This “Secret Ingredient” Potato Salad Is Our Most Popular Memorial Day Recipe

4 hours ago 2

This easy, creamy potato salad is our most popular Memorial Day recipe. A splash of dill pickle juice adds delicious tangy flavor!

Creamy potato salad with dill pickles

I grew up in the Midwest, where classic creamy potato salad was on the menu at every summer cookout. As a kid, it wasn’t my favorite, often bland and verging on mushy (my least favorite texture).

But these days, I’m a potato salad convert. I serve it almost every time I host friends and family in the summer. So, what changed?

I learned how to make a potato salad that was packed with flavor. This potato salad recipe is my go-to.

Here’s why I love it:

A secret ingredient makes all the difference: dill pickles! I add chopped pickles to the salad for crunch and use a splash of their brine in the dressing. The pickle juice gives this salad a delicious bright, sour kick!
It’s creamy and crunchy. No one would call this potato salad mushy. I balance out the creamy potatoes with plenty of celery and those chopped pickles.
I go all in on the herbs. Dill and chives add freshness to complement the creamy potatoes and dressing.

I’m planning to make this recipe for at least one gathering over Memorial Day weekend, and I know many Love & Lemons readers will too. It’s one of our most-made recipes on the holiday every year!

Marc wrote, “With fresh chives from our garden and the addition of celery seed, this was a terrific Memorial Day weekend dish!”

Nancy said, “Delicious—made it today for Memorial Day weekend and it is sooo good.”

And Daniella commented, “Adding pickles and brine is 100% the move with this salad. Don’t be afraid to try it out!”

If you’re looking for the perfect side dish to round out your start-of-summer spread, you can’t go wrong with this recipe. And if you’re on the fence about potato salad, who knows? This dill pickle take might make you a convert too.

Get the recipe:

Cooked potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, chopped celery, and chopped dill pickles segmented in mixing bowl

Want to make this recipe? Here are a few tips:

Make it ahead. I think this salad tastes best after it has a few hours to chill in the fridge. The potatoes soak up all the zingy, savory flavors in the dressing, becoming even more flavorful!
Add hard boiled eggs, if you like. The salad is great without them, but they’re a fun way to make it extra-creamy and add some protein.
Mash it up as you mix. The potato starches thicken the dressing, creating a mouthwatering thick and creamy texture for this salad.