Potato Salad with Sweet Jalapeno Relish
Are you a potato salad lover?? We are huge fans. This recipe for Potato Salad with Sweet Jalapeno Relish is a keeper. Made with red potatoes, this side dish recipe is quick and easy to make. My family really enjoys this potato salad since it includes hard-boiled eggs and lots of creamy dressing.
Potato Salad with Sweet Jalapeno Relish Recipe
Howdy! Chef Alli Here. Let’s Get You Cookin’….Shall We?? 🙂
This side dish recipe came to me by way of my husband, Pat. He saw it in a Western Horseman magazine, tore out the page and brought it to me, saying how good he thought it would be. He was right – this tater salad is the bomb!
This recipe is a Kent Rollins creation and I’ve adapted it a bit to fit our taste buds. Kent Rollins is a cowboy chuckwagon chef and quite a character – check him out! You’ll enjoy his cooking show, too.
Potato Salad is THE BEST Side Dish!
There are a few of us who would say that potato salad is a complete meal. Hopefully you are in that camp with me.
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Take Grandma Lucille’s Warm German Potato Salad. A big serving of this for lunch is all I need. And don’t forget Instant Pot Potato Salad – you can cook the eggs and the potatoes at the same time and it’s glorious!
If you need a potato salad that’s made with a non-mayo dressing, check out Instant Pot Zesty Potato Salad. Non-mayonnaise based dressings are safer for outdoor potluck gatherings, so it’s good to have a delicious recipe for one in your back pocket. 🙂
3 things to love about this potato salad side dish recipe –
- It’s not your average, everyday potato salad.
- Smoked paprika makes the dressing a beautiful orange color.
- You’ll love the spicy kick from the jalapeno relish!
What ingredients do you need to make Potato Salad with Jalapeno Relish?
- Red potatoes
- Sweet jalapeno relish
- Red bell pepper
- Granulated onion or onion powder
- Sugar
- Scallions (green onions)
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Mayonnaise
- Yellow mustard, spicy brown mustard, or smoky mustard
- White wine vinegar
- Smoked paprika
How to Make Potato Salad with Sweet Jalapeno Relish in 4 Easy Steps
- Wash and cut the potatoes into 1 1/2-inch pieces, leaving the skin intact. Boil the potatoes for 8-10 minutes in chicken or vegetable broth, just until the potatoes are fork-tender. (Don’t over cook or your potatoes will turn to mush when you stir in the other ingredients later.)
- Drain the potatoes, then place them into ice water to cool; set aside. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining the mayonnaise with the mustard, vinegar, smoked paprika, onion powder, sugar, and jalapeno relish.
- Drain the cooked potatoes, placing them into a large serving bowl; add the red peppers, scallions, and chopped hard-boiled eggs; gently stir in the prepared dressing, tossing all the ingredients to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Chill the prepared potato salad for 2-3 hours before serving.
Pro Tips for Making Potato Salad
- Be sure you use the proper potato type for making potato salad. Ideally, potato salad made with a more “waxy” type of potato (such as red potatoes or fingerling potatoes) works best since “starchy” potatoes (like Russet potatoes) tend to fall apart.
You can also use what’s called an “all purpose” potato which would be like Yukon Gold that’s used in this recipe. I like to leave the skins on my potatoes to help each piece hold it’s shape a little better.
2. Don’t add potatoes to boiling liquid. Cover the potatoes with cold water or broth, bringing them up to boiling all together. This allows the potatoes to cook evenly all the way through, instead of being mushy on the outside and under cooked on the inside. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce it to a simmer to finish cooking the potatoes.
3. Don’t overcook potatoes. It’s very important for potatoes in potato salad to be cooked just right, just until they are fork-tender. Don’t wait until the potatoes are falling apart when tested with a fork – this means they are already too done. Instead, when the fork enters the potatoes with just the slightest bit of resistance, they are perfect.
Once the potatoes are fully cooked, drain well, then place them into a bowl of ice water to fully stop the cooking process. Be sure to drain the potatoes very well before using them in a recipe.
