Japanese Potato Salad (ポテトサラダ) – Creamy & Fluffy

Get ready to elevate your potato salad game with this delightful fluffy Japanese potato salad recipe! Perfect for any occasion, this popular comforting side dish pairs beautifully with grilled meats, rice bowls, noodle salads or as part of a vibrant bento box.

When people talk about comfort food, creamy potato salad often comes to mind. But Japanese-style potato salad takes it to the next level. Unlike like regular potato salad (which we love too!), this recipe stands out for its unique texture. 

I love how the potatoes are cooked just a little bit longer so they are mash perfectly, creating a fluffy creamy base that other recipes sometimes miss. 

I mix in crunchy cucumber, sweet carrots, boiled eggs and a little ham for substance, then bring it all together with Kewpie mayonnaise.

To make my version even better, I add both rice wine vinegar and Dijon mustard, which cut through the creaminess and give the salad a bright, tangy kick. 

After making it multiple times for family and friends, I’ve found this is the perfect balance of texture and flavour – creamy, crunchy, slightly tangy and completely addictive. 

It stores beautifully in the fridge, so I often make it ahead for lunches, picnics, or weeknight dinners. Everyone I serve it to always asks for seconds, and I promise it will become a favourite in your kitchen too. 

If you are searching for more amazing potato salads, check out our collection of 40 Best Potato Salads Ever. Never run out of ideas!

Recipe Overview

Flavour/Texture: Creamy, fluffy, and slightly tangy, thanks to rice vinegar and Dijon mustard. The cucumber and carrots add a light crunch, while ham and boiled eggs provide heartiness.

Ease: Our Japanese potato salad recipe is straightforward, with a few simple steps of chopping, boiling and mixing ingredients.

Time: Ready in about 45 minutes, this potato salad requires most of that time for boiling the potatoes and eggs. You can prep ahead to save time.

Ingredients For Japanese Potato Salad Recipe

Potatoes: In general, waxy potatoes are more suited for potato salads, but for this recipe, opt for starchy potatoes. Japanese potato salad are more fluffy in texture as we slightly mash the potatoes before adding in other ingredients. The popular types are Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes. 

Carrot: Thinly sliced carrots are a natural sweet and colourful addition to the salad.

Cucumber: Surprisingly, cucumbers in this recipe do not feel soggy as you might expect. The thin slices add a refreshing light crunch to every bite. Be sure to use cucumbers with less seeds to avoid excessive moisture.

Red onion: I love the subtle bite and sharpness that red onions add to the creamy mixture. Helps to balance the richness. 

Ham: Savoury and salty, adding ham creates flavour depth to the salad.

Eggs: The inclusion of hard-boiled eggs introduces another layer of texture and creaminess, enhancing the overall flavour.

Kewpie mayonnaise: Creamy and tangy, with a signature umami flavour unique to Japanese mayo.

Dijon mustard/Rice vinegar: These condiments bring a light, mildly acidic balance to the dressing.

Variations and Substitutions

Cucumbers: While Persian cucumbers are ideal for this recipe due to their thin skin and few seeds, you can substitute with English cucumbers if needed. Just remove any excess seeds to prevent too much water in the salad.

Additional ingredients: Feel free to add or substitute other vegetables, such as sweet corn, peas, scallions, or even finely diced celery, for extra crunch.

Kewpie mayonnaise alternative: While Kewpie mayonnaise is key to the authentic flavour, regular mayonnaise works as well. 

Ham variation: Use bacon bits for a smoky flavour, or omit the ham for a vegetarian option.

Serving variation: Japanese potato salad is a versatile side salad that can be served individually in small bowls, shared with a large crowd or packed in sandwiches for picnics and lunches. 

Flavour boost: Add a touch of karashi mustard for traditional Japanese heat.

Instructions For This Japanese Style Potato Recipe

How To Make Sure Potatoes Are Evenly Cooked

Peel and cube the potatoes. 

Place them in cold water and bring to a boil until tender.

How To Prepare The Rest of The Salad

Thinly slice the carrot, adding it to the boiling potatoes for 2 minutes to soften.

Drain and lightly mash the potatoes, leaving some chunks for texture. Season potato with half of the salt.

Slice the cucumbers thinly and finely chop red onion. 

Add both to a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture.

Dice ham.

Boil the eggs, peel, and chop them.

How to Make Kewpie Mayonnaise Dressing

Add Kewpie mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and rice vinegar together. 

Mix together until combined. 

Season with salt and pepper as required.

How To Assemble Salad

In a large bowl, add mashed potatoes, cooked carrot, cucumber, ham and red onion together. 

Add dressing to potato salad. 

Mix together until everything is well coated with Kewpie mayonnaise dressing. 

Chill for 10 minutes before serving.

How to Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]

Choose the right potatoes: Starchy potatoes like Yukon Gold or Russet are ideal for creating a fluffy texture in the salad.

Start with cold water: I always begin cooking the potatoes in cold water, allowing them to heat gradually for more even cooking.

Leave some potato chunks behind: You don’t want a completely smooth mash, so be sure to leave some potato chunks for better texture.

Cut ingredients evenly: When slicing carrots, cucumber and ham, I try to cut them into similar sizes. The boiled eggs don’t need to be mashed too finely either. Together it will blend nicely with mashed potatoes and create the perfect bite.

Use Kewpie mayonnaise: Its richer, yolk-based formula gives authentic flavour and depth.

Don’t overmix: Keep some potato chunks for texture contrast.

Chill before serving: Let the salad chill before serving to allow the flavours to meld and taste even better.

Frequently Asked Questions