This post may contain affiliate links.
Red Potato Salad skips the heavy mayo and folds tender chunks of red potato into a tangy sour cream dressing loaded with fresh dill, dijon, garlic, and a warm hit of paprika. This is the side that disappears first at our *summer cookouts*, and Lizzie always claims the bowl scrapings. If you grew up on my classic potato salad, this tangy sour cream version is its zippier cousin.
Tender red potatoes in a tangy sour cream and dill dressing, made to chill ahead for any cookout.
Red Potato Salad Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 40 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 55 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 416kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Tangy and creamy with fresh dill, dijon, and a warm paprika finish
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with my classic potato salad
Quick Answer
Boil whole red potatoes in generously salted water until a fork slides through with no resistance, then drain and cool until you can handle them. Cut the potatoes into medium chunks, skins on, and place them in a large bowl. Whisk the sour cream, minced garlic, dijon mustard, fresh dill, red wine vinegar, and paprika together, then gently fold the dressing into the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper, chill until cold, and garnish with sliced green onions.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Red potatoes hold their shape. Waxy red potatoes have less starch than russets, so the chunks stay intact and creamy instead of crumbling into mush when you fold in the dressing.
- The skins stay on for a reason. Thin red potato skins add color, texture, and nutrients, and they mean zero peeling. Boiling them whole also keeps the potatoes from getting waterlogged.
- Boiling whole in salted water seasons from within. Generously salted water penetrates the potatoes as they cook, so the salad tastes seasoned all the way through, not just on the surface.
- Sour cream beats mayo here. It brings a bright, cool tang that mayo cannot, and it pairs naturally with the dill and dijon for a dressing that tastes lighter but still creamy.
- Red wine vinegar wakes everything up. A tablespoon of acid cuts through the creamy dressing and keeps the salad from tasting flat, especially after chilling.
- Chilling melds the flavors. A proper rest in the refrigerator lets the garlic, dill, and paprika bloom into the dressing, which is why potato salad always tastes better the next day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The tangy sour cream dressing is a fresh change from heavy mayo based potato salads.
- It is a true make ahead dish, the flavor actually gets better after a night in the refrigerator.
- It is the make ahead side that travels as well as my grilled potato salad, no mayo worries at the cookout.
Key Ingredients
A short list of fresh, tangy ingredients does all the work.
- Red potatoes: The star. Waxy and thin skinned, they boil up creamy, hold their shape in chunks, and need zero peeling.
- Sour cream: The dressing base. Cool and tangy, it coats every chunk without the heaviness of mayonnaise.
- Fresh dill: The signature herb. Its bright, grassy flavor makes this salad taste fresh instead of heavy.
- Dijon mustard: The depth. A spoonful adds gentle sharpness that balances the creamy dressing.
- Paprika: The warmth. It tints the dressing a pretty blush and adds a mild, sweet pepper note.
- Red wine vinegar: The brightness. Just a tablespoon keeps the whole bowl lively after chilling.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This tangy potato salad takes on new personalities easily.
- Stir in crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar for a loaded baked potato feel.
- Add chopped hard boiled eggs to make it heartier, closer to a deli style salad.
- Swap the dill for chives or parsley, or use a mix of all three fresh herbs.
- For a smoky char grilled take, my grilled potato salad starts on the grill.
- Fold in a spoonful of horseradish or a pinch of cayenne if your crowd likes a little heat.
How to Make Red Potato Salad
- Wash the potatoes and place them whole in a large stock pot. Cover with cold water, add the kosher salt, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until a fork slides through with no resistance. Drain, cool until easy to handle, then cut into medium chunks and place them in a large bowl.
- Mix the sour cream, minced garlic, dijon mustard, fresh dill, red wine vinegar, and paprika together in a bowl until smooth.
- Spoon the dressing over the potatoes and gently fold until everything is coated. Season with salt and pepper, it will need more salt than you think. Cover and refrigerate until nice and cold, then garnish with sliced green onions and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Start the potatoes in cold water. Bringing them up to temperature with the water cooks them evenly from edge to center, no blown out outsides with raw middles.
- Salt the cooking water generously. Two tablespoons of kosher salt sounds like a lot, but it is the only chance to season the inside of the potatoes.
- Check doneness with a fork or skewer. It should slide into the center with no resistance. Start checking around 30 minutes since timing varies with potato size.
