The Best Dill Pickle Potato Salad
This unique, easy-to-make potato salad combines tender potatoes and crunchy onions, carrots, and celery combined together in a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing infused with a tangy secret ingredient. Dill pickle juice makes this potato salad a perfect side dish for any occasion.
There are some recipes I post and feel like I am giving you a gift! No kidding! They should be wrapped up in a bow with a big tag saying ” just for you”! And this humble dill pickle potato salad recipe is one! It is not traditional potato salad because it is amped up with the flavor and tang of dill pickle juice! This is my favorite recipe to take to a picnic, and family gathering. I hope it will be yours too!
I know it’s almost silly to gush on about potato salad, but this side dish is such a family favorite! I hope you make it and it becomes a favorite of yours too!
My Potato Salad Story
I grew up eating my grandmother’s delicious potato salad. Although I’ve never eaten a potato salad I did not like, all others fell short of Nani’s potato salad! There was something extra flavorful and extra tangy about hers!
As I got older I loved to watch her meticulously cut the potatoes for her potato salad into small perfect cubes. When she added a couple of cubed potatoes to a big bowl she would sprinkle a tablespoon or two of dill pickle juice over the potatoes. This serves to keep the potatoes from browning and infused the potatoes with delicious dill pickle flavor!
And when my grandmother made her mayonnaise-based dressing she added pickle juice to it as well.
When I was a young wife I started to make my Nani’s potato salad. We had it for every picnic and summer holidays like the 4th Of July as well as Easter brunch.
Nani’s potato salad is the most requested side dish thing I make. It’s that good!
Ingredients
Make the best potato salad by creating a balance of flavor and textures of ingredients! Here’s what you will need to make this recipe its best.
Potatoes: grab a 5 lb bag of potatoes that are good for boiling like Yukon Gold.
Onions: a little crunch and a hint of onion flavor- use yellow or red onions
Celery: gives this recipe a nice crunch and a distinct flavor
Carrots: For a little extra color and sweetness
Hard Boiled Eggs: adds to the flavor and body of potato salad
Mayonnaise: the creamy base for all the other ingredients
Dijon Mustard: give this potatoes salad a little extra yellow coloring and a distinctive flavor
Dill Pickle Juice: this is the secret ingredient that makes this potato salad recipe so delicious. This recipe does not call for chopped dill pickles, but if you want to add a 1/2 cup or so in, you can.
Salt And Pepper: balances out the flavors in the potato salad
Chives: adds a bit of freshness and brightness
What Kind Of Potatoes Should I Use?
My grandmother used baking potatoes for her potato salad, cooking them until they were just tender. Then she cooled them in the refrigerator for 24 hours before cutting them. This helped them keep their shape. I have tried for decades to make this potato salad with baked potatoes but it comes out a bit too creamy for my taste.
Let’s talk about the potatoes you can use. Choose the type of potato that makes the best potato salad for your taste.
Starchy Potatoes: If you like creamy potato salad then use a starchy potato like a baking potato in your salad. The advantage to using a Russet or Idaho potato is they soak up the dressing and every bite is pickle infused from the inside out!
Waxy Potatoes: If you like the potatoes in your potato salad to stay intact and firm use a waxy potato like red potatoes or fingerlings. The skin on these potatoes are very thin so you would not need to peel them.
All Purpose Potatoes: these potatoes like Yukon Gold are not too starchy and not too waxy. Actually, they are just right for making a delicious potato salad.
Tips For Making The Best Dill Pickle Potato Salad
Potato salad is not rocket science! It’s adaptable and forgiving and delicious. Here are a few tips for making the best potato salad.
Match the type of potato with the kind of potato salad you like the best. See What Kind Of Potato Should I Use above to help.
Choose medium size potatoes that are approximate all the same size. This will help to ensure they all cook at about the same time.
Start the potatoes in a large pot of cold water.
Salt the water the potatoes cook in. This will enhance the flavor of the potatoes.
Simmer the potatoes in their skins, don’t boil the potatoes.
The potatoes are done when you can stab them with a fork and the tines go into the potato with ease.
Drain the potatoes in a colander and put them on a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels or a dish towel to drink up any extra water. You can also plunge them into an ice bath to cool them down.
You can boil the potatoes up to 24 hours ahead and keep them in the refrigerator.
Peel and cube the potatoes into bite-size pieces when they are completely cooled. Add a few tablespoons of dill pickle juice to the potatoes to prevent browning. Add a tbsp at a time.
