The summer season offers plenty of chances to enjoy your favorite warm-weather foods and drinks—think grilled burgers, hot dogs, watermelon, ribs, margaritas, and of course, creamy potato salad. Whether you're headed to the beach, a picnic, or a holiday cookout, we've got you covered with some of the best and easiest potato salad recipes to try.
Potato salad comes in many variations. For example, German potato salad uses a vinegar-based dressing instead of mayo. The classic version typically includes potatoes, mayo, hard-boiled eggs, salt, pepper, celery, onions, and relish. The recipes on this list range from traditional to unique twists, like substituting mayo with olive oil and pesto or crafting a mustard-based vinaigrette.
If you're hosting a cookout this summer, delight yourself and your guests with one of these fantastic potato salad recipes.
1) The Healthiest Potato Salad
This classic potato salad recipe is perfect for beginners. The ingredient list is straightforward and easy to follow. It calls for a half cup of mayo, but for a healthier twist, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt.
2) Greek Potato Salad
This recipe is reminiscent of your favorite childhood potato salad but with an extra burst of savory flavors. Ingredients like Greek dressing, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives elevate this summer side dish, ensuring it will impress everyone who tries it.
3) The Best Potato Salad
Gimme Some Oven touts this as the best potato salad recipe ever, and it's easy to see why. The blend of traditional potato salad ingredients, enhanced with toppings like Old Bay seasoning and fresh chives, will satisfy your cravings and have you coming back for seconds (and thirds).
4) Mom's Creamy Potato Salad
Potato salad should always be creamy and tangy, no matter the variety. This recipe for Mom's Creamy Potato Salad hits both marks, achieving its extra creamy texture by combining mayo and sour cream. For the best texture, you can use full-fat sour cream, but if you want to reduce the calorie count, low-fat sour cream is a great alternative.
5) Pesto Potato Salad
The Pesto Potato Salad from Half-Baked Harvest is a refreshing departure from the traditional potato salad of your childhood. Once you try this recipe, made with potatoes, fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and eggs, you'll want to bring it to every summer gathering.
6) German Potato Salad
This German potato salad skips the mayo and instead uses mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and pancetta to create a quick, easy, and crowd-pleasing dish perfect for any party. Since it's not your typical potato salad, What's Gaby Cooking recommends pairing it with some nicely grilled steak or chicken.
7) Avocado Potato Salad
What's even creamier than a classic mayo-based potato salad? A recipe that combines mayo with two delicious avocados. You and your guests will savor the creamy, tangy goodness of this dish while also benefiting from heart-healthy fats.
8) Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Loaded baked potatoes are both delicious and comforting, but imagine enjoying an entire bowl full of them. This potato salad, packed with bacon, potatoes, sour cream, chives, and cheese, will impress your barbecue guests while allowing you to indulge in your favorite comfort ingredients.
9) Cheddar Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
Ranch dressing enhances just about everything, making this Cheddar Bacon Ranch Potato Salad the perfect side dish for any social gathering. Not only is it delicious, but it also has one of the shortest ingredient lists among potato salad recipes, making it ideal for beginner cooks or anyone looking to impress without breaking the bank.
10) Simple French-Style Potato Salad
This French-inspired potato salad recipe swaps the traditional mayo-based dressing for an herb-infused vinaigrette. You'll save on calories without sacrificing flavor, as this dish remains perfectly indulgent and will delight your party guests.