Everyone loves this traditional sweet potato salad made with mayo and sweet pickles!
This potato salad is a blend of both Northern and Southern! Creamy and delicious with mayo, sweet pickles, and hard boiled eggs.
The side dish everyone loves!
The one side dish that is universally loved is potato salad! Kids, adults and even picky teenagers.
Everyone has their favorite. Some like a Northern version which uses mayo and some like the Southern which uses mayo and mustard. Some like a French Potato Salad which has no mayo!
This version uses mayo and sweet pickles, so it's a sweet potato salad. Kids especially love this one!
Ingredients
- Potatoes - Which potatoes are best for potato salads? The best potatoes for potato salads are waxy potatoes (like red, new or fingerling potatoes) or in-betweens (like Yukon Golds.) You want to avoid starchy potatoes (like russet potatoes.)
- Eggs
- Apple cider vinegar - or this Tarragon Vinegar or Chive Blossom Vinegar.
- Sweet pickles
- Mayo
- Red onion - I'm not a fan of raw onions, so I used my Quick Pickled Red Onions.
- Parsley and chives
Step by Step Instructions
Begin by cooking the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water. Use just enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to medium high.
Tip - you always want to start potatoes in cold water. If you place potatoes in boiling water, the outsides will be done before the inside finishes cooking.
Depending on the size of your potatoes, they can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 20 minutes after they start boiling. Test by inserting the tip of a knife gently into the potato, you want it to go in easily.
Drain the potatoes and cool them enough that you can handle them. Peel and dice them.
Tip - the secret to flavorful potato salad is to drizzle the vinegar, salt and pepper over the still warm potatoes.
Cook the eggs. Have you discovered the joy of steaming eggs? I don't know about you, but I always struggled with hard boiled eggs. Was the water boiling enough to start timing?
Steaming eggs takes all the guesswork out of it. Place about an inch of water in a pan and bring to a boil. Place the eggs in a steamer basket, put a lid on the pot and steam for 12 minutes.
Place the eggs in an ice bath (fill a bowl with ice and add cold water.) When the eggs have cooled peel and dice them.
Dice the veggies and aromatics. Dice the sweet pickles, the onions, the chives and the parsley.
Add the pickles and juice, mayo and onions to the bowl of potatoes. Stir to combine.
Add the diced eggs, parsley and chives.
Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
Recipe Variations
This salad is amazing just as it is, but there are plenty of ways you can make it your own!
- Bacon - add some cooked crumbled bacon. Because....bacon!
- Celery - a classic!
- Dill pickles - change the flavor profile from sweet to tangy!
- Mustard - yes, you can stir in some mustard.
- Yogurt - go half mayo half yogurt for a little more tang.
What to serve with potato salad:
- Mojo Chicken Thighs
- Crispy Buffalo Chicken Wings
- Easy Grilled Shrimp
- Grilled Salmon
- Easy Grilled Pork Chops
Recipe
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Sweet Pickle Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds potatoes red, white or Yukon gold
- 2 eggs hard boiled
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- salt and pepper
- ½ red onion finely diced
- ⅓ up mayo
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickles minced
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon chives chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes and place them in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. When they come to a boil, salt the water and let them cook until tender when pierced with a knife (10-20 minutes.).
- Drain. When cool enough to handle (but still warm) you can peel them or just dice them to size.
- Place them in a bowl and pour the cider vinegar over them and sprinkle with salt and pepper. You want to do this while they are still warm. Let sit for 5-10 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Hard boil the eggs or alternatively steam them by placing them in a steamer basket it a pot of boiling water (about an inch of water) and let them steam for about 12 minutes. Cool in cold water and peel and dice.
- Dice the onion and pickles.
- Add the onions and mayo to the bowl with the potatoes and stir to combine. Add the pickles and juice, stir and adjust salt and pepper. Add the eggs, chives, and parsley and stir gently.
Notes
- Bacon - add some cooked crumbled bacon. Because....bacon!
- Celery - a classic!
- Dill pickles - change the flavor profile from sweet to tangy!
- Mustard - yes, you can stir in some mustard.
- Yogurt - go half mayo half yogurt for a little more tang.
Yum, just like my mother's potato salad. Glad you shared this recipe for our summer cookouts.
I am a pickle freak and this potato salad is perfect with the addition of sweet pickles and their juices.
I love the addition of the quick pickled red onions. I have never thought to do that but I absolutely loved the flavor in the potato salad.
Potato salad really does scream summer and we eat them all summer long! Love the pickles in this one, definitely trying it this weekend!
I needed a different potato salad for Memorial Day. This is it. I can't wait to try it! Thanks
Perfect side dish for summer! The quick pickled red onions are a really delicious addition.