The best Caribbean potato salad
An easy side dish of potatoes tossed in a creamy mayonnaise mixture with vegetables and many flavors. This Caribbean potato salad is the side dish you need to add to your list for the holiday season.
The holidays are fast approaching, and I know people are already preparing their menus.
You need to have this perfect Caribbean potato salad recipe added to your list. It’s chock-full of flavor from the well-seasoned dressing of mayo, mustard and herbs, and spices.
It also does not require that much effort. Perfect for last-minute cooks or lazy-day preppers.
It’s a classic potato salad recipe and just what your potluck needs. This potato salad and the cassava salad would make you the side dish Queen (or King).
How to make Caribbean Potato Salad (Step-by-Step)
Key Ingredients and why they work
This is the base for this salad. I mean, there are so many other options that you can make and adjust to your liking. But it is still a pretty loaded one.
Here are some suggestions for a few of the ingredients. The full ingredients list is in the recipe card.
- Irish potatoes – these can be russet or Idaho potatoes.
- Peas and carrots – You can use frozen or canned, or even fresh peas. I would use sweet peas, but you can also try snap peas.
- Sweet corn – Canned for this would be the best option.
- Red onions – I like these to add some color too. Sweet onions are also a good choice.
- Yellow mustard – you can use plain yellow mustard or try honey mustard for a nice tang.
- Paprika – try using smoked paprika.
- Sugar – any type of sugar can be used here. Granulated sugar crystals would be easier to mix into a smooth mixture because the grains are smaller.
Instructions
This recipe is easy, and you really don’t need to be a cook to make this. And it’s quick.
It’s always good to chop up whatever is needed before starting to cook, so that it makes things much easier and faster.
Here is a step-by-step guide for making this salad.
1. Prep ingredients and prepare potatoes
Wash and scrub your potatoes under cold water, removing any debris that might be stuck there.
To cook the potatoes, use a medium-sized pot and add some cold water (enough to cover the potatoes) to boil. Make sure to add salt to the water.
Add the potatoes to the boiling water and let them boil till tender. You want to be able to pierce the skin easily with a fork.
Once the potatoes are ready, strain off the salted water and let them cool a little. Then peel and cube them into chunks and set aside.
Chop up all the other ingredients (this can be done while the potatoes are boiling), and if using frozen peas and carrots, throw the water from the potatoes over them to get them warmed up.
2. Make the mayonnaise mixture
This is where we create the flavor for this dish.
Combine all the ingredients for the creamy dressing: mayonnaise, dill, mustard, paprika, garlic, celery, sugar, and vinegar.
You can adjust to taste here for seasonings like salt and black pepper, and even hot pepper sauce if you wish. Add more sugar if you really like a sweet salad.
If you like A LOT of mayo coating your potatoes, then see if you might want to add more to the mixture.
3. Combine salad
Now take your cubed potatoes, and add the sauce to the potatoes.
Add the remaining ingredients: sweet corn, green onion, peas and carrots, bell pepper and red onions, and half the parsley.
Combine well. Again, check if you have enough mayo to your liking. Add some more if needed. You might need to add some more mustard and seasonings, too.
Once you have the dish where you want it, add the remaining parsley to the top.
Additions & Substitutions
The good thing about this base recipe, you can always adjust things to your own liking and to what you have on hand. Here are some alternatives and suggestions for add-ins.
- Beets – you can boil two small beets and chop them up and mix them in. Another great way to use beets is to use the pickled ones sold in bottles. It gives it a nice tang.
- Chopped hard-boiled eggs – some like to add eggs. Boil eggs and then chop them up into chunks and combine them with everything else. If you prefer, just use the egg whites and not include the yolk
- Pineapple – for a sweet addition, use canned pineapple chunks. Strain off the liquid before adding it.
- Cayenne pepper.
- Sweet potato – instead of the russet potatoes, you can use sweet potato or even mix the two types.
- Pimento pepper – chop up some pimento peppers and throw them into the mix.
- Sweet pickles or sweet relish – Another option to add some “sweet”.
- Fried bacon – fry up some bacon till crispy, then chop it up and toss it in.
Storage
It is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
- This salad is full of mayonnaise, which starts to spoil when left out for more than two hours. Plus eggs if you used any. It is best to get it into the fridge as quickly as possible.
- In an airtight container, this can be stored for up to 3 days.
- You can also freeze potato salad. I don’t do it personally but you can follow these best practices for freezing.
What to serve this with
This creamy Caribbean potato salad is a Sunday lunch or holiday table classic.
- This would be a part of the spread with some BBQ chicken or even some stewed lamb.
- Add in some rice of some sort, like calypso rice or saffron rice. And a little bit of callaloo.
- And of course, you need some drinks with that. So wash it down with some lime juice or mauby.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make this a day ahead, just store it in the fridge. Either prep it fully (minus the parsley) or mix everything except the mayo dressing and combine before serving. I like to let mine sit out a bit before eating since I’m not a fan of super cold potato salad
Tried this Caribbean potato salad? I’d love to hear how it turned out! Leave a star rating and tell me what spin you put on it—beets? Eggs? Pineapple?
Here are some more holiday side dishes
Recipe
Caribbean Potato Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Combine all the ingredients for the mayonnaise mixture and set aside.
- Wash potatoes and place them in a large pot of water. Add some salt to the water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer, and cook till tender (you can test with a fork. Potato should pierce easily but still be firm)
- Strain potatoes from water
- Peel and dice them up. (you can let it cool a little)
- Defrost frozen peas and carrots by running water over them till the ice is gone.
- Chop up everything else that is needed
- In a large bowl, add cubed potatoes, the mayo the mixture and the remaining chopped ingredients. and Combine well. If more mayo is needed add it in.
- Garnish with the remaining parsley.