4. Know the proper time for dressing the potato salad. If you’re using a vinaigrette dressing as in this recipe, dress the potatoes while they are still warm so they can absorb the dressing. If you’re using a creamy, mayonnaise-based dressing, let the potatoes fully cool before dressing them; this keeps the mayonnaise from getting too warm and creating an oily texture.
5. Don’t forget the add-ins. Most traditional potato salad recipes include chopped celery, onions, and pickles but that doesn’t mean you can’t change things up. Add some extra crunch by including sweet bell peppers or radishes or fresh jalapenos. Capers and olives add a nice brine-y flavor. Cooked meats are a delicious addition to potato salad, too – stir in chopped ham, crumbled bacon, or even smoked salmon.
6. Let the salad rest. It’s tempting to jump right enjoy and enjoy the potato salad. Let the potatoes and the dressing meld and marinate for at least 2-3 hours in the fridge before you serve it.
7. Don’t serve the potato salad before you do a proper taste-test. Potato salad always needs a good seasoning of salt and pepper before being served.
Common Questions Asked About This Recipe
What tools are helpful for making potato salad?
- I like to cook potatoes in my Lodge cast iron Dutch oven. It’s the 6-quart size and just perfect for so many recipes, such as simmering potatoes and other vegetables. I also use my Dutch oven all the time for frying meats since the high sides keep the greases and fats from splattering all over my cook top.
- Kitchen shears are super handy for cutting scallions since you can cut the entire bundle (or however many you need for your recipe) at once. Hold the bundle of scallions in your hand; starting at the green ends, trim off the ends, then continue chopping with your shears until you get down to the white part of the scallions.
- I really like silicone spatula spoons for stirring ingredients. Once you get used to using this tool, you’ll have a really difficult time ever going back to using a mixing spoon or wooden spoon. My favorite brand is Le Cruset and they last forever. And their colors are so dang pretty!
If I don’t have red potatoes, will a different type of potato work in this potato salad recipe?
- Potato salad is best when made from a more “waxy” type of potato. If you don’t have red potatoes, yellow potatoes (like Yukon Gold) work well. Russet potatoes have a higher starch content so when they are cooked they can have a tendency to fall apart more easily.
What’s the best way to cook potatoes to make potato salad?
- Place the potatoes into a large saucepan or Dutch oven, covering them with cold water or broth; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, continuing to cook the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, just until the potatoes are fork-tender. **Don’t wait until the potatoes are falling apart when tested with a fork – this means they are already too done. Instead, when the fork enters the potatoes with just the slightest bit of resistance, they are perfect.
- Once the potatoes are fully cooked, drain well, then place them into a bowl of cold water and reserve. When you are ready to add the potatoes to the potato salad, be sure to drain them very well first.
More Favorite Salad Recipes to Enjoy –
- PINTO BEAN SALAD WITH FETA AND WALNUTS
- GRANDMA LUCILLE’S HAM SALAD
- CRUNCHY CORN SALAD WITH CORN CHIPS
- BLT PASTA SALAD
- CHICKEN SALAD WITH RED GRAPES
Printable Potato Salad with Sweet Jalapeno Relish Recipe –
Potato Salad with Sweet Jalapeno Relish
Ingredients
- 7-8 medium red potatoes skins-on, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (you’ll need about 8 cups of cubed potatoes)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp. smoky prepared mustard
- 1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. granulated onion or onion powder
- 2/3 cup sweet jalapeno relish or use 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish combined with 1-2 tablespoons (or to taste) minced pickled jalapenos
- 1 sweet red bell pepper seeds and membranes removed, diced (reserve some for garnishing, if desired)
- 6 scallions green parts only, chopped (reserve some for garnishing, if desired)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs diced
Instructions
- Place the potatoes into a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cover with water. Over medium high heat, bring the water to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes, then place them into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process; reserve.
- In a separate large serving bowl, combine the mayonnaise, smoky mustard, paprika, granulated onion, and relish; stir in the bell pepper and scallions. Drain the reserved and cooked potatoes very well, then add them to the prepared mayonnaise mixture; add the hard-boiled eggs, gently tossing everything together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Chill the potato salad for at least 3 hours before serving to allow the flavor to meld.
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