Best Potato Salad Recipe {with bacon and pickles}

Name: Best Potato Salad Recipe {with bacon and pickles}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 6 side servings
Ingredients: 2 lbs baby red potatoes (-scrubbed clean and cut into bite-sized chunks); 2 eggs (-roughly chopped); 6 oz bacon (-few slices. Reserve a little for garnish (optional)); 1/2 cup pickle (-chopped); 1/2 cup cheese (-cut into small cubes (I used marble)); 3-4 stalks green onion (-chopped, plus a little for garnish (optional)); 2/3 cup light mayo; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 2 tbsp cider vinegar; 1 tsp dried dill; 3/4 tsp salt (-plus more for water when boiling potatoes); 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1/4 tsp cayenne; 1/4 tsp onion powder; 1/4 tsp garlic powder

June 28, 2018 Updated: April 23, 2019 By Dawn Coombs 32 Comments

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Looking for an awesome salad to bring to a summer bbq? Look no further! This is the best potato salad recipe (if you ask me!) Chunks of baby red potato are mixed with loads of crispy bacon, crunchy pickle, cheese, chopped egg and a few other ingredients. This deliciousness is then tossed in a creamy mixture made with mayo, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar and dill. Sounds good, right? This one will disappear fast!

The Best Potato Salad = Simple, Tasty Ingredients. So, What Goes in Potato Salad?

What makes for the best potato salad? Simple, tasty ingredients. Nothing complicated and I like that. This recipe is like a classic potato salad amped up. It has a few extra ingredients than you may normally find, but nothing complicated and probably ingredients you already have on hand. I always say that good food doesn’t have to be complicated, just tasty. Once you make this easy potato salad recipe, there’s no going back – it’ll be your go-to!

At its core, it includes –

Potatoes (obviously)
Mayo
Salt
Pepper

Then, if you really want to make your salad extra special throw in some yummy add ins like –

Crispy bacon
Chopped boiled egg
Cheddar cheese
Pickle (so good)
Green onion
A few other seasonings, like dill and cayenne

What’s the Best Potato for Potato Salad?

I love to use red baby potatoes for homemade potato salad. They have thin skins and are not too starchy. And because they are thin-skinned, I always love to leave the skin on (actually, usually for all potato recipes I do that). I enjoy the little bit of texture its gives. Just make sure the potatoes are scrubbed clean and picked over before using.

Another reason why I love using baby red potatoes in this salad is because when they are boiled, they retain their shape well, which is exactly what you want when making a chunky potato salad. Nobody want mushy, broken up tatos, do they? Red potato salad – yep! That’s the way to go!

Though I am using ‘baby’ red potatoes in this potato salad, I do cut some of them, depending on their size. Like with any produce, there are variations in size, with some potatoes being smaller or larger. The larger ones I cut into chunks, the itsy bitsy ones, I left whole. Just make sure that they are bite-sized and all about the same so that when the potatoes cook, they cook evenly.

Steps to Making this Red Potato Salad Recipe

Boil clean, cut, red baby potatoes. Drain, rinse, dry.
Boil eggs.
Cook bacon until crisp. Remove excess grease
Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Drizzle over dill infused dressing and stir to combine.
Garnish with extra bacon and green onion, if desired.
Dig in!

Can You Make Potato Salad the Day Before? Does Potato Salad Need to Be Refrigerated?

Yes and yes! Just store in the fridge, covered. I made this salad the day before a family get together and it tasted just as good the next day as it did the day of.

How Long Does Potato Salad Last?

This salad is best enjoyed within 3-4 days, though, I don’t think that will be a problem – after all, this is the best potato salad recipe 😉 After that, toss it.

Tips for Making this the BEST Potato Salad

Red baby potatoes are the best choice in this salad.
If you can’t find or don’t have baby potatoes, no worries! Just use the regular sized ones and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Don’t overcook your potatoes. Start with a pot of cold water, add potatoes, bring to a boil, salt and cook for 8-10 minutes or until fork tender. If they are overcooked, it will be too mushy and nobody wants that!
After the potatoes are cooked, I always drain and rinse with cold water. I then place on a tea towel lined baking sheet and allow the potatoes to dry out a little before adding the rest of the salad ingredients and dressing.
If you want your salad less or more ‘wet’ from the dressing, then simply omit or add mayo, about a tablespoon or so at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency. It’s always easier to add than to take away.
I always like to reserve a little bacon and green onion for garnish to give this potato salad a pop of colour.
Want this potato salad to be straight up vegetarian? Just omit the bacon.

Next time when you’re asked to take a dish to a potluck or bbq this recipe will be your go-to. I know it’s mine!

Don’t ya just want to grab that lil’ tato from your screen?

What Goes with Potato Salad?

Hope you try this iconic summer salad! It’s really good! I’m kinda hopin’ you guys will think it’s the best potato salad you ever put in your pie hole too 😉

To all my fellow Canadian friends who will be celebrating Canada Day on July 1st, HAPPY CANADA DAY!!! Hope it’s filled with fun, friends and good eats!

Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon 🙂

~Dawn

An easy potato salad recipe with bacon and green onion alongside some red baby potatoes.

5 from 10 votes