Creamy Sour Cream Chive Potato Salad

Name: Creamy Sour Cream Chive Potato Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 3 pounds baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered; 2 tablespoons EACH: finely minced celery AND finely minced sweet onions; ¼ cup chopped chives; 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley; ½ cup mayonnaise; ¼ cup sour cream; 2 tablespoons EACH: lemon juice, ranch seasoning AND fresh dill, minced; 2 teaspoons EACH: yellow mustard AND sugar; ½ teaspoon garlic powder

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My sour cream chive potato salad is sure to be a hit! It’s ideal for summer BBQs, picnics, and potlucks. Sour cream chive potato salad is tossed in a sweet, tangy, and ranch-flavored dressing and sprinkled with fresh herbs!

SOUR CREAM CHIVE POTATO SALAD?!

Need I go on? I mean, If you’re ever accidentally consumed an entire bag of sour cream and chive potato chips, this one goes out to you! Cool and ultra-creamy from the mayo and sour cream dressing that’s kicked up with ranch seasoning and fresh chopped chives, parsley, and dill! Use up all those fresh herbs from the garden!

It’s the only homemade potato salad recipe you’ll need from here on out. Because it’s not the typical stuff, you see at your summertime parties. My sour cream potato salad recipe has fresh flavors, and that creamy, cool ranch dressing is so good you’ll want to retire your old potato salad recipe for this one!

So let’s get into it!

boiled and drained Yukon Gold potatoes in cast iron pot

What is potato salad?

Potato salad is a popular side dish made in the summertime using a variety of potatoes. The potatoes are diced or quartered, boiled until fork-tender, and tossed in a mayonnaise-based dressing and served alongside grilled meats and poultry, amongst other items.

What ingredients do you need to make sour cream chive potato salad?

Potatoes: I prefer to use baby Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe as they get very tender but still hold their shape very well. You could also use red potatoes or russet potatoes if you’d like!
Finely minced celery: finely mincing the celery is important so that the flavors carry through the dressing and so the celery just sticks to the potatoes.
Finely minced onions: I like to use sweet onions for this recipe. They are usually sold where all the other onions are kept at the grocery store but are marked as ‘sweet.’ You could also use red onions if you usually prefer a more robust onion flavor.
fresh herbs: for the salad, we’re adding a generous bunch of chopped chives and fresh parsley. If you grow chives in your garden, this is a great recipe to use them in!

two images showing sour cream ranch dressing before and after whisking

Ingredients for sour cream ranch potato salad dressing:

Mayonnaise: This is my all-time favorite mayonnaise to use in homemade potato salads. Keep in mind that a full-fat mayonnaise works best for this recipe as it’s the base of the dressing.
Sour cream: sour cream adds tang and pairs beautifully with the fresh flavors
Lemon juice: adds a hint of tang to the dressing and lots of flavor
Seasonings: we’re using ranch seasoning and garlic powder to flavor the dressing for this potato salad
Fresh dill: fresh dill lends lots of flavor to this recipe and elevates and brightens the flavors from the ranch and sour cream. If you aren’t a fan of dill, you can leave it out, however, I do find that it works beautifully here!
Yellow mustard: just a squeeze adds both color and flavor to the dressing. If you want the mustard flavor to be a bit milder, you can swap it for dijon in this recipe. We like it with yellow mustard as it’s just 2 teaspoons in the whole dressing!
Sugar: sugar is used to help balance the tang from the lemon juice

pouring sour cream ranch dressing into bowl with ingredients for potato salad

Can I cook the potatoes in advance?

Yes, the potatoes can be quartered and boiled. Allow them to cool to room temperature completely before storing them in the refrigerator to dress later.

How to make the most delicious sour cream chive potato salad:

Potatoes: place the quartered potatoes in a large pot with cold water. You want to make sure the water is covering the potatoes by at least two inches. Season the potatoes generously with a palmful of salt and allow the potatoes to come to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat so that they simmer until they’re fork tender. This usually takes about 18-24 minutes depending on the size. Drain the potatoes and allow them too cool to room temperature.
Dressing: Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl using a whisk until smooth. You want to be sure to whisk thoroughly as the sugar does take a few seconds to dissolve. Taste and adjust with additional salt, sugar or ranch seasoning as desired.
Toss: Add the potatoes to a large bowl along with the minced celery, onions, chives, and parsley. Stir in the dressing. You can use all or as much of it as you like. We used it all for this recipe. Taste and make any final adjustments to the salt or ranch seasoning as desired.
Refrigerate for as long as you can, ideally, at least 1 hour. The potato salad does taste better as it sits! So a few hours is even better!

tossing sour cream chive potato salad with two spoons in glass bowl

How far in advance can I make this potato salad?

It’s ideal to make this salad at least 1 hour prior to serving. However, 6 hours earlier is even better! The flavors really get a chance to blend and harmonize and it tastes even better that way. You can also make this salad up to 12-14 hours in advance. I find the herbs don’t lose their freshness too much. So if your heading out on a picnic early, go ahead and make it the night before!

side shot of prepared potato salad in pottery bowl with rim with fork and spoon for serving

Tips for making an addicting sour cream chive potato salad:

Salt the water for the potatoes generously. This is your chance to really flavor the potatoes so make sure you use it well!
Use good quality mayo! I’ve said it time and time again; it makes all the difference. This is my favorite brand to use in homemade slaw and pasta salads.
I suggest avoiding low-calorie may for this recipe, especially if you’re serving this for a potluck or BBQ party! The full-fat stuff does give it the best flavor. IF you swap the mayo for Miracle Whip, keep in mind that it is much sweeter, so you may find the sugar in the dressing to be a bit much. To balance the flavors, you will the to play around with how much sugar you add.
Once you prepare the potato salad, allow at least 1 hour to rest, covered in the refrigerator. This allows all the flavors to meld together and help flavor the potatoes!
Add a dash of cayenne if you like a little heat in your potato salad!
Leftover potato salad can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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top shot of potato salad on white marble surface

Yield: serves 8-10