You’ll often find versions of this potato salad served as a cold appetizer in northern Chinese home kitchens and casual restaurants. It’s simple, quick to make, and relies on technique rather than a long ingredient list. It’s one of my mom’s favorite dishes and she makes it very often for dinner, often with congee and braised dishes. It creates contrast in texture and lightens up the meal. I’ve been eating it since childhood, and now make it in my New York kitchen when I crave something hearty that reminds me of home.
What makes this potato salad special is texture. The potatoes are briefly cooked, just long enough to soften slightly while staying crisp, then rinsed to remove the excess starch. The final dish is light and snappy, not starchy or heavy.
The seasoning is equally restrained but powerful: raw garlic, salt, and sizzling oil bloomed with Sichuan peppercorns and chilies. When the hot oil hits the garlic, it releases an irresistible aroma that coats every strand of potato.
If you like potatoes and want to learn a new way to cook with them, you can’t miss this recipe!
Ingredients
You only need four ingredients to make this dish:
- Potato: I used Yukon gold in my recipe, but red potatoes work as well. Both yield a light and crisp texture.
- Garlic: It’s the main seasoning of the dish, giving the potato a bold flavor.
- Sichuan Peppercorn: It’s a key ingredient to infuse the oil, giving it a savory fragrance and numbing tingling sensation.
- Chili Pepper: Another ingredient to infuse the oil, making it lightly smoky with a hint of spiciness.
How to cut the potatoes
The most time consuming part is cutting the potatoes into thin threads. You might be tempted to use a mandoline to speed up the process, but I highly recommend cutting by hand instead. When cutting with a knife, the potato will stay firm and create a more resilient bite. On the other hand, potatoes cut with a mandoline become very soft and collapse easily. For a dish that emphasizes texture, hand cutting is key for the best result.
- To cut the potato, I like to slice off a thin piece from a flat-ish side, then place that side down onto the cutting board. This step stabilizes the potato, so it doesn’t roll around when you slice it.
- Then I slice the potato thinly into rounds that’re about 1/8” (3-mm) thick.
- Stack the rounds and further slice them into 1/8” (3-mm) thick match sticks.
Once I slice the potatoes, I like to soak them in cold tap water to remove excess starch. This step further helps the potatoes crisp up after boiling.
How to make
1. Blanch the potatoes very briefly, for 1 to 2 minutes. You should taste the potatoes during the cooking. As soon as they turn just tender and still crisp, drain them immediately and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
2. Dry the potatoes. Drain the potatoes. You can set them aside to dry until you’re ready to finish cooking. If you proceed to the next step immediately, I would use paper towels to pat the potatoes dry, so the salad won’t turn watery.
3. Add the seasonings. Place the potatoes in a big bowl, add the garlic in the center and sprinkle with salt.
4. Infuse the oil. Heat up the oil and cook the ground Sichuan peppercorns and chili pepper. You should see a gentle sizzle and smell a very fragrant aroma. When the chili pepper starts to turn dark red, immediately remove the pan from the stove.
5. Finish up the salad. Once the oil is infused, immediately pour it over the garlic, so the hot oil briefly cooks the garlic to reduce the pungent raw taste. Mix everything together.
How to serve
Chinese potato salad is a cold appetizer that is usually served at the beginning of a meal or as a side dish along with other main dishes.
When my mom serves it, she often pairs it with chicken congee, braised pork ribs, and stir fried bok choy. It makes a hearty and satisfying dinner that’s full of color and texture. It also pairs beautifully with dumplings and you can serve it as an appetizer for your dumpling party.
If you make a big batch of the salad, you can store it in the fridge for up to two days.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a mandoline instead of a knife to julienne the potatoes?
Yes, you can, but the texture will be different. Mandoline-cut potatoes are thinner and more uniform, so they cook faster and tend to soften more easily. For the best crunch, use a slightly thicker setting to slice the potatoes into rounds, then use a knife to cut them into thin strands.
Can I add vinegar to this salad?
Yes. A small splash of Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar adds brightness and is common in some regional variations. Add it after mixing the potatoes with the hot oil.
How spicy is Chinese potato salad?
It’s mild to medium, depending on the chilies used and if you included the seeds. Removing the chili seeds significantly reduces the heat. You can also reduce the number of dried chilies for a milder dish.
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Chinese Potato Salad (土豆沙拉)
Ingredients
- 2 (300 g) Yukon potatoes, julienned , julienned
- 2 cloves garlic , grated
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground Sichuan peppercorn
- 2 dried chili peppers , broken into 2 to 3 pieces (remove seeds for a less spicy taste)
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add potato, then boil until the potato is cooked through, but still crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste along the process, and stop cooking as soon as the potatoes turn tender but are still crisp.
- Drain potato and rinse with cold water, to remove the starch and maintain a firm texture. Drain and transfer potato to a large bowl. Pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess water.
- Add garlic to potato, and sprinkle salt on top.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a small pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking hot, add ground peppercorn and chili pepper, stir a few times to release fragrance. Then immediately pour the hot oil over the garlic on the potato, and use two pairs of chopsticks to mix everything together to coat the potato evenly with oil and salt when the oil is still hot. Taste the dish and more salt if needed. Serve as an appetizer or side dish.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! Please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating ⭐️ and share your thoughts in the comments further down the page. It really helps others discover the recipe too.
Kat
Too much garlic, not enough salt. I like the technique but it needs more
CM
I visited China and enjoyed this salad/side at a banquet luncheon. I am so happy to have found an easy recipe! I made it and it’s very good. Authentic.