This Dill Potato Salad with Sour Cream is the creamy, herby, Swedish-style side dish that earns its spot on every spring and summer table. Tender boiled yellow potatoes get tossed warm with a splash of white wine vinegar to season them from the inside out, then folded into a delightful sour cream and Dijon dressing loaded with fresh dill, baby pickles, capers, shallot, chives, hard-boiled eggs, and a hit of white pepper. It's bright, tangy, herby, and super creamy all at once, with just enough briny pop from the pickles and capers to keep every bite interesting. Make it ahead; it actually gets better and even more flavorful the next day.🤤
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Our Swedish-Inspired Take on Dill Potato Salad ✨
I've been obsessed with Swedish and Nordic flavors since I spent a year in Norway as a foreign exchange student in high school. My heritage may also play a role. 😉 Traditional Swedish potatissallad is a summer staple in the Nordics. It shows up at Midsummer celebrations, backyard barbecues, and basically any time there's a warm-weather meal involved. Dill, pickles, and capers are a truly underrated trio in potato salad, and they're what make this version bright, tangy, and herby without being heavy.
Our version leans into all the classic Swedish markers, but the one thing that really takes it over the top is what we call the warm vinegar trick, and you'll see exactly how that works in the steps below. It's a small move with a massive payoff. Chamere LOVES his grandma's Southern-style potato salad, and now he's equally hooked on this one too. 🥹 (That's high praise!)
Serve it chilled alongside anything grilled: steaks, burgers, chicken, or a whole grilled salmon. It's also a total showstopper on any spring or summer table!
🥔Ingredients for Sour Cream Dill Potato Salad
Simple, bright, and very Scandinavian, every ingredient here is doing something specific to build that creamy, herby, briny flavor. 🤤
How to Make the Best Dill Potato Salad ✨
This Swedish-style dill potato salad comes together in about 30 minutes of hands-on time. Here's how it goes!
- Step 1: Add the potatoes to a large pot, cover with cold water by about an inch, and stir in 4-5 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal kosher salt (Yes, really. It should taste like the sea to properly season the potatoes!). If using Morton's kosher or table salt, use about half as much. Bring to a boil and cook until just fork-tender, about 8 to 10 minutes for creamer-size potatoes (longer for larger pieces - check at 12 to 15 minutes).
🥔 Creamer-size potatoes cook FAST! Start checking around 8-10 minutes. They go from "almost there" to "overcooked and mushy" in just a few minutes, so test early. You want the fork to slide in easily, but the potato to still hold its shape when you lift it out.
- Step 2: Drain the potatoes and immediately transfer them to a large bowl (don't rinse!). While they're still steaming hot, drizzle with white wine vinegar and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toss gently to coat and let them sit for 5-10 minutes to soak it all in.
Toss gently to coat and let them sit for 5-10 minutes to soak it all in.
🥔 This is the single most important step in the whole recipe. Hot potatoes have an open starch structure and literally drink up the vinegar and salt, seasoning them from the inside out. If you wait until they're cool, the starches set, and the seasoning just sits on the surface as a top note. Same ingredients, completely different result. It's the move that separates a "fine" potato salad from one that has people asking for the recipe.
- Step 3: In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayo, and white pepper. Whisk until smooth.
🧂 About the white pepper: White pepper is milder and earthier than its black counterpart, with a subtle floral edge. Adding it early, before the acid, lets it bloom into the sour cream and mayo, which distributes the flavor more evenly and helps it open up beautifully. You'll find it in the spice aisle right next to the black pepper. If you only have black pepper on hand, that works totally fine!
- Step 4: Add in the Dijon, shallot, baby pickles, capers, and chives.
🥒Shallot & pickle notes: Big chunks of raw shallot can overpower everything, so mince the shallots as fine as you can. We're going for a whisper of allium, not a punch. The same goes for the baby pickles: a small dice (about ¼-inch) gives you crunchy pops in every bite without overwhelming.
- Step 5: Zest the lemon directly into the bowl.
- Step 6: Add the fresh dill and diced hard-boiled eggs.
Then gently fold everything together until the dressing is smooth, creamy, and evenly flecked with green. Add salt and seasoning to taste.
🥚 A note on the eggs: We steam ours in a covered pan with about an inch of water on medium heat for 12 minutes, and it peels way cleaner than boiling. Fully set yolks dice clean for folding in; for the halved garnish on top, push to 13-14 minutes for the prettiest cut.
- Step 7: Once the potatoes have cooled to room temperature (not warm, not cold), give them another gentle toss and pour the dressing over the top. Fold everything together gently with a rubber spatula until every potato is coated.
❄️ Temperature matters here. If the potatoes are still warm, the sour cream can break down, and the salad gets weepy. If they're already fridge-cold, they won't absorb the dressing as well. Room temp is the sweet spot! About 20-30 minutes of cooling on the counter usually does it.
