Old-Fashioned Celery Seed Potato Salad

Finding a potato salad recipe that doesn’t turn out watery or bland can be surprisingly tough. After all, there’s nothing worse than bringing a disappointing side dish to a family barbecue or potluck, and it gets even trickier when you’re trying to balance creamy texture with enough flavor to keep people coming back for seconds.

Luckily, this celery seed potato salad checks all the boxes: it’s packed with flavor from the celery seed and fresh dill, stays perfectly creamy thanks to the right ratio of mayo to potatoes, and comes together easily with ingredients you probably already have in your fridge.

What Kind of Potatoes Should I Use?

For potato salad, you’ll want to reach for waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold, red potatoes, or new potatoes instead of russets. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better after boiling and won’t turn mushy or fall apart when you mix them with the dressing. Russets are too starchy and tend to break down, giving you a gluey texture that nobody wants in their potato salad. If you can’t find Yukon Golds, red potatoes are a great backup option and they look pretty in the salad too since you can leave the skins on.

Options for Substitutions

This potato salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Potatoes: Yukon golds or red potatoes work best since they hold their shape nicely. Russets can get a bit mushy, so if that’s all you have, just be gentle when mixing and cut them into larger chunks.
• Mayonnaise: You can use Greek yogurt or sour cream for half the mayo to lighten things up, or go full Greek yogurt if you prefer. The texture will be a bit tangier and less creamy, but still tasty.
• Relish: Swap sweet relish for dill relish if you like a more savory flavor, or use finely chopped pickles instead. Just drain them well so your salad doesn’t get watery.
• Celery seed: This is what gives the salad its signature flavor, so try not to skip it. But if you must, you can add extra fresh celery and a pinch of ground celery salt instead.
• Fresh dill: If you don’t have fresh dill, use 1 teaspoon of dried dill instead. Fresh parsley also works in a pinch, though the flavor will be different.
• Apple cider vinegar: White vinegar or white wine vinegar both work fine as substitutes.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with potato salad is overdressing it while the potatoes are still warm, which causes them to absorb too much mayo and turn mushy – instead, let your potatoes cool for about 15 minutes after draining so they firm up slightly before mixing.

Overcooking the potatoes is another common issue that leads to a mushy salad, so test them with a fork at the 13-minute mark and remove them as soon as they’re tender but still hold their shape.

Don’t skip the step of seasoning your boiling water with plenty of salt, as this is your only chance to season the potatoes from the inside out and adds much more flavor than salting at the end.

For the best texture and flavor, make your potato salad at least 2 hours before serving so the dressing has time to meld with the ingredients, and always taste and adjust the seasoning right before serving since flavors can dull when chilled.

What to Serve With Potato Salad?

Potato salad is a cookout staple that pairs perfectly with just about any grilled meat you can think of – burgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, or ribs all work great. I love serving it alongside coleslaw and baked beans for a full summer spread that everyone goes crazy for. If you’re keeping things simple, grilled corn on the cob and some watermelon slices make for a refreshing side that balances out the creamy richness of the potato salad. For indoor meals, this salad works just as well next to rotisserie chicken or even as part of a sandwich platter with deli meats and cheeses.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Since it has mayo and eggs, you’ll want to make sure it stays cold, so don’t leave it sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours during picnics or gatherings.

Make Ahead: This potato salad actually tastes better the next day after all the flavors have had time to mingle! You can make it a day ahead and let it chill overnight in the fridge. Just give it a good stir before serving since some of the dressing might settle at the bottom.

Serve: Always serve potato salad cold, straight from the fridge. If you notice it looks a bit dry after storing, you can stir in a tablespoon or two of mayo to freshen it up before serving.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 4550-4850
• Protein: 65-75 g
• Fat: 340-360 g
• Carbohydrates: 375-400 g

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 5 lb potatoes (cut into 1-inch cubes for even cooking)
• 1 tbsp salt

For the dressing and mix-ins:

• 2 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp dill
• 1/2 cup onion
• black pepper
• 2 cups mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann’s for the creamiest texture)
• 1 tbsp celery seed
• 3 celery stalks (diced into 1/4-inch pieces for a consistent crunch)
• 5 eggs (hard-boiled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 cup relish (I use Vlasic sweet pickle relish)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Step 1: Prepare Eggs and Vegetables

• 5 eggs
• 3 celery stalks
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1 tbsp dill

Start by hard-boiling the eggs: place them in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit covered for 10-12 minutes.

