Cajun potato salad is a creamy, bold side dish made with boiled and chopped red potatoes, diced vegetables, and hard-boiled eggs tossed in a creamy, spicy dressing. This potato salad is the perfect cookout side dish and will be your new go-to all summer!
If you come to any of my family's summer cookouts, you will find two side dishes on the menu every time - baked beans and potato salad! My family loves classic Southern-style potato salad but after I served this Cajun potato salad once, it quickly became the most requested version.
Y'all know I love to add a little Cajun flavor to a dish whenever I can! My Homemade Cajun Seasoning adds the perfect touch of heat to this salad - I add this stuff to everything!
For more cookout side dishes, check out our Southern Deviled Eggs and Southern Squash Casserole recipes next!
Table of Contents
What Is Potato Salad?
Potato salad is a classic side dish made with chopped potatoes tossed in either a creamy or vinegar-based dressing along with chopped veggies and other ingredients. There are countless versions of potato salad and the ingredients can vary greatly from recipe to recipe.
Southern potato salad is the version I am most familiar with and it is traditionally made with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, sweet pickle relish, and spices.
Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
- Red potatoes. Red potatoes are waxy and will not become too mushy once boiled, making them perfect for this potato salad.
- Mayonnaise. To create a creamy dressing to coat the potatoes. I recommend Duke's mayonnaise!
- Sour cream. Also for the dressing.
- Yellow onion. For flavor and crunch.
- Celery stalks. To brighten up the potato salad and add texture.
- Red bell pepper. For a sweet crunch.
- Green onion. For freshness.
- Dill pickle relish. Tangy relish complements the spice perfectly in this potato salad.
- Dijon mustard. For acidity and a peppery bite.
- Cajun seasoning. I use my Homemade Cajun Seasoning to season the potato salad and add the perfect amount of spice. You can also use store-bought Cajun seasoning.
- Hard-boiled eggs. For added flavor and texture.
- Salt and cracked black pepper. To season the salad.
- Fresh chopped parsley and paprika. For garnish.
How To Make This Recipe
- Wash and chop the potatoes into ½-inch cubes. Transfer them to a large pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, celery, red bell pepper, green onion, dill pickle relish, Dijon mustard, and Cajun seasoning until combined. Add the eggs and potatoes and stir to coat with the dressing.
- Mash some of the potatoes with a fork to reach your desired consistency. I like mine chunky so I don't mash many. Season the potato salad with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the potato salad for an hour or two to allow the flavors to come together more or serve immediately. Garnish the potato salad with fresh chopped parsley and paprika before serving.
Variations and Substitutions
Potato salad is one of those dishes that you can completely transform with different ingredients. Try adding some of the following to your next batch of Cajun potato salad for added flavor:
- Red onion
- Green bell pepper
- Fresh jalapenos
- Fresh dill
- Shredded cheese
- Sweet relish
- Whole grain mustard
- Celery seed
- Chili powder
- Cumin
More FAQs
While you can technically use any type of potato for potato salad, I recommend waxy potatoes such as red potatoes, fingerling potatoes, or new potatoes. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better when boiled and do not become mushy. Yukon gold potatoes are a great middle-of-the-road option.
If you are dressing your potato salad with a mayonnaise-based dressing, you want to allow them to cool before making potato salad so the potatoes don't melt the mayonnaise. If you are using a vinegar-based dressing, there is no need to cool the potatoes.
Potato salad taste even better the next day in my opinion and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What To Serve With Cajun Potato Salad
Potato salad is an excellent cookout and summer side dish although I enjoy it all year! Serve cajun potato salad with some of the following dishes for an unforgettable meal:
- Oven Baked BBQ Chicken (try it on the grill!)
- Hot Honey Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Pimento Cheese Stuffed Burgers
- Smoky Baby Back Ribs
- Southern Salmon Croquettes
- Southern Hush Puppies
- Southern Coleslaw
- Southern Fried Okra
- Soul Food Candied Yams
- Southern Fried Green Tomatoes
- Maple Grilled Peaches
- Sock It To Me Cake
- Old Fashioned Banana Pudding
Pro Tips for the Best Potato Salad
- Salt the water when boiling the potatoes. The potatoes absorb some of the salt as they cook and the potato salad tastes seasoned and flavorful throughout. Add the salt to the water once the potatoes come to a boil to avoid damaging the bottom of your pot.
- Easily chop boiled eggs with a wire cooling rack. Gently press peeled hard-boiled eggs through a wire cooling rack placed on top of a bowl to chop your eggs in record time!
- Make your potato salad a day in advance if time allows. Potato salad always tastes better once the flavors have time to come together.
Recommended Tools For This Recipe
More Cajun Recipes You Will Love!
- Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
- Cajun Shrimp and Grits
- Cajun Jambalaya Pasta
- Cajun Salmon
- Cajun Crawfish Etouffee
- Cajun Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage
- Creamy Cajun Dipping Sauce
- New Orleans Remoulade Sauce
- New Orleans King Cake
- New Orleans Beignets
📖 Recipe
Cajun Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper seeded and finely chopped
- ¼ cup green onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup dill pickle relish
- 6 hard-boiled eggs chopped
- 1 - 2 tablespoons homemade Cajun seasoning or store-bought
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and chop the potatoes into ½-inch cubes. Transfer them to a large pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes until tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, celery, red bell pepper, green onion, dill pickle relish, Dijon mustard, and Cajun seasoning until combined. Add the eggs and potatoes and stir to coat with the dressing.
- Mash some of the potatoes with a fork to reach your desired consistency. I like mine chunky so I don't mash many. Season the potato salad with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the potato salad for at least an hour up to overnight to allow the flavors to come together. Garnish the potato salad with fresh chopped parsley and paprika before serving.
Notes
- Easily chop boiled eggs by gently pressing them through a wire cooling rack placed over a bowl.
- Cajun potato salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Cindy
I was looking for something new to try for dinner tonight (I am gonna make your blackened catfish over smoked Gouda grits, it looks AMAZING!) we have family coming into town for Mother’s Day weekend, I have been scrolling through all your amazing looking recipes and making a grocery list. We love things all southern! Can I just say you had me at Dukes mayo haha!!! Can’t wait to start serving your recipes to my family! Thank you, Hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day.
Ashley Boyd
Hi Cindy. Thank you for the sweet note! I hope you love the recipes. Southern food is what I grew up on and what my family and I enjoy the most. And yes, Duke's mayonnaise is a must where I'm from haha!