How to make Instant Pot potato salad with russets in just 5 minutes is here! Loaded with eggs, mayonnaise and pickles it’s the perfect side dish to any meal.
Boiling potatoes and eggs together is possible now. When done you can mix it all together to make a totally loaded potato salad in no time! It’s probably our favorite side dish in our Instant Pot recipes roundup page.
Of course potato salad is made to taste. If you love a lot of mustard then load it up. If you don’t like celery then just leave those out. You can use your Ninja Foodi pot or Crockpot Express too. With this pot you will use the lid that is not attached and can use the basket that came with the machine to hold the eggs.
The cook time depends on their size. I used baby potatoes like you find in a bag that are multi colored. I think that is easiest since those take the same cook time as the eggs so you can throw them in together. If you want to cut larger ones into pieces like our Instant Pot Baby Potatoes that would work too. Smaller will get softer so if you want larger chunks then cut it into larger bite size pieces.
There are basically two main items of this popular side dish, eggs and potatoes. Use the variety of taters that you love, each has their own qualities, tastes and textures to them. The size will make the biggest difference, not the type you use. From there you prep them after cooked, and add the cold ingredients for the sauce.
Ingredient Notes
Petite potatoes work the best to just slice into smaller bite size pieces which is ideal for this dish. I like either red potatoes or russet for the texture and flavor.
Eggs are easiest to peel if they are white vs. brown. Other than this I buy organic free range and brown unless I am making this. Older is better believe it or not so the shells slide right off. Biggest tip when done is to immediately submerge into a bowl of ice cold water.
Mayonnaise is the base of the creaminess, plain Greek yogurt is an alternative. I love Best Foods vs. Miracle Whip because of it’s flavor. You will want some yellow Mustard or some prefer a bit of apple cider vinegar.
Optional Add-Ins
There are several ways to tweak this basic dish. Onions diced are optional, and so is chopped up Celery is too. At the end add a pinch of Salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
2-Tier Vegetable Steamer does a great job of keeping the potatoes and eggs out of the water. Since we are cooking 2 items it’s best to keep them separate as well so this double vegetable steamer is great. You may have one of these single vegetable steamers to make 5-5-5 Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs. If so you really can stack the two ingredients if you don’t want to buy another.
Instant Pot Potato Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs red potatoes, small – baby size, if larger cut in half so they're bite size
- 5 large eggs, white are better than brown to peel
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp mustard, or more depending on your taste
Optional Add Ins
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 cup bacon, precooked, diced, optional
- 1 pickle, whole, dill, diced, optional
Instructions
- Add 2 cups of water to the bottom of your Instant Pot.
- Place your 2 tier vegetable steamer inside with the legs down so it isn't resting on the bottom of the pot. (or use regular trivet with eggs on top of potatoes)
- Close the top tier and place your baby size red potatoes on that level. If they don’t fit in the space between the two levels just cut them in half so they all cook evenly.
- Open top tier and place eggs there (white is best, easier to peel)
- Close lid and steam valve and set to manual, pressure, high, for 5 minutes.
- Do a natural release for 5 minutes and then release the rest of the steam.
- Remove entire 2 tier vegetable steamer from pot and set aside.
- Put potatoes in a bowl to cool, and then cut into 4-6 pcs each when cool.
- Put eggs in a bowl and run cold water on them, remove shells and slice into small pieces.
- Add cooled diced potatoes and egg into a bowl and add all other ingredients. Stir well until combined.
- Can serve immediately, I prefer to put it in the fridge for at least an hour but either way is excellent.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The main thing you’ll learn here is how to cook two things together in your Instant Pot. It is quicker than you probably think! If you have never done this it is totally possible. Once you get the hang of this you’ll want to do all the things for dinner next. Ok so you can’t make the whole thing, you wouldn’t want hot mayonnaise, mustard and celery inside. Those will stay cool until the main items are tender and perfect.
What kind of potatoes should I use for potato salad?
I like using baby russets or red potatoes. You can find in a bag at your local grocery store. They work perfectly for this recipe. If you can’t find them or prefer baking potatoes just ensure that they’re bite sized so the eggs and potatoes are done perfectly at the same time.
A good gage for sizing is if you have a regular bag red potatoes I would cut them in fourths or just small enough to barely slide each piece into the bottom tier of your vegetable steamer with the top steamer attached as you see here.
How to make with no steamer basket
Yes you can either use a standard vegetable basket and lay the eggs on top of the potatoes, or put them this way on top of a trivet. We use this same device when boiling potatoes in Instant Pot. The main point is you need to keep them out of the water in order to steam both of them vs. boiling. The potatoes will become too soft and break apart that way.
Now you could use a regular trivet to set the taters on with the eggs rested on top. Issue may be that those could roll off and crack but not a huge deal since you are peeling them anyway.
FAQ
Some prefer to use softened cream cheese instead to bind it together. In a bind I have used whipped cream cheese too if I’ve forgotten to leave it out to soften or reach room temperature.
Pint size freezer bags work great, or use plastic containers. Either way ensure they’re airtight so it stays creamy and doesn’t dry out. It should stay well in the refrigerator stored this way for 2-3 days but personally I think it is best the day after for leftovers.
While it is technically possible to freeze potato salad, it is generally not recommended due to the changes in texture and flavor that can occur after freezing and thawing. Mayonnaise-based dressings don’t freeze well because they tend to separate when thawed. This can lead to a watery or curdled texture in the salad.
Can potato salad be made 2 days in advance?
Yes, and this is a great option if you’re having a barbecue or during the holidays. I actually think it is better the day after I make it. Mix all ingredients together well, cover with plastic wrap or foil and allow to get nice and chilly in your fridge.
Other easy Instant Pot side dish recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for other Instant Pot side dishes when you’re done with this one you should try this Instant Pot cauliflower mash . The best Instant Pot cheesy bacon ranch potatoes. We love Pressure cooker baked potatoes
This was really good. I use a trivet on the bottom of the pot, pan with holes in it for the potatoes and put a rack on top with the eggs. Worked great.
Awesome
We love to eat potato salad! Making this in the instant pot is such a great idea! Love it!
Thanks for the recipe and tips! Can’t wait to make it!
OMG! By looking at the first photo on top of this article, I find myself wanting to create this side dish. My son loves to eat eggs. Oh my, I feel excited. Will copy the ingredients and try it. Not sure, though. If the mustard is available here. Perhaps, I’ll skip it for the meantime. Thank you 🙂
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