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Korean Potato Salad (Gamja Salad)

Korean potato salad (gamja salad) with creamy sweet mashed potatoes, crunchy vegetables, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Cubed russet potatoes are boiled until very tender, then roughly mashed for a thick, scoopable texture before chilling.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes and vegetables
  • 3 lb russet potatoes
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 cucumber
  • 0.5 cup corn kernels
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
Dressing
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Boil and mash the potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the peeled and cubed russet potatoes, and boil until very tender, about 15–20 minutes. The potatoes should break apart easily when pierced with a fork.
  2. Drain the potatoes well, then mash them roughly (not completely smooth). Leave some small chunks so the salad stays creamy but textured.
Blanch the carrots
  1. Blanch the diced carrots in boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain thoroughly. The carrots should be bright and still slightly firm.
Mix the salad base
  1. In a large bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, carrots, cucumber, corn kernels, and chopped hard-boiled eggs. Stir gently so the eggs are distributed without turning the salad watery.
Make and combine the dressing
  1. In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sugar, rice vinegar, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust salt/pepper as needed.
  2. Fold the dressing into the potato mixture until evenly coated. The salad should look creamy and lightly glossy with visible vegetable pieces.
Chill
  1. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Chilling thickens the texture and helps the flavors meld, so it should scoop and cling to the spoon.

Notes

For clean flavor and best texture, dry the boiled potatoes well after draining so the salad doesn’t loosen. Refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days; freeze not recommended because the cucumber and potatoes can become watery. For a lighter option, swap part or all of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt (keep the sweet-tang balance with the same sugar and rice vinegar).