You don’t need mayo for a terrific Potato Salad! The secret is to marinate the potato so it sucks up flavour. This Lemon Potato Salad is bright, zesty and well seasoned. Great warm, at room temp, on the day and the day after!
For a healthy creamy alternative, try this Potato Salad with a no-mayo Creamy Potato Salad Dressing OR no-mayo Creamy Lemon Dressing!
I realised it’s been far too long since I shared a potato recipe and had to rectify that immediately.
Plus I wanted to share something super simple after doing Biryani on Friday. There’s no doubt that one of the aspects that I love the most about my job is creating the more challenging recipes. The whole process from start to finish – starting with research, developing, testing it over and over again, photographing, filming, editing the video, reading and responding to comments and questions.
Let me clarify, “research” involves going to restaurants for taste testing. It’s a tough, tough gig….
BUT! The post taste testing part is actually quite hard work – so I need to share something super simple today to recover! 😂 So today’s recipe is a simple, bright, no-mayo Lemon Potato Salad.
MARINATE YOUR POTATOES!
There’s nothing more disappointing than biting into a generous sized piece of potato with any kind of dressing – mayo or non mayo – only to find the inside of the potato tastes of nothing more than unseasoned potato.
Solution: Douse your potatoes with dressing while hot. They act as a sponge and suck up all the flavour. It’s SO GOOD you almost don’t need to add any other dressing to it!
NO MAYO POTATO SALADS are in hot demand!
While I have a huge soft spot for the classic Creamy Potato Salad which is in great demand around holiday season, I make this no-mayo Lemon Potato Salad far more often throughout the year. It’s particularly in great demand by my friends, most of whom are anti-mayo for varying reasons.
There’s plenty of variations like this No-Mayo Red Potato Salad with Charred Corn and Bacon or my German Potato Salad. Just don’t skip the marinating for both! I promise it’s worth it. ❤️ – Nagi x
PS I’ve called it a Lemon Potato Salad, and lemon flavour you shall get. It’s not the juice – that’s just sour. The lemon flavour is in the zest. So if you want a lemon flavoured potato salad, don’t skip the zest!
MORE POTATO SIDES
- Mrs Brodie’s Famous Potato Salad with bacon
- Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
- Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes (and I mean seriously crunchy!)
- Crispy SMASHED Potatoes – a crowd favourite!
- Parmesan Crusted Potatoes
- See all Potato recipes
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Lemon Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lb baby potatoes (Note 1)
- 2 tbsp salt (for water)
- 1 cup green onions , sliced
- 1/4 cup parsley , finely chopped
Dressing:
- 5 tbsp / 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup / 65 ml lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (1 large lemon)
- 1 garlic clove, large, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1.5 tsp sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Dressing: Shake in a jar.
Potatoes:
- Halve so they are about 2.5cm / 1″ pieces (cut large ones into 3).
- Bring 4 litres / 4 quarts water to the boil, add salt. Add potatoes, bring back up to the boil then reduce to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes or until just cooked – don’t let them overcook or become too soft, they will keep cooking from residual heat.
- Drain and immediately transfer to a bowl.
Potato Salad:
- While potatoes are hot, pour over half the Dressing. Use rubber spatular to gently stir.
- Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes, even overnight.
- Add green onions and parsley, pour over remaining Dressing. Carefully toss with rubber spatular, then serve. Great warm or at room temperature, and it’s also great the next day.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Back to bounding around free at the park! That’s a smile you see on this face. 🙂 Under instructions for controlled off leash exercise though, so I had to take him somewhere without other dogs to tempt him. So this isn’t actually an off leash park…..
I made the lemon potato salad and it’s GREAT!! So excited to find something new—and my husband likes it, too!!
This recipe looks delicious and I have fresh lemons to use up! As I’m trying to cut out sugar as much as possible, can I leave out the 1.5 tsp. or will it not work? Has anyone tried this?
Hi L, it balances the flavours – try honey as an alternative 🙂 N x
Great alternative!
thanks look delicious
Made salad, loved it, added more lemon for our taste. Lots of leftovers… mashed, added 1 egg, some flour and a chopped scallion. Fried best potato panackes ever!*****
Nagi!! Thank you dear!!! Your Greek Lemon Potatoes are one of mine and my family’s top five side dishes. Now this is also up there too. Loved it! Keep these amazing recipes coming.
Hi Nagi! Made this today for a birthday party and it was an utter hit! One of the guests was commenting that he was going to make a similar looking recipe that he had found on the internet – it turned out to be THIS recipe! We ended up bonding over how much we adored your site! Small world! Thankyou once again for sharing such a delicious recipe.
Woah, who would have thought!! That’s so cool to hear ❤️
Best potato salad EVER!
so delicious and so easy to make. Thanks Nagi
You’re so welcome Maria!!
I do not like creamy potato salads at all but I wanted -something- to round out a meal. I made it for a new years lunch and it was a great success. I left out the sugar from the dressing mix (and didn’t miss it) and I cooked the potato in the microwave instead of boiling. (I am aussie, it was too hot to mess with boiling water). It worked great. 🙂
Thanks for a fantastic addition to my cooking!
Perfect Kate 🙌
5 star
A stunner. I’ve made this twice now, and followed the recipe exactly. I love this site. Everything works. Thanks!!
Nagi I love your recipes and have saved several of your Christmas ones. Thank you for catering for both the seasoned cook and the novice. I fit into both at some stages. Also, LOVE Dozer, Dogs make us happy.
Did a test of this salad two days ago to serve with a cold Christmas lunch. A winner in every way, delicious, easy to prepare in advance, tasty both hot and cold. I’ll be using it for Christmas for sure. Thanks Nagi.
I’m so glad you loved it Helen!
Yum, YUMI, that’s me prefer potato salad without Mayo. Thank you.
You’ll love this one Vera!!
Hi Nagi, I’m in Oz too and was toying with roast potatoes for Christmas lunch but this looks so much better AND easier. Would a tiny bit of dill added be ok too as well as the parsley and green onion?
Oh it’s sooooo good Fiona! You can definitely add dill, that would be great!
This was very easy to make and was enjoyed by all. I hate creamy potato salad so this is perfect. I loved that I could do a great deal of early prep and quickly throw it all together when the visitors arrived. I will make more next time as the left overs had a great flavour.
I’m so glad you loved it Amy, a great way to change it up without having that heavy creamy dressing!
Another 5 star recipe !
Marinated the cooked potatoes overnight in the refrigerator and completed the salad the following day . So delicious served with Panko crumbed flathead .
I had vegans over for a BBQ and I replaced the regular mayo potato salad with this – it was so delicious and a big hit!
Wahoo! Perfect Tamsin!
It’s summer! Looking forward to serving this with grilled lamb. Have to say though, rubber spatular?
Hi Sharon – YES! It’s more gentle and you’re less likely to have the potatoes break apart on you! – N x
Hi Nagi
I served this with Cajun blackened fish. A perfect accompaniment and so simple to make. Thank you once again for sharing and turning my cooking into a new adventure.
Sounds divine Desiree!!
Love your recipes it helps me a lot to get variety in my meals. I have IBS-D thank you for making life easier
That’s so great to hear Carol!