This Japanese potato salad is an easy, everyday side dish you’ll turn to again and again. Creamy, roughly mashed potatoes combine with a colorful mix of vegetables and a slightly sweet, tangy dressing for a deliciously balanced salad.
Origin of Japanese Potato Salad
Japanese potato salad is a yoshoku dish—Western-style food adapted to Japanese tastes. Like other yoshoku creations, it takes familiar Western ingredients and tweaks texture and seasoning to suit local preferences, resulting in a comforting, familiar-yet-distinct dish.
What makes Japanese potato salad different?
The defining difference is the mayonnaise. Japanese potato salad typically uses Kewpie or a similar Japanese-style mayo, which is richer, creamier, and slightly sweeter and tangier than many Western mayonnaises.
Potatoes are cooked and roughly mashed so the salad remains creamy with small, tender chunks. A variety of colorful vegetables are added for crunch and visual appeal, creating a satisfying contrast of textures.
Kewpie mayo is ubiquitous in Japan and for good reason: it adds a distinctive depth and sweetness that elevates simple ingredients. If you can, use Japanese mayonnaise for the most authentic flavor, but any creamy mayo will still make a tasty salad.
Tips for cooking:
- Salt the cooking water well. Salting the water seasons the potatoes from the inside as they cook. The water should taste noticeably salty—like seawater—without being overly salty.
- Cut potatoes into even cubes. Uniform pieces ensure even cooking so you don’t end up with some chunks undercooked and others mushy.
- Drain and dry the potatoes briefly. Drain the cooked potatoes well, then return them to the hot pot for 20–30 seconds to evaporate excess moisture. Alternatively, place them in a metal bowl to retain heat and remove moisture. This prevents a watery salad.
Substitutions
Russet potatoes work well, but you can use Yukon Gold or other varieties depending on the texture you prefer. Vegetables are flexible—use fresh or frozen carrots, corn, or peas. For a sweet-crisp twist, try adding diced apple for bite and brightness.
Leftovers
This salad stores well and often tastes better the next day as flavors meld. To avoid a watery texture after chilling, squeeze excess moisture from cucumbers before mixing. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days for best quality.
Japanese Potato Salad
- Author: Jasmine and Tea
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 russet potatoes (800g)
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- ½ cup sliced carrots (70g)
- ½ sliced cucumbers (70g)
- ½ cup corn (70g)
- 2 boiled eggs
- ½ cup Japanese mayo (115g)
- salt
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it generously.
- Peel and cut the potatoes into even cubes. Avoid cutting them too small to prevent a mushy texture—larger chunks yield a fluffier result. Add the potatoes to boiling water and cook about 18 minutes, or until a fork pierces them easily. While the potatoes cook, blanch the carrots for 30 seconds to 1 minute until just tender.
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly and return them to the hot pot for about 20–30 seconds to help evaporate any remaining surface water. Transfer to a mixing bowl and roughly mash so the salad keeps some chunky texture rather than becoming entirely smooth.
- In a separate bowl, chop the boiled eggs with a fork. Add Japanese mayonnaise and sugar, and mix until combined. For an extra creamy dressing, add an additional tablespoon of mayo to taste.
- Fold the dressing into the mashed potatoes along with the blanched carrots, cucumbers, corn, and chopped eggs. Taste and season with salt if needed. Serve immediately or chill for the flavors to meld—this salad often tastes even better the next day.