- Step 8: Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but overnight is even better. The flavors meld dramatically as it sits. It's actually one of those rare dishes that's better on day two.
Right before serving, give it a gentle stir and taste for seasoning. Cold mutes flavors, so it'll often want a final pinch of salt or another bit of white pepper.
Transfer to a serving bowl, top with the halved hard-boiled egg. Garnish with dill, chives, flaky salt, and pepper!
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If you make this Creamy Swedish Dill Potato Salad, we'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below with your rating for the recipe. Share with us by tagging us on Instagram! We love seeing your creations! 📸
📖 Recipe
Dill Potato Salad with Sour Cream (Swedish Style)
Ingredients
Potatoes:
- 3 pounds baby yellow potatoes
- 4 to 5 tablespoons kosher salt for the boiling water (we use Diamond Crystal salt, see notes)
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt we use Diamond Crystal, see notes
Dressing:
- 1 ¼ cups full-fat sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon white pepper to taste, can substitute black pepper
- ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt to taste (we use Diamond Crystal, see notes)
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from about one medium lemon
Mix-ins:
- ¼ cup shallot finely minced (about 1 large shallot)
- ⅓ cup baby pickles cornichons or small gherkins, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives thinly sliced
- ⅓ to ½ cup fresh dill chopped (about 1 small bunch)
- 3 large hard-boiled eggs 2 diced, 1 halved for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a large pot, cover with cold water by about an inch, and stir in LOTS of salt. You want the water to taste like the sea! Bring to a boil and cook until just fork-tender, about 8 to 10 minutes for creamer-size potatoes. Check early, they cook quickly!3 pounds baby yellow potatoes, 4 to 5 tablespoons kosher salt
- Drain and season. Drain the potatoes (don't rinse!) and immediately transfer them to a large bowl. While still steaming hot, drizzle with 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Toss gently and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes to absorb the seasoning.1 teaspoon white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Whisk the dressing base. In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, salt and white pepper. Whisk until smooth.1 ¼ cups full-fat sour cream, ¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, ¾ teaspoon white pepper, ½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the lemon zest. Zest the lemon directly into the bowl.1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Fold in the mix-ins. Add the shallot, baby pickles, capers, and chives. Stir to combine.¼ cup shallot, ⅓ cup baby pickles, 1 tablespoon capers, 2 tablespoons fresh chives
- Add the dill and eggs. Fold in the fresh dill and diced hard-boiled eggs. Taste and add more salt if needed (up to 1 teaspoon total).⅓ to ½ cup fresh dill, 3 large hard-boiled eggs
- Combine. Once the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, pour the dressing over the top and gently fold with a rubber spatula until every potato is coated.
- Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for best flavor.
- Serve. Right before serving, give it a gentle stir and taste for seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the halved hard-boiled egg, fresh dill fronds, baby pickle halves, flaky sea salt, and a final crack of white pepper.
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Notes
- Potato options: Baby yellow or "creamer" potatoes are ideal here because they're waxy (hold their shape when boiled) and tiny (no need to cut). If you can't find them, look for any small waxy variety like baby red, baby Yukon Gold, fingerlings, or French fingerlings; all work. If you can only find larger waxy potatoes, halve or quarter them so they're roughly bite-sized (about 1 to 1½ inches). Avoid russets or other starchy potatoes since they'll fall apart in the dressing instead of holding their shape. Cook time will be longer for larger potatoes - start checking around 12 to 15 minutes.
- A note on salt: This recipe is written with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which has larger, hollow crystals and is less salty by volume than other salts. If you're using Morton's kosher salt or table salt, use about HALF the amount called for throughout the recipe (boiling water, vinegar treatment, and dressing). When in doubt, season to taste!
- Use fresh dill, not dried. Fresh dill is non-negotiable here; dried just doesn't have the same brightness or texture. Roughly chop the feathery fronds and skip the tough stems.
- The warm vinegar trick is the most important step. Tossing the hot, drained potatoes with vinegar and salt the moment they come out of the pot lets them absorb the seasoning from the inside out. Don't skip it!
- Egg method: We steam ours in a covered pan with about an inch of water on medium heat for 13 minutes for clean-dicing yolks, or 14-15 minutes for the prettiest cut on the halved garnish. Ice bath right after cooking for easy peeling.
- Make ahead: This salad actually gets better the longer it sits - flavors meld beautifully overnight. Make it up to 24 hours ahead and stir gently before serving.
- Storage: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Stir before each serving and taste for salt. Cold mutes flavors, so you may want a final pinch.
- Serve with: This pairs beautifully with grilled or smoky mains. We love it alongside our Bavette Steak, but it's just as good with grilled chicken, burgers, or a whole grilled salmon for a Swedish-style summer feast.
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