Best Ever Potato Salad
This BEST EVER Potato Salad (with bacon!) is straight from grandma’s recipe box! It is easy, creamy, and loaded with bacon, and a secret ingredient in the dressing puts it over the top. It converted me to being a potato salad lover! Please don't go through the entire summer without making this at least once!
Why You’ll Love This Potato Salad with Bacon
I long disliked potato salad because of how over-the-top mayonnaise-y it typically is. That is, until this recipe. It was life-changing, and I am so happy to share the recipe with you!
This recipe comes from a friend's grandmother, and on the recipe card she gave me it is titled "Best Ever Potato Salad". A bold statement and one that always gives me pause, but it is absolutely, 100% warranted in this case.
First, I tend to trust old family recipes over others; second, the grandma was confident enough to call it the best; and lastly, it has a secret ingredient that takes it over the top. Well-deserved!
Ingredients
This classic potato salad relies upon these basic ingredients:
- Red Potatoes – You can substitute Yukon gold potatoes; both hold their shape really well in potato salad.
- Bacon – Regular sliced bacon is perfect!
- Hard-Boiled Eggs – A classic potato salad add-in.
- Celery – For crunch and flavor!
- Onion – A small yellow onion; you can substitute a shallot.
- Mayonnaise – This is the base of the dressing. You can substitute all or part with either sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. These will both impart more of a tangy flavor, but will still work well here.
- Dijon Mustard – Adds a little bite to the dressing.
- Sugar – Classic granulated sugar for a little sweetness in the dressing.
Many potato salad recipes call for vinegar of some type in the dressing, but the Dijon mustard here does a great job of adding tang and acid and goes incredibly well with the creaminess of the mayonnaise and the sweetness of the sugar.
The Secret Ingredient that Makes This Potato Salad THE BEST
The bacon drippings!
Along with all of the great ingredients that give this salad a great depth of flavor and lots of texture, the dressing on this potato salad is what makes it insanely special.
After frying up the bacon, you save a couple of tablespoons of the bacon drippings and whisk in a modest amount of mayonnaise, some Dijon mustard, a bit of sugar, and a smidge of salt.
It is ah-mazing. The flavor is robust, not terribly mayonnaise-y (a huge bonus in my book), and a perfect accent to all the flavors and textures in the salad.
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How to Make This Potato Salad
First things first… if you haven’t hard-boiled your eggs yet, do that first so they have time to cool down before being added to the potato salad. Then…
- Boil the potatoes until they are fork-tender, then drain.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Drain off the bacon drippings, reserving a couple of tablespoons.
- Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the skillet and whisk to combine.
- Toss together the potatoes, eggs, celery, and green pepper. Pour the dressing over and stir to coat, then gently mix in the bacon.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
Making it Ahead of Time
Potato salad is the perfect candidate for making in advance! You can safely (and easily) make this potato salad up to 1 day in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator before serving.
I have served this to people who claim to hate potato salad because of the mayonnaise factor. I have also served it to people who claim that they only like their mom's/grandma's/aunt's recipe and no others.
All of these people? They have tripped over themselves raving about this recipe, declaring it the best ever potato salad they've ever had.
If You Like This Potato Salad Recipe, Try These Summery Salads:
- Chinese Coleslaw
- Loaded Baked Potato Salad
- Thai Peanut Cabbage Slaw
- Seven Layer Salad
- Broccoli Salad
Watch the Recipe Video:
If you make this potato salad recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Best Ever Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds red potatoes, cut into small cubes (about 4 cups)
- 12 ounce package bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¾ cup (170 g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ medium green pepper, finely diced
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. (If you're not sure how to boil the potatoes, this is a good resource.) Drain the potatoes and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the skillet and remove the pan from heat.
- Add the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and salt to the reserved bacon drippings in the skillet and whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion and green pepper. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and gently stir to evenly coat. Stir in the bacon.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Potatoes: You can substitute Yukon gold potatoes; they also hold their shape well in potato salad.
- Onion: You can use one shallot in place of the chopped onion.
- Mayonnaise: You can substitute all or part with sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. These will both impart more of a tangy flavor but will still work.
- Storage: Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare this potato salad and keep it covered, in the refrigerator, up to 1 day in advance of serving it.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned]
Thank you so much for this recipe, we’ve made this 3 times already and everyone LOVES it! This is the only potato salad recipe allowed in our kitchen!!
As a suggestion before commenting on a receipe why not make it first. Your comment is not very useful otherwise. So if you made it (a few have) then speak up … let us know if had to tweek it or was it fine as is.
Everyone is welcome to comment on posts, whether they have made the recipe or not. This site is not just for recipe reviews, but also for discussions and general chit chat about the things we find delicious or want to try. Comment away, everyone!
