Creamy Red Skin Potato Salad Recipe (with Eggs & Dill)
Want to make the best red skin potato salad that’ll have everyone begging for your recipe? My mom’s treasured family secret combines firm red potatoes, perfectly cooked eggs, and a tangy dill dressing. It’s bold, fresh, and so crave-worthy, you’ll catch folks sneaking seconds before the first plate’s cleared. Trust me: this bowl doesn’t stick around long.
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I am finally giving the world our famous family red skin potato salad recipe. I have kept it a secret for many years, but decided it is time to release it for all to enjoy. This recipe comes from my mom, who got it from my grandmother (see the well-worn recipe card below).
Recipe At A Glance
- Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 8 minutes | Chill Time: 1+ hour
- Serves: 6-8 as a side dish | Perfect for: Family meals & gatherings
- Make-Ahead: Tastes even better after 4-24 hours in the fridge
- Kid-Friendly: Familiar flavors that even picky eaters enjoy!
My Dad once ate so much of this at our July 4th cookout that he couldn’t move from his lawn chair for an hour! That’s the kind of potato salad we’re talking about here – the “just one more spoonful” kind that somehow vanishes before anything else on the table.
Why Red Potatoes Rule?
Red skin potatoes are what’s called a waxy variety—they hold their shape after boiling and won’t turn into mashed potatoes when mixed. No peeling needed (yay!), and their vibrant skins add color, fiber, and earthy flavor. That’s why they’re my go-to choice for any potato salad recipe.
Essential Ingredients: The Secret to Classic Red Potato Salad
Step-by-Step Guide: Foolproof Red Potato Salad Method
Step 1: Perfectly Cook Your Red Potatoes (No Mushiness!): Chop up your red potatoes into chunks about the size of a quarter and throw them in a big pot. Cover with cold water. Starting with cold water helps the potatoes cook evenly. Add a generous pinch of salt to the pot of salted cold water – this seasons the potatoes from the inside out! The exact cooking time will depend on your chunk size, but start checking at 7 minutes. A fork should slide in easily but the potato shouldn’t fall apart
Step 2: Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and gently boil the potatoes for about 8 minutes, or until just fork tender. You want them cooked through but still firm enough to hold their shape. Drain the cooked potatoes well in a colander and let them cool.
Time-Saving Tip: If your morning is hectic, you can cook the potatoes and eggs the night before and refrigerate them. Just bring the potatoes to room temperature before mixing with the dressing.
Step 3: Make the dressing. In a large mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, dried parsley, and dill. Take a taste and adjust seasonings if needed – this dressing should have a perfect balance of creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet flavors.
Step 4: Whisk dressing ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Combine everything. Once the potatoes have cooled to room temperature (though they can be still warm for better flavor absorption), add them to the large bowl with the dressing along with the chopped onion, celery, and boiled eggs.
Step 6: Gently fold everything together using a rubber spatula until all ingredients are evenly coated with dressing. Gently fold everything together with a rubber spatula. Take a taste and adjust seasonings if needed – sometimes it needs more salt!
Step 5: Chill and serve potato salad
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld together. This waiting period is so worth it – the flavors deepen and marry beautifully during this time.
Tips
- Watch those cooking times! I’ve turned perfectly good potatoes into sad mush more times than I care to admit. They should be fork-tender but still hold their shape.
- Salt the water it really makes a difference in flavor.
- Warm potatoes are thirsty potatoes Mix them with the dressing while they’re still a bit warm and they’ll soak up all that flavor.
- Make it ahead This salad is like a fine wine, gets better with age. Well, not too much age. You know what I mean. I’ve found that making it 4-24 hours ahead of time gives the best flavor without compromising texture.
- Food safety is sexy Don’t leave this sitting out for more than 2 hours, or just 1 hour if it’s super hot outside. Food poisoning is not a good party favor.