If you use a thin-skinned potato like Yukon Gold or a red potato you don’t need to peel them.
Make the mayonnaise dressing and then add it to the potatoes along with the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
The pickle juice is salty so wait until everything is mixed together to salt. Add salt to taste.
Toss the potato salad gently so the potatoes don’t break apart.
Use full-fat mayonnaise and not Miracle Whip because it has the wrong flavor profile for this potato salad. Hellman’s mayo is my favorite.
How To Make Hard-Boiled Eggs
For this recipe, the yolk of the hard-boiled eggs should be firm and dry.
And these eggs are so easy to make.
Start by putting raw eggs in a saucepan and then cover them with cold water. Cook them over medium-high heat uncovered until the eggs come to a rolling boil. Take the eggs off the heat and put a lid on the saucepan. Let them sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile prep an ice bath for the eggs and when the 10 min is up remove the eggs from the saucepan to the ice bath. Let the eggs sit in the ice bath for 10 minutes. The eggs will still be warm so put them in the refrigerator until they are totally cool. Then peel and use in the recipe as directed.
Some recipes add a tablespoon of vinegar to the water with the eggs. The theory behind this is that the acid dissolves some of the calcium carbonates in the shell and helps the egg whites firm up.
Hard-boiled eggs are an important ingredient in dill pickle potato salad.
How To Store Dill Pickle Salad
Dill Pickle Potato Salad should be stored covered in the refrigerator. All leftovers should be promptly put back in the refrigerator after serving. If you are serving the potato salad buffet style, nest the bowl of potato salad in a large bowl of ice.
Dill Pickle Potato Salad will get better after a day or two and stay fresh in your refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Other Things To Add To Dill Pickle Potato Salad
I think you can’t improve upon perfection. However, that is just me. You might want to try to add in diced cooked chicken, ham, or other protein to make this side dish more of a meal.
Here are a few other great things to add to potato salad…
THE BEST POTATO SALAD EVER
Ingredients
- 5 pounds potatoes
- 1 1/2 large yellow onion diced
- 4 stalks celery diced
- 1/2 cup carrots shredded (optional)
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, diced
- 1 1/2 cups liquid of garlic dill pickles divided
- 4 cups mayonnaise
- 4 TBS Dijon mustard
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Scrub baking potatoes and put them in a large pot covering them with cold water. Bring the water and potatoes to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook the potatoes until fork tender.
- Take potatoes out of the water, dry them with a paper towel, and let them come to room temperature on a baking sheet. Cool them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.
- When the potatoes are completely cool, gently peel the thin skins off the potatoes. Cut each potato into bite-size cubes and put them into a big bowl with 1/4 cup of pickle juice.
- Peel and rough chop the eggs and add to the bowl with the potatoes.
- Dice the onions and celery and add to the peeled potatoes.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots and the hard boiled eggs to the potatoes.
- Shred the carrots and add them to the bowl with the potatoes.
- In another large bowl add the mayonnaise, mustard and 2/3 to 1 cup of pickle juice. Stir to incorporate. Pour mixture over potatoes. Gently mix. You don't want to crush the potatoes. Add dill and mix.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and mix.
- The potato salad with be rather “soupy”. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferable overnight. The potatoes will absorb some of the dressing.
- Serve cold.
Notes
This is my most requested picnic recipe!
Yummy! That sounds delicious! I was just telling my husband today that next weekend I want him to cook some ribs on his smoker, so I’m going to make this potato salad to go with it! I love fresh dill in potato salad. Thank you for this recipe!
I know my husband will love this! The idea of garlic pickle juice is the key for this tasty sounding potato salad. He pickles hard boiled eggs in the liquid of a jalapeño jar. Sounds delicious for warm weather days ahead. Kathleen in Az
You bet I will try this. My mom made killer macaroni salad. The secret ingredient? Pickle juice! Love fresh dill with potatoes.
Well….it sounds like I have a new recipe to try. I haven’t made a lot of potato salad, but on occasion the family requires it to be made. I think the potato is the main reason your salad could be the best or not so good. I definitely do not like potato’s that are cooked too much. This recipe looks delish and I will add it to my recipe list to try.
Love your recipe. While the potatoes were still warm (hot) poured the pickle juice and salt over them. It seems to absorb the juice and salt better. After they have cooled. I added Mayo and other ingredients’.
Thanks, good old fashion recipe.
Best Potato salad ever? I believe you. Looks wonderful. Perfect timing for picnic season.
