Skin-On Red Potato Salad with Dill Pickles

This red potato salad recipe is tangy and loaded with crunchy dill pickles, fresh herbs, and a mustardy dressing that soaks right into the warm potatoes! The skin-on red potatoes stay creamy without turning mushy after chilling, which makes this one especially good for cookouts, pool days, and those summer dinners where everyone keeps sneaking bites straight from the bowl.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: red potato salad

Method: Stovetop

Servings: servings

Author: Ashley McCrary

Ingredients

Salad

2 pounds small red potatoes small
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice or apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup dill pickles finely chopped (use Grillos)
¼ cup finely diced red onion
¼ cup green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauce

1/4 cup sour cream or sub greek yogurt or blended cottage cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp yellow mustard
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1-2 tbsp pickle juice or red wine vinegar

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook until fork-tender, about 15–20 minutes.
While the potatoes cook, make the dressing. In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, yellow mustard, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, celery seed, and pickle juice or red wine vinegar until smooth and creamy.
Drain the potatoes and let them cool just enough to handle. Cut into bite-sized chunks and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing to the warm potatoes and gently toss so they start soaking up all the flavor.
Fold in the chopped dill pickles, red onion, green onions, fresh dill, and chives. Gently mix until everything is evenly coated, keeping the potatoes chunky. Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper as needed.
Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors meld together. Garnish with more dill and chives

Notes

Start the potatoes in cold water so they cook evenly from the inside out.
Keep the heat at a gentle simmer instead of a hard boil. Red potatoes can split and get waterlogged if they cook too aggressively.
Dress the potatoes while they’re still warm. This helps them absorb the pickle juice and mustard flavor much better.
Cut the potatoes into slightly larger chunks than you think you need. They’ll break down a little as you stir everything together.
Don’t skip tasting the salad again after it chills. Potatoes soak up a ton of seasoning in the fridge, so I almost always end up adding another pinch of salt before serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I actually like this potato salad even better after it’s been in the fridge for a few hours because the dressing settles into the potatoes and the dill flavor gets stronger!
If the salad thickens too much after refrigeration, stir in a small splash of pickle juice before serving to loosen it back up. I don’t recommend freezing potato salad since the creamy dressing can separate once thawed.

Nutrition