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Korean Potato Salad

Korean potato salad (gamja salad) made with creamy sweet mashed potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Boiled until very tender, then mashed roughly for a thick, scoopable texture—finished with a mayo-sugar-rice vinegar dressing and chilled before serving.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Korean
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potato salad base
  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 2 carrots diced small
  • 1 cucumber seeded and diced
  • 0.5 cup corn kernels
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs chopped
Sweet creamy dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Boil and mash
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then cook the russet potatoes until very tender. Drain well.
  2. Mash the potatoes roughly (not completely smooth) while they’re hot so the salad stays thick and textured.
Blanch vegetables
  1. Blanch the carrots in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain thoroughly to keep them crisp-tender.
Mix salad
  1. Combine the mashed potatoes, carrots, cucumber, corn, and hard-boiled eggs in a large bowl and mix until evenly distributed.
  2. Stir mayonnaise, sugar, rice vinegar, salt, and pepper until the sugar dissolves.
  3. Fold the dressing into the potato mixture until creamy and well coated, then check seasoning.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving so the flavors meld and the texture sets.

Notes

For best texture, mash the potatoes while hot but keep some lumps—this prevents the salad from becoming paste-like. Refrigerate in a covered container for 3–4 days; freezing is not recommended as the vegetables and mayo dressing can break. For a lighter option, use low-fat mayonnaise (same amount) to reduce calories while keeping the sweet-tart flavor.