Once you make this Southern-style Instant Pot Potato Salad recipe, you won’t want to make it any other way! It’s got the perfect balance of mayonnaise to mustard without being overly creamy. Plus, the combination of crispy bacon, diced boiled eggs, and dill relish give it SO much flavor. It’s going to be the hit of your summer BBQ or July 4th picnic!
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Having lived in Texas my entire life, you’d think I grew up eating potato salad at every potluck or July 4th BBQ.
But in fact, I never really cared much for the popular side dish because it was often way too rich and overloaded with mayonnaise.
That is, until I had my (now ex-) husband’s family’s classic Southern potato salad. They ruined me—now I can’t make it any other way!
What makes THIS potato salad different?
- It’s not overtly mayonnaise-y. The flavors are perfectly balanced with just the right amount of Dijon mustard and dill pickle relish to offset the rich and creamy mayo.
- Russet potatoes are used instead of waxy potatoes. These starchy potatoes give this salad more of a “mashed potatoes” feel.
- Both diced hard-boiled eggs and crumbled bacon bits are used.
- Duke’s mayonnaise is a MUST. I’ve been a Hellmann’s girl my whole life, but this more subtle mayonnaise gives this salad its unique flavor!
If you do not want to make it in the Instant Pot, follow these instructions for how to boil potatoes and how to boil eggs to make it the traditional way.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Notes about the ingredients needed for this Instant Pot Potato Salad recipe are below. Jump to recipe for the exact measurements.
- Potatoes. Unlike other recipes that tout waxy potatoes are the best for potato salad, we’re using good ole’ fashioned Russet potatoes. These are starchier and break down more easily. They’re also incredibly tender when cooked.
- Eggs. These will be hard-boiled in the Instant Pot with the potatoes (much like we do when making Instant Pot Hard-Boiled Eggs)
- Mayonnaise. The type you get really matters. Duke’s is recommended to get the most authentic Southern taste, but Hellman’s may also be used. If you’re not sure, make sure to taste the mayo before you try it to see if you like it. Miracle Whip can also be substituted but will make the finished dish slightly sweeter.
- Mustard. Regular yellow is best. But you can change it up with some Dijon. Steer clear of spicy mustard as it will overpower the salad.
- Relish. Dill is recommended, but sweet can be used. You can also chop up dill pickles if you don’t have any relish available.
- Bacon. You want this to already be cooked and crumbled. Try either this Air Fryer Bacon or simply Bake Bacon in the oven. You can leave out if vegetarian.
How to Make Instant Pot Potato Salad
Please see the recipe card below for more detailed ingredient amounts. Jump to recipe for the printable instructions.
1. Peel and cube the potatoes.
Rinse and scrub potatoes to remove any visible dirt. Be sure the potatoes are clean before proceeding.
With a vegetable peeler, remove the skins. Use a sharp knife and a cutting board to chop the potatoes into 1-inch pieces, or no bigger than 2 inches.
A little tip: add the water to the pot and turn the Instant Pot to sauté while peeling and chopping potatoes so it heats it up more quickly.
2. Pressure cook potatoes and eggs in Instant Pot.
If you haven’t already added the water to a 6-quart Instant Pot, do that now.
Set either a trivet or a steamer basket inside. This makes it easy to remove the potatoes after cooking. Most pressure cookers come with trivets. A steamer basket is a worthwhile purchase if you like to use your Instant Pot regularly.
Add potatoes to the bottom of the cooker. Carefully place eggs on top of them. Secure the lid, ensure the Instant Pot is in the sealed position, and set the timer for 5 minutes. When the timer is up, turn the valve to quick release to immediately release the steam.
3. Drain and mash potatoes.
Once the eggs and potatoes are cooked, remove the basket or trivet from the pot. Carefully pour out the water.
Set the eggs in a bowl of ice water to cool.
Add the potatoes back into the pot. Using a potato masher or a large fork, break apart the potatoes into smaller chunks, being careful not to over-mash them. You want to see larger pieces still. Remember, this is not mashed potatoes.
