Easy Potato Salad with Bacon

This easy potato salad with bacon has plenty of crispy bacon that is complemented by a delicious smoky-tangy dressing and fresh scallions. It’s the perfect summer side dish!

This post was originally published on May 11, 2016. I've updated the post with new photos, a new write-up, and an improved recipe.

I was never a big fan of your standard potato salad, especially the store-bought kind. I much prefer to make my own and to be somewhat creative with the ingredients. This bacon potato salad has tons of bacon so will definitely please all those bacon lovers out there. 

Love bacon? You'll want to try my Warm German Potato Salad as well!

I originally came up with this recipe back in 2016 as a submission for an ebook with picnic recipes, but the book never came to fruition... so here it is on my blog! As a kid, one of my favorite comfort foods was bacon and potatoes. My mom would fry up some bacon and then mash just-boiled potatoes in there. Soooo good. What a combo!

The dressing in this potato salad is made with a handful of everyday ingredients, so you can whip it up quickly without any fuss.

How to make potato salad with bacon 

Halve and boil your potatoes. Meanwhile, fry up the bