Go Back

Japanese Potato Salad

Japanese potato salad with a creamy, slightly mashed texture and crunchy vegetables. Boiled potatoes are mashed warm, then dressed with mayonnaise, rice vinegar, and sugar for an Asian-style comfort food side.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Japanese
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed
Carrots, diced small
  • 2 carrots diced small
Cucumber, seeded and sliced thin
  • 1 cucumber seeded and sliced thin
Corn kernels
  • 0.5 cup corn kernels
Hard-boiled eggs, chopped
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs chopped
Japanese mayonnaise
  • 0.5 cup Japanese mayonnaise or regular mayo
Rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
Sugar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 large pot

Method
 

Boil and prepare the vegetables
  1. Boil the russet potatoes in a large pot of water until very tender, then drain. Keep an eye out for a fork sliding in with no resistance.
  2. Mash the potatoes while still warm, leaving some chunks for a slightly mashed texture. Stop mashing when you still see small pieces.
  3. Blanch the carrots for 2 minutes, then drain. They should turn brighter in color but stay crisp-tender.
  4. Salt the cucumber slices and let them sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid. The slices should look a little less wet after squeezing.
Mix and chill
  1. Combine the mashed potatoes, carrots, cucumber, corn, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Stir until the mix is evenly distributed with visible vegetable pieces.
  2. Mix the Japanese mayonnaise, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper until smooth. The dressing should look glossy and fully blended.
  3. Fold the dressing into the potato mixture. Mix gently so the salad stays creamy with a slightly chunky texture.
  4. Refrigerate the salad for at least 2 hours before serving. Chilling should make it thicker and help the flavors come together.

Notes

Pro tip: mash the potatoes while warm and stop with some chunks—this is what gives the signature slightly mashed texture. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended for best texture. For a lighter version, use light mayonnaise (or a 50/50 blend of Japanese mayo and plain Greek yogurt) while keeping the same vinegar-sugar balance.