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A small white bowl filled with bacon potato salad garnished with crispy bacon.
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5 from 3 votes

Potato Salad Recipe With Bacon

Bacon potato salad is loaded with crispy bacon and blue cheese. A perfect side for summer potluck cookouts and BBQs. Since there are no eggs and no mayonnaise, this is a great picnic food idea. Make a double batch, and it disappears quickly!
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Side Dishes & Vegetables
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon potato salad, how to make potato salad, loaded potato salad, potato salad, potato salad recipe
Servings: 16
Calories: 246kcal

Ingredients

Potato Salad

  • 5 pounds Yukon potatoes (peeled and cubed)
  • 8 strips bacon (crumbled)
  • ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
  • 1 cup chopped parsley
  • 2 cups sliced green onions
  • 2 cups sliced celery
  • 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup blue cheese salad dressing or swap in ranch dressing
  • ¼ cup sour cream

Instructions

  • Cook 8 strips of bacon until crispy. Set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Peel and cube your potatoes, and add into the boiling water. Boil potatoes for about 20-25 minutes, until a piece is fork tender when pierced. Drain water from potatoes, or remove with a slotted spoon into the large bowl with the dressing.
  • Meanwhile, add all the dressing ingredients into a large mixing bowl; apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, pepper, olive oil, blue cheese salad dressing (or ranch dressing), and sour cream, whisking after adding each one.
  • Next, add crispy bacon pieces, crumbled blue cheese, chopped parsley, sliced green onions, chopped celery, and thyme leaves.
  • The warm potatoes will help melt the blue cheese and absorb the dressing. Toss well and store in a sealed container in fridge, gets even better by the next day so it's perfect to make ahead.

Notes

Ingredient Notes & Variations

  • Blue cheese: Bacon and crumbled blue cheese make this potato salad creamy and so full of flavor. It is a classic flavor combo, but you can leave out either the blue cheese or bacon. Add any grated cheese you love!
  • Make-Ahead: A great bacon potato salad to make the day before you need it and becomes even better the next day. (Like everything!)
  • Garnish: Reserve some crispy bacon to sprinkle on the top. Add some finely minced fresh chives or parsley too for a pretty garnish.
  • Blue Cheese Dressing: Substitute Ranch Dressing or use a ranch seasoning packet mixed with milk or even buttermilk for the blue cheese dressing and use a grated cheddar cheese like a sharp cheddar cheese or one you like for a bacon ranch potatoes salad! You can also swap in Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream.
  • Potatoes: Red potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, or russet potatoes will all work in this recipe.
  • Crunch: The crisp crunchy celery is so clean and fresh against the creamy texture. And the parsley adds a clean fresh flavor with pop of green.
  • Potato Salad Recipe No Eggs / Potato Salad No Mayo: Since there is NO EGG or MAYO, this is a safer potato salad for hot summer days at picnics. Eggs and Mayo should not be at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
  • Variations: You can add Diced Chicken in potato salad recipes with bacon instead. Then add Buffalo chicken hot sauce dressing for a wonderful twist! Bake the potatoes instead of boiling them. Then scoop them out into a bowl for a loaded baked potato salad!

How To Get Crispy Bacon 

  • Try a pre-cooked bacon brand Since it is half cooked, it prepares easily without the mess and crisps up beautifully in the microwave on paper plates. (I use Costco Kirkland brand, but they are easy to find in the grocery store.)
  • Or bake bacon on a rack over a cookie sheet in the oven
  • Or saute bacon in a heavy skillet until crisp, this is messier but gets the job done.

Garnish

  • Reserve some crispy bacon to sprinkle on the top. Add some finely minced fresh chives or parsley too for a pretty garnish.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 729mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 586IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2mg