Traditional Dominican Potato Salad Recipe with Egg

This creamy and tangy Dominican potato salad is the flavorful side dish your next summer cookout or backyard BBQ deserves! It’s a unique twist on classic potato salad and great for feeding a crowd. Instant Pot and stovetop instructions included!

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About This Dominican Potato Salad

Bring the authentic flavors of the Dominican Republic to your next cookout with this classic Dominican style potato salad recipe!

It’s a signature dish that’s an absolute staple across Latin America for holidays and weekend family gatherings

Our Instant Pot method takes the easy route to guarantee perfectly cooked veggies every single time. (But, stovetop instructions are included, too!)

What makes this version so special?

Instead of relying on sweet pickle relish and mustard like classic American potato salad, this dish features a deeply savory, mayonnaise-forward base packed with matching cubes of sweet carrots and hard-boiled eggs.

Plus, the signature addition of quick-pickled red onions creates a bright, acidic tang that cuts through the rich creaminess, ensuring it completely outshines standard backyard side dishes.

YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE BECAUSE IT’S:

• Authentically flavorful. This dish delivers the true, traditional taste of a classic Caribbean ensalada de papa.
• Incredibly convenient. This traditional potato salad recipe works beautifully as a make-ahead side dish that tastes even better the next day.
• Highly adaptable. We’ve included simple stovetop instructions if you don’t own a pressure cooker.
• The ultimate crowd-pleaser. This Dominican potato salad pairs flawlessly with holiday roasts, backyard barbecues, or weeknight dinners.

Key Ingredients

• Russet Potatoes: Russets yield a wonderfully creamy texture because they break down slightly when tossed, which helps bind the salad together. If you prefer a potato salad with firm, distinct cubes that completely hold their shape, you can swap these out for Yukon Gold or red potatoes.
• Whole Carrots: Fresh carrots add a lovely pop of color, a hint of natural sweetness, and a pleasant texture contrast. Peeling and dicing them to match the size of your potato cubes ensures that every single bite is perfectly balanced.
• Red Onion: Finely diced red onion provides a sharp, crisp crunch. A classic Dominican cooking secret to remove the harsh, raw bite from the onion is to let the diced pieces macerate (soak) in the apple cider vinegar while your potatoes boil.
• Large Eggs: Boiled eggs add a rich, velvety texture and deep savory flavor to the dish. The yolks slightly melt into the mayonnaise dressing, creating an incredibly luxurious coating for the vegetables.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: This is the non-negotiable ingredient that defines the flavor profile of a true Dominican potato salad. The acidity cuts right through the heavy mayonnaise, brightening the entire dish. If you are in a pinch, white vinegar can be used as a substitute.
• Mayonnaise: Use a high-quality, full-fat mayonnaise for the most authentic flavor and rich texture. Avoid using sweet salad dressings (like Miracle Whip), as they will throw off the traditional savory-acidic balance of the salad.
• Cilantro: A handful of finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves added right at the end provides a beautiful green contrast and a fresh, bright finish to the dish.

Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

Prep and Pressure Cook

1. Prep the Produce: Wash, peel, and dice the Russet potatoes into ½-inch pieces and the whole carrots into ¼-inch pieces. Finely dice the red onion and set it aside.
2. Pressure Cook: Add the diced potatoes and diced carrots to the bottom of an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, then pour in the water. Place a steam rack over the vegetables and carefully set the whole eggs (in the shell) on top of the rack.
3. Set the time: Pressure cook on high heat for 4 minutes, and perform a manual quick release as soon as the cooking time is up.

Cool and Prep the Dressing

4. Cool the Ingredients: While the veggies are cooking, prepare an ice bath for the eggs. Once all the pressure is released, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Chill the veggies: Drain the potatoes and carrots completely, transfer them to a bowl, and place them in the refrigerator to cool for at least 20 minutes.
6. Pickle the Onions: While the eggs and veggies are cooling, add the diced red onion, apple cider vinegar, and salt to a large bowl. Stir and let this mixture sit to quick-pickle the onions until the potatoes and carrots are fully cooled.
7. Mix Dressing: After the 20-minute cooling window, stir the mayonnaise into the onion mixture until completely smooth.

Assemble, Chill, and Serve

8. Toss the Salad Base: Peel and dice the cooled boiled eggs into bite-sized pieces. Add the diced eggs, chilled potatoes, and carrots into the large mixing bowl with the creamy dressing. Gently fold everything together until all ingredients are well-combined. Taste the salad at this point and add an extra pinch of salt if needed.

9. Chill and Serve: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Just before serving, top the salad with freshly chopped cilantro.

Recipe Tips and Variations

Secrets for Success

• Don’t skip the cooling process: It’s very important to cool the potatoes and carrots before adding them to the mayo mixture. Heat can cause the mayonnaise to break down and become oily.
• Don’t skip the pickling process: Pickling the red onion mellows their sharp bite so they don’t overpower the dish.
• Taste and adjust: Everyone’s salt preference is different. Make sure to taste the salad before the final chill and add additional salt if needed.

