If you're looking for the best potato salad recipe without egg or mustard, you have found it. This potato salad recipe is bright, full of great flavor, and my families all time favorite potato salad.
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Flavors of this potato salad
I have been making this easy potato salad recipe with my mom since I was a kid. It's a great side dish with classic flavors from crispy bacon, dill pickles in the relish, and celery seed. The best part about homemade potato salad is that you can make it the day before you plan to serve it which takes pressure off the day of!
What Kind of Potatoes are We Using

There are a lot of potato salad recipes out there. You need the right kind of potato for the best results. With this recipe, starchy potatoes work best so we are using russets.
Red potatoes and new potatoes are waxy potatoes so they are better suited for creamy potato salad recipes like German potato salad.
The Simple Ingredients

This is a really easy and simple recipe to make. The combination of a few ingredients come together for a bright and tangy potato with nothing weird in it!
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- red onion
- bacon
- celery seed
- pickle relish
- dried parsley
- apple cider vinegar
- mayonaise
- salt
How to make this step by step

We are going to make the perfect potato salad with a great texture. The method used for boiling the potatoes may seem a little different, but it makes all the difference.
- Wash the potatoes and add them to a large pot of cold water. Place them over a stove burner on medium high heat. Bring the potatoes up to a boil and cook until they are fork tender.
- After the potatoes have cooked, remove them from the water and allow them to cool until they are room temperature.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the other ingredients. Mince the red onion until it is ultra fine. After you cook the bacon, drizzle a teaspoon of bacon fat over the raw onion to soften it slightly.
- Once you can handle the cooked potatoes, peel each potato and slice into a large mixing bowl. Every 2-3 potatoes, lightly season with salt. Repeat until the all of the potatoes are peeled and sliced.
- Now to add the rest of the ingredients. Add in the minced red onion, crispy bacon, pickle relish, apple cider vinegar, celery seed, and dried parsley.
- Cover the potato salad and keep refrigerated overnight.
- The next day, add the mayonnaise and gently fold it in.
- Check for seasoning and add more mayo if necessary.
- Garnish the top with smoked paprika and dried parsley for a beautiful presentation. Serve with salt and black pepper.
Helpful Supplies For Homemade Potato Salad
Honestly, you don't need much. Just the basics in the kitchen.
- Large Pot
- Sharp Knife
- large mixing bowl
- Spatula or spoon
Saving Leftovers
Transfer leftover potato salad to an airtight container and save in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you go to each leftovers the second day, mix a little mayo to bring it back to life.
What to Serve With Potato Salad

This is a classic potato salad recipe that my grandma got out of the newspaper about a million years ago. Since it's the go-to recipe for potlucks, birthday parties, and warm weather holidays- that is always where my mind goes. Its the perfect side dish for your summer cookouts with a creamy texture and bright flavor.
- BBQ ribs
- Grilled Chicken
- Any cookout with hamburgers and hot dogs
Mom's Potato Salad Recipe Card
Classic Potato Salad Recipe - No Hardboiled Eggs or Mustard
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot
- 1 large bowl
- 1 paring knife
- 1 spatula or spoon
Ingredients
- 3 lbs russet potatoes
- 6 slices bacon diced and cooked until crisp
- ⅓ cup red onion minced
- 2 tablespoon dill pickle relish
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 tbs dried parsley
- 1 ½ cup mayonnaise
- salt
- paprika to garnish if you’re feeling fancy
Instructions
- Put 3 lbs of russet potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Do not peel the potatoes ahead of time. Boil potatoes until they are fork tender. Drain and put on counter to cool for a few minutes.
- While the potatoes are boiling, cook the bacon and drain a paper towel.
- Mince your onion and pour 1 teaspoon of cooked back fat over the onion. This will soften it slightly and take the edge off.
- Get out a large mixing bowl. Once the potatoes have cooled just enough to handle peel, slice, and lightly salt the potatoes into your bowl. The potatoes do not need to be uniform in shape.
- After all the potatoes are peeled and sliced, add in the bacon, onions, apple cider vinegar, pickle relish, celery seed, and parsley. Fold together and cover with plastic wrap. Put in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, before serving, stir in the mayonnaise. Start with 1 cup and add more if needed. Once it looks right, transfer it to a clean serving bowl. Sprinkle with a little paprika and more dried parsley.
- This goes great with anything. I like it with ribs. Multiply the recipe out if you’re making 5 or 10 pounds of potatoes to feed a bigger group.
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M. Katz says
We love this recipe now! Make it every summer cookout!