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Jack’s Potato Salad recipe is fantastic! But don’t just take our word for it…scroll through the comments and read all of the rave reviews.

The Best Potato Salad Recipe
Jack’s Potato Salad recipe is one of the reasons we started blogging. Ten+ years ago, we started A Family Feast as a fun way to share our most-requested recipes with family and friends – and to this day, this is one of those recipes that we’re constantly asked for anytime Jack makes it!
Jack’s Potato Salad is a mixture of tender-cooked new red potatoes and hard-boiled eggs, combined with a wonderful dressing made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, onion, white and cider vinegar, sugar and other seasonings.
This potato salad recipe is so good – as much for the combination of ingredients and flavors as it is because of the cooking technique that Jack has perfected over the years. (We share all of his tips and tricks below!)
Why You’ll Love Jack’s Potato Salad
- It’s the perfect marriage of flavors – creaminess from the mayonnaise, a little bit of zestiness from the mustard and vinegar, and a touch of sweetness from the sugar. You’ll be craving seconds!
- The texture of this potato salad is also perfect. The cooked potatoes are tender but not mushy and there is the perfect amount of dressing to coat but not smother the various ingredients.
- You can make this potato salad recipe ahead of time and chill before serving, but it’s also fantastic served still-warm.
Reader Review
“I’ve made this a bunch of times, and I keep coming back because it is by far the best potato salad recipe I’ve ever found. My mom has declared it the best she’s ever eaten. I’m not sure exactly what makes it so good, but it’s nice to know that I will never have to search for a potato salad recipe again.” -Rebecca
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes – We use new red potatoes in this recipe because they cook up to a texture that is perfect for potato salad and they keep their shape even when cooked. Plus, we like the appearance of the red skins in the mix.
- Eggs
- Vinegar – Both white vinegar and apple cider vinegar are used in the dressing.
- Sweet Onion
- Seasonings – Including salt, celery salt, white ground pepper, poppy seeds.
- Granulated Sugar
- Dijon Mustard
- Mayonnaise – We are partial to the flavor of Hellmann’s mayonnaise for this recipe. Or, you could make your own mayonnaise.
- Oil – Use a combination of extra virgin olive oil and canola oil.
Variations
You can, of course, adjust the ingredients you put in the potato salad (eggs or no eggs, onion or no onion, more mustard, other herb and seasonings, etc.) to suit your own tastes and preferences. Just be sure to follow Jack’s general cooking technique to ensure that the potatoes stay perfectly moist and tender without getting too mushy.
Secrets to Making a Perfect Potato Salad
There are several secrets to making a perfect potato salad:
- First, boil the potatoes whole, with the skins still-on. This keeps the potatoes from absorbing too much water as they cook. You’ll cut them in chunks as they come out of the water.
- Second trick is to oil the hot potatoes as you cut them. This stops the chunks from getting too soggy because the oil coats and seals the potatoes, preventing too much of the dressing from soaking in.
- Third, mix the mayonnaise mixture separate from the potatoes, then add it to the hot oiled potatoes and hard boiled eggs. By having the dressing already mixed, this will help prevent over-mixing which can also result in mushy potatoes and eggs.
- Finally, chill the warm potato salad on a flat sheet pan so it cools more quickly, then transfer to a serving bowl once chilled. If you chill in a serving bowl, the inside of the salad will stay warm for longer which can encourage bacteria to grow, plus the inner potatoes will get soft from the residual heat.
Special Tools Needed
- Large Pot – To cook the potatoes
- Medium Pot – To cook the eggs
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- 2 cup spouted measuring cup – To mix the oil
- Large Slotted Spoon or Spider Strainer
- Cutting Board and Sharp Knife
- Various Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Sheet Tray (half sheet-tray size like this)
- Plastic Wrap
How do I make Jack’s Potato Salad?
- Boil the potatoes whole in salted water until tender.
- Cook the eggs while the potatoes cook. Follow this technique for Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs. Peel and cut eggs into large chunks. Set aside.
- Mix the dressing while the potatoes cook.
- Combine the two oils together in a spouted measuring cup (for easy pouring).
- Remove cooked potatoes from the pot of water one at a time and place onto a cutting board. (A spider strainer like this is a helpful tool.) Cut into large, bite-sized chunks, then place in a large mixing bowl.
- Once you’ve cut about a quarter of the hot potatoes into chunks, drizzle with one quarter of the mixed oil and gently toss to coat.
- Repeat Steps 5 and 6 above with the rest of the potatoes.
- Pour mayonnaise mixture into the bowl with the potatoes and gently mix to combines.
- Add chopped eggs and gently stir again to combine.
- Pour the potato salad onto a sheet pan, spreading in an even layer.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.
Serving Tips
- As is the case with any mayonnaise-based salad, if you are serving this potato salad outside, try to keep the dish shaded to prevent it from getting warm in the sun.
- As an added precaution, you could place the serving bowl in a larger bowl of ice underneath to keep it chilled while serving.
- Place leftovers in the refrigerator as soon as you have finished serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Jack’s Potato Salad ahead of time? Yes, you should make this potato salad ahead of time so it can fully chill before serving.
- How do I store leftovers? Keep chilled in a covered container for up to three days.
