Caribbean Potato Salad
My Caribbean potato salad is incredibly creamy with a tasty tang from sour cream. It’s chock full of vegetables for a guilt-free summer picnic and holiday side.
While this potato salad is perfect for any summer barbecue, picnic, and cookout, it’s also a traditional holiday side. If you’re planning on taking a dish to ANY social gathering, here is one recipe that will fit right in regardless of the menu.
Not only is it a great make-ahead dish, but you can adjust the ingredients to whatever you have on hand. Plus, you can use frozen veggies for easy meal prep. It’s not just for picnics and holidays, but it’s also a healthy weeknight side.
What Makes This Potato Salad Caribbean
I love potato salad, with all its variations. What sets the Caribbean version apart is the peas and carrots. It also has a sweeter vibe with the Heinz salad dressing and sweet pickle relish. Some people add a little thyme and diced cooked beets or canned corn. Have fun and adjust the recipe to your family’s tastes.
How to Make Caribbean Potato Salad
- Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender but still firm to the touch (5-10 minutes). Drain water and add the potatoes to a large bowl. (Photo 1)
- Chop the boiled eggs, and then add them, along with the peas and carrots, to the potatoes. (Photo 2)
- Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Heinz salad dressing, mustard, smoked paprika, Cajun spice, relish, and diced onions in a medium bowl, and mix well. (Photo 3)
- Stir the dressing into the potato salad gently, taste for salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Photo 4)
Tips and Tricks
- Lightly salting the water for boiling your potatoes makes a lot of difference in the flavor.
- To substitute sweet relish, simply dice sweet pickles or gherkins and add them to the salad. Or dice up some fresh cucumbers and onions, and then marinate them in apple cider vinegar and sugar or honey for a couple of hours.
- What makes this salad uniquely Caribbean is the addition of peas, carrots, and, of course, Heinz creamy salad dressing. I’ve loved Heinz salad dressing since childhood. You can find it on Amazon if your local, Caribbean, or African stores don’t carry it. But any brand will work.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
Making potato salad the day before and keeping it in the fridge lets the flavors blend better. It will last 3-5 days refrigerated, but not more than 2 hours at room temperature. Sorry, it doesn’t freeze well.
What Goes Fabulously on the Menu
Jamaican jerk chicken or curry goat are ideal main dishes, while mac and cheese and coleslaw make good side dish friends. Black cake, loaded with fruit, is a must-have dessert.
More Appetizing Caribbean Recipes to Enjoy
By Imma
Caribbean Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) potatoes
- water to cover for boiling the potatoes
- salt (2-3 teaspoons per liter or quart of water)
- 2-3 boiled eggs
- 1 cup (140g) or more peas and carrots (fresh, frozen, or canned works fine)
- ¼ cup (60g) mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (60g) sour cream
- ¼ cup (60g) Heinz salad dressing
- ½ teaspoon (2-3g) yellow mustard (Dijon mustard also works)
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon (2g) Creole seasoning
- ¼ cup (60g) sweet pickle relish
- ¼ cup (32g) diced onions
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm to the touch (5-10 minutes). Drain water and add the potatoes to a large bowl.
- Chop the boiled eggs, and then add them, along with the peas and carrots, to the potatoes.
- In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Heinz salad dressing, mustard, smoked paprika, Cajun spice, relish, and diced onions, and mix well.
- Gently mix the dressing and the potato salad until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tips & Notes:
- If you can’t find Heinz salad dressing, replace it with any brand you have or more mayonnaise.
- Feel free to replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt if desired.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