While the eggs cook, dice the celery stalks into 1/4-inch pieces, dice the onion into small pieces, and chop the fresh dill.

Once the eggs are cooled, peel and chop them into 1/2-inch pieces.

Having everything prepped before the potatoes finish cooking ensures smooth assembly.

Step 2: Cook and Cool Potatoes

• 5 lb potatoes
• 1 tbsp salt

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large pot with cold salted water (using the 1 tbsp salt).

Bring to a boil and cook for 13-15 minutes until just tender when pierced with a fork—don’t overcook or they’ll become mushy and fall apart when mixed.

Drain thoroughly in a colander and let cool for 5 minutes so they’re warm but not piping hot, which helps them absorb the dressing better.

Step 3: Build the Dressing

• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 cup relish
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp celery seed
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• black pepper
• salt

In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, apple cider vinegar, celery seed, and paprika.

Whisk together until smooth and fully combined.

Season with black pepper to taste.

I like to add a small pinch of extra salt here to ensure the dressing is well-seasoned, since it will be coating all the other ingredients.

Step 4: Combine Potatoes with Dressing

• cooked potatoes from Step 2
• dressing mixture from Step 3

Add the warm cooked potatoes directly to the bowl with the dressing and stir gently but thoroughly until all the potato pieces are evenly coated.

The warm potatoes will absorb more of the dressing flavors, which is why I prefer to dress them while they’re still warm rather than waiting until they cool completely.

Step 5: Fold in Remaining Ingredients

• chopped eggs from Step 1
• diced celery from Step 1
• diced onion from Step 1
• chopped dill from Step 1

Gently fold in the chopped eggs, diced celery, diced onion, and chopped dill from Step 1 until evenly distributed throughout the salad.

Use a gentle hand to avoid breaking up the potatoes and eggs.

The salad is now ready to serve at room temperature or chilled.

Step 6: Finish and Serve

• extra dill
• extra paprika

Transfer the potato salad to a serving dish and garnish the top with a sprinkle of extra dill and paprika for color and a hint of extra seasoning.

Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Old-Fashioned Celery Seed Potato Salad

Delicious Old-Fashioned Celery Seed Potato Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Servings 16 servings

Calories 4700 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the potatoes:

• 5 lb potatoes (cut into 1-inch cubes for even cooking)
• 1 tbsp salt

For the dressing and mix-ins:

• 2 tbsp mustard
• 1 tbsp dill
• 1/2 cup onion
• black pepper
• 2 cups mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann's for the creamiest texture)
• 1 tbsp celery seed
• 3 celery stalks (diced into 1/4-inch pieces for a consistent crunch)
• 5 eggs (hard-boiled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 1 cup relish (I use Vlasic sweet pickle relish)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Instructions

 

• Start by hard-boiling the eggs: place them in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit covered for 10-12 minutes. While the eggs cook, dice the celery stalks into 1/4-inch pieces, dice the onion into small pieces, and chop the fresh dill. Once the eggs are cooled, peel and chop them into 1/2-inch pieces. Having everything prepped before the potatoes finish cooking ensures smooth assembly.
• Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large pot with cold salted water (using the 1 tbsp salt). Bring to a boil and cook for 13-15 minutes until just tender when pierced with a fork—don't overcook or they'll become mushy and fall apart when mixed. Drain thoroughly in a colander and let cool for 5 minutes so they're warm but not piping hot, which helps them absorb the dressing better.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, apple cider vinegar, celery seed, and paprika. Whisk together until smooth and fully combined. Season with black pepper to taste. I like to add a small pinch of extra salt here to ensure the dressing is well-seasoned, since it will be coating all the other ingredients.
• Add the warm cooked potatoes directly to the bowl with the dressing and stir gently but thoroughly until all the potato pieces are evenly coated. The warm potatoes will absorb more of the dressing flavors, which is why I prefer to dress them while they're still warm rather than waiting until they cool completely.
• Gently fold in the chopped eggs, diced celery, diced onion, and chopped dill from Step 1 until evenly distributed throughout the salad. Use a gentle hand to avoid breaking up the potatoes and eggs. The salad is now ready to serve at room temperature or chilled.
• Transfer the potato salad to a serving dish and garnish the top with a sprinkle of extra dill and paprika for color and a hint of extra seasoning. Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to serve.