Total Time
45 minutes (plus 1 hour for chilling)
Often served in a tidy scoop among the many banchan at a Korean restaurant, gamja salad is a sensory treat: cold and creamy, but with lots of crunch. It’s an excellent foil to Korean-style fried chicken, kalbi, bulgogi, and other Korean BBQ favorites.
Among the many versions that exist around the globe (Japanese! German! Austrian!), Korean potato salad stands out for its sweetness, ranging from subtle to overt, courtesy of a pinch or more of granulated sugar, diced apple, or sweet raisins. But the inclusion of onion and cucumbers is essential for the crispness they bring. Hard-boiled eggs are also key—the egg yolks provide extra richness and while the egg whites give a bouncy bite. All together, the texture lies somewhere between chunky American potato salad and smooth mashed potatoes. It’s superbly refreshing served cold as an appetizer or side dish at a cookout, and just as tasty served right away, still faintly warm from the pot.
Salting the onion, cucumbers, and carrot and letting them sit for a while is an important step that softens them just enough. Equally important is squeezing out the excess water the salting draws out. Squeeze as though you’re enraged—hard and thorough. The vegetables need to be rumpled, soft, and flexible before they’re folded into the potatoes.
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What you’ll need
Chef’s Knife
$115 At Hedley and Bennett
Medium Saucepan
$50 $39 At Amazon
Slotted Spoon
$11 At Amazon
Mesh Sieve
$13 At Amazon
Rubber Spatula
$13 At Amazon
Ingredients
6 servings
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
½
2
1
1
Preparation
Step 1
Place 1 small red onion, finely chopped, 2 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise, 1 small carrot, peeled, quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in medium bowl and massage until vegetables look shiny and are just starting to release some liquid. Let sit while potatoes cook to allow vegetables to soften further and release more liquid (at least 15 minutes).
Step 2
Place 1 lb. russet potatoes (about 2 medium), peeled, cut into eight equal pieces, in medium saucepan and pour in cold water to cover by 2". Season generously with salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Carefully lower 2 large eggs, rinsed, into pan. If using 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 1 ear), add to pot. Cover and cook, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a simmer, 10 minutes (exactly). Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water. Slide a skewer into a potato piece; there should be no resistance. If potatoes aren’t tender, continue cooking until they are, up to 5 minutes longer. Drain cooked potatoes and corn (if using) in a fine-mesh sieve; return to pot.
Step 3
Peel eggs and add to pot with potatoes. Using a potato masher or fork, smash eggs and potatoes until broken up into small, irregular pieces (exact size doesn’t matter).
Step 4
Drain vegetables in same sieve, squeezing fistfuls very hard to remove excess liquid. Add to potato mixture along with ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar, 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. yellow mustard (such as French’s), and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; mix well with a rubber spatula to combine (potatoes will break up further and become creamy). Taste and season with more salt if needed. Transfer potato salad to an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour, before serving.
Do ahead: Salad can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Leave a Review
Reviews (14)
Back to TopGreat potato salad. Made it to go with some Korean fried chicken, but it would be at home at any BBQ. Used Kewpie mayo. Didn't have yellow mustard and used brown, and it was still very tasty. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly.
Tim
Monroe, WA
3/15/2024
I served this at a 4th of July cookout and wow. Just delicious. The cucumbers give it and unex[ected, wonderful flavor. Refrigerate at least 8 hours to make sure it is icy cold. The sweetness becomes less obvious when it has plenty of time to rest and chill.
Hilary C
Red Oak TX
7/5/2023
Great combination of flavors, textures and a little bite.
Tom Butler
Roanoke
7/4/2023
Guests licked the bowl clean. Ridiculously delicious. I used a mix of Hellmann’s and Kewpie, and used frozen corn that I popped in with the potatoes at the last minute of boiling.
Anonymous
Greenwood Village, CO
7/4/2023
Really good! I liked the creaminess of the potatoes and eggs, combined with the crunch. Just enough mayo and mustard to give it enough body but not overwhelming.
skm
Kentucky
6/29/2023
It's a tiny bit more work than my mom's potato salad, but my family liked it better. Great textures, flavor pops, and good balance of acid, salt, fat, and sweet.
Nell N.
Austin, TX
6/29/2023
I've made a similar version - for more acidity add kimchi/kimchi liquid, subbed traditional mayo for Kewpie, and dusted it with gochugaru. Top with scallion.
Matt
Portland, OR
6/28/2023
Needs a little beet juice to make it pink. That's how many bbq restaurants in Korea serve it
Barcher
NYC
6/27/2023