Patti LaBelle Potato Salad

I think it’s universally known that Patti LaBelle is not only a musical legend, but also an amazing cook. Patti LaBelle recipes like this potato salad and her famous sweet potato pie are from LaBelle Cuisine, one of her many cookbooks. This potato salad is “auntie” approved and the ultimate Black cookout food. I adapted this recipe for ease of use for all levels of cooks.

Why Make Patti LaBelle Potato Salad

• Simple & easy: this recipe requires just a few common ingredients that you need to stir . The most involved part of the process is boiling the potatoes, which isn’t much at all.
• See what the hype is about: maybe you watched Oprah talk about it or you just know that this red potato salad is famous, but making this is the only way to see what the hype is all about!

Ingredients Needed

• Red Potatoes: I got a big bag of red potatoes. These work better in potato salad because they tend to keep their shape even after being boiled.
• Eggs: these are hard boiled. You can boil this the traditional way or make boiled eggs in an air fryer
• Red Onion, Bell Pepper and Celery: If you’re like me and don’t care to bite into big chunks of raw onion, bell peppers or celery, finely chop and dice these. The official Patti LaBelle potato salad recipe says medium-sized, but since that’s not really measurable, I’m suggesting one cup of each.
• Celery Seed
• Mayonnaise: I recommend brands like Hellmans, Dukes or Best Foods.
• Sweet Relish:
• Salt and Pepper: this recipe calls for adding salt and pepper to taste. You’ll find my suggestion in the recipe card.

How to Make Patti LaBelle Potato Salad

1. Boil your potatoes until tender in salted water
2. Peel the potatoes and dice them into bite-sized chunks
3. Add the potatoes to a bowl with the remaining ingredients
4. Stir to combine the potato salad. Top with the remaining eggs and a few dashes of paprika.

Top Cooking Tips & FAQs

• Make sure the potatoes are cooked: Boil your potatoes until they are tender. The skin should almost fall off when you peel it.
• Add more mayo for a creamier finish: I personally prefer to have a creamy potato salad. If that’s the same for you, then you might want to add more mayo.
• Salt and pepper to taste: just like you can add more mayo to fit your preference, you can also add as much or as little salt and pepper. I give suggestions in the recipe card below.
• The toppings are optional: this recipe includes a few dashes of paprika and hard boiled eggs as toppings. These are mostly for presentation and not really flavor. So, you can omit those if you wish.

Recipes to Enjoy this with

• Southern Fried Catfish
• Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes

Print Pin

5 from 4 votes

Patti LaBelle’s Potato Salad

Make Patti LaBelle's famous red Potato Salad in four simple steps using this easy tutorial.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 215kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lbs red potatoes + 1 tbsp sea salt for boiling
• 4 large eggs hard boiled
• 1 cup red onion finely chopped and diced
• 1 cup green bell pepper finely chopped and diced
• 1 cup celery stalks finely chopped and diced
• 2 tsp celery seed
• ⅔ cup mayo
• 3 tbsp sweet relish
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black Pepper

Toppings

• 2 large eggs hard boiled
• 1/8 tsp paprika or more for the top

Instructions

• Add the red potatoes and 1 tbsp of sea salt to a large pot. Cover the potatoes completely with water.
• Bring the pot to a boil over high-heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook covered until the potatoes are tender (about 20-25 minutes)
• Drain the potatoes and run cold water over them to cool them down quickly.
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite sized chunks
• Add the potatoes and remaining ingredients to a large mixing bowl
• Gently mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
• Top with the remaining sliced eggs and a few dashes of paprika.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to give the flavors a chance to meld together.

Notes

This recipe was adapted from Patti LaBelle’s cookbook. The ingredients are the same as her recipe, but the instructions have been updated for clarity. 

My Top Tips

• Make sure the potatoes are cooked: Boil your potatoes until they are tender. The skin should almost fall off when you peel it.
• Add more mayo for a creamier finish: I personally prefer to have a creamy potato salad. If that’s the same for you, then you might want to add more mayo.
• Salt and pepper to taste: just like you can add more mayo to fit your preference, you can also add as much or as little salt and pepper. I give suggestions in the recipe card below.
• The toppings are optional: this recipe includes a few dashes of paprika and hard boiled eggs as toppings. These are mostly for presentation and not really flavor. So, you can omit those if you wish.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 623mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 292IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 2mg