Mom’s Famous Potato Salad was the hit of every summer picnic when I was growing up in Rahway, New Jersey. (Scroll Down for Video)
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, more than 50 relatives and friends would gather for horseshoe tournaments, volleyball, swimming, great food, and summer fun. And Mom’s homemade potato salad was always one of the most popular dishes on the picnic table.
This classic American potato salad recipe combines tender red potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, sweet gherkin pickles, celery, red onion, and a creamy, sweet-and-tangy mayonnaise dressing.
It’s an easy make-ahead side dish for BBQs, cookouts, family picnics, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day.
Prep & Cooking Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Serve: Chilled
Ingredients
- 10 medium red potatoes
- 1½ cups mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider or white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sweet gherkin pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon celery salt, optional
- 4 sweet gherkin pickles, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 hard-cooked eggs, sliced
How to Make Mom’s Potato Salad
1. Cook the Potatoes
Cook the red potatoes just until fork-tender. Cool slightly and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Chef Charles’ Tip: Don't overcook the potatoes. They should be tender but firm enough to hold their shape when mixed with the dressing.
2. Make the Creamy Dressing
In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sweet gherkin pickle juice, sugar, black pepper, and celery salt.
The pickle juice is Mom's secret—it gives the creamy dressing its distinctive sweet-and-tangy flavor.
3. Add the Vegetables
Stir in the chopped sweet gherkin pickles, celery, and red onion.
4. Add the Potatoes
Gently fold the potatoes into the dressing until evenly coated.
5. Chill and Serve
Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. For even better flavor, make the potato salad several hours or a day ahead.
Before serving, garnish with sliced hard-cooked eggs, chopped green onions, and fresh tomato wedges.
What Goes With Potato Salad?
Serve this classic potato salad with BBQ baby back ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, pulled pork, Silver Queen corn on the cob, or fresh Jersey tomatoes.
It's the perfect creamy potato salad for a summer BBQ, family picnic, potluck, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or Labor Day cookout.
A Family Recipe from Rahway, New Jersey
More than 50 years later, one taste of Mom's potato salad still takes me back to those big family picnics—horseshoes, volleyball, swimming, laughter, and tables filled with food.
Sometimes the best recipes aren't complicated. They're the ones that bring back the best memories.
Mom’s Famous Potato Salad—from my mother's picnic table in Rahway, New Jersey, to yours.
— Chef Charles Knight
