Dill Potato Salad

Potato salad is without a doubt, the greatest summer side there is. Okay, we’re a little biased, and we have an unfair advantage, given our collection of favorite potato salad recipes. But in truth, there’s a reason it’s one of the most googled sides of summer, and it comes down to one thing: a tried-and-true recipe (and a few key ingredients). Picture this: creamy potatoes, crunchy veggies and a hint of dill—these are the makings of summer’s greatest hit.

A winning potato salad is without a doubt, the epitome of summertime satisfaction, and this dill potato salad recipe will have everyone begging for your secret.

Ingredients for Dill Potato Salad

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• Potatoes: Red potatoes are a superior spud choice for potato salad, namely for their ability to absorb dressings and not turn to mush in the process. Whether you opt for baby reds or large taters is up to you, but we suggest keeping their skins on for texture—and color.
• Scallions: Green onions, aka scallions, lend a mildly sweet onion flavor to potato salads and play nicely with herbs like dill. Slice the entire stem and its top to toss in the salad, leaving off the rooty white bulb at the end.
• Parsley: While we love the ease of dried herbs, there’s nothing like fresh herbs to make potato salad taste homemade. Parsley is a no-brainer here, especially since it’s a complementary flavor to dill.
• Mayonnaise: Mayo is the key binder here, but start light so your potato salad doesn’t get too wet. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away. As for the type of mayo to use, we prefer full-fat for a richer taste, but vegan or dairy-free alternatives also work.
• Half-and-half: Besides mayo, half-and-half helps keep this dilled potato salad nice and creamy. Since the recipe is mayo and cream laden, however, be sure to keep it chilled when you’re not serving, to avoid spoiling.
• Seasonings: Spices like garlic powder, white pepper and dill weed make a difference in this classic side, but feel free to use fresh dill instead of dried, if you have some on hand. Garnishing the salad with feathery dill fronds is always a nice touch for presentation as well.

Directions

Step 1: Cook and cube your potatoes

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Slowly simmer your potatoes until they’re fork-tender, then remove them from the water and allow them to drain in a colander. Once cool, cut the potatoes into equal-size cubes and transfer them to a large bowl.

Step 2: Chop the onions and parsley

Christine Ma for Taste of Home

Next, slice the green onions and mince the parsley. Add them to the bowl with the potatoes.

Step 3: Combine the wet ingredients

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Add the mayonnaise, half-and-half and seasonings to the same bowl, then give everything a gentle mix. You don’t want to work your potato salad too hard here or it could turn mushy. The trick is to combine all the ingredients without jeopardizing the potato chunks.

Step 4: Refrigerate the salad

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After everything is nice and mixed, finish your potato salad with dill by adding a sprinkle of salt, covering the bowl and placing it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Dill Potato Salad Variations

• Spice it up: If you like your potato salad hot, add a few dashes of hot sauce to the bowl for some extra heat.
• Get grainy: Whole-grain mustard is another potato salad all-star, like mayo, and better for those with dairy aversions.
• Make it protein style: Hard-boiled eggs are an easy way to make potato salad even chunkier while sneaking in more protein.
• Double up on dill: With dill pickles! Tangy, briny ingredients like cornichons, pickles, relish—even capers—all work well in potato salad.

How long can potato salad sit out?

Since this is a dairy-heavy dish, be sure to keep it in the fridge until the moment you’re ready to serve it. At that point, it should be kept in a shady spot and only left out for two hours, max, before it’s returned to a safe space in the refrigerator.

How to Store Leftover Potato Salad

On the off chance you have leftover potato salad, don’t toss it! Potato salad is one of those sides that taste even better the next day. Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to dig in again.

Can you freeze potato salad?

Technically, yes, although we don’t recommend this for mayo- or sour-cream-based potato salads, which can turn runny when you thaw them. Mustard-based potato salads and German potato salad tend to do better in the freezer.

Dill Potato Salad Tips

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How do you keep potatoes from falling apart when making potato salad?

We suggest adding a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar to the water before it comes to a simmer, which will help create a “crust” on the potatoes. That way, they’ll be less likely to fall apart when you mix in your other ingredients.

How do you keep potato salad from tasting bland?

Add more seasonings. If 1/4 teaspoon feels too light-handed for the dill weed, white pepper and garlic powder, be liberal with a few more shakes of each. Or try a splash of Tabasco to kick things up a notch.

How do you keep potato salad moist?

If you find your red potato salad with dill to be a little too dry for your liking, you can always increase the wet ingredients. Do this slowly—a spoonful at a time—to avoid an overly wet salad.