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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.
Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Photos from original 2013 post
Suzanne Arsenault says
This was very delicious & easy to make. A hit with the family. Also great with cut up bacon pieces added to it. For those who said the mayo mixture was soupy or thin, you can easily thicken it by sprinkling in dried potato flakes (used for making instant mashed potatoes) just don’t add too much because over time they will continue to absorb moisture.
Martha says
Great idea Suzanne!
Lisa says
Couldn’t you just chill the potatoes and boiled eggs before mixing everything so that you don’t have to spread the whole thing out on a baking sheet in the fridge?
Jack says
Hi, this is Jack. You could do as you suggest and I have tried it that way however it just doesn’t come out as good. Having the mixture warm, and then chilled already mixed, really makes a difference in the final consistency and overall texture and taste. Chilling the potatoes first and mixing after, to me, tastes like cooked potatoes with a mayonnaise dressing on them. Thanks for asking.
Heather says
I take back my original post. When I first made this and tasted it, I was not fond of it. However, once it sat over night it took on different flavors and it then tasted very good. I guess it is something you have to let sit over night.
Martha says
Hi Heather – My apologies for the delay in responding to both of your emails – we just turned from a family vacation last night. We appreciate receiving reader feedback (even if it isn’t the most positive!) – food and recipes are very subjective and (as long as a comment isn’t overly offensive) everyone is welcome to share their opinions because it helps other readers decided if this recipe is right for them. Anyway – I’m glad you were happy with the potato salad in the end and it didn’t go to waste. Thank you for writing back.
Heather says
Sorry, I did not like this recipe. The dressing taste like miracle whip by the time you are done with it. I do not care for miracle whip and therefore I thought it was a waste of 5lbs of potatoes and all other ingredients. If you want a dressing that taste like this save yourself some money and go out and buy miracle whip instead of mayonnaise with all the added ingredients.
Suzanne Strollo says
Love it
Martha says
Thanks Suzanne!
NK says
Is this recipe gluten free?
Martha says
Hello NK – This recipe can be made gluten free as long as you select ingredients with no gluten or gluten cross contamination during the manufacturing process. Definitely read the labels as you select your vinegars, dijon mustard, etc.
Rebecca says
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.
Martha says
Wow Rebecca – thank you so much! I shared your comment with Jack and he was so pleased – you made his day! Thanks for taking the time to write to us and we’re so glad you are enjoying the recipe as much as we do!
Nancy Brodhagen says
Possibly the best potato salad ever!
Martha says
Thanks Nancy! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the potato salad as much as we do!
Jessi Bigney says
Thank you so much for the recipe. this was a big hit at my daughters birthday and i had a lot of requests for the recipe. There is no doubt in my mind this is a keeper.
Martha says
You’re very welcome Jessi! So glad you all enjoyed the recipe as much as we do!
Dana says
“I don’t know Jack, but he makes a terrific red potato salad”.
Dana