No-Mayo Potato Salad – Chelsea’s Messy Apron

No-Mayo Potato Salad is a tangy, flavorful salad without any dairy or mayo! We combine baby potatoes with corn in a lemon-Dijon-herb vinaigrette.

We love potato salads! Try our original creamy Potato Salad or this bacon-packed Ranch Potato Salad the next time you’re craving something creamy!

No-Mayo Potato Salad

If you’ve followed along on this site for any length of time, you probably know I adore mayonnaise. And, I seriously love a good mayo-filled potato salad (is it even summertime without one?!).

That said, sometimes I’m feeling like something a bit lighter, fresher, and more vibrant tasting. And that’s where this No-Mayo Potato Salad comes in! It fulfills all the cravings for a summertime potato salad, but delivers unique flavors that are nothing short of spectacular! The herby-Dijon dressing packs a punch of flavor and pairs beautifully with the tender potatoes and crisp sweet corn. 

Corn Options

There are several different options for preparing the corn for this potato salad recipe with no mayo:

1. Use frozen corn, prepared like this: Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until very hot. Place corn in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once in between or until browned. Avoid stirring too often as this will keep the corn from getting a good roast. Once nicely charred, remove from skillet onto a plate to let cool before adding to the salad.
2. Grill fresh corn on the cob until lightly charred all over. To grill corn: Peel back the husks and remove the silk. Rub vegetable or olive oil on all sides of the corn and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place on a heated grill (400-450 degrees F) and rotate every 3-4 minutes or until charred and corn is easily pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes total. (This also works on a grill pan!) Once grilled, cut the kernels off the cob and let cool before adding to the salad.
3. Buy roasted canned corn (near regular canned corn in the grocery store). Drain and add.
4. Buy regular canned corn and roast it for a few minutes on the stovetop. Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until very hot. Drain corn and place in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once in between or until browned. Avoid stirring too often as this will keep the corn from getting a good roast. Once nicely charred, remove from the skillet onto a plate to cool before adding to the salad.

Let’s Talk Potatoes

• We highly recommend baby potatoes — they’re the most enjoyable to eat and ensure the dressing can coat every bit of this salad perfectly! We like getting a bag with a variety of colors– they deliver slightly different flavors as well as being nice visually!
• For this No Mayo Potato Salad, we steam the potatoes to fork tender. I love this steamer basket, but if you don’t have one, here’s a great article on how to “hack” one.
• Make the potatoes in advance. While this salad isn’t a major time drain, it may take longer than you might think. The potatoes take a good amount of time to prepare, cook, and cool enough for the salad. Allow plenty of time so the salad isn’t rushed. 

What Is A Good Substitute For Mayonnaise In Potato Salad?

An herby dDjon vinaigrette! This dressing is the perfect complement to the potatoes and corn in this healthy potato salad. It’s bright, fresh, and very tangy. If you love Dijon mustard, you will be obsessed!

Here’s a quick breakdown of the ingredients for this Potato Salad (No Mayo):

• Fresh herbs. The herbs are what make this salad. The combination of three (parsley, chives, basil) is a game changer for flavor!
• Dijon mustard. We love Grey Poupon® Dijon best. Make sure to use Dijon, not yellow mustard. 
• Lemon juice. This ingredient makes the flavors pop. Be sure to use fresh lemon, not bottled for the best flavor.

No-Mayo Potato Salad Dressing Ingredients (Continued)

• Apple cider vinegar. This variety of vinegar adds even more tang to the salad.
• Honey. The honey helps to balance the tanginess — add more if you find the flavors too intense.
• Olive oil. We recommend extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. Better oil = better flavor.
• Salt and pepper. Every dressing needs salt and pepper, and this vinaigrette is no exception. Add to taste preference, and keep in mind just the smallest addition can really make flavors pop!

More Potato Lovin’:

No-Mayo Potato Salad

No-Mayo Potato Salad is a tangy, flavorful salad without any dairy or mayo! We combine baby potatoes with corn in a lemon-Dijon-herb vinaigrette.

No-Mayo Potato Salad

No-Mayo Potato Salad is a tangy, flavorful salad without any dairy or mayo! We combine baby potatoes with corn in a lemon-Dijon-herb vinaigrette.

Instructions

• COOK POTATOES: Fill a large pot with about an inch of water. Add a steamer insert, cover, bring to a boil, and then add the washed and halved potatoes on top. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes depending on their size. Remove from the pot. Add to a large bowl and let cool completely (I pop ’em in the fridge).

• COOK CORN: Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until hot. Place frozen corn in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once in between or until browned. Avoid stirring too often as this will keep the corn from getting a good roast. Once nicely charred, remove from skillet and dump on top of the potatoes to let cool. (See Note 2 for directions using canned or fresh corn.)

• DRESSING: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper (I add 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper). Whisk until smooth and emulsified. Once the potatoes and corn are completely cooled, pour dressing over all and toss gently to combine. Taste and adjust salad, and seasoning to personal preference (add salt until flavors sing!) Enjoy!

• STORAGE: Leftover potato salad will stay fresh (properly stored) for 3-4 days, but we do like it best on day 1. (The potatoes will continue to absorb the dressing, getting drier each day).

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Potatoes: We love a mix of potato varieties best! Make sure to get baby/small potatoes for this salad! Halve small ones and quarter slightly larger ones. For this recipe, we steam the potatoes to fork tender. I love this steamer basket (affiliate), but if you don’t have one, here’s a great article on how to “hack” one.
Note 2: Corn: There are several ways to prepare the corn, depending on what type of corn you have.

1. Use frozen corn, prepared like this: Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until very hot. Place corn in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once in between or until browned. Avoid stirring too often as this will keep the corn from getting a good roast. Once nicely charred, remove from skillet onto a plate to let cool before adding to the salad.
2. Grill fresh corn on the cob until lightly charred all over. To grill corn: Peel back the husks and remove the silk. Rub vegetable or olive oil on all sides of the corn and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place on a heated grill (400-450 degrees F) and rotate every 3-4 minutes or until charred and corn is easily pierced with a fork, about 12 minutes total. (This also works on a grill pan!) Once grilled, cut the kernels off the cob and let cool before adding to the salad.
3. Buy roasted canned corn (near regular canned corn in the grocery store). Drain and add.
4. Buy regular canned corn and roast it for a few minutes on the stovetop. Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until very hot. Drain corn and place in a single layer and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring once in between or until browned. Avoid stirring too often as this will keep the corn from getting a good roast. Once nicely charred, remove from the skillet onto a plate to cool before adding to the salad.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1.7g | Fat: 5.6g | Sodium: 401.7mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 2.8g

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.