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Japanese potato salad is yet another Japanese adaptation of a western dish that they’ve made uniquely their own. You’ll see this potato salad served as a small side dish (sometimes almost as a garnish) in the dinner or lunch box, in a bento box or on the dinner entrée plate.
What makes it Japanese? I suppose it could be the Japanese mayonnaise that’s used that makes it officially “Japanese”. Japanese mayonnaise makes everything tastes better – even simple potato salad. I’ve used regular mayonnaise on a pinch and it still turns out pretty good, although I do compensate by add a little bit of Ajinomoto.
What makes it consistently unique are the main ingredients. Ham and cucumbers are the ingredients found in almost every Japanese potato salad. It’s always creamy, a little vinegary and it’s served cold.
While the end products tend to all taste fairly similar, surprisingly there are many slight variations to this recipe. But this recipe is how my mom used to make it, which I think, as always, is an ingenious way to make it taste so good! It adds a depth to the flavor without a bunch of additional ingredients.
My mom’s secret ingredient
Instead of straight vinegar, she uses Italian salad dressing and flavors the potatoes with it while they are hot. I’m biased, of course, but I think this is the secret ingredient that makes this ‘the best’ Japanese potato salad recipe out there! Use your favorite Italian salad dressing for this recipe. My favorite though is the Italian salad dressing made with Good Seasons Salad Dressing Mix. It’s not overly vinegary like many store-bought bottles of Italian salad dressing. It’s usually my go-to salad dressing as well as a great marinade!
Additional ingredient ideas
Japanese potato salads are always simple, no need for any fancy ingredients. But you could also add thinly sliced carrots or celery for extra crunch. Or add hard-boiled eggs, canned corn, frozen peas, scallions or shelled edamame for different colors and flavors. If you do add additional ingredients, you may need to add more mayo to adjust the consistency and taste. I’ve tried additional ingredients, but I always come back to my simple trifecta – ham, cucumbers and onion.
Japanese Potato Salad Sandwich
In our household, I have to make extra just so that there’s some leftovers for the next day or two. A great way to eat the leftover potato salad is on a sandwich. Simply put it between lightly buttered toasted bread, add a slice of cheese, lettuce, sliced tomato, and/or mustard if you’d like, then serve. It’s makes a delicious and satisfying lunch or snack.
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Creamy and crunch Japanese potato salad made with Japanese mayonnaise, ham and cucumbers. Add Italian dressing to boost the flavor!
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 medium Russet potatoes
- 2 tbsp Italian salad dressing
- 1 1/2 cups English cucumbers, seeded and partially peeled
- 1/4 cup white onion, thinly sliced about 1/4 small onion
- 3 – 4 slices ham
- 5 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise or regular mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Peel and cut the potatoes into about 1 inch cubes. Place the potatoes in a deep pot or saucepan, cover with water and bring it to a boil. Turn it down to a simmer, and let the potatoes cook for about 15 – 20 minutes. The potatoes are done when they can be easily pierced by a knife or a fork.
Drain the potatoes and put them back in the saucepan over medium heat for a minute or two to let the excess moisture evaporate. Don't let the potatoes burn and when the edges of the potatoes start to have the white powdery look they are done! Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl, drizzle the Italian salad dressing over the hot potatoes and mix.
While the potatoes cook, cut up ham into small strips. Seed and partially peel the cucumbers (leaving some green peel for color) then thinly slice them.
Slice the onion thinly and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Massage the salted onions and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Rinse with water then squeeze the washed onions.
Let the potatoes cool just a few minutes. Then add the ham, cucumbers, onion and mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to adjust taste. Mix well until everything is coated in mayonnaise. Potatoes should be nice and creamy by this time!
Refrigerate before serving.
Keyword cucumbers, ham, potato salad
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