Deviled egg potato salad combines two cookout classics into one creamy, crowd-pleasing side dish. Buttery Yukon Gold potatoes are tossed in a rich dressing made with mashed egg yolks, mayo, mustard, and relish for that unmistakable deviled egg flavor.
Quick look at the recipe
Ready In: 35 minutes + chill time | Serves: 8-10 | Difficulty: Easy | Make-Ahead Friendly: Yes
This one is perfect for Easter, potlucks, summer cookouts, and anytime you can't decide between deviled eggs and potato salad.
If you're craving a more traditional picnic version, be sure to check out my Southern Potato Salad Recipe, one of the most popular side dishes on the site.
Jump to:
- Quick look at the recipe
- Why you'll love this recipe
- What is Deviled Egg Potato Salad?
- Ingredient notes
- Variations
- How to make Deviled Egg Potato Salad
- My real-world test notes
- What to serve with Deviled Egg Potato Salad
- Storage tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Tips to ensure this recipe turns out perfectly
- More Southern cookout side dishes you'll love
- Join the conversation
- Recipe:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Two classic favorites in one bowl
- Creamy, tangy, rich deviled egg flavor just like my Classic Southern Deviled Eggs
- Yukon Gold potatoes stay tender and hold their shape
- Great make-ahead side dish
- Always disappears fast at gatherings
- Easy to customize with bacon, dill, paprika, or spice
What is Deviled Egg Potato Salad?
Deviled egg potato salad is a creamy potato salad inspired by classic deviled eggs. Hard-boiled egg yolks are mashed into the dressing with mayo, mustard, and relish, then tossed with potatoes and chopped egg whites.
Ingredient notes
Here's a quick look at the key ingredients, smart substitutions, and a few details that make a real difference in how this potato salad turns out.
- Yukon Gold potatoes: Their naturally buttery texture makes them ideal for this recipe. They stay tender without falling apart, and you don’t have to peel them.
- Eggs: You'll need 6 hard-boiled eggs. If peeling eggs has ever tested your patience, my Perfect Easy-to-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs guide can help.
- Mayonnaise: Duke's is excellent here.
- Yellow mustard: Gives classic deviled egg flavor and color.
- Sweet relish: Traditional for deviled eggs, though dill works too.
Variations
- Want it tangier? Use dill relish instead of sweet relish.
- Want it smoky? Add smoked paprika or a handful of crumbled Sweet-and-Spicy Bacon.
- Want heat? Garnish with a pinch of cayenne instead of paprika or chopped pickled jalapeño.
- Want more herbs? Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or chives.
How to make Deviled Egg Potato Salad
This is a summary of the steps; the complete directions are in the recipe card below.
Cook the potatoes: Cut 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Add to salted cold water, bring to a boil, and cook until fork-tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain well.
Cool and dry: Spread the potatoes on a sheet pan or large tray and let them sit for 15 minutes to allow steam to escape. Why this matters: It helps the dressing coat the potatoes rather than disappear into them.
Prepare the eggs: Slice 6 hard-boiled eggs in half. Remove yolks. Mash yolks through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl,
Make the deviled egg dressing: Add the mayo, mustard, sweet relish, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix until creamy.
Chop egg whites: Chop each halved egg white into four pieces so they are approximately the same size as your cubed potatoes.
Assemble: Add potatoes, chopped whites, celery, and dressing to a large bowl. Fold gently until coated.
Chill: Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Top with paprika and green onions and serve.
My real-world test notes
I tested this recipe side-by-side using Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes.
What I found:
- Yukon Golds held their shape better and let you taste both the buttery potato and creamy dressing separately.
- Russets absorbed more dressing and created a softer, ultra-creamy salad.
- My four taste testers slightly preferred the Russet version, but just barely.
For this recipe, I chose Yukon Golds because they give this deviled egg potato salad its own texture and identity.
What to serve with Deviled Egg Potato Salad
This creamy deviled egg potato salad is a classic warm-weather side dish, but here in the South, potato salad often shows up on holiday tables too. It pairs beautifully with everything from backyard barbecue to Easter ham and Thanksgiving turkey.
Try serving it with:
- Grilled half chicken, burgers, or baby back ribs
- Pulled pork or smoked brisket
- Fried chicken or baked chicken tenders
- Easter ham or glazed ham
- Thanksgiving turkey
- Christmas baked ham or pan-fried shrimp
- Sandwich trays for showers and luncheons
- Southern pea salad, baked beans, or coleslaw for a full cookout spread
Storage tips
- Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
- If it thickens after chilling, stir in a spoonful of mayo before serving.
- Do not freeze.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. It's excellent, made several hours ahead of time or the day before.
Yes. They make a softer, creamier version that my tasters loved too.
No. Dill relish works well too, but gives a tangier flavor. Feel free to use half-and-half.
Cooling helps the dressing coat the potatoes instead of soaking in immediately.
Yes, but the thin skins are tender enough to leave on, and I always do.
