Instant Pot Potato Salad
Instant Pot potato salad with eggs, celery, pickles, and creamy dressing—ready in under 25 minutes.
This Instant Pot potato salad is creamy, tangy, and ready in under 25 minutes—perfect for summer gatherings or weeknight dinners. Potatoes and eggs cook together in just 3 minutes under pressure, so there’s no need to juggle multiple pots.
Crisp celery, tangy pickles, and a zippy mustard dressing complete this crowd-pleasing side dish. Serve it with grilled meats, barbecue, fried chicken, or even as part of a vegetarian spread.
Why the Instant Pot?
Using the Instant Pot simplifies the process and saves time. Potatoes and eggs cook together under pressure in just 3 minutes, producing tender potatoes and perfectly cooked eggs without babysitting multiple pots. The pressure cooker also helps the potatoes retain their shape and texture, making the final salad less mushy and more flavorful. Plus, no messy boilovers!
Why You’ll Love It
Quick and easy. The Instant Pot cooks both potatoes and eggs together in just minutes.
No boil-overs. Skip the messy stove-top process entirely.
Perfect texture. Pressure cooking keeps potatoes tender yet firm—no mushy salad.
Make-ahead friendly. Stays fresh for days, ideal for entertaining.
Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes: Yukon Golds hold their shape well and have a creamy texture; Russets work but are more prone to breaking.
- Eggs: Large eggs cook perfectly with the potatoes for easy prep.
- Celery: Adds crunch and freshness to balance the creamy dressing.
- Red onion: Gives a mild bite and color—use more or less to taste.
- Dill pickle & juice: Provide tangy flavor; bread-and-butter pickles make a sweeter variation.
- Mayonnaise: Adjust to your preferred creaminess; can mix with sour cream or Greek yogurt for lighter flavor.
- Mustard: Yellow mustard for classic zip; Dijon for more complexity.
- Paprika & herbs: Optional garnish for flavor and color.
Steps to Make Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside.
- Add 1 1/4 cups water to the Instant Pot. Place potatoes in a steaming basket or on stacked trivets to keep them out of the water. Place eggs on top of the potatoes.
- Secure lid and pressure cook on High for 3 minutes. Quick-release when time is up.
- Transfer eggs to ice water to cool; place potatoes in a bowl to cool slightly.
- Peel and chop eggs; add to potatoes with celery, onion, pickles, and pickle juice.
- Mix mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper in a small bowl; add to potato mixture and toss to blend. Season with salt to taste.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
What to Serve With Potato Salad
- Pair with burgers, steaks, or hot dogs.
- Serve alongside pulled pork or BBQ chicken.
- Enjoy with fried chicken for a picnic classic.
- Try grilled portobello mushrooms for a vegetarian option.
How to Store and Safe Serving
Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Stir before serving, adding mayo or pickle juice if dry.
Serving safely: Keep chilled until serving. Do not leave at room temperature over 2 hours (1 hour if above 90°F/32°C). Discard leftovers if they’ve been out too long.
⏲️ Make-Ahead Tip
Prepare the potato salad up to 1 day in advance for the best flavor. Cover tightly and refrigerate; stir gently before serving, adding a splash of pickle juice or mayo if needed.
Instant Pot Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 4 eggs, large
- 3/4 cup celery, chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, chopped, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle, chopped
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
For the Dressing
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika, optional garnish
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives or parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare a bowl of ice water: Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set it aside.
- Add the potatoes and eggs to the pot: Add 1 1/4 cups of water to the Instant Pot. Place the potatoes in an Instant Pot steaming basket. Alternatively, try placing 2 trivets in the pot and then placing the potatoes on them. You should try to keep the potatoes from falling into the water. Place the eggs on the potatoes.
- Pressure cook: Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook (high) for 3 minutes. When the time is up, release the pressure using the quick-release mechanism.
- Cool the eggs and potatoes: Transfer the eggs to the ice water and put the potatoes in a bowl to cool.
- Combine ingredients: Peel and chop the eggs and add them to the potatoes along with the celery, onion, chopped pickles, and pickle juice.
- Dress the potato salad: Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and pepper in a small bowl. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to blend. Taste and add salt as needed. Cover and refrigerate until it’s time to serve.
- Serve: Garnish with chives or parsley. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