Storage Tips

• Room temperature: Because this salad is mayo-based, it can only sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours before it needs to be refrigerated.
• Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Variations

• Make it “Ensalada Rusa” (the pink potato salad version): Add 1 cup of diced boiled red beets (or a few tablespoons of canned beet juice) into the mix during Step 5. This turns the entire salad a vibrant pink color, which is a massive staple for Dominican Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) dinners.
• Add apple: Many Dominican families love adding 1 medium sweet green apple (like Granny Smith), peeled and finely diced, into the salad base. This adds a refreshing, crisp texture and a subtle hint of sweetness that contrasts beautifully with the savory mayo.
• Sauté the onions instead of pickling: If quick pickled onions are still too strong for your taste, you can sauté them instead. Add the diced red onions to a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes until translucent before mixing them into the dressing.
• Use white vinegar: White vinegar will pickle the onion much faster, but has a sharper, more aggressive vinegar flavor. You may need to add a little more mayo to balance it out.

Serve This With

This easy Dominican potato salad pairs perfectly with main dishes like these:

• Smoked Pork Chops (With Honey Mustard Glaze!)
• Brown Sugar Dry Rub Smoked Brisket Recipe
• Smoked Ribeye Steak
• Pulled Pork with Coke and Brown Sugar
• Traeger Smoked Chicken Leg Recipe

FAQs

Recipe Card

Traditional Dominican Potato Salad Recipe with Egg

This creamy and tangy Dominican potato salad is the flavorful side dish your next summer cookout or backyard BBQ deserves! It’s a unique twist on classic potato salad and great for feeding a crowd. Instant Pot and stovetop instructions included!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Cooling Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Dominican

Servings 8 servings

Calories 304 kcal

Equipment

• Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  

• 4 medium Russet potatoes peeled and diced
• 12 whole carrots peeled and diced
• ½ cup red onion finely diced
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ½-1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• cilantro for garnish

Instructions

 

• Prep the Produce: Wash, peel, and dice 4 medium Russet potatoes into ½-inch pieces and 12 oz of whole carrots into ¼-inch pieces. Finely dice ½ of a small red onion (about ½ a cup) and set aside.
• Pressure Cook: Add the 4 medium diced potatoes and 12 oz of diced carrots to the bottom of an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, then pour in 2 cups of water. Place a steam rack over the vegetables and carefully set 3 large whole eggs (in the shell) on top of the rack. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes, and perform a manual quick release as soon as the cooking time is up.
• Cool the Ingredients: While the veggies are cooking, prepare an ice bath for the eggs. Once all the pressure is released, immediately transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and carrots completely, transfer them to a bowl, and place them in the refrigerator to cool for at least 20 minutes.
• Pickle the Onions and Mix Dressing: While the eggs and veggies are cooling, add the diced red onion, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir and let this mixture sit to quick-pickle the onions until the potatoes and carrots are fully cooled.
• After the 20-minute cooling window, stir 1 cup of mayonnaise into the onion mixture until smooth.
• Toss the Salad Base: Peel and dice the cooled boiled eggs into bite-sized pieces. Add the diced eggs, chilled potatoes, and carrots into the large mixing bowl with the dressing. Gently fold everything together until all ingredients are well-combined. Taste the salad at this point and add an extra pinch of salt if needed.
• Chill and Serve: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Just before serving, top the salad with freshly chopped cilantro.

Notes

STOVETOP INSTUCTIONS

STEP 1: Prep the Produce

Wash, peel, and dice 4 medium Russet potatoes into ½-inch pieces and 12 oz of whole carrots into ¼-inch pieces. Finely dice ½ of a small red onion (about ½ a cup) and set aside.

 

STEP 2: Boil the Vegetables and Eggs

Place the diced potatoes and carrots into a large pot and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add 3 large whole eggs (in the shell) directly into the pot with the vegetables. Pour in enough water to cover all ingredients by about 1 inch. Bring the pot to a rolling boil over high heat, then lower the heat slightly to maintain a gentle boil. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are easily pierced with a fork.

 

STEP 3: Cool the Ingredients

While the veggies are boiling, prepare an ice bath for the eggs. As soon as the vegetables are fork-tender, use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the hot eggs directly into the ice bath to cool for 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes and carrots completely into a colander, transfer them to a bowl, and place them in the refrigerator to cool for at least 20 minutes.

 

STEP 4: Pickle the Onions and Mix Dressing

While the eggs and veggies are cooling, add the diced red onion, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and ½ to 1 teaspoon of salt to a large mixing bowl. Stir and let this mixture sit to quick-pickle the onions until the potatoes and carrots are fully cooled. After the 20-minute cooling window, stir 1 cup of mayonnaise into the onion mixture until smooth.

 

STEP 5: Toss the Salad Base

Peel and dice the cooled boiled eggs into bite-sized pieces. Add the diced eggs, chilled potatoes, and carrots into the large mixing bowl with the dressing. Gently fold everything together until all ingredients are well-combined. Taste the salad at this point and add an extra pinch of salt if needed.

 

STEP 6: Chill and Serve

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Just before serving, top the salad with freshly chopped cilantro.

 

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