Ohhh…this sounds so good! I like to drizzle the potatoes with white wine vinegar while they’re still hot. They seem to absorb the flavor more at that point. The garlic pickle juice sounds yummy!
Yum! I always keep my pickle juice to mix with mayo when I make potato salad and the dill grows wild in my garden so I use it a lot–besides, it adds a bit of colour. Here’s a note about dill: I pick the baby dill fronds and rinse them in cold water; then I take a bunch (about the size of a cigar when tightly rolled together) and wrap that in Saran wrap. I put them into a zippy bag and freeze. When I want dill, out comes a “cigar” that I can easily chop because it’s frozen and add it to salads, soups, sprinkle over veggies — use your imagination! It keeps well and I used some the other day that had been in the freezer for 3 years and it still tasted like it was freshly picked. Enjoy!
Thanks so much Avis! Great tip!
This recipe sounds too good to be true……love your “food gifts”.
Question…..1-1/2 cups of pickle juice?????? What size or how many jars give you 1-1/2 cups?
Hurry please…..can’t wait to make this.
Thank you for always sharing your “heart”.
didn’t see an answer to this; I would also like to know what size container gives so much pickle juice. thanks.
Buy the largest jar of Klassen’s Kosher dill pickles in the refrigerator section of your grocer’s
This is very similar to the potato salad I’ve been making for over 40 yrs. I omit the hard boiled eggs, use grainy mustard with horseradish and add chopped dill pickles.
Sounds yummy, a secret I learned from my Mother in LAW, to add pickle juice to the water when boiling the potatoes. I love your suggestion to add fresh dill. My family loves potato salad. Thank you for all you do, you are a blessing to me.
Thanks so much Sue!!!
I made your potato salad recipe for Father’s Day this year….
It was my first time to ever make potato salad and it was honestly the best potato salad I’ve ever had….and not just because I made it either! My dad, who is somewhat of a food critic, said that now he likes 5 potato salad recipes. This recipe made his list and made my day!
So glad you shared this goody! Thanks!
I have never made potato salad before because I prefer other side dishes. However, I made this for a family gathering and it was a hit! Now I’m craving this. I liked that you encouraged us to add or omit according to our preferences. I followed most of the recipe, except, I didn’t add the fresh dill, and I added less dressing. It is yummy!!!Thanks for the recipe. Also, I enjoy your blog.
Another one of your recipes to try!!! BTW, I made your sugar cookie recipe for Christmas and they were delicious!!! I used a snowflake shaped cookie cutter. Because of the shape they were a bit tricky to ice neatly, but were so worth the effort and very pretty with the sanding sugar!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is delicious! I just made it…I did not add carrots, used a little more dill and only 3 cups of mayo…fantastic!
Almost the exact recipe I use to make potato salad. Love it!
Looks great! Question…have you tried adding any chopped dill pickles to the salad? Also, any suggestions on what to do with the remaining pickles that no longer have a liquid home?
Hi Nancy. I have not tried chopped pickles in the potato salad. I usually serve the pickles along with the potato salad.
I make potato salad often in the warm weather. I marinate the warm potatoes with my homemade dill vinegar and a little sugar.Then add lots of chopped red onion and best quality mayonnaise with a little Dijon mustard blended in mayo,salt and pepper to taste. If I have it I sprinkle chopped fresh dill on top.Will have to give your version a try. Thanks for a great blog. First thing I read every morning.
YUM!!! Thanks for being part of our StoneGable family, Kathy!
Yvonne, I’ve made this from one of your previous posts and I have to say, Gram was absolutely
Correct, spot on on the delightful potato salad!! ?
Just read your potato salad recipe and so glad I did. Boiled eggs and potatoes very early this morning to make potato salad for dinner (and). giving your pickle juice a try can’t wait my mouth is watering! Thank you so much Yvonne
You will love it Darlene!
It was a big hit. Thanks again
It looks unique with the dill pickle juice in it. I make a macaroni salad with sweet pickle (called Yum yums where I live) juice in it. It adds a lot of flavor which I’m sure this recipe does too.
My mouth is watering just reading the recipe….
I am always looking to improve my recipes and change them up a bit! I have never used pickle juice in my recipe before, the garlic version you use here sounds perfect! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!!
This recipe sounds intriguing. The addition of pickle juice and dill should really amp up the flavor. I’ll be trying this this weekend.
Sounds very much like my recipe except leave skins on for fiber and chop potatoes while still hot and add spices with the pickle juice and refrigerate over night and add mayo, mustard just before serving.