4. Whisk mayo-mustard sauce.
Add mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt, and black pepper to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk ingredients well to thoroughly combine.
It is best to make the mayonnaise mixture while the potatoes are cooking. That way, you have everything ready to combine when they’re done.
5. Peel and dice the eggs.
After the hard-boiled eggs have soaked for 5-10 minutes in the ice bath, check to see if they are cool to the touch.
If the eggs are ready, carefully remove the shells by first cracking the bottom on the counter. Then, roll the egg to crack it all over. The shell should come right off. If you are struggling, run them under water while peeling.
Slice the eggs in half, lengthwise, and then again into quarters. Coarsely chop until you have smaller chunks.
If you’d prefer, you can also make potato salad without eggs.
6. Mix everything together, chill, and serve!
Add the mayo-mustard sauce, crumbled bacon, eggs, potatoes, 1 to 2 teaspoons salt, and a dash of pepper to a large mixing bowl. Save dishes by using a container with a lid so you can store the potato salad in it.
Stir until everything is just mixed. If you overwork it the potatoes will fall apart.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 2 hours to serve chilled. Sprinkle with freshly chopped dill and enjoy!
How long does homemade potato salad last?
Homemade potato salad can last up to 3-4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Just make sure to keep it chilled, and don’t leave out for more than 2 hours at room temperature. It is not recommended to freeze as the texture will be different upon thawing.
What to serve with Potato Salad?
If you’ve got the grill going then you’ll definitely want to check out these Salmon Burgers next!
Feeling some seafood? Try this Lemon Garlic Baked Salmon and Air Fryer Salmon.
Or try it with this Honey Mustard Chicken, Garlic Parmesan Wings and Air Fryer Hamburgers with Bacon Onion Jam!
More Easy Potato Recipes
If you can’t get enough potatoes, try one of these delicious sides next:
- German Potato Salad
- Loaded Hasselback Potatoes
- Duchess Potatoes
- Easy Scalloped Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Mashed Potato Pancakes
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Instant Pot Potato Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs. russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-2 inch chunks
- 1 ½ cups water
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard or Dijon
- ⅓ cup dill pickle relish
- 1 ½ tsp. salt plus more to taste
- ¼ tsp. black pepper plus more to taste
- 4 oz. bacon cooked and crumbled
Instructions
- Rinse and scrub potatoes to remove any visible dirt, and then peel using a vegetable peeler. Cut the potatoes into 1- to 2-inch chunks.
- Pour the water into a 6-quart Instant Pot and set either a trivet or a steamer basket inside. Add the potatoes and then place the eggs on top. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Immediately release the pressure as soon as the timer goes off.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, relish, salt, and black pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
- Once cooked, remove the basket or trivet from the pot and pour out the water. Add the potatoes back into the pot. Using a potato masher or a large fork, break apart the potatoes into smaller chunks, being careful not to overly mash them.
- Let the hard-boiled eggs soak in an ice water bath for 5-10 minutes, or until cool to the touch. Peel and then coarsely chop them.
- Add the mayo-mustard sauce, crumbled bacon, and eggs to the potatoes. Stir until everything is just mixed.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 2 hours to serve chilled. Sprinkle with freshly chopped dill and enjoy!
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Notes
- Mayonnaise: Duke’s mayonnaise is by far the BEST mayo to use in this recipe. Hellmann’s is a close second if you’re not able to find it!
- Prep-Ahead: This dish is even better the next day. Either make the whole potato salad up to 1-2 days ahead of time. Or, cook the eggs and potatoes the day before.
- Storage: Keep potato salad in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How much is in a serving?? One Cup??
One person’s idea of a serving is often different to another person!
This recipe makes 10 servings.
Shoot. I tried this and 6 minutes REALLY overcooked my potatoes. I used yukon gold and even measured to make sure they were 1/2 in. Looks like we are having mashed potatoes instead. Next time I will try 3-4 minutes.
Thank you for your feedback, Terri! I’ll be re-testing this recipe soon so will update with any changes I find. But to help troubleshoot, did you happen to leave the potatoes in much past the timer?