YUUUM! I made this for dinner yesterday evening as a side to some yummy burgers on the grill and it was VERY tasty. Possible the best potato salad ever ;)
I actually munched on some right after I mixed everything together while it was still slightly warm/room temperature and I thought it was just as good as when it was chilled and the flavors had time to marry together. I wouldn’t have minded eating it as a side before chilling, but it was also tasty after 3 hours in the fridge, and still tasty the following day when I had leftovers for lunch! Thanks for a great recipe!
Just made this to take to a backyard BBQ party! Can’t wait to share it with everyone else. So yummy! Thanks for sharing.
Bacon drippings make everything wonderful. Don’t know what it is. They just do. This looks seriously good. Thanks for sharing.
I just made this potato salad for dinner tonight and, of course, I had to sample it. This is going to be a real winner. Can’t wait until my husband tastes it. Thank you for sharing.
Bacon is a perfect addition to potato salad! I knew when I read your recipe it would be wonderful and it did not disappoint! I did use more like 5-6 cups potatoes, double the celery (we liek a lot) and a little less mayo but kept the mustard and bacon grease the same. it was great and will be my new go to. Thanks for another winner!
So I ended up making this for Easter, with just some minor changes, and it was super YUMMY! Not overly dressed, perfect flavor. This will now be a regular go-to recipe for gatherings and picnics! Thanks for sharing!
Turned out so good! Thank you!
I just made this for a BBQ tomorrow afternoon – it is Delicious! If I didn’t tell people I was making it, I would be tempted to keep it all for myself.
We love potato salad….especially with brisket. Can’t wait to give this a try….
I shared your recipe on my Must Try Tuesday post…
http://therickettchronicles.blogspot.com/2011/04/must-try-tuesday-april-19-2011.html
Thanks for sharing!
i’m actually pretty excited to try this, and i don’t even like potato salad! there’s been maybe one kind ever that i can tolerate. so thank you!
You clearly know how to get to a southerner’s heart! Potato salad is always awesome around here :) I saved your recipe in my inspiration notebook so I can remember to try it ASAP: http://www.eatandwrite.com/2011/04/22/inspiration-notebook-recipes-to-try/
We have a very similar family recipe but we cut up sweet pickles instead of green peppers. It’s delish. And agree, it’s the bacon drippings that are the secret weapon.
So you add sweet pickles as well as bacon drippings? Good to know because as much as I love bacon, I can’t imagine having potato salad without the pickles!! In fact, a splash of the pickle juice is the key ingredient in my favorite potato salad recipe from a family friend. Will try adding the bacon next time!! :)
Oh I’m so glad you posted this (even though it’s been years)! My husband doesn’t like bell peppers so I avoid them if I can, but I was wondering about pickles. I’ve always had issues with potato salad in the past with the dressing being too much mayo, but then the potatoes themselves tasting somehow dry. Going to try this recipe tomorrow to have with our hot dogs during our unseasonably warm winter here in Northern California!!
Bacon drippings – you are an evil genius!
I love love potato salad. This is a great recipe.
Is the skillet hot when you add the mayo and fixings to the bacon grease?
Hi Carri Ann, Yes, the skillet is still hot when I add the rest of the dressing ingredients to the bacon grease. I use cast iron, so it takes quite some time for it to cool off.
I love potato salad! The ultimate comfort food. I will have to give this recipe a try!
My mom makes it this way and its a huge hit!
I love potato salad, (we only have it at Christmas time though), and this looks super delicious. Bacon all the way.
You had me at bacon drippings :) I can’t wait to try this recipe this summer!
I always give potato salad a pass because of the ick-may factor. Bleh. ‘Modest mayo’ still sounds a bit dodgy but the fact that it gets mixed with FRAPPING BACON DRIPPINGS means I’ll suck it up. Well done!
I, too, am not a fan of the mayonnaisse-laden potato salad, but this recipe sounds delish! Your blog and Annie’s from Annie’s Eats are my favorite food blogs. I used to click on the link from Annie’s blog to view yours, but now I’ve just bookmarked your page :)
I’ve only started liking potato salad in the past few years or so, and am picky about what I like, but this sounds like a great recipe! I will definitely have to try it.
Bacon makes everything better, doesn’t it? :)
You have once again proven my theory that anything – virtually anything – can be improved with the addition of bacon. Thanks for this perfect keeper recipe.
Bacon – YES!!! Have you tried sour cream-dill potato salad? It’s basically dill dip with potatoes. You might like it. I found your blog last week & you’re in my Favorites.
my husband might even like this potato salad! yum!
This does indeed sound like a fabulous potato salad – you can’t go wrong with bacon drippings. Your photos are looking really good, Michelle!
This sounds like my kind of Potato Salad.I’m not big on gloppy mayo salads, my 82 yr old Dad makes THE BEST GERMAN POTATO SALAD!!!!!!!!!! So I’m really spoiled,I have to make this soon!