You know the potato salad from the deli section at the grocery store—the one with a bright yellow dressing? Chances are pretty good it’s Amish potato salad. Much like any classic potato salad, a recipe for Amish potato salad contains soft potatoes, rich hard-boiled eggs, and crunchy onions and celery.
What makes this particular potato salad stand out is its noticeable sweet-and-sour character. The creamy dressing is so sweet that you may wonder if you accidentally added too much sugar! But the more you dig in, the cozier and more inviting it will feel.
What is Amish potato salad?
This Amish potato salad recipe is similar to classic potato salad but with a sweeter, tangier dressing. The traditional dressing recipe uses mayonnaise instead of Miracle Whip and includes plenty of sugar. The added sweetness is balanced by yellow mustard and cider vinegar, giving the potato salad a unique sweet-and-sour kick.
To top off the salad, chopped onions and celery lend a delightful crunch that contrasts the tender boiled potatoes, and chopped hard-boiled eggs make this one of the heartiest Pennsylvania Dutch-inspired recipes we know.
Amish Potato Salad Ingredients
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes are our go-to for potato salads. These all-purpose potatoes are starchy enough to soak up the dressing’s flavors yet waxy enough to hold their shape. We peel the potatoes to give them a refined look, but feel free to leave the skins on for a more rustic appearance.
- Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise gives the dressing of this Amish potato salad its creamy texture. We recommend sticking with mayonnaise instead of substituting Miracle Whip because there’s a major flavor difference between Miracle Whip vs. mayonnaise. Mayonnaise tastes richer and eggier, whereas Miracle Whip is notably sweeter.
- Mustard: A healthy dose of prepared mustard gives the dressing its yellow color and tangy flavor. Yellow mustard is the traditional choice, but feel free to use Dijon mustard to add a hint of heat.
- Sugar: Sweetness is what differentiates a recipe for Amish potato salad from regular potato salad. You may feel tempted to reduce the amount of sugar, but the potato salad won’t be the same with less sugar.
- Cider vinegar: Vinegar’s acidity balances out the sweetness from the sugar in the sweet and tangy dressing. Cider vinegar is an excellent choice because of its slight fruitiness, but you could substitute another type of vinegar like white wine vinegar.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Chopped hard-boiled eggs add richness to Amish potato salad. If you don’t have a go-to method, learn how to make hard-boiled eggs on the stovetop, oven, Instant Pot or air fryer.
- Onion and celery: These vegetables add a crunchy texture to potato salad. If you don’t mind onion’s pungency, use red onions to add a pop of color. Otherwise, opt for the mellower flavor of white or sweet onions. And don’t forget to save the celery leaves when chopping the celery; they add a gorgeous green finish to the salad.
- Paprika: This spice adds a smoky, spicy character to the sweet-and-sour potato salad.
Directions
Step 1: Cook the potatoes
Place the potatoes in a Dutch oven, and add water to cover. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes, and transfer them to a large bowl.
Editor’s Tip: Do not rinse the potatoes after draining them. Rinsing removes all the excess starches, often leading to a watery potato salad.
Step 2: Make the dressing
In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sugar, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.
Step 3: Mix the potato salad
Drizzle the dressing over the potatoes and toss to coat.
Gently stir in the eggs, onion and celery.
Editor’s Tip: It’s OK to toss the potatoes with the dressing while they’re still slightly warm. In fact, we usually recommend it because warm potatoes absorb the dressing better than cold potatoes. Just don’t toss them together while the potatoes are piping hot or the mayonnaise can separate.
Step 4: Chill the potato salad
Cover the potato salad and refrigerate until chilled, two to three hours. If desired, sprinkle with paprika and celery leaves.
Recipe Variations
- Add texture: Try sprinkling the salad with crumbled cooked bacon, french-fried onions or blanched vegetables like green beans. You could also include crunchy, tangy chopped pickles or pickle relish.
- Make it spicy: Add a dash or two of hot sauce to the dressing to amp up the heat.
- Introduce some color: To add a pop of color, include fresh herbs like chopped parsley or fresh dill.
How to Store Amish Potato Salad
Store Amish potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to four days. The potatoes will soak in the dressing as the salad sits, so you may need to stir in a little bit of mayonnaise before serving.
Can you make Amish potato salad in advance?
Making potato salad recipes in advance is a wonderful idea. You could serve the potato salad as soon as it’s chilled, but it will taste better if it’s prepared a day in advance. Letting the ingredients sit together overnight allows the flavors to meld and deepen.
Can you freeze Amish potato salad?
While you can technically freeze potato salad, we don’t recommend it. The mayonnaise in the creamy dressing could separate in the freezer, giving the potato salad an odd look and texture when thawed.
Amish Potato Salad Tips
What potatoes work best for Amish potato salad?
Yukon Gold potatoes are our favorite choice for an Amish potato salad recipe. This type of potato is low in starch, so it will hold its shape better in the salad. Feel free to substitute any other type of waxy potatoes, like fingerling potatoes or the red potatoes we use in authentic German potato salad.
You could use starchy potatoes (like russet potatoes) to make potato salad, but take care not to overcook the potatoes. These potatoes will soak in more flavors than waxy potatoes, but they’re also more delicate. They will fall apart if they’re overcooked or mixed vigorously.
What is the best way to cook potatoes for potato salad?
We like to boil potatoes for potato salad. Start the potatoes in cold water—adding potatoes to boiling water can create hard potatoes that are soft on the outside but raw on the inside. Then, drain the potatoes but do not rinse them. The starches will bind to the fats in the dressing and create a luscious, thick mixture. It is important to let the potatoes steam for a few minutes before mixing them with the dressing. Any excess water can cause the dressing to be thin and watery.
