Need to make potato salad for a potluck or barbecue? I have the best Instant Pot potato salad trick for you! It’s so easy and it’s fast.
Instant Pot Potato Salad Trick (video)
One of the coolest things that I’ve used my Instant Pot for is making potato salad. What’s so great about it, you say? In a four minute pressure cook time you cook all of the cubed potatoes and hard boil the eggs at the same time in the same pot.
Here’s how:
This potato salad recipe is a little different than other potato salad recipes. It has half mayo and half olive oil as the base of the dressing. I am not a huge fan of gobs and gobs of mayo so that’s why I choose to make potato salad this way. Also I LOVE potato salad that has diced pickles in it. That is the way my mom would make it. It’s my favorite when I get a bite with a little crunch from a dill pickle.
Today was the last day of school and my son and his friends are going to roast hot dogs tonight. I’ll serve this potato salad and some watermelon with the hot dogs. What a fun time of year!
More Recipes You’ll Love…
Instant Pot Garlic Butter Corn on the Cob
Instant Pot Mashed Ranch Potatoes
Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Potato Salad
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
My version of potato salad–half olive oil and half mayo, chopped pickles, garlic and more.
Ingredients
For the Instant Pot:
- 1 1/2 cups water
- A steamer basket*
- 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 6 medium), washed, peeled and cubed
- 4 eggs
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp dill pickle juice
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 3 Tbsp diced green onions
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 large pickles diced
Instructions
- Pour 1 ½ cups water in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place the steamer basket inside the Instant Pot. Place the cubed potatoes in the steamer basket. Place the eggs on top of the potatoes.
- Cover the pot and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes (high pressure). When the time is up perform a quick release.
- Place the eggs gently in a container filled with icy water.
- Pour the potatoes into a serving bowl.
- Toss all the dressing ingredients together. Coat the potatoes with the dressing.
- Once the eggs are cold peel them and chop them up and toss them into the salad. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Refrigerate the salad for at least an hour and then serve.
Notes
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
- Category: Side
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I have my favorite potato salad dressing and additives (celery, red onion) but wanted to try cooking the potatoes and eggs in the Instant Pot. I used 1-1/2 lbs. unpeeled and quartered small red potatoes and 2 large eggs. Used the steamer basket, the 1-1/2 cups water and cooked as directed for 4 minutes with a QR. Both the potatoes and the eggs were perfectly cooked!!! Karen, I’m sure your dressing, etc. is delicious but like so many, I have a certain way I want my potato salad to taste (like the way my mom made it, of course!!). I am just thrilled to now have this easy method to cook the potatoes and eggs. Thank you!!! And, perhaps the next time I’ll give your dressing a try :-).
★★★★★
Potato salad is one of those recipes that everyone has a favorite! Mom’s is always best. I’m glad the method worked for you.
Excellent salad and by far the easiest and best I’ve made and tasted. However, I really goofed up following the recipe directions. Step 5 reads add all the dressing ingredients together. Paprika is listed and sure enough, I should have looked at the photos, the dressing turned light red. Think Russian dressing red. While it was delish it just didn’t look like a typical potato salad. I’ll look at photos from now on! Thanks, Karen, for all my go-to meal recipes.
★★★★★
Glad you liked it!
Very good giving it 5 stars I added one extra minute because my eggs are extra large both eggs and potatoes were perfect when I make again I will cut the mustard down for our own personal taste. I’m curious what is the egg loaf trick? Thank you Karen your recipes are wonderful and I use my ip pot 3 or more times a week
★★★★★
Here is my egg loaf idea: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-egg-loaf/
Curious to find out if this will work without steamer basket and if adjustments need to made…. also please link to egg loaf tip… not sure what this is but sounds interesting
You can try without steamer basket. The potatoes might be a little soft and grainy at the bottom of the pot. Here is the link to the egg loaf: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-egg-loaf/
I followed recipe exactly. Potatoes were perfect but eggs (large) were not done. I’m assuming another minute would over cook the potatoes so I was wondering if not putting eggs in ice water and letting them cool down naturally would work? I still gave a 5 star because it’s bound to be me or my ip (6 qt) since most others were right.
