potato salad texture.

Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt as needed—the pickle juice is already fairly salty, so add gradually.

Step 5: Chill and Serve

Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

This chilling time allows the flavors to meld together beautifully and helps the salad set to the perfect consistency.

Give it a gentle stir before serving to redistribute any dressing that may have settled.

Best Mashed Potato Salad

Delicious Best Mashed Potato Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 12 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 1450

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the potato base

• 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the dressing and mix-ins

• 1/4 red pepper (finely diced)
• 3 tbsp fresh chives (chopped)
• 1/4 cup pickle juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp sour cream
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Method

 

1. Peel and cut the Yukon Gold potatoes into even 1-2 inch cubes to ensure uniform cooking. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the potato cubes and cook for 12-15 minutes until they're completely tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly in a colander, shaking gently to remove excess water—this prevents the mashed potatoes from becoming watery.
2. While the potatoes are still hot, return them to the pot off heat and add the butter and warmed milk. Mash until you reach your desired consistency—I prefer leaving it slightly chunky for a more interesting texture in a salad, but you can make it smoother if you prefer. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper, then spread the mixture on a plate or shallow bowl to cool to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes. This prevents the warm potatoes from cooking the sour cream and mayonnaise.
3. While the potatoes cool, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, pickle juice, and onion powder in a medium bowl until smooth and well combined. This creates your creamy dressing base. In a separate small bowl, combine the diced red pepper and chopped fresh chives.
4. Once the mashed potatoes have cooled to room temperature, gently fold in the creamy dressing mixture from Step 3 until evenly distributed. Then fold in the red pepper and chives mixture, being careful not to overmix as you want to maintain a slightly chunky potato salad texture. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt as needed—the pickle juice is already fairly salty, so add gradually.
5. Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld together beautifully and helps the salad set to the perfect consistency. Give it a gentle stir before serving to redistribute any dressing that may have settled.