- Cut the potatoes while slightly warm. Warm potatoes drink up the dressing better, just let them cool enough to handle safely.
- Fold gently, do not stir hard. A soft folding motion coats the chunks while keeping them intact instead of mashing them.
- Taste again after chilling. Cold mutes seasoning, so give the salad a final taste and a pinch more salt right before serving.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Serve it next to my beer can chicken at your next backyard cookout.
It is made for a plate of my sticky grilled chicken wings.
Round out the spread with my crispy fried okra.
And for a double potato moment nobody complains about, add my sweet potato fries.
Red Potato Salad FAQs
No, and that is one of the best parts of this recipe. Red potato skins are thin, tender, and pretty, adding color and texture to the salad while holding the chunks together. Just scrub them well before boiling. Leaving the skins on also keeps the potatoes from absorbing too much water as they cook.
Whole red potatoes usually take 30 to 40 minutes at a gentle simmer, depending on their size. They are done when a fork or skewer slides into the center with no resistance. Boiling them whole takes longer than cubed potatoes, but they cook more evenly and stay creamy instead of waterlogged.
Absolutely, it is actually better made ahead. The salad needs at least a couple of hours in the refrigerator for the dressing to chill and the flavors to meld, and overnight is even better. Make it up to 2 days in advance, hold the green onion garnish, and give it a gentle stir and a final taste for salt before serving.
Stored in an airtight container, it keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The sour cream dressing holds up well, though you may want to stir in a small spoonful of fresh sour cream to revive the creaminess on day three. Do not leave it sitting out longer than 2 hours at a cookout, keep the bowl nested in ice on hot days.
Two things, the potato and the dressing. Waxy red potatoes hold their shape in firm, creamy chunks, while starchy russets in classic potato salad break down softer. And this version uses a tangy sour cream dressing with dill and dijon instead of the traditional mayonnaise and mustard combination, so it tastes brighter and a little lighter.
Usually the potatoes were overcooked or dressed while too hot. Overboiled potatoes absorb water and then weep it back out into the dressing, so pull them as soon as a fork slides through. Letting the chunks cool and steam dry for a few minutes before folding in the dressing keeps the salad thick and creamy.
Made this red potato salad? Leave a comment and a star rating below, and tell me what you grilled alongside it!
This salad is also the perfect sidekick to our chimichurri lentil burgers.
Easy Red Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes scrubbed
- 2 Tbls kosher salt
- 1 1/2 Cup sour cream
- 2 tsp garlic minced fine
- 1 Tbls dijon mustard
- 2 tsp fresh dill chopped fine
- 1 Tbls red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- green onions sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Wash potatoes and put in a large stock pot. Cover with cold water and put in the kosher salt. Give it a stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook until potatoes are cooked through. This will vary on the size of the potatoes, start checking them every 30 minutes. They are done when a fork or skewer inserted in the middle goes through with no resistance.
- Drain potatoes and let cool on the counter until they are easily handled by hand. Cut into medium chunks and place in a large bowl.
- Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Spoon over potatoes and gently fold in the sauce until everything is coated. Check for seasoning, this will need more salt then you would think!
- Place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or an air tight container and place in the fridge. Let this get nice a cold before serving.
- Slice green onions and garnish potato salad, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
Your potato salad looks yummy. I’ve pinned it and I will make it. Thank you.
Kathi
Love the seasoning and the sour cream. So glad you brought this to foodie friday.
Yay! Yea, I normally would use mayo but we loooove sour cream so much I was like why not?!
This looks wonderful! I have pinned it to make. I really appreciate a potato salad recipe that doesn’t use mayo because I can’t have eggs right now. So, thank you!
This looks so good! I love potato salad, so I will be trying this soon:)
Woah! This looks soooooo good!!!
This looks like the perfect potato salad for summer! Pinning this to my sides board and hoping to try it soon! We have a lot of get togethers with our church & I’m sure my friends and I would love this!
This looks soo yummy! What a great side. Pinning. found at showlicious. have a great weekend.
WOW! Those would make such a great Easter Side dish! You have a new fan here! <3
This looks so delicious, I just had to pin it! I’m having a get together in a couple weeks and I’m definitely going to try it then. Found you on Craft Frenzy Friday 🙂