Jack's Potato Salad landed on our table last Fourth of July, and I ate three helpings before anyone else got seconds. Donald's coworker Jack brought it to our rooftop cookout in a big glass bowl, and the whole thing was gone in twenty minutes.
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I asked him for the recipe right there while holding a paper plate. He laughed and told me the trick was pouring oil over the potatoes while they were still hot from the pot.
Honestly? I doubted him. Then I made it myself the following weekend, and I understood. Cold potatoes just sit there and refuse to take on any seasoning. Hot ones drink up everything you give them.
This potato salad is creamy without being heavy, a little sweet, a little tangy, and loaded with chopped eggs. It feeds a crowd of fifteen, which makes it my go to bowl for barbecues and long weekends. If you like the tangy side of things, you might also want to try my warm German potato salad, which skips the mayo completely and uses a vinegar dressing instead.
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Yield: 15 servings
Why You Will Love This Potato Salad
- Simple ingredients. Potatoes, eggs, onion, mayo. Nothing strange, nothing hard to find.
- Feeds a crowd. Fifteen servings from one batch, so there is plenty for a party.
- Creamy and tangy at once. The two vinegars keep it from tasting flat.
- Better the next day. Make it in the morning, serve it at dinner, and it tastes even nicer.
- Kid approved. Alex picks out the egg pieces first, every single time.
- No peeling required. The red skins stay on, which saves you twenty minutes at the sink.
Ingredients For Jack's Potato Salad
- 5 pounds new red potatoes, washed, skin left on
- 1 tablespoon salt, for the potato water
- 6 room temperature eggs, uncooked
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided
- 1 ½ tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 cup sweet onion, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons celery salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 cups mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's)
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup canola oil
A quick note on swaps. Yellow onion works if that is what you have, though sweet onion is milder and my kids notice the difference. You can also skip the poppy seeds. They add a tiny crunch and look pretty, but the salad still tastes right without them.
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Jack's Potato Salad
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 15 servings 1x
Description
Jack's Potato Salad is creamy, tangy, and loaded with chopped eggs. The trick is pouring oil over the potatoes while they are still hot, so they drink up every bit of seasoning. It feeds fifteen and tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds new red potatoes, washed, skin left on
- 1 tablespoon salt, for the potato water
- 6 room temperature eggs, uncooked
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided
- 1 ½ tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 cup sweet onion, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons celery salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3 cups mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's)
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup canola oil
Instructions
- Put the washed potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water, about six inches above the top. Add the tablespoon of salt.
- Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to a medium boil. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how big your potatoes are. Poke one with a fork to check. The fork should slide in with no fight.
- While the potatoes cook, bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add 1 ½ tablespoons of the white vinegar.
- Lower the whole eggs in gently with a slotted spoon so the shells do not crack. Boil them hard for five minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit in that hot water for 15 minutes.
- Drain the eggs and shake the pan back and forth so the shells crack all over. Peel them under running water, chop them into big rough pieces, and set them aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar, the cider vinegar, minced onion, celery salt, white pepper, poppy seeds, sugar, mustard, and mayonnaise. Stir until smooth, then pop it in the fridge while the potatoes finish.
- In a small measuring cup, stir the olive oil and canola oil together. This is the part that makes the whole recipe work, so do not skip it.
- Leave the cooked potatoes sitting in their hot water. Lift them out one at a time with a slotted spoon and cut them into big chunks on your board.
- Once you are about a quarter of the way through, pour a quarter of the oil mixture over the cut pieces and fold them gently. Keep going that way until every potato is cut and every drop of oil is used.
- Add the cold mayonnaise mixture to the warm oiled potatoes and fold it in gently. Then add the chopped eggs and fold again, slowly, so the pieces stay whole.
- Spread everything out on a sheet pan in an even layer, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill until it drops below 40 degrees.
- Once it is cold, move it to your serving bowl and stir it once before it hits the table, because the dressing settles.
Notes
Cut the potatoes into big chunks, not small cubes, because small pieces break down into mash while you stir. Taste the dressing before it goes in and add another teaspoon of cider vinegar if you want it tangier. Four strips of crumbled bacon or a cup of diced celery are both good additions, and fresh dill or chives on top right before serving looks lovely. Make it the night before so the onion softens and the flavors settle in. Keep leftovers in a covered glass container for up to four days, and do not freeze it, since mayonnaise splits when it thaws. Serve it cold, straight from the fridge, and never leave the bowl out for more than two hours at a party.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Boiled
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 44g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 35g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
How I Make Jack's Potato Salad Step By Step
Boil The Potatoes First
Put the washed potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water, about six inches above the top. Add the tablespoon of salt.
Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to a medium boil. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on how big your potatoes are.
Poke one with a fork to check. The fork should slide in with no fight.
Cook The Eggs While You Wait
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 1 ½ tablespoons of the white vinegar.
