- March 27, 2024
- Meal Prep
Traditional Deli Potato Salad Recipe
Recreate the perfect traditional deli potato salad recipe at home. This classic side dish brings creamy, tangy flavors to your table by combining tender potatoes, crisp celery, onion, and a rich, flavorful dressing for a crowd-pleasing salad that’s ideal for picnics, family gatherings, and everyday meals.
Why This Recipe Works
Potato Salad Perfection: This is the absolute best traditional deli potato salad recipe out there. If you love getting potato salad from your local deli, then you learn how to make the best potato salad right at home for a fraction of the price! With the perfect combination of creamy and tangy flavors, everyone will absolutely love it!
Pairs with Everything: Especially in the summertime, this traditional deli potato salad recipe is my ultimate go to recipe to pair with all my meals! When feeding a crowd at a barbecue, picnic or gathering, potato salad is an easy recipe to whip up that I know will be a hit. You can serve it with sandwiches, burgers, brats, or any of your grilled favorites!
Supplies Needed
- Large Pot
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- Russet Potatoes: I like to use classic russet potatoes, since that is what they typically use at the deli. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes if you prefer.
- Hardboiled Eggs: Hard boil your eggs beforehand so they are ready!
- Red Onion: Diced up in small pieces. A little goes a long way, so about one cup will do!
- Celery: Celery adds a refreshlng flavor and lovely crunch!
- Mayo: I used regular mayo, but you can use low fat mayo if you prefer.
- Mustard: Yellow mustard adds a bit of tang!
- Celery Salt: For a savory, salty addition.
- Pepper: To taste.
How To Make Traditional Deli Potato Salad
- Prep Potatoes: Begin by peeling the potatoes and dicing into large pieces for boiling.
- Boil: Place the diced potatoes into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil about 10 minutes or util they are just fork tender (don’t over boil or they will be too soft).
- Rinse: Immediately drain the potatoes and run a little cool water over them lightly and let them sit in the strainer.
- Prep Additional Ingredients: Peel and chop the hardboiled eggs. Dice the onion and celery.
- Combine: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled potatoes (it’s okay if they are still a little warm, you just don’t want them hot). Add in the egg, onion and celery.
- Make Dressing: Next, add in 1/2 cup of mayo, mustard, celery salt and pepper. Fold everything together gently as to not mash the potatoes but get everything evenly coated. Potatoes often vary in size and how the starches absorb the mayo, so you may want to add more mayo to get the texture and coating that you want. Additionally, test and add more celery salt and pepper to your desired level of taste.
- Chill & Serve: Once mixed, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve chilled and garnish with chives if desired.
Tips For Serving and Storing
- Be sure to chill the potato salad before serving, so that it has the time to build flavor in the fridge! Plus, it is just tastier when it is chilled!
- Serve with herbs! I love topping my traditional deli potato salad with some freshly chopped herbs like chives, dill, parsley, or cilantro!
- To store, keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. You can even make this potato salad recipe ahead of time up to 1-2 days to save time!
What To Serve With Deli Potato Salad
Classic potato salad is super versatile and can be paired with so many different options! Serve with your favorite grilled and smoked proteins, along with some additional delicious side dishes. Here are some of my personal favorites:
- Smoked Burgers
- Chipotle Honey Ribs
- Grilled Brat Burgers
- Smoked Chicken Thighs
- Corn on the Cob
- Smoked Baked Beans
- Air Fryer Brats
- Smoked Pork Steaks
- Grilled Flank Steak
- Grilled Succotash Recipe
More Recipes To Try
- Greek Chicken Salad
- Grilled Broccoli Salad
- Smoked Sweet Potatoes
- Rustic Egg Salad Cups
- Smoked Potatoes
Traditional Deli Potato Salad Recipe
Recreate the perfect traditional deli potato salad recipe at home. This classic side dish brings creamy, tangy flavors to your table by combining tender potatoes, crisp celery, onion, and a rich, flavorful dressing for a crowd-pleasing salad that's ideal for picnics, family gatherings, and everyday meals.
Print Pin Rate Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 209kcal
Ingredients
- 4 large Russet Potatoes peeled and cubed
- 6 Hardboiled Eggs chopped
- 1 cup Red Onion diced small
- 1 cup Celery diced small
- 1/2 to 1 cup Mayo Start with 1/2 cup and add to it to get the desired texture.
- 3 tbsp Mustard
- 1 tsp Celery Salt to taste (start with 1 tsp and build from there)
- 1 tsp Pepper to taste (start with 1 tsp and build from there)
Instructions
- Begin by peeling the potatoes and dicing into large pieces for boiling.
- Place the diced potatoes into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil about 10 minutes or until they are just fork tender (do not over boil or they will be too soft).
- Immediately drain the potatoes and run a little cool water over them lightly and let them sit in the strainer.
- Peel and chop the hardboiled eggs. Dice the onion and celery.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the cooled potatoes (its ok if they are still a little warm you just don't want them hot). Add in the egg, onion, and celery.
- Next, add in 1/2 cup of mayo, mustard, celery salt and pepper. Fold everything together gently as to not mash the potatoes but get everything evenly coated. Potatoes often vary on size and how the starches absorb the mayo, so you may want to add more mayo to get the texture and coating you want. Additionally test and add more celery salt and pepper to your desired level of taste.
- Once mixed, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve chilled and garnish with chives if desired.
Notes
This recipe can be made 1-2 days before serving. Keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 596mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 179IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg