Creamy Cucumber Dill Potato Salad

This creamy cucumber dill potato salad is cool, tangy, and stupidly easy to throw together — perfect for cookouts, potlucks, or a lazy Sunday lunch.

Creamy cucumber dill potato salad is a cold side dish made with tender boiled potatoes, crisp diced cucumber, and a tangy sour cream and mayonnaise dressing loaded with fresh dill. This recipe serves 6 to 8 people, delivers a cool, tangy bite with just enough crunch from the cucumber, and is perfect for cookouts, potlucks, and make-ahead weeknight dinners.

Here’s everything you need to make it perfectly.

I’ve brought this to more backyard cookouts than I can count, and it’s always the bowl that gets scraped clean first. The dill and cucumber keep it tasting fresh instead of heavy, which is exactly what you want sitting out on a picnic table in July.

Why You’ll Love This Cucumber Dill Potato Salad

It’s cool and creamy without being heavy, thanks to swapping some of the mayo for sour cream or Greek yogurt. The cucumber adds a crunch you don’t get in a standard potato salad, and the fresh dill makes it taste like something you’d get at a farmers market stand.

It comes together with basic pantry staples, needs zero fancy equipment, and actually tastes better the next day. Whether you’re feeding a crowd at a barbecue or just want a solid side for grilled chicken, this one fits right in with our other summer picnic side salads and pasta salads.

What Ingredients Do You Need for Cucumber Dill Potato Salad?

Ingredient Group	Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Main Ingredients	Small red or Yukon Gold potatoes	2 lbs	Scrubbed, cut into 1-inch pieces
Main Ingredients	English cucumber	1 large	Peeled, seeded, diced
Main Ingredients	Red onion	1/4 cup, diced	Optional
Creamy Dill Dressing	Mayonnaise	1/2 cup	—
Creamy Dill Dressing	Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt	1/4 cup	—
Creamy Dill Dressing	Fresh dill, chopped	2 tablespoons	—
Creamy Dill Dressing	Apple cider vinegar	1 tablespoon	—
Creamy Dill Dressing	Dijon mustard	1 teaspoon	—
Creamy Dill Dressing	Salt	1/2 teaspoon	Or to taste
Creamy Dill Dressing	Black pepper	1/4 teaspoon	Or to taste

Yukon Gold potatoes hold their shape better than russets, which matters a lot here since nobody wants mushy potato salad. Fresh dill is non-negotiable in this recipe — dried dill just doesn’t give you that same bright, grassy flavor. If you’re watching richness, swapping the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt keeps this creamy potato salad with dill just as tangy but a little lighter.

How to Make Cucumber Dill Potato Salad Step by Step

Cook the Potatoes

1. Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt.
2. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Cook the potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, about 10-15 minutes.

💡 Start checking your potatoes at the 10-minute mark — every stove runs a little different, and overcooked potatoes turn to mush fast.

Pro Tip: Salting the boiling water seasons the potatoes from the inside out, so don’t skip it even if you’re seasoning the dressing separately.

4. Drain the potatoes thoroughly.
5. Let them cool for 10-15 minutes in the colander.

Make the Dressing

6. While the potatoes cool, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), fresh dill, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl.

💡 Whisk the dressing while the potatoes are still warm-ish in the colander — it saves you a step and one less bowl to wash.

Assemble the Salad

7. In a large bowl, combine the cooled potatoes, diced cucumber, and red onion, if using.
8. Pour the dressing over the potato mixture and gently fold until everything is coated.
9. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
10. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors meld. Serve chilled.

Pro Tip: This potato salad genuinely tastes better after a full hour in the fridge, so resist the urge to serve it right away if you can help it.

Expert Tips for Perfect Creamy Cucumber Dill Potato Salad

Pro Tips for Success

The key to a creamy potato salad with dill that doesn’t get watery is making sure your cucumber is properly seeded and your potatoes are fully cooled before you add the dressing. For best results, cut your potatoes into uniform 1-inch pieces so they all finish cooking at the same time — I learned this one the hard way after ending up with a pot of half-mush, half-underdone potatoes.

The most common mistake is dressing the potatoes while they’re still hot, which breaks down the mayo and leaves you with an oily, separated salad — instead, let them cool fully first. This easy potato salad recipe works best when you use fresh dill instead of dried, since the flavor is noticeably brighter and more fragrant. English cucumber is worth seeking out here because it has fewer seeds and a thinner skin than a regular cucumber, so you get crunch without excess water.

Delicious Variations

Healthy Version: Swap the full 1/2 cup of mayonnaise for all Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to cut down on fat while keeping the tang. It’s a small change that makes this dill potato salad recipe feel a little lighter without losing that creamy texture.

Alternative Ingredients: No apple cider vinegar on hand? White vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice works in a pinch and gives a similar tang. You can also swap the red onion for thinly sliced green onion if you want a milder bite, or check out our cucumber tomato herb salad if you want another cool, herby side.

Quick Version: Use pre-cooked or microwaved baby potatoes to skip the boiling step entirely. It shaves a good 15-20 minutes off your prep time when you’re short on time before a cookout.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Problem: The potato salad turned out watery. Solution: This usually means the cucumber wasn’t seeded well enough or the potatoes weren’t drained and cooled completely before mixing — pat both dry with a paper towel next time.

Problem: The dressing tastes bland. Solution: Add a little extra salt, a splash more vinegar, or another pinch of fresh dill — the flavors mellow out after chilling, so taste again right before serving.

Problem: The potatoes fell apart when mixing. Solution: You likely boiled them a bit too long or stirred too aggressively — next time pull them at the first sign of fork-tenderness and fold gently instead of stirring.

How to Store and Reheat Creamy Cucumber Dill Potato Salad

Storage Method	Duration	Best Practice
Room Temperature	2 hours max	Don’t leave it out longer, especially in warm weather
Refrigerator	3-4 days	Store in an airtight container
Freezer	Not recommended	Mayo-based dressing separates when thawed

This is a cold salad, so there’s no reheating involved — just take it straight from the fridge to the table. If it looks a little dry after a day or two in the fridge, stir in a spoonful of mayo or sour cream to bring the creaminess back. Leftovers are great scooped onto a sandwich, folded into a wrap with grilled chicken, or eaten straight out of the container standing at the fridge — no judgment here.

FAQs About Creamy Cucumber Dill Potato Salad

Honestly, this potato salad has earned its spot as my go-to cookout side, and I mean that. Give it a try, pin it so you don’t lose the recipe, and let me know in the comments how yours turns out — I genuinely want to hear if you tweaked anything. If you’re building out a full spread, our dill pickle potato salad and loaded baked potato salad are worth a look too.

Creamy cucumber dill potato salad — cool, tangy, and loaded with fresh dill flavor in every bite. This easy make-ahead side is perfect for cookouts, potlucks, and summer dinners. Pin it now and save it for your next backyard barbecue!