- Did you sell this potato salad at Krogers? No – sorry! Over the years, we’ve had a number of readers write to us asking about a discontinued ‘Jack’s Potato Salad’ that used to be sold in the deli at Kroger supermarkets. Unless Kroger was using our recipe (unknown to us), this is not a copycat recipe of their potato salad and we have nothing to do with their potato salad.
Jack’s Potato Salad recipe with originally posted on A Family Feast in May 2013! We’ve updated the post and photos but the delicious recipe remains the same.
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Jack’s Potato Salad
This really IS one of the best potato salad recipes ever!
Ingredients
5 pounds new red potatoes, skin left on
1 tablespoon salt
6 room-temperature uncooked eggs
3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup finely minced sweet onion
2 teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 cups mayonnaise (we recommend Hellmann’s or homemade)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup canola oil
Instructions
- Place washed unpeeled potatoes in a large pot and cover with water to about 6 inches above potatoes. Add one tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to a medium boil and boil for 30 to 40 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. Prick with a fork to tell when they are done.
- While potatoes are cooking, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar, and gently add the whole eggs in with a slotted spoon being careful not to crack the shells. Boil rapidly for five minutes. Turn off heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 15 minutes.
- Drain the eggs and shake the pan back and forth to crack the shells. Under running water remove the shells. Roughly chop the eggs in large pieces and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the other 1 ½ tablespoons of white vinegar, cider vinegar, onions, celery salt, white pepper, poppy seeds, sugar, mustard and mayonnaise. Set aside and refrigerate.
- Mix both oils together in a measuring cup or other small container.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, leave them in the hot water and remove one at a time with a slotted spoon to your cutting board. Cut potatoes into chunks and place in large bowl.
- Once you are a quarter of the way through cutting the hot potatoes, pour one quarter of the mixed oil over the cut potatoes and gently combine. Continue with cutting and oiling until all of the oil and potatoes are in the large bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise mixture to the hot oiled potatoes and gently mix. Add the cooked eggs and gently mix.
- Now pour the entire contents out onto a sheet pan spreading evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled to below 40 degrees. Once cool enough, remove potato salad to your serving container and enjoy.
- If serving this outside, try to keep shaded and, as an added precaution, place a bowl of ice (larger than the bowl you are using) under the bowl of potato salad to keep it chilled while serving. Place leftovers in the refrigerator as soon as you have finished serving.
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Photos from original 2013 post
I made 1/4 of the amount of Jack’s Potato Salad today as a “trial run” before a college pot luck coming up in two days: WOWWEE WOW WOW! Winner!!!! I didn’t have Canola oil, so I just used evoo; FANTASTIC~! Thank you for sharing, Martha. I found this recipe on Pinterest and now I am following your site. 🙂
Dana
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Dana! 🙂 We’re glad you found us!
Can this be made a day or 2 ahead, or is it best eaten the day it is made? Thank you!
Hi Dee – It can definitely be made a day (or even 2) ahead.
I just went onto Pinterest to start looking for a potato salad recipe, I didn’t even have to start a search! This one was right on the top of my screen… Looking forward to making it for a special Father’s Day dinner this weekend!
We hope you all enjoy the potato salad recipe Lynea!
Excellent! Best potato salad I’ve ever had!
Thanks Sherrie! We’re glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This sounds delish! Will definitely use it next time we have a bring-and-share at church. Any reason you can’t chop the potatoes before cooking to save time?
Hi Rachel – The pre-cut potatoes will absorb more water during the cooking process and you’ll end up with a mushier potato salad. We prefer (and recommend) cooking the potatoes whole but you can cut them in advance if you prefer.
I like to add some crispy bacon crumbled on top of this dish. I have also been known to use half sour cream and half mayo.
Sounds like a great variation Dorothy!
Love love love this potato salad. I added a little sweet pickle juice. Fantastic!
Thanks Sherry!
New reader here following link to Best Apple Cake, in the oven right now, and one of my favorite dishes is potato salad. I basically use Julia Child’s American potato salad which I love. But this is on the menu very soon but my only question is do the potato’s absorb all 2/3 cup oil or the excess just get mixed into the salad with the mayo?
Hi Margi – yes – the oil mostly coats the potatoes. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
I really want to try this recipe but I don’t want to make so much. I am terrible with math and unsure how to divide up the ingredients. Any suggestions on how to make this for just two people? Thanks!
Hi Suzanne – My apologies for the delay in responding. For 2 servings, the process would be the same but the ingredients list can be cut back as follows: 3/4 pound new red potatoes, 1/3 teaspoon salt, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar, 1 ounce minced sweet onion, 1/4 teaspoon celery salt, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper, 1/8 teaspoon poppy seeds, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons canola oil. I hope that helps – you may want to do further adjustments to the quantities to suit your tastes as needed.
Thank you Martha. That helps a great deal. I am going to make it tonight. It sounds wonderful!
I made this for a family picnic. My sister usually makes her famous potato salad, but she let me do it this time. It was the hit of the picnic. Everybody just raved about it. I will definitely make this again. It really helped to follow the instructions, exactly. Thanks!
Thanks Kathy! (Hope your sister enjoyed it too!) 🙂