- Taste as you go Potatoes can vary in size and moisture content, so you might need to adjust the dressing amount. If it seems dry after chilling, just stir in a tablespoon or two of mayo mixed with a tiny bit of mustard.
Variations to Try
- Bacon makes everything better Fry up 4-6 slices, crumble them, and fold them in. Game changer!
- Fresh herbs if you’re fancy Got an herb garden? Swap in 1-2 tablespoons fresh dill and 3 tablespoons fresh parsley.
- Kick up the tang Add a splash of pickle juice or apple cider vinegar to the dressing.
- Extra creamy dreams Replace some mayo with sour cream for a different kind of richness.
- Crunch factor Toss in diced red bell pepper or chopped dill pickles for extra texture.
- Kid-friendly version If your little ones are picky about “green stuff,” just set aside a small portion before adding the herbs and onions.ferent flavor profile.
Potato Salad FAQ: Everything You’re Wondering About
Nope! That’s the beauty of red potatoes—their skins are thin, tender, and packed with nutrients. Plus, the red color adds a gorgeous visual pop to your salad without the extra prep time.
Absolutely! In fact, I recommend making it at least a few hours ahead or even the day before. The flavors develop and improve with time in the refrigerator.
Yes! Fresh herbs taste amazing in this salad. Use 1-2 tablespoons of fresh dill and about 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley instead of the dried herbs.
You can lighten it up by using half Greek yogurt and half mayo, which adds protein while reducing calories. The taste is still creamy and delicious, with a slight tang that works well with the dill!
Serving Ideas for your Creamy Red Potato Salad Recipe
Serve this perfect side dish chilled at your next:
- Backyard barbecue or cookouts
- Summer potluck
- Family picnic
- Holiday dinner (it’s great with ham!)
- Weeknight dinner alongside rotisserie chicken
Feeding a Crowd? Easy Scaling Guide for Potlucks & BBQs
This recipe doubles or triples beautifully without any drama:
- 12-16 people: Double everything
- 20+ people: Triple everything (use two mixing bowls)
- Pro tip: When scaling up, don’t increase potato cooking time—just cook in batches.
Ultimate Make-Ahead Timeline: Stress-Free Potato Salad Prep
- Night before: Boil potatoes and eggs, chop veggies, make dressing (store separately)
- Morning of event: Assemble everything and refrigerate
- Just before serving: Quick stir, adjust creaminess if needed, garnish and watch it disappear!
Creamy Red Skin Potato Salad with Eggs & Dill
Equipment
- Large pot
- Colander or strainer
- Mixing spoon or rubber spatula
- Plastic wrap or storage container with lid
- Serving bowl
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 pounds red potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks (skins on)
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
For the Dressing:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the diced red potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium -hight and gently boil for 8 minutes, or until just fork-tender. *Watch the pot so it doesn't boil over
- Drain the potatoes well and let them cool to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, dried parsley, and dill until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cooled potatoes, chopped onion, celery, and hard-boiled eggs to the dressing. Gently fold everything together until fully coated. Be careful not to mash the potatoes.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.
Notes
- Potato Perfection: The secret to this salad is cooking the red potatoes just right – they should be fork-tender but still firm enough to hold their shape. Starting with cold salted water helps them cook evenly from the inside out.
- Make-Ahead Magic: This potato salad actually tastes better after it sits! Make it 4-24 hours before serving for the best flavor development without compromising texture.
- Temperature Tip: Adding the dressing to slightly warm potatoes helps them absorb all the flavors better than if they’re completely cold.
- Storage: This potato salad keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just give it a quick stir before serving.
- Food Safety: For outdoor gatherings, keep the potato salad cold by nesting the serving bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice, and don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours (1 hour in hot weather).
- Serving Size: This recipe easily doubles or triples for larger gatherings – just maintain the same ratios and cook potatoes in batches rather than extending cooking time.
- Secret Ingredient: The combination of dill and potatoes is what gives this recipe its distinctive flavor profile that keeps everyone coming back for seconds!
