Kickin’ spicy Texas Potato Salad will become your go-to recipe for all your Southern potato salad cravings. It’s mouthwateringly tangy with a kick! vegetarian + gluten free
I’m not a big TV watcher, but when I do, you know I’m either watching my regular TV show, y’all know, the Bachelorette, or learning something new on PBS like from Science Now, Nova, Nature, or American’s Test Kitchen (polar opposites I know, but one must have a little mindless chatter in one’s life, right?).
Since I don’t subscribe to American’s Test Kitchen or Cooks Country Magazine, I’m usually feverishly scribbling down notes when Chris et. al., is talking about or making a recipe.
Texas Potato salad had me hooked once I heard Texas. I knew it would have a kick. Just my style. So after I heard the introduction, I grabbed my notebook and scribbled as fast as I could.
I have more potato salad recipes than I know what to do with. My Mam-maw, a had a favorite Southern potato salad she swore by, and my mom, a mustard potato salad recipe we all love too. My friend Mikel makes a crunchy olive potato salad Rob adores. He protested at the thought of my making a new one.
But I did anyway.
I was smitten by this Texas Potato Salad and he couldn’t keep his fork out of it.
Since German Butterball Potatoes were part of my CSA share last week from Prairie Bottom Farm, I knew it was time to share this potato salad recipe with y’all.
Inspiration comes in the form of delicious surprises from CSAs… that’s the fun of it!
What I love most about Texas Potato Salad is the quick pickling used to draw out tangy yet spicy flavors in the onions and jalapeños. It renders them a bit more mellow, yet gives this creamy potato salad pops of crunch and flavor that goes beyond mustard and mayo.
I’ve come to adore a bit of runny nose and mouth burn this potato salad imparts.
I declare this Southern potato salad the official potato salad recipe of Summer. Nothing else will do.
Do you have a favorite potato salad recipe? How is it different than this one?
More Side Salads for Sharing:
- Broccoli Slaw with Golden Raisins and Walnuts
- Texas Potato Salad
- Green Olive and Egg Potato Salad
- Lemon-Dijon Asparagus and Pea Macaroni Salad
Texas Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs German Butterball or Yukon Gold Potatoes sliced into 1" cubes, skin on, 930g
- 3/4 Tbs + 1 3/4 tsp Sea Salt divided
- 2 Whole Eggs leave out for Vegan Option
- 1/3 C Red Wine Vinegar 70g
- 1 Tbs Cane Sugar
- 1 C Red Onion sliced thin into 1/2 moons, about 1/2 an onion, 86g
- 2 Fresh Jalapeños 1-sliced into rings, 1 minced (seeds included) with 1/2 the minced reserved for garnish., 24g
- 5 Tbs Yellow Mustard 78g
- 5 Tbs Mayonnaise 68g, I use Just Mayo
- 1 tsp Ground Pepper
- 1/16 tsp Cayenne Pepper ground
- 1/2 C Celery thinly sliced, about 2 ribs, 52g
- 2 Tbs Finely Chopped Chives for garnish
Instructions
For the Potatoes:
- In a large stock-pot, add potatoes and cover with cold water filling to 2 inches (5 cm) above potatoes. Add 3/4 Tbs sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for between 8-15 minutes. Butterball potatoes take about 8-9 minutes and Youkon Gold take between 12-15 minutes to cook. Simmer until just fork tender, but not mushy. Drain.
- Dump potatoes into a large mixing bowl and add 1 1/2 Tbs of pickling juice (see below - quick pickle). Place in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
For the Eggs:
- In a small sauce-pan, add the whole eggs and cover with 2 inches (5 cm) of water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and put lid on. Set aside and set timer for 12 minutes.
- Drain eggs, place in a small bowl, cover with cold water and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Peel eggs, dice and place in large bowl with potatoes.
To Quick Pickle:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Add onions and jalapeños (reserve 1/2 the minced for garnish). Marinate for 20 minutes stirring occasionally (the pickling juice will not cover the onion and jalapeños). Drain, reserving pickling juice*, and add pickled jalapeños and onions to the mixing bowl with the eggs and potatoes.
For the Dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, ground pepper, 3/4 tsp sea salt, and 1/16th tsp cayenne. Pour over potatoes, pickled onions and jalapeños and eggs, reserving a few Tbs to taste.
To Finish:
- Add celery to potato salad. Use a silicon spatula to gently mix potato salad together, making sure to scrape bottom of the mixing bowl to incorporate all the ingredients.
- Taste for seasoning adjustment, adding the reserved dressing if desired. For more kick, garnish with the remaining jalapeños. **Flavor development will improve as the salad chills in the fridge, and the spicy will increase in intensity! Keep this in mind when adjusting flavors or adding that last bit of jalapeños as a garnish! (We added it all).
- Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
Nutrition is provided as an estimate (per serving) and courtesy. If this information is important to you, please verify it independently.
This is how I like to make my potato salad, with some good spices and a little kick. Go Texas style!
I’m with ya Mike!
This potato salad was such a hit with my Husband and Dad!!! They LOVED it and continuously request it. I made a couple changes – I minced all the jalepenos instead of leaving some as rings, I pickled the onions and jalepenos for longer, and I added more mayo than mustard (4 TBS mustard and 6 TBS mayo). DELICIOUS RECIPE!!!!
Hooray! So happy to hear this Katie. Thank you for your note and sharing your modifications… delicious! We made it too, for the long weekend!