Red Potato Salad Recipe
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If you love a zesty potato salad, this red potato salad recipe is the one to try. It uses twice-baked potatoes along with pickles, onions, and plenty of fresh herbs and spices. It’s delicious and perfect for a family dinner, a barbecue, or even a potluck.
Potato salad doesn’t have to be a big glob of mayonnaise on your plate. Quite the opposite, especially with this red potato salad recipe. It has enough dressing to be a bit creamy, but also has plenty of other ingredients to keep the salad delicious and not smothered in mayo. This is a hearty side dish that will pair well with just about anything, and it’s seriously yum.
Do I Have To Use Red Potatoes?
No, you can use any smaller potato you’d like. But red potatoes were made for this salad. I highly recommend them. If you don’t have them, however, Yukon Gold potatoes would be the next best choice. Fingerling potatoes are an option as well, but you’ll want to use more of them (about double). Avoid Russet potatoes.
Recipe Tips
Chop everything fine for the best overall texture. It’s okay if the potatoes are a little chunkier, but most everything else will be easier to eat if it’s finely chopped.
Salt the potatoes on the roasting pan, then salt the salad to taste when it’s finished. Potatoes require more salt for good flavor.
Leave the skins on the potatoes. They are delicious in this salad, especially if they get a little crunchy.
Potato Salad Recipe Additions
If you want to add even more to this salad, your best choices are one or all of these:
- Hard-boiled eggs – Add 2-3 eggs, chopped fine.
- Fresh parsley – Add a half to 1 full cup of chopped parsley. Curly parsley will work best here.
- Crispy bacon – Look for a no-sugar bacon. Cook the bacon to your liking and then chop and toss into the salad. 3 to 4 bacon stripes should be plenty to add flavor.
About The Red Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients
The Salad
Red potatoes – Choose small to medium potatoes that will be easy to smash with the bottom of a cup or mug. You will roast these twice.
Celery – You want to chop this as fine as you can get it.
Pickles – Use those big dill pickles you get out of jars at the store deli counter. In a pinch, you can buy sliced dill pickles and chop them. You’ll have to eyeball the amount needed to be about the same as two large pickles. Do not use a sweet pickle for this.
Purple onions – These are very small onions. If you can’t find them, use approximately one cup of chopped red onion.
Extra virgin olive oil – Or any light flavored oil you prefer to use.
Paprika – Only use regular, not smoked.
Garlic granules – Or garlic powder.
Ground black pepper
The Dressing
Scallions
Fresh dill – You will use the entire bunch, so don’t get the biggest bunch you can find. Pick a medium-sized bunch.
Mayonnaise – No sugar added. You can purchase it or make your own. If using mayo bothers you, you can substitute it with plain yogurt or Greek yogurt.
Pickle brine – The liquid from the jar of dill pickles.
Prepared yellow mustard – No sugar added.
To Finish
Salt – Add to taste after mixing the salad together.
How To Make Red Potato Salad
Preheat the oven to 400F. and gather all your ingredients.
The Salad
Clean your potatoes well with water and a vegetable brush. Pat them dry and poke a few holes in each one with a knife or fork. Brush them with oil and lay them on a parchment-lined baking pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until they are soft enough to easily run a knife through the centers.
While the potatoes bake, chop the pickles as fine as you can get them and put them in a large bowl.
Peel the onions and slice them into rings, or chop them as finely as you did the pickles. Add them to the bowl with the pickles. Then rinse the fresh dill and scallions, pat dry, and chop them as finely as you can, then add them to the mixing bowl, too.
When the potatoes are soft, use the bottom of a heavy mug to flatten them. Mash them to between approximately one to a half inch in thickness. One-inch thickness will give you softer potatoes, while a half-inch thickness will give you crispier potatoes. The choice is yours. Brush them with oil and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic granules. Return them to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Cool and chop coarsely.
The Dressing
In a small to medium bowl, mix together the mayo, pickle brine and mustard. Mix well and add to the large mixing bowl. Stir to coat the salad evenly with the dressing. For the best results, let this sit overnight in the fridge to give it time to fully develop its flavors.
Adjust salt and pepper to your liking and serve.
Storing Red Potato Salad
If you have any salad leftover, store this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing
Freezing is not recommended for this recipe.
Reheating
If you prefer warm potato salad, the only way to reheat this is with a very short amount of time in the microwave. If you like your salad warm, eat it right after making it. Once everything has been mixed together, it becomes somewhat difficult to reheat because of the dressing.
More Potato Recipes
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Red Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
The Salad
- 7 small red potatoes
- ½ cup finely chopped celery stalks
- 2 large dill pickles
- 3 small purple onions
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. dried garlic
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
The Dressing
- 1 medium bunch scallions
- 1 medium bunch fresh dill
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp. pickle brine
- ½ tbsp. mustard
To Finish
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. and gather all your ingredients.
- Clean your potatoes well with water and a vegetable brush. Pat them dry and poke a few holes in each one with a knife or fork. Brush them with oil and lay them on a parchment-lined baking pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until they are soft enough to easily run a knife through the centers.7 small red potatoes
- While the potatoes bake, chop the pickles as fine as you can get them and put them in a large bowl.2 large dill pickles
- Peel the onions and slice them into rings, or chop them as finely as you did the pickles. Add them to the bowl with the pickles. Then rinse the fresh dill and scallions, pat dry, and chop them as finely as you can, then add them to the mixing bowl, too.½ cup finely chopped celery stalks, 3 small purple onions, 1 medium bunch fresh dill, 1 medium bunch scallions
- When the potatoes are soft, use the bottom of a heavy mug to flatten them. Smash them to between approximately one to a half inch in thickness. One-inch thickness will give you softer potatoes, while a half-inch thickness will give you crispier potatoes. The choice is yours. Brush them with oil and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic granules. Return them to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Cool and chop coarsely.3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, ½ tsp. paprika, 1 tsp. dried garlic, ½ tsp. ground black pepper, salt
- In a small to medium bowl, mix together the mayo, pickle brine and mustard. Mix well and add to the large mixing bowl. Stir to coat the salad evenly with the dressing. For the best results, let this sit overnight in the fridge to give it time to fully develop its flavors.½ cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp. pickle brine, ½ tbsp. mustard
- Adjust salt and pepper to your liking and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
