Dill Pickle Potato Salad
Quick Look: Dill Pickle Potato Salad Recipe
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes (Time to cool potatoes)
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: 486kcal
- 🔥 Cook Method: Boiled potatoes
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Creamy, tangy, and loaded with dill pickle punch
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
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Table of Contents
Why Is My Dill Pickle Potato Salad So Good!
- I add extra pickle flavor by whisking pickle brine right into the dressing.
- For potato salads, I always recommend to boil the potatoes whole and cut them after they cool, which keeps every piece together instead of falling apart and becoming mashed potatoes.
- I balance the sharp pickle flavor with mayonnaise and sour cream, so the dressing stays rich instead of one-note sour.
- Using fresh dill weed and green onion, ensures that the herb flavor stays bright and doesn’t get lost under the pickles.
Key Ingredients and Notes
- Baby gold potatoes: I like these because their skin is thin enough to leave on, and their mildly waxy texture holds together well once mixed with dressing. Gold potatoes also cook soft and have a slightly sweet flavor that works well with tang of pickles. You can swap regular gold or red potatoes, they will just take longer to cook.
- Dill pickles: Kosher dill pickles are the best choice here for a crisp bite and clean tang. Sweet pickles work if that’s your preference, just note the flavor difference. Skip pickle relish, it’s much softer than chopped pickles and waters down the texture of the salad.
- Fresh dill weed: Fresh dill has a brighter, grassier flavor than dried but, if you only have dried dill weed on hand, cut the amount roughly in half, since dried dill is more concentrated.
- Pickle brine: Use the juice straight from your jar of pickles. It’s what ties the dressing back to the pickle flavor.
- Sour cream and mayo: I recommend using full fat for both so you get a rich and creamy potato salad dressing. Use mayo that you know and like the taste of, they are not all created equal! (I’ve made that mistake before.)
How To Make Dill Pickle Potato Salad
1. Cook the potatoes whole. Cutting them before boiling lets water seep in, and they’ll turn soft, mushy and waterlogged, closer to mashed potatoes than potato salad. Simmer them gently, and you’ll know they’re ready when a fork slides into the center with very minimal resistance.
2. Cool them fully before cutting. Spread them out on a cutting board so they cool evenly, and give them a full 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Taste the dressing before you fold it in. Pickle brine varies quite a bit brand to brand, some are more vinegary, some are saltier, so adjust the salt and pepper until it tastes bright and a little punchy on its own, since it mellows once it coats the potatoes.
4. While potatoes are cooling, it’s a good time to chop all other ingredients. Cut cooled baby potatoes into quarters for a nice and small bite. Keeping potatoes in large chunks will not ensure that you get an even bite with all other ingredients.
5. Fold, be gentle. Use a wide spatula and turn the salad over on itself rather than mixing in vigorously. You want to see distinct chunks of potato, pickle, and celery still holding their shape, with the dressing clinging to the outside, not of turning everything into a mash.
Make Ahead and Storing Suggestions
- Make Ahead: I actually like to make this potato salad a few hours before serving it, or even a day ahead, since the flavors get better once they have time to meld in the fridge. Just cover it tightly, refrigerate, and give it a good stir before serving.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing? I never recommend freezing any potato salad. The mayo based dressing will separate once thawed, and the potatoes will turn mushy and grainy instead of holding their texture.
Serving Creamy Pickle Potato Salad
This salad was made for backyard cookouts. Serve it next to the best burgers or my famous chicken burgers recipe hot off the grill. It also holds its own alongside grilled hot dogs or bacon-wrapped BBQ hot dogs. For more sides on the table, round things out with grilled corn on the cob or Italian grilled vegetables.
Dill Pickle Potato Salad Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend it. Relish is much softer than chopped pickles and changes the texture of the salad.
Baby gold potatoes hold their shape well, they pleasantly soft and have a slightly sweet flavor. But any waxy potato like red potatoes works too.
Yes. It actually tastes better after a few hours in the fridge, once the flavors have had time to meld.
This usually happens when potatoes are cut before boiling or they overcooked and popped. Both let extra water into the salad.
Sure. Chopped hard-boiled eggs or crumbled bacon are easy additions if you want to bulk up the salad. You can also add extra herbs, shaved parmesan or grated cheddar cheese.
More Potato Salad Recipes
- Southern Potato Salad
- German Potato Salad
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Roasted Garlic Asiago Potato Salad
- Parmesan Dill Potato Salad
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Dill Pickle Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 48 oz baby gold potatoes
- 1/2 sweet onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1/4 cup green onion diced
- 1/4 cup fresh dill weed diced
Potato Salad Dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup pickle brine (juice)
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves
- kosher coarse salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse whole baby potatoes and add them into a pot that fits them comfortably. Make sure not to cut the potatoes, keep them whole. Pour cold water into the pot with potatoes, filling it an inch or two over the potatoes.
- Bring the potatoes to boil, lower the heat and add some kosher coarse salt. Let the potatoes gently simmer until just fork tender.
- Spread cooked potatoes on a cutting board and let them cool about 20-30 minutes. (This is a good time to prep all other ingredients.)
- Once the potatoes are cooled, cut them into quarters and add into a mixing bowl. Add onion, celery, pickles, green onion, and dill weed.
- Whisk the ingredients for the potato salad dressing together until smooth and then fold it in with the other ingredients until all completely mixed.
- Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours until ready to serve.
Notes
- What pickles are the best? The best pickles in this potato salad are kosher dill pickles. If you love sweet pickles, you can use them. As far as relish, I don’t recommend it because it has a different texture, it’s much softer.
- Don’t overcook the potatoes: Drain them as soon as a fork slides in with just a little resistance. If you leave them in the hot water too long, they’ll keep cooking and turn mushy once mixed with the dressing.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Make ahead: This salad actually gets better after a few hours. Feel free to make it a day ahead.
Nutrition
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Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
