Get ready for a taste of Louisiana with this easy to make Cajun Potato Salad. This jazzed up side dish is made with tender Yukon gold potatoes, perfectly cooked boiled eggs, crunchy veggies and a creamy dressing with a spicy kick.
This tasty Cajun Potato Salad is full of flavor. The homemade dressing is rich and creamy with a bit of tang and has just the right amount of spice from the Cajun seasoning.
Not only is it the perfect dish to make for a BBQ but it transports easily for a picnic at the beach.
For more easy to make summer recipes, try my Smoked Macaroni and Cheese and Ahi Tuna Nachos.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Holy trinity- Green bell peppers, onions and celery adds the perfect amount of crunch and freshness to this potato salad.
- Cajun seasoning- The bold and robust flavors add a little kick to this not so classic potato salad.
- Make ahead- Potato salad is a great make ahead dish. It's flavors only intensify as it sits inside the refrigerator. You can make this dish hours ahead or the night before.
- Quick and easy- This delicious potato salad only requires a few steps. Cook off the potatoes and toss in the remaining ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
For a full list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Potatoes- I like to use a starchy potato like Yukon Gold. They are fluffy and buttery with a slightly sweet flavor. Feel free to use Russets or red potatoes if you cannot find gold potatoes.
- Mayo- I use an olive oil based mayo but use whatever brand is your favorite.
- Eggs- Unless stated, I always use large eggs and hard boil them for this recipe.
- Dijon mustard- This adds a sharp and tangy flavor that I love inside this potato salad. You can also use yellow mustard but it will have a different flavor.
- Cajun seasoning- I use store bought Cajun seasoning in the recipe. You can also mix up your own if you prefer.
- Vegetables- The 'holy trinity" in Cajun cuisine consists of green bell peppers, onions and celery. Because red onions are more mild and sweet than yellow onions, I prefer to use them inside this recipe.
- Dill pickle relish- Do not mistaken this for "sweet relish." Make sure you get dill relish.
- Lemon Juice- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Hard boil eggs. Cook eggs, peel and chop. See section below on how to make perfect hard boiled eggs.
STEP 2: Prepare potatoes. Peel and cut the potatoes into medium size pieces. Add them to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to water.
STEP 3: Cook potatoes. Bring potatoes to a boil and reduce to medium heat. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and let cool.
STEP 4: Mix dressing. In a large bowl, combine mayo, dijon, relish and Cajun seasoning, hot sauce and lemon juice. Whisk until combined.
STEP 5: Chop veggies. Cut celery, green bell peppers and red onions into small dice.
STEP 6: Combine all ingredients. Add potatoes, veggies and eggs into the bowl with dressing. Gently toss together until evenly coated. Season with salt. Chill for at least 1 hour.
How To Make Perfect Boiled Eggs
I love boiled eggs and they are the perfect addition to this potato salad. The biggest issue with boiling eggs is people tend to overcook them, resulting in very sad looking and not so appetizing egg yolks.
Here's my fool proof method for how to hard boil eggs.
- Place eggs inside a large pot. Cover them completely with cold water. Make sure all the eggs are submerged under water.
- Cover with lid and bring to a boil over hight heat.
- As soon as the water comes to a boil, shut off the heat and leave eggs inside the water for 10 minutes.
- Drain water and place eggs into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let them chill for 10 minutes before peeling.
Expert Tips
When cooking the potatoes, make sure to place them inside cold water. This will ensure the potatoes cook evenly and all the way through.
Salt your water to help flavor the potatoes. A general rule I use is 1 teaspoon of salt for every pound of potatoes.
Cook your potatoes until tender when they are pierced with a fork. They should still hold their shape once they are mixed with the other ingredients.
Make sure to let your potatoes cool completely. If they are still warm when you add the dressing, the mayo will break and your potato salad will be oily.
FAQ
Originating from Louisiana, Cajun seasoning is a blend of spices that include paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, ground black pepper and salt.
Potatoes will cook faster if they are cut into smaller pieces. Make sure your pieces are the same size so they cook evenly.
Yes, potato salad tastes even better when it has had time to sit and absorb all the flavors.
Storing and Freezing
Store this Cajun Potato Salad inside an airtight container for up to 5 days inside the refrigerator.
Potato Salad is safe to leave at room temperature for no more than two hours.
Freezing
Because mayonnaise is an emulsion and will separate once frozen, along with other temperature sensitive ingredients, I do not recommend freezing this potato salad.
Other Summer Recipes To Try
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Cajun Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes peeled, cut into medium dice
- 7 Eggs hard boiled, peeled, diced
- 1 Green bell pepper medium, diced small
- 4 Celery sticks diced
- ½ Red onion diced small
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup Dill relish
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
- ¼ cup Fresh parsley roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
- Salt to taste
- Paprika for garnish
Instructions
- Peel potatoes and cut into medium size pieces. Place into a large pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to water. Bring potatoes to a boil. Lower heat to medium and simmer potatoes for 15 minutes until fork tender.
- Drain potatoes and set aside to cool completely.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together mayo, dijon, relish, hot sauce, lemon juice, and Cajun seasoning. Add salt to taste.
- When potatoes are completely cool, combine onions, celery, bell pepper, eggs, parsley, and dressing. Gently toss together until evenly coated. Season with salt.
- Pour into a large serving bowl. Chill inside the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- When ready to serve, garnish with additional chopped parsley and a sprinkling of paprika.
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