See my guide on how to use an Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Potato Salad – the easiest way to make potato salad! The potatoes and eggs cook at the same time in your Instant Pot pressure cooker.
When you’re cooking dinner on the grill, you can’t beat a side of potato salad to go with your meal. This red potato salad is one of my favorite recipes, but now that I’ve tried making potato salad in the Instant Pot I don’t think I’ll make it any other way!
Like most Instant Pot recipes, cooking potatoes for potato salad in the Instant Pot is hands-off and so easy to do. You won’t have to keep checking on your potatoes to see if they are done, as you would if you cooked them on the stove.
The best part is that you can also cook hard boiled eggs for your potato salad, right in the Instant Pot, at the same time as you cook the potatoes! Both potatoes and eggs will be perfectly cooked and ready to make the most delicious potato salad. Like eggs? Try my deviled eggs and egg salad.
This Instant Pot potato salad has tender potatoes, crunchy celery and eggs in a creamy dressing. Pickle relish and finely chopped onion add even more flavor. I’ve given you a few suggestions for potato salad ingredient variations below, so you can make your best potato salad.
Serve this potato salad with pulled pork, turkey burgers or grilled pork chops. It’s a crowd-pleasing dish that’s perfect for a BBQ!
If you’re new to using an Instant Pot, read my simple Instant Pot directions before getting started.
What kind of potatoes are best for potato salad?
I recommend using yellow or gold potatoes, such as Yukon golds, or red potatoes in this recipe. These varieties of potatoes hold their shape well and don’t fall apart when you cook them. Since these potatoes have thin skin, you don’t need to peel them before using.
I tested this Instant Pot potato salad recipe with Russet potatoes, and they did not work well. The potatoes fell apart after cooking… and I ended up making mashed potatoes.
Tips for the Best Instant Pot Potato Salad
- For best results, you’ll want to cook the potatoes in a steamer basket in your Instant Pot. If you don’t have a steamer basket, you can set the potatoes on top of the metal trivet that came with your Instant Pot.
- Be sure to add 1 1/2 cups of water to the bottom of the Instant Pot before putting the potatoes in. The water is needed to create the steam pressure, which will cook the potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces, not smaller, or they will overcook. Try to make all of the potato pieces approximately the same size so that they will cook evenly.
- Before setting the eggs on top of the potatoes, check the eggs for small cracks. This will reduce the chances that any of the eggs will crack open as they cook.
- Quick release the pressure as soon as the cooking cycle ends so that the potatoes don’t overcook.
- Carefully take the cooked potatoes out of the Instant Pot and lay them in a single layer on a large plate or baking dish to cool. You want to cool the potatoes completely before combining them with the dressing.
- After you mix all of the potato salad ingredients together, taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- The dressing will thicken up as it sits and coats the potatoes.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Potato salad tastes best after it chills in the refrigerator since the flavors have time to blend together. Chill the potato salad for at least two hours before serving. It will taste even better on the second day!
You can store leftover potato salad in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
For food safety, never leave potato salad out at room temperature for more than two hours. Salads with mayonnaise-based dressings can spoil quickly if they are left out of the refrigerator, especially on a hot day.
Instant Pot Potato Salad Variations
- This recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of yellow mustard, which is perfect for my tastes. You can reduce the amount of mustard if you don’t care for the flavor.
- Try adding a tablespoon of pickle juice to the dressing.
- You can sprinkle the potato salad with sweet paprika before serving.
- Use red onion, sweet yellow onion, or no onion at all depending on your preferences.
- You can make this without the hard boiled eggs if you prefer.
- For a lighter potato salad, substitute half of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
More Instant Pot Side Dishes
- Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
- Instant Pot Baked Beans
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
5 from 13 ratings
Instant Pot Potato Salad
Servings: 8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 4 minutes mins
Total Time: 41 minutes mins
Instant Pot Potato Salad with a creamy dressing and lots of flavor! The potatoes and eggs cook at the same time in your pressure cooker. This is the easiest way to make potato salad!
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups water
- 2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 eggs
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped red onion
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup pickle relish, sweet or dill
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
Instructions
Pour 1 ½ cups water in the Instant Pot inner pot. Add a steamer basket to the pot. (If you don't have a steamer basket, you can set the potato pieces on the metal trivet that came with the Instant Pot.) Put the potato pieces in the steamer basket and set the eggs on top of the potatoes.
Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
As soon as the cook time ends, quick release the pressure by turning the steam release valve to the venting position using the handle of a long spoon. As soon as the steam escapes and the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid.
Immediately put the eggs in a bowl of ice water. Carefully transfer the potatoes to a large plate or baking sheet, in a single layer, and allow them to cool.
While the potatoes cool, chop the celery and onion. Then mix up the dressing: whisk together the mayonnaise, pickle relish, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Chill the dressing in the refrigerator until the potatoes have cooled completely.
Peel and chop the hard boiled eggs. Place the cooled potatoes in a large bowl. Add the chopped eggs, celery, onion and dressing to the bowl. Stir until combined. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Chill potato salad in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Potato salad may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Do not leave potato salad out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Calories: 288kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Sodium: 425mg, Potassium: 659mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 160IU, Vitamin C: 29mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is an estimate.
Cuisine: American
Course: Side Dish
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