Instant Pot Potato Salad is the easiest way to enjoy classic potato salad! Eggs and potatoes are pressure-cooked together, for a quick and easy version of classic potato salad.
The Instant Pot reigns supreme in speeding up so many things! And classic potato dishes, like Instant Pot Scalloped Potatoes, Instant Pot Baked Potatoes, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, and Instant Pot Potato Salad, are no exception to this!
This recipe for Instant Pot Potato Salad cuts the cooking time and the number of pots and pans down drastically, by cooking the potato and eggs together in the instant pot.
Dressed with a classic mayonnaise-based dressing, crisp celery, and minced onion, Instant Pot Potato Salad is creamy, rich, and every bit as delicious as classic potato salad.
why you'll love Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Less Work. What used to take over an hour of preparation, takes minutes of hands-on prep when using the Instant Pot.
- Customizable. Don't like onions or celery? Omit them. Love pickles in your potato salad? Add them! Use this fail-proof recipe to perfectly cook your potatoes and eggs and use any dressing, or add-ins you like.
- Small or Large Batch. Because it is so easy to make potato salad with the help of an Instant Pot, you can justify making a small batch for a family dinner. But this recipe can also be doubled, making it perfect for a potluck or cookout.
Notes on Ingredients
The ingredients for this potato salad are simple. No mustard. No pickles. Just classic old-fashioned flavors. Yet feel free to add what you like to make potato salad just the way your family likes it!
- Russet Potatoes: For a creamy potato salad, starchy russet potatoes are best. Waxy potatoes, like red potatoes or gold potatoes, while delicious, won't produce a creamy texture that is standard in classic potato salad.
- Eggs: Use standard large eggs and allow them to come to room temperature for fewer chances of cracking when cooked.
- Mayonnaise: Use real mayonnaise, like Hellman's or Dukes, not Miracle Whip. Reduced-Fat Mayo is fine, but don't use fat-free, as the flavor will change drastically.
- Vinegar: Distilled white vinegar or white wine vinegar is best. The vinegar gives the potato salad a bit of tang and enhances the flavor of the dressing.
- Celery: The celery is optional, but adds texture and crunch.
- Onions: Use standard yellow onions, not red or sweet onions.
How To Make Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Pour 1-½ cups of cold tap water into the inner pot of the pressure cooker.
- Add in a steamer basket or metal trivet.
- Place cubed potatoes in the steamer basket, or carefully layer them on your trivet to prevent the potatoes from falling through the cracks.
- Gently nestle the eggs on top of the potatoes.
- Close the pressure cooker and be sure to check to see if the vent knob is sealed. Set to cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes (yes, I normally hard boil eggs in Instant Pot for 5 minutes, but this takes longer to get to pressure with the potatoes, so 1 minute needs to be subtracted from the total time).
- Once cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Then do a quick release of pressure.
- Remove eggs and place them into ice water to stop the cooking process.
- Remove the potatoes from Instant Pot and let cool slightly while you prepare the potato salad dressing.
- In a large serving or mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, salt, vinegar, onions, and celery until well combined.
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs and cube them into bite-sized pieces.
- Add eggs to the mayonnaise mixture and stir to gently combine.
- Add in potatoes and gently fold the potatoes into the mayonnaise mixture, until the dressing is evenly distributed through the potatoes.
- Refrigerate for at least 60 minutes before serving, best after 2-3 hours, to allow the flavors to meld together.
Storage Instructions
Instant Pot Potato Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Recipe FAQs
Let your eggs come to room temperature before pressure cooking, this helps to prevent cracks.
I always suggest hard-boiling 4-6 eggs, even though this recipe only calls for 2 hard-boiled eggs. Even with room-temperature eggs, sometimes cracks happen. And it never hurts to have extra for breakfast, a snack, or to make egg salad. And of course, feel free to add more than 2 eggs to this potato salad.
Yes! You can easily double this recipe to fit in a 6 or 8-quart instant pot.
