This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see the disclosure for more information.
I could go for a New Yorker sandwich from McAlister’s Deli right now. Boy would that ever be good. And a side of potato salad. Please. Or, I could make a copycat recipe of McAlister’s Deli potato salad at home. True, my pastrami sandwich isn’t quite as good as theirs, but this potato salad is. This is easily my favorite. I could sit down with a (large) bowl of this any time and finish it off. The perfect crunch, creaminess, and flavors. This is reminiscent of a classic version, but one that has been amped up. A lot.
It’s understatement to say that I love this potato salad.
Baked, Not Boiled
I like to bake my potatoes for my copycat recipe of McAlister’s Deli potato salad. Some people (oh, say, like my wife) prefer to boil them. I like them baking because first, I think baking adds more flavor. That roasted flavor. And more importantly, baking prevents flavor from being lost to the boiling water. It’s like boiling ribs. You can’t to that and not expect to lose valuable flavor to the water!
I also like how baking keeps the size and shape of the potato. Baked potato chunks are nice and squared. Boiled are round from being bounced around in a torrent of bubbling water. Go baked, I say, and make a better potato salad!
I bake my potatoes until they are just starting to get tender. I do not want to make baked potatoes like I’d have a side with my steak. I’m not looking for fluffy and soft. I start checking mine after 40 minutes in the oven. You can always bake them more, but you can never bake them less!
I almost always use Blue Plate mayonnaise in the dishes I make. I think it is the best around. If you can’t find it locally you can pick it up online for a fair price.
- Real Mayonnaise Made Like Homemade: Time-honored…
- A History of Delicious: Our simple…
Bean salad and potato salad go great together! Try my copycat of the bean salad from KFC! Oh, and my Marzetti’s coleslaw dressing copycat is a real hit too!
McAlister’s Deli Potato Salad (Copycat Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 medium Russet potatoes unpeeled
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- ยฝ tablespoon dried celery flakes
- 1 medium red onion minced
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup mayonnaise you might need more
- 1 pinch celery salt
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- paprika for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Poke a few holes in each potato with a sharp knife.
- Bake for 40-60 minutes, or until done as desired. Cooking time depends on the size of the potatoes and how much 'crunch' you want to your salad. I use a bamboo skewer to test for doneness.
- Remove potatoes from oven and let cool.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, dried parsley and celery flakes. Set aside to let the dried herbs rehydrate, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
- In a medium bowl combine the red onion, relishes, mustard and sugar.
- Peel the potatoes.
- Chop potatoes into cubes and add to the bowl containing the onion mixture.
- Gently toss the potatoes to coat.
- Gently stir in the vinegar and dried herb mixture.
- Add half of the mayonnaise and stir. If you want a creamier salad add more mayonnaise.
- Sprinkle with the celery salt.
- Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. If you want, also add more celery salt but be careful. It's strong stuff and can quickly overwhelm the salad. I happen to like it so I added more.
- Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Serve salad sprinkled lightly with paprika.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.
- Meal Prep MVP – A practical and innovative way to…
- 12 Diverse Blades – With nine interchangeable…
- Set includes: 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup
- Magnetic handles keep Cups together for storage…
Cant be a copy-cat McAlister recipe…theres NO minced celetry! and I have a cup of real McAlisters right here in front of me and I can tell you it has real celery pieces in it…..not just celery flakes. Better luck next time.
A copycat doesn’t necessarily mean same ingredients but I get your point. The texture would certainly be slightly different with fresh celery. I’ll try it with minced celery next time!
Thanks!
Mike
Mike, thanks for posting this knock-off recipe. Never heard of using baked potatoes for potato salad. What kind of relish or brand do you use?
Hi! I love baked (and steamed) potatoes in potato salads. Nothing wrong with boiled, but they tend to get knocked around a bit. Steaming or baking is more gentle and I think the final result is a bit better. They don’t lose some of their flavor to the water like they do when boiled.
For the relishes I don’t use anything special. In both cases, dill and sweet pickle, I went with store brand relishes.
Regards and enjoy!
Mike
Sounds delightful. I agree with the chopped celery comment, you just can’t beat that little crunch. I skip the onion because I can’t eat raw onion and add chopped boiled egg. I’m not trying to make it knock off copy of anybody.I’m just adding a delicious suggestion. Thanks for your rendition.
Fantastic!
I did not see the mustard get added. I Will do that with the mayo.
My apologies. You’re absolutely right, I missed that step. I added it with the relishes but adding it with the mayo is just as good, if not better.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Regards,
Mike