This recipe looks like it’ll feed a crowd.
Can it be halved?
Of course. Enjoy!
Just printed off your potato salad recipe! Thanks Yvonne.
This sounds much like my mom’s potato salad, but she did not use either celery or carrots–she used garlic or zesty dill pickles (and some of the juice). She also often added some celery seed. My husband’s family did not have their own “family” potato salad recipe, but when they tasted mine (i.e. my mom’s), it was adopted into that family, too. A neighbor once came over for a BBQ and raved about the potato salad, so the next time I made it, I checked with his wife to see if he really meant it or if he was just being nice. She swore that he loved it, but did not care for the one she made, so I sent over a bowl of salad for them. She said he hoarded the salad and only had small servings. When she questioned him about it, he said the small portions were so that it would last several days. This reminds me that it is past time for me to make a big batch and send some across the street to the neighbors.
We love potato salad and yours sounds so yummy. Can’t wait to try it!
I love your blog! Could you please to me what kind of pickles you use and where you buy them.
Have seen the garlic pickles before but have been unable to find them. Thank you!
Oh, yes this make quite a difference. I use Vlasic Refrigerated dill with garlic. Look for them in the deli refrigerator section!
Yvonne, thanks, this looks/sounds really good! BTW, are you going to bring back the On The Menu , that is great and I miss it! Take care, Barbara
Thank you for such a wonderful site! I’m trying this recipe for guests and have a “stupid question “ for you. It looks from the recipe that the potatoes are boiled whole and then cut after refrigerating all night, is this right?? Many thanks.
Yes, Vicky! They are peeled and cut after they are boiled and cooled. And no question is stupid! So glad you asked!
Ever since you posted your Nani’s best ever potato salad, that’s been my go-to. It’s so so so delish that I’ve never ever made a different recipe. Thank you, Yvonne, for sharing that recipe.
Yvonne, thank you for sharing this recipe as it really is THE BEST potato salad! Such a crowd pleaser! Even my father in law who dislikes potato salad enjoys it. Your website is a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for sharing so many wonderful tips!
So glad you liked the potato salad. My grandmother, Nani, taught me to make it! And thanks for such a lovely compliment! It really helps inspire me to know that readers are enjoying and getting something from StoneGable.
This sounds so wonderful and my plan is to make it today… Can’t wait… I have always put sweet pickles chopped up in my potato salad but have never put carrots. I always use mayonnaise never Miracle whip! I love your wonderful decorating tips and now I have a new source for recipes… Thank you
I hope you enjoy the Potato Salad
I made this potato salad over memorial day weekend and it turned out so good. Thanks for sharing! Everyone loved it.
The potato salad recipe sounds delicious! Finally someone else who likes dill in potato salad! Your blog is an inspiration! I enjoy and look forward to it every day,!
Dill pickle juice is a must in our potato salad!
Yvonne, a quick question; where did you get your rosemary topiarys??
Hi Sue, I found them years ago at a vintage shop for $10.00! What a find, right? I keep saying I’m going to do a topiary diy. Maybe later this summer.
Where do you find those pickles? I only ever find the regular kosher dills. I don’t even find the refrigerator pickles at all grocery stores. I’m in the Dallas, TX area. Thanks!
I’m not sure where you can find them in your area. Ask your grocer. And try looking on Amazon.
Well, I made this salad for this weekend, my children will all get together ???, and I have to stop going into the refrigerator for a “taste test”. I have tested it five or six times already!!!!
Delicious. I made it following your exact directions and it is indeed the best ever. A big thank you to you and your beloved grandmother!!!!
Oh I am THRILLED! This was my grandmother, Nani’s, recipe. So it is extra special to me!
Est-ce qu’il est possible de tout simplement couper des ingrédients en deux pour faire une demie recette?
Yes! This is an easy recipe.
Just made this Potato Salad so it has not had time to sit and absorb flavors, but … Wow! Lots of flavor and just different enough than my usual potato salad to be able to get everyone’s attention. I think that the “traditionalists” will still love it- and those family members who aren’t excited by potato salad will be impressed. Don’t doubt the recipe- try it!
Thanks, Lynn! Hope you are doing well!
Just made this potato salad again for friends and everyone took 2nd and 3rd helpings. It really is the BEST! Instead of giving out the recipe, I referred everyone to your blog! Lots of flavor and I think it’s easy to make. Loved making it and cleaning up and it was great to take to a get-together. Just pulled out of the fridge, put into my handy cooler, and off I went to rave reviews! thanks, again!