New York Deli potato salad is a simple side dish that combines thinly sliced potatoes with a vinegar brine, mayonnaise, and shredded carrot for garnish. This is the quintessential no-frills potato salad you’d find in most delis in the New York metro area and it’s a great side with sandwiches, burgers, and any warm-weather fare!
There are so many different ways to make potato salad but one of my favorites is this classic New York or more specifically Long Island deli potato salad.
The vinegar brine and thinly sliced and chopped potatoes are what give this that deli flavor that so many other potato salads lack.
While this is great as a side to deli-style sandwiches, like the Italian hero, tuna salad or chicken salad sandwich, it’s also perfect with grilled chicken and anything else made on the grill!
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Place 3 1/2 pounds of New potatoes or Yukon Gold in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until almost fork-tender.
- Grate a 1/2 cup of onion. In a large bowl whisk together 1/4 cup of white vinegar, 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, 1 1/4 teaspoons of fine sea salt, 3/4 teaspoon of white pepper, and the onion.
- Once the potatoes are almost fork tender, drain them and run them under cold water to cool them enough to handle. Peel the potatoes, chop into smaller chunks, and slice them into 1/8-inch or thinner pieces. You can also use a mandoline for this step.
- Spread the potatoes out in a flat baking dish and pour the brine on top.
- Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. For even better flavor, let the potatoes sit for 2 days. Halfway through the refrigeration time, mix the potatoes to evenly coat with the brine.
- The next day you can drain any excess brine but you don’t have to go overboard. Place the potatoes into a large bowl with 3/4 cup of mayonnaise. Use a spoon to combine, adding more mayo until a smooth and creamy consistency has been achieved. Taste test and season with a bit more salt and pepper if required. Shred a 1/2 small carrot and add to the potato salad along with 3 tablespoons of flat-leaf Italian parsley for garnish.
Top tips
- The brine. The key to the NY deli flavor lies within the brine. It’s best to let the potatoes sit in the brine for 2 days, but definitely overnight, before mixing with the mayonnaise.
- Type of Potatoes. New potatoes or any small waxy potato work best since they won’t get mushy and will hold their shape. Yukon Gold (part waxy) are also fine to use when in a pinch. Avoid powdery/dry potatoes like Russet and Idaho since they will fall apart and turn to mush.
- Slice Potatoes Thin. Slice the potatoes very thin. That’s one of the hallmarks of a typical deli potato salad. If you’re not too proficient with a knife break out the mandoline but do be careful!
- Garnish. We added some parsley and shredded carrot for color and garnish, but often you’ll see this potato salad in the deli with no garnish. Ditto for New York Mac salad and coleslaw. The flavor really speaks for itself here!
- Pepper. We used white pepper in this recipe to keep the color of the potato salad uniform, however, you can certainly make your Long Island deli-style potato salad with black pepper.
More summer sides
- Deli-style German potato salad – with crispy bacon and a vinegar brine.
- Italian pasta salad – with salami, olives, and mozzarella.
- Spinach pasta salad – with gorgonzola and an easy vinaigrette.
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New York Deli Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the brine
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup onion grated
- 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds New potatoes or Yukon Gold
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise plus more to achieve a smooth consistency
- 1/2 small carrot shredded, for garnish
- 3 tablespoons flat leaf Italian parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the brine and potatoes
- In a large bowl, whisk together all of the brine ingredients and set aside.
- Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until almost fork tender.
- Drain the potatoes and run under cold water to cool them enough to handle. Peel the potatoes and chop into smaller pieces then slice them into 1/8-inch or thinner pieces. You can use a mandoline for this process.
- Place the potatoes in a flat baking dish then pour the brine on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for even better flavor wait 2 days. Halfway through the refrigeration process mix the potatoes to evenly coat them with the brine.
For the potato salad
- The next day, drain the potatoes of excess brine.
- Place the potatoes into a bowl and mix with 3/4 cup of mayonnaise to start. Add more mayo until a smooth creamy consistency has been achieved. Taste test and season with a bit more salt and pepper if required, but you shouldn't need much. Garnish with carrot and parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- The key to getting that New York deli flavor is the brine. If you can wait let the potatoes sit in the brine for 2 days before mixing with mayo. This is how most delis do it.
- White pepper can be used for appearance.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 5 days and taste even better after a few days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
New York Deli salad is now one if my very favorite potato salad recipes. Be sure to use red potatoes. It does get better if you can let it sit for at least 24 hours or longer.
So happy you enjoyed!
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe (and your website in general). Grew up in Huntington but have lived in a few different states now, and potato salad outside of NY has been consistently disappointing. Decided to give this a try and made 5lbs for my gf and her Midwestern family. It came out incredible – I hadn’t had potato salad that good in years and was brought back to my summers on LI with my family, and it might have convinced my gf’s family that this is the only way to go with potato salad!
We’re so happy you loved it, Brian, and that it reminded you of home! Thanks for the comment!
I have been following you more than a year now. So happy to have you helping me cook great food. I’m only sixty five years old , but I made three exceptional salads yesterday. My husband was totally pleased with all of them. Made egg salad, Mac and potato. No complaints or criticisms. What? I wasn’t sure if this was my husband . My adult Son loved them also, and he ate the salads last night still brining in fridge. I am happy. I found the best food that I was able to prepare at home. Long ago I worked at a deli(in NJ)for about 6 years, we bought all our salads and packaged them in containers. We did make gravy for hot roast beef, and sauce for meatballs,I never learned how to do that. Do you a recipe for those? Used to buy a lot of prepared food at the stores, now money is tight and I like to cook anyway, plus your recipes taste so wonderful. Thanks for doing what you do!!!!!
Hi Lee, we’re so happy you’ve been enjoying the salad recipes. We do have a few meatball recipes here on the website – use the search function to search for meatballs.
I made the potato salad and it brought me right back to my school days in Brooklyn
There was a deli on the corner of our school and every Friday my sister and I would go and get a bologna and potato salad on a hero sandwich for 25.cents. it was delicious
This potato salad tasted exactly the same. It was yummy
So happy you loved it, Janet!
Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for. I grew up on Long Island but have been living in Texas for the past 30 years. Every year when I visit, I would load up on all the good food, including potato salad. However, a couple of years ago, my favorite Delicatessen changed ownership. The potato salad was awful. I’ve been raving to my Texas friends how good New York Deli potato salad is. Now I can make it myself so they can try it out. This recipe was perfect and absolutely delicious
We’re so happy to hear that, Jennifer! Thanks for the comment!
Trying the recipe today. Instead of grating the onion, I just threw half a small onion (appx 1/2 cup to my eye) into my Vitamix with everything else in the brine and blended it. I’m really hoping this works, because honestly the onion grating is the one piece of this recipe that would make me not want to do it very often.
I really enjoy your channel. I particularly appreciate the way that you unpretentiously and simply present your content. Keep it up!
Lloyd Harbor, L.I.
We hope you love it, A!
The best. I add a little stone ground mustard as well. TY
Exactly what I’ve been searching for – a real NY deli potato salad. I may cut down slightly on the sugar next time, but otherwise terrific.
So happy you enjoyed, Andrea!
Closest recipe I’ve found to Ernie’s delicatessen that we’d get when visiting my grandmother in Queens and I’ve been looking for a long time!!!
Thanks……