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.
Though in the pictures it shows the carrots and peas but not in the directions… is this tinned peas and carrots? Or frozen…
Thanks for catching that. Whatever you have available works. Fresh is best whenever you can, frozen is second best, and canned comes in a close third.
I cannot wait to make this, however, I only found salad cream not dressing. Is that the same. I do have carribean African market near me
Hi Andy! You can use that or mayo. Enjoy! 🙂
Very beautiful recipe sure to make again and again
Thank you, Carol! 🙂
Sorry, World Market. Oop
You can get the dressing at Whole Market or Tony’s if you leave in Chicago area. Love Belizean potato salad have friends from their… hope this help everyone.
Referring to the comments about the Heinz Salad dressing.. I ordered the Heinz Salad Cream from Amazon..I’m assuming it’s the same as the Heinz Salad Dressing in the recipe. It just arrived. The taste is almost exactly the same as Miracle Whip Salad Dressing. You can buy it readily at most American stores.
Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Hi Carol. Yes, whatever you have on hand, whether it’s the real stuff, Heinz, Miracle Whip, or anything similar.
My family loved the potato salad! I’m in Las Vegas. Didn’t locate the salad dressing. I’m sure that’ll make a big difference’
Use Miracle Whip instead of the Heinz Salad Dressing. It tastes the same.
This Heinz salad dressing is not available. What substitute dressing can I use please ??? Thank You.,,,
Just use mayo or ranch dressing .
I think Miracle whip tastes the same as the Heinz Dressing.
It looks really good, but in mine i use real mayonaise, and have never used carrots
I think i will leave the carrots out i like carrots but only cooked, I’m Polish and make it about the same way!
Except for the carrots,
I some time put cut up raddishes in it,
Thanks for sharing!!!
peas and carrots – are they frozen? fresh?
They were frozen, then thawed.
Thank you so much Imma for the potato salad recipe.I have all the ingredients and will make it to bring to my daughters as my son-in-law loves potato salad. Linda
Nice. It’s a great salad ! Always a crowd pleaser.
Yum!! Can’t wait to try this
That very much looks like what I remember a Potato Salad looks like back home in the islands. And that looks great ! I’ll have to put that on my to make short list menu.
Hi again!
What flavor of Heinz salad dressing? Also, how much should be used in the recip?
Thanks again,
Denise Fairley
Sorry for the late reply somehow missed it. They only carry one variety, but use anything similar you have available.
Hi!
I can’t wait to try this. In the recipe ingredients list there is no mention of sour cream. How much sour cream should be use?
Thanks,
Denise Fairley
Recipe updated, I use the standard salad dressing – made by heinz, available in Caribbean African Markets and some super markets depending on your neighborhood.
Thank you so much!
Hi im from uk … what is sweet relish please ..cant wait to.make this at weekend
Hi Bridget! They are pickled cucumber, usually sold in jars.
which Heinz? I saw several Heinz products.
Heinz salad dressing.
Thank u, great dish
Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out well for you.