Tips to ensure this recipe turns out perfectly
- Don't overcook potatoes. They should be tender, not mushy.
- Let potatoes dry after draining for best texture.
- Chill before serving for best flavor.
- Stir gently so potatoes and egg whites keep their shape.
- Taste before chilling and adjust salt if needed.
More Southern cookout side dishes you'll love
If you need more menu ideas, here is a link to all of my side dish recipes.
Join the conversation
Are you Team Sweet Relish or Team Dill? And would you choose Yukon Golds or Russets? I'd love to hear how you make potato salad at your house.
Southern comfort food made easy and shareable.
Recipe:
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Deviled Egg Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes about 8 to 10 medium, cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon salt, for the cooking water
- 6 large or extra-large eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)
- 1 pinch paprika, for garnish
DRESSING INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon pickle brine, from a jar of pickles or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Place the cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by about an inch. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water, then bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are just fork-tender but still hold their shape, about 12 to 15 minutes. You do not want them mushy.
- Drain the potatoes well and spread them in a single layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to cool and dry out for 15 to 20 minutes. Letting the steam escape here prevents a watery salad.
- While the potatoes cool, slice each peeled egg in half lengthwise. Gently pop the yolks out into a medium bowl and set the whites aside on a cutting board. Use a fork to mash the yolks until they are broken into fine, even crumbles. For an extra-smooth dressing, press the yolks through a fine mesh strainer using the back of a spoon instead of mashing them. Either method works well.
- To the bowl of mashed yolks, add the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, pickle brine, white vinegar, sugar, paprika, salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Stir everything together until the dressing is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the salt or pepper as needed.
- Chop each of the halved egg whites into four pieces so they're about the same size as your potato cubes. Add the cooled potatoes, egg whites, and celery to a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and gently fold everything together with a large spoon or rubber spatula until the potatoes are evenly coated. Take care not to break the potatoes apart too much, though a few pieces naturally crumbling into the dressing is a good thing and adds to the creaminess.
- Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Overnight is even better. When ready to serve, give the salad a gentle stir, then transfer to a serving dish. Scatter the sliced green onions over the top and finish with a generous dusting of paprika.
Notes
- Cracking pepper fresh from a grinder right before use makes a real difference in a cold dish like this one. Pre-ground pepper loses most of its volatile oils quickly after grinding, which means the sharp, fragrant bite you want in the dressing goes flat. A few fresh cracks of a pepper mill take two seconds, and the flavor payoff is worth it.
- Yukon Gold (aka yellow potatoes) are strongly recommended for this recipe. Their naturally buttery texture and slightly waxy structure mean they hold their shape after boiling without turning mealy or falling apart when you fold in the dressing. Red potatoes are a good backup if Yukon Golds are not available.
- Spreading the drained potatoes on a baking sheet to cool, rather than rinsing them with cold water, is the key to a creamy (not watery) deviled egg potato salad. Running potatoes under cold water stops cooking quickly, but it also washes away surface starch and adds moisture, diluting the dressing. Letting them air-dry on the pan for 15 to 20 minutes gives you potatoes that are cool enough to handle but still able to absorb and cling to the dressing properly.
- An easy trick for popping egg yolks out of hard-boiled eggs is to use your thumb to separate one edge of the egg from the yolk. Then slip a spoon tip or fork into the opening and pop the yolk out. If not all the yolk comes out together, gently scoop out any remaining yolk with a spoon.
- Pressing the egg yolks through a fine-mesh strainer instead of mashing them with a fork yields a noticeably silkier dressing. The strainer breaks the yolk down to an almost powdery texture that whisks seamlessly into the mayo and mustard, leaving no lumps. It only takes about a minute and coats the potatoes more evenly. If you do not have a fine mesh strainer, mashing thoroughly with a fork still produces a delicious result.
- Sweet pickle relish is the right choice here because it mirrors the flavor profile of classic deviled egg filling, which tends to be slightly sweet and tangy rather than sharp and dill-forward. If you strongly prefer dill, you can swap in dill relish, but keep in mind it will shift the flavor toward a traditional Southern potato salad rather than the deviled egg profile. A 50/50 mix of sweet and dill relish is a good middle ground.
- The sugar in the dressing is a small but important ingredient. It does not make the salad taste sweet. Instead, it rounds out the tang from mustard, vinegar, and pickle brine, giving the overall flavor the kind of balance you expect from a well-made deviled egg. Do not skip it.
- Deviled egg potato salad is best made at least a few hours ahead, ideally the night before. As it chills, the dressing soaks into the potatoes, and the flavors meld together in a way that just does not happen when it is freshly made. If the salad looks a little dry after an overnight rest, stir in a tablespoon or two of extra mayo before serving.
- Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream can replace up to half the mayo for a lighter dressing. Full replacement changes the texture significantly.
- Dijon can be used as a replacement for yellow mustard, but it will taste more refined and less like classic deviled eggs. Spicy brown mustard adds a sharper bite.
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