While it makes the process of making Instant Pot Potato Salad MUCH easier, it is not necessary. You can opt to use a rack or trivet placed over the water to keep the cubed potatoes from sitting directly in the water and becoming water-logged.
Absolutely! To make a version of Bacon Ranch Potato Salad, feel free to add chopped baked bacon and up to 2 tablespoons of ranch seasoning to the mayonnaise dressing.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving Instant Pot Potato Salad alongside Burgers, Old Fashioned Baked Beans, and Creamy Cucumber Salad for a perfect summer feast.
That said, this recipe for Instant Pot Potato Salad is easy enough to enjoy any night of the week and is the perfect side dish for the following dishes.
If you tried this Instant Pot Potato Salad, I would love for you to leave a comment and rating below.
Instant Pot Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups russet potatoes peeled and cubed into 1-inch chunks
- 2-4 large eggs
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- ½ cup celery finely diced
- ¼ cup onion finely minced
- 1-½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Wash and peel potatoes. Cube the potatoes into even 1-inch-sized cubes.
- Pour 1-½ cups of cold tap water into the inner pot of the pressure cooker.
- Add a steamer basket or trivet over the water. Place the cubed potatoes in the steamer basket. Gently nestle 2 to 4 eggs on top of the potatoes.
- Close the pressure cooker and be sure to check to see if the vent knob is sealed. Cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes. Select the manual or pressure cook and use the plus or minus buttons to adjust the timer to 4 minutes.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes. Then do a quick release of pressure.
- Remove the eggs and place them into ice water. Remove potatoes from Instant Pot and let cool slightly while you prepare the potato salad dressing.
- To prepare the potato salad dressing, mix together mayonnaise, salt, vinegar, onions, and celery until well combined in a large mixing bowl.
- Peel the hard-boiled eggs, and cube them into bite-size pieces. Add the eggs to the mayonnaise mixture and gently combine.
- Add the potatoes and gently fold the potatoes into the mayonnaise mixture, until the dressing is evenly distributed through the potatoes.
- Refrigerate for at least 60 minutes before serving, best after 2-3 hours.
Karen
I absolutely love this recipe. It's simple and delicious!
Patricia
This sounds so simple cant wait to try it. I will add bacon bitz.
Kristen Chidsey
You can't go wrong with bacon! Enjoy!
Mary
My potatoes are hard. Followed the recipe
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mary. I am so sorry you had an issue with your potatoes. Did you cook on high pressure and use room temp/cold water? And what size did you cut your potatoes? This should not be an issue with this recipe.
Lynne
Absolutely delicious!!!! My son absolutely loves this potato salad! I even added bacon and Chick-fil-A original sauce in!
Kristen Chidsey
Great additions! So glad you (and your son) enjoyed.
Georgia
Hi Kristen,
You say to only use russet potatoes & not to use Yukon golds but that is all I have right now. Is there a reason Yukon golds won’t work here? That last what I typically make potato salad with as it’s lower glycemic index than russets, I’ve just never used instant pot to do it. Pls advise & thx!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Georgia! I prefer the starchy texture of russets for this salad. But if you only have Yukon Golds, use them! It will be a firmer potato salad, but I am bet delicious. For reference, I would keep the cooking times the same.
Maryann
Absolutely love this recipe! Easy and fast and really tasty! The only thing I did differently is I added all four eggs to the potato salad. I can't recommend this recipe enough!
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you so much for sharing Maryann! I love hearing how much you enjoyed this!
Joyce
I came across your recipe sometime ago. I have made it numerous times for different occasions. It is a winner!! And takes so much less time. Thank you!!!
Penandra
I break my eggs into a bowl then cover with foil. Put the bowl in the steamer basket and mound the potatoes around and over the top of the eggs. No peeling necessary and I cube the eggs for the salad right in the bowl. Also add a few more seasoning to my dressing. But not much.
Kristen Chidsey
That is a great hack as well, Pendandra. I find the eggs a bit rubbery for my taste cooked that way, but most don't mind at all.
Robin
This is THE bestest! SO so happy I tried it!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so happy you enjoyed, Robin!