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This is the best Potato Salad! It’s made with various potatoes and tossed with hard-boiled egg and bacon, then with a creamy and tangy mayo-based dressing.
Easy Potato Salad Recipe
There is no summer side dish quite as classic as a creamy potato salad. And this one is a favorite! It’s made with just a few simple ingredients, but is loaded full of all of the best flavors and textures.
We’ve got three types of potato boiled to perfection, then tossed with salty and crispy bacon bits, hard-boiled egg, and fresh scallion. All of that deliciousness is doused in a dressing made with mayonnaise, spicy mustard, and more.
This potato salad recipe takes just 10 minutes to prep and can be served with anything! Enjoy it with an easy at-home dinner, take it to your next potluck or BBQ, or eat it is a snack any time! It’s so good!
Ingredients Needed
This really is the best potato salad. It’s packed full of simple ingredients that create a mouthwatering combination of flavors and textures! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Potatoes: I like to use a mix of purple, Yukon gold, and sweet potatoes for this recipe. You can also just buy a mixed bag in the store!
- Dressing: Our creamy dressing is a combination of mayo, grainy mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and coconut sugar or maple sugar.
- Bacon: The smoky, salty crunch of bacon contrasts the creamy dressing and soft potato perfectly.
- Scallions: Fresh scallions add the perfect bite of fresh flavor.
- Hard-Boiled Eggs: Chopped hard-boiled eggs are a delicious way to add some extra protein to your potato salad.
How to Make Potato Salad
This easy potato salad recipe takes just a few minutes to throw together once your ingredients are prepped.
- Boil the potatoes: In a large pot, bring water to a boil, then add in potatoes. Cook until fork tender, then drain, rinse with cold water, and pat dry.
- Cook the eggs and bacon: While the potatoes are cooking, hard-boil your eggs and cook the bacon as desired.
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.
- Combine and serve: In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and the dressing until fully coated. Add in the bacon, egg, and scallions, toss to combine, then serve.
Ways To Cook Bacon
My two favorite ways to make bacon are to make Air Fryer Bacon or Bacon in the Oven!
What Are the Best Potatoes for Potato Salad?
In general, waxier potatoes are best for potato salad, because they hold their shape better.
For this recipe, I like to use a mix of potato varieties—purple potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, and sweet potatoes. The purple and Yukon gold potatoes are both waxy varieties. The sweet potatoes are not considered a waxy potato, but they do add a delicious flavor and softer texture to the salad.
How Long Do You Boil Potatoes for Potato Salad?
That depends on the size of the potatoes you use. I use baby potatoes and usually plan for 15-20 minutes of boiling time to make sure they’re cooked all the way through.
The best way to check them is to use a fork. If the fork easily pierces through the potatoes, then they’re good to go. If there’s any resistance, they need more time.
Tips and Notes
- Potatoes: I use baby potatoes for this recipe, so I don’t chop them. If you’re using regular potatoes, you will want to chop them into smaller pieces before boiling.
- Rinse the potatoes after cooking. Cook the potatoes, then give them a good rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool them off.
- Hard-boiled egg: To hard-boil your eggs, you can use my instant pot hard-boiled egg method, boil them on the stove, or steam them.
- To steam the eggs, place 1 inch of water in a pot. Place a steamer insert into the pot, then cover and bring the water to a boil. Add the eggs, cover again, and cook for 6-11 minutes (less if you like soft-boiled and more for hard-boiled). Once cooked, remove and place the eggs immediately into a bowl of ice cold water. Once chilled, peel, chop, and serve.
- Bacon: You can cook the bacon on the stove, in the oven, or in the air fryer!
Serving Suggestions
There are plenty of delicious meals you can enjoy with your potato salad side dish! Here are a few favorites:
- My Family’s Favorite Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Pork Chops
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Air Fryer Salmon or My Favorite Salmon Burgers
- Dry-Rub Grilled Wings
- Moroccan Chicken Burgers
How Long Does Potato Salad Last?
Store this potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Keep in mind that the longer it sits, the softer the bacon will get. If you prefer crispier bacon, then store it separately and add it just before serving!
Can You Freeze Potato Salad?
I don’t recommend it. While technically it can be frozen safely, the mayonnaise dressing becomes watery when thawed.
More Summer BBQ Side Dishes to Try
Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds mixed potatoes purple potatoes, Yukon gold, sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup mayo homemade or store-bought
- 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut palm sugar or maple sugar
- 4 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 2 hard-boiled eggs roughly chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes. Boil for about 15-20 minutes, until fork-tender.
- While the potatoes are boiling, make the hard-boiled eggs and cook the bacon. Once cooled, chop into small pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sugar.
- Once the potatoes are done boiling, rinse with cold water, pat dry, and transfer to a large bowl. Pour the mayo mixture over the potatoes and gently toss to coat.
- Top with bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and chopped scallions. Serve immediately or chilled in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Hard-boiled egg: To hard-boil your eggs, you can use my instant pot hard-boiled egg method, boil them on the stove, or steam them.
- Bacon: You can cook the bacon on the stove, in the oven, or in the air fryer!
Sooo yummy! Loved the mustard and apple cider vinegar in the dressing. The bacon and scallions also gave it good flavor and crunch. Will definitely make this again!