Lower the whole eggs in gently with a slotted spoon so the shells do not crack. Boil them hard for five minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit in that hot water for 15 minutes.
Drain the eggs and shake the pan back and forth so the shells crack all over. Peel them under running water, then chop them into big rough pieces and set them aside.
Stir Together The Creamy Dressing
Grab a medium bowl. Mix the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons white vinegar, the cider vinegar, minced onion, celery salt, white pepper, poppy seeds, sugar, mustard, and mayonnaise.
Stir until it looks smooth, then pop it in the fridge while the potatoes finish.
In a small measuring cup, stir the olive oil and canola oil together. This is the part that makes the whole recipe work, so do not skip it.
Cut And Oil The Hot Potatoes
Leave the cooked potatoes sitting in their hot water. Lift them out one at a time with a slotted spoon and cut them into chunks on your board.
Once you are about a quarter of the way through, pour a quarter of the oil mixture over the cut pieces and fold them gently. Keep going that way until every potato is cut and every drop of oil is used.
Yes, they are hot. I use a fork to hold each one steady, and my fingers thank me for it.
Finish And Chill Your Potato Salad
Add the cold mayonnaise mixture to the warm oiled potatoes and fold it in gently. Then add the chopped eggs and fold again, slowly, so the pieces stay whole.
Spread everything out on a sheet pan in an even layer. Cover it with plastic wrap and chill until it drops below 40 degrees.
Once it is cold, move it to your serving bowl. That flat sheet pan cools it three times faster than a deep bowl, which matters when guests arrive at six.
Storage And Serving Notes
Keep leftovers in a covered container in the fridge. Glass works best because it does not hold onto onion smells the way plastic does.
This potato salad keeps for four days. After that, the potatoes start going soft and I toss it.
Do not freeze it. Mayonnaise splits when it thaws, and you end up with a watery mess. I learned that one the hard way after a long weekend upstate.
There is no reheating here. Serve it cold, straight from the fridge, and stir it once before it hits the table because the dressing settles.
My Tips And Twists For Jack's Potato Salad
- Cut the potatoes into big chunks, not small cubes. Small pieces break down into mash while you stir.
- Taste the dressing before it goes in. Want it tangier? Add another teaspoon of cider vinegar.
- Add four strips of crumbled bacon if you are feeding a hungry crowd. Donald requests this version every time.
- Chopped celery gives you crunch. About one cup, diced small.
- Fresh dill or chives on top right before serving looks lovely and tastes fresh.
- Make it the night before. The onion softens and the flavors settle in.
One mistake I made early on: I dumped all the oil in at once at the end. The potatoes on the bottom soaked it up and the ones on top stayed plain. Layer it in as you cut, and everything gets seasoned evenly.
Serving this at a summer table? A bowl of corn salad next to it makes the plate look full and colorful.
Common Questions About Jack's Potato Salad
What type of potatoes are best for Jack's Potato Salad?
New red potatoes win here. Their skins are thin enough to leave on, and the flesh holds its shape after 40 minutes in the pot. Yukon Golds also work well and taste a little buttery. Skip russets. They fall apart and turn the whole bowl grainy, which I found out the first time I substituted without thinking.
Should you let potatoes cool before adding mayonnaise?
Not for this recipe. The hot potatoes need to soak up the oil first, and the cold dressing goes in right after. That combination is exactly what gives the salad its taste. The dressing comes straight from the fridge, so the whole bowl drops in temperature quickly. Just get it chilled below 40 degrees before you serve it.
Can Jack's Potato Salad be made ahead of time?
Absolutely, and I would say you should. I make mine the night before a party and keep it covered in the fridge. The onion mellows out and the potatoes take on more of the dressing. Give it a gentle stir before serving. If it looks a little thick, fold in two tablespoons of mayonnaise to loosen it.
How long does homemade potato salad last in the refrigerator?
Four days in a sealed container. Keep it cold and never leave the bowl out on the table for more than two hours at a party. I set mine over a larger bowl of ice when we eat outside in July. Sarah calls it my ice throne setup, and it keeps everything safe.
Recipes You May Like
- Creamy Macaroni Salad For Your Next BBQ — same cookout table, different bowl, and it comes together in half the time.
- Crunchy Bacon Broccoli Salad — crisp and sweet, and it balances out the creamy dishes nicely.
- Creamy Classic Tuna Salad — my go to lunch when there are leftover eggs in the fridge.
Final Thoughts On Jack's Potato Salad
Here is what I love about Jack's Potato Salad. Boil the potatoes, cook the eggs, stir the dressing, oil the hot chunks, fold it all together, and chill.
That is it. Six steps, one pot, and a bowl that empties before the burgers are done.
My mom used to make a plain version when I was a teenager in her kitchen, and I always thought potato salad was a little boring. This one changed my mind completely.
Give it a try this weekend and let me know how it goes in the comments. Save it to Pinterest so you have it ready when the next cookout sneaks up on you.
