Ingredients (~12 servings)
- ~4 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped small
- 1 1/4 cups dill pickles, chopped small
- 8 large hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 1/2 cup sweet relish
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- 2 tsp celery seed
- Salt and black pepper
Preparing the Potatoes
The first step in making potato salad is to properly wash and clean the potatoes. You may choose to remove the skins for a smoother finish; however, leaving the skin on Yukon Gold potatoes will add texture to the finished salad. Cut the potatoes into approximately one-inch cubes and try to make them approximately equal in size to promote even cooking.
Fill a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes by about an inch. Season the water with a generous amount of salt.
Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the potatoes for about 15 minutes and check with a fork until they feel tender.
You should be able to insert a knife into the potato easily — the potato will remain whole, but the knife will go through without any resistance.
Steam Dry the Potatoes
This is a key step that is often overlooked and will ensure the potato salad does not become watery.
After cooking the potatoes, drain them in a colander and immediately spread them onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels or a cooling rack to help them cool quickly.
Let sit for around 15 to 20 minutes, allowing the steam to escape while the surface moisture evaporates. This will help prevent the dressing from sliding off the potatoes.
Let cool to near room temperature before dressing the potatoes. If the potatoes are too hot, the mayonnaise will separate and the salad will become oily.
Make the Dressing and Prep the Other Ingredients
Once the potatoes have cooled, prepare the remaining ingredients by chopping the onion, celery, pickles, and hard-boiled eggs.
In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, pickle juice, celery seed, and fresh dill. Mix until combined. Add freshly ground pepper to the mixture. I usually wait to add additional salt until the potatoes have been added, because the pickles and pickle juice generally contain large amounts of sodium.
Combine and Chill
In a large bowl, combine the cooled potatoes, chopped vegetables, and hard-boiled eggs with the dressing, including the sweet relish. Gently toss all the ingredients together. I recommend using a rubber spatula to gently fold the salad from the bottom of the bowl up. Avoid being too aggressive with the spatula, or you may mash the potatoes.
Taste a piece of potato with the dressing and add salt and pepper if needed. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
The potato salad needs to chill for the flavors to blend and for the potatoes to absorb some of the pickle brine. After a few hours in the refrigerator it will taste significantly better than when you first made it.
Dill Pickle Potato Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients (~12 servings)
- ~4 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped small
- 1 1/4 cups dill pickles chopped small
- 8 large hard boiled eggs chopped
- 1/2 cup sweet relish
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 1/4 cup pickle juice
- 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
- 2 tsp celery seed
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Wash and cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
- Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water by 1 inch, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to simmer and cook 15 minutes until fork-tender.
- Drain potatoes and spread on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
- Let potatoes steam dry for 15-20 minutes until cooled to room temperature.
- While potatoes cool, chop onion, celery, pickles, and eggs.
- Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, pickle juice, celery seed, dill, and black pepper.
- In a large bowl, gently fold together cooled potatoes, chopped vegetables, eggs, sweet relish, and dressing.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