★★★★★
Yes you could certainly try that Helen!
Love this recipe! I use it often…However, this time I decided to try the egg loaf trick in a small cake pan on top of the potatoes instead of having to peel eggs at the end and it worked perfect!
★★★★★
SO brilliant!
First of all, I love all your recipes and I appreciate how well thought out they are for the IP. I had a problem with this potato salad. I used a silicone steamer and at the end of the 4 min, the potatoes were still hard and the eggs were not cooked. I used Russet potatoes and followed the recipe as stated. I removed the eggs and one was very runny, so I had to boil the others.I sealed the IP and let the potatoes sit for a while and then they seemed done. I used a 6qt duo IP which I always use.What did I do wrong? By the way, I love you potato salad dressing recipe
Hi Pam, that’s so interesting. Are you at a very high altitude. What Instant Pot do you have?
I live in the midwest. I use the IP- DUO60. Maybe my silicone steamer was too thick or not enough holes? What kind of steamer do you recommend?
★★★
I doubt that it was the steamer. I really don’t know what went wrong! So frustrating. I’m sorry.
Actually it could be the silicone steamer.. I have done potatoes in my regular steamer basket and my silicone one.. silicone basket took.almost double the time.. I believe it is because the silicone one does not allow enough steam to the potatoes. It doesn’t have as many or as large openings as a regular steamer does.. Hope that helps a bit.
Interesting 🤔
HI Karen This recipe has failed me I have the IP Duo SV 60 I followed the recipe time set it for 4 minutes the potatoes fell apart . I’m so disappointed what did I do wrong. I have noticed potatoes get way overcooked.it is either the IP or the potatoes becoming lately not very good.
I did use Yukon gold potatoes it is all I had at the moment.
Yukon’s do cook rather quickly. I would decrease cooking time next time too perhaps. Do you use a steamer basket?
Yes I do use a steamer basket. Will try next down to 2 minutes even with the eggs.
Oh help, I have to make pot salad for hubby’s exercise group Xmas party. Can I use all mayo with evoo? The mayo has the olive oil in it or can I still use evoo AND mayo w/evoo? I assume you know Evoo extra virgin olive oil lol.
I’m sure that would be great Janet!
Try using whole mustard seeds instead of yellow mustard (soak them in a bit of hot water For a few minutes and drain water before adding). They add a delicious little pop of mustard each time you bite into one.
Sounds great! Thanks for the tip!
Love the tip for cooking potatoes and eggs at the same time! Recipe is basically what I use including dill pickles. However, since I don’t like “gobs of mayo” either, I borrowed an idea from making Ranch salad dressing from the packet that uses real buttermilk, so I mix in lowfat buttermilk in place of your olive oil. I often mix it up with some of the Ranch dressing mix. It’s great!
★★★★
Your version sounds really great!
Love your idea of cooking the eggs and potatoes together! Worked like a charm. It’s obvious you test and explore different options for your recipes. I’ve never had a bad experience with your ideas! Thank you!
★★★★★
Oh how nice. Thanks Stephanie.
My husband won’t eat potatoes anymore, I’m curious to see if I could adapt this to cauliflower. I’ll let you know if this mad experiment works. 🥴
Not sure! But it’s worth a try! I’m wondering if florets would get too mushy. You may need to cook the head all at the same time.
To bgin with, I really enjoy your blog. I have been making my family potato salad recipe all my life which everyone seems to enjoy but decided to try your recipe because of my love of dill pickles. Cooking the potatoes and eggs in the instant pot is a real plus. Although I found the flavor okay, because of the salt, mustard, vinegar and pickle juice, I found it to be overly saltly and I even reduced the salt in half. Believe me, i salt everything and I still found it too salty. I will try this again and half the mustard, vinegar, pickle juice and omit the added salt. Thanks for all of your great recipes.
