Classic Potato Salad Recipe

Take your camping meals to the next level with our classic potato salad recipe! Creamy, tangy, and packed with flavor, it’s the ultimate side dish for any outdoor adventure.

Classic Potato Salad Recipe

A classic potato salad recipe is the ideal side dish to make and take camping! Tender potatoes are easy to prepare and travel well when packing and preparing for a camping trip.

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We love that this traditional potato salad only needs a few simple ingredients from the grocery store! And it makes the perfect make-ahead dish for summer, great for pairing with smoked baby back ribs, smoked brisket or beer can chicken.

Classic Potato Salad Recipe

Our classic recipe is a family favorite that has been a staple at all of our summer cookouts since I was a child. The secret ingredient, and one that you don’t find it too many potato salad recipes, is pickle juice!

Classic Potato Salad Recipe

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Supplies:

Classic Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients

Classic potato salad recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 12 eggs, hard boiled
  • 3 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 
  • 1/4 cup chives, minced
  • 4 baby dill pickles, diced
  • 3 Tbsp pickle juice
  • 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
Classic Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, cook eggs for 10 minutes at a low rolling boil.

Classic Potato Salad Recipe Process

2. Rinse the hard-boiled eggs in cold water, peel and dice.

Classic Potato Salad Recipe Process

3. Place peeled and diced potatoes into a large pot and cover them with water. 

4. Cook over medium high heat until tender, about 15 minutes.

5. Strain potatoes and place them into a large bowl.

Classic Potato Salad Recipe Process

6. Add egg, pickles and chives and stir.

7. Add mayonnaise, pickle juice, mustard and salt.

8. Mix well.

Classic Potato Salad Recipe

Recipe Substitutions:

  • Use green onions or red onions instead of chives
  • Red potatoes, russet potatoes
  • Cut the mayonnaise in half and add sour cream instead.
  • Sweet pickles or sweet pickle relish
Classic Potato Salad Recipe

Tips & Tricks:

  • This makes a large portion of salad that is great for feeding a crowd. You can halve the recipe for smaller groups or small family dinners.
  • Store potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Because of the mayonnaise, be sure to only keep it at room temperature for a short time before returning to the fridge. I like to bring a bag of ice to rest the bowl on when bringing this to picnics, it helps keep the dish cool.
  • The next day the salad may become less creamy, simply add a tsp of pickle juice, white vinegar or olive oil to the mixture and give it a stir.

This is one of our favorite side dishes for the warm summer months because it’s easy to prepare in advance and bring to an event. It’s been a go-to recipe for camping as well!

Classic Potato Salad Recipe

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Tips for camping meal preparation:

  • Prepare meals in advance at home whenever possible.  Leave most of the mess at home where running water is more accessible and clean up is easier.  Trust me on this one!
  • Create “one pot” family style meals for quick dinners that don’t require a lot of thought. 
  • Use tinfoil packets, foil pie pans or pie irons. These tools help to make clean up a breeze!
  • Pack ingredients in 1 gallon size ziploc bags for flexible storage in small fridges and coolers.
  • Plan meals that use similar ingredients to help make packing and planning easy.  These Cheesy Vegetable Campfire Dip, Loaded Campfire Potatoes and Tinfoil Packet Taco Salad recipes are some of my favorites.
Classic Potato Salad Recipe

If you love this classic potato salad recipe as much as we do, please give it a five star review and help me share it on Facebook or Pinterest so that others can enjoy it too!

Classic Potato Salad Recipe

Classic Potato Salad Recipe

Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Take your camping meals to the next level with our classic potato salad recipe! Creamy, tangy, and packed with flavor, it's the ultimate side dish for any outdoor adventure.

Ingredients

  • 12 eggs, hard boiled
  • 3 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 
  • 1/4 cup chives, minced
  • 4 baby dill pickles, diced
  • 3 Tbsp pickle juice
  • 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, cook eggs for 10 minutes at a low rolling boil.

2. Rinse the hard-boiled eggs in cold water, peel and dice.

3. Place peeled and diced potatoes into a large pot and cover them with water. 

4. Cook over medium high heat until tender, about 15 minutes.

5. Strain potatoes and place them into a large bowl.

6. Add egg, pickles and chives and stir.

7. Add mayonnaise, pickle juice, mustard and salt.

8. Mix well.

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