★★★
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I’m 76 and have been making potato salad the way my Mom made it for years and I decided to try this one. So, I made it yesterday and added freeze dried dill, but that was the only change and I gotta say delicious is not a good enuf term for it. So very good. Thank you This site is my go to almost every time I use my Instapot, which I love. I probably use it 3-4 times a week.
★★★★★
Wow! Patsy this is so nice to hear. Thank you for sharing your experience.
OMG this is the best potato salad I have ever made in my life! I’m not one for gooey mayo ones either, and the oil/vinegar with the pickles are perfect, plus the addition of the eggs gives it Southern street cred. 😊 I did this tonight to serve with some grilled steaks and it complimented perfectly. Thank you!
★★★★★
Sounds like a perfect summer meal!
What a quick way to make delicious potato salad. Potatoes were cooked to perfection!
★★★★★
Yes! Win!!
I made this tonight to serve with grilled chicken. It was fantastic, and I never made potato salad so fast. My family always used olives, but I really enjoyed the pickles!
★★★★★
Oh I’ve never used olives but that sounds tasty.
Great recipe!
★★★★★
Glad you liked it Donna!
Made this recently and loved how the potatoes turned out! Family tradition dictates that we use our hands (mine were gloved) to mix/mash the potato salad. Your Instant Pot method worked great. Unlike like boiling, the potatoes were “dry” so there was no extra moisture when I mixed everything together. Also, the potatoes were not soggy with small bits of potato left in the pot. I live in Colorado, a little bit higher elevation than you are so I have to do my eggs for 5 min. I cooked the potatoes with 2 eggs (had a couple in the frig) for 5 min in my 6 Qt pot and both potatoes and eggs turned out great. Thanks for all of your recipes! We’ve made several and really enjoy them.
★
So glad you liked the recipe! Can you change your rating to 5 stars instead of 1 star? The 1 star indicates that the recipe was bad. haha!
I’m so sorry–I did rate this recipe 5 stars originally…not sure what happened. 5 Stars all the way!
★★★★★
LOL!
I prefer to use Red potatoes instead of Russets in my potato salad. Will reds take longer to cook in my IP? My Mom always cooked her eggs with her reds for Potato salad. Glad to see this little trick still lives!!
Reds may take shorter amount of time. I’d keep it the same though for the eggs sake.
I don’t have red vine vinegar, can I use regular vinegar?
sure
Very good potato salad. Next time I will have to cook potato’s longer.
★★★★
I made this and the potatoes were still hard at 4 minutes. They were still hard after 3 more minutes. The eggs were not easy to peel. I have a 10 quart machine. I used a little extra water and a steamer basket. There was some water left after the 7 minutes. Any suggestions?
Interesting. I would think with a 10 quart machine it would get overdone since it would take longer to reach pressure. What PSI (pressure per square inch) does your pot run at?
12 psi.
hmmm, interesting. I am really not sure. I used an Instant Pot and mine worked as I wrote up in the recipe.
It tasted great, but the potatoes were hard.
I just ordered a new gasket. It’s several years old so that might be the problem.
Interesting.
This looks good. But since it is just my husband and I, if I cut the recipe in half, do I still use the same amount of water in the bottom?
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Yes the same amount of water.
It’s just my husband and I. I used 4 bakers, 4 eggs and I gotta say the leftovers were better the second day and there is still a little bit left for my lunch tomorrow 🙂 You might want to cut back a little on the dressing, maybe 3/4 of the amounts.
★★★★★
Just made potato salad in my instant Pot but I used a two pot method … I did your egg loaf trick in a small pan and placed it on top of the potatoes. It cooked the eggs perfectly and no need for peeling! Just chopped them up with my potato masher and we were good to go!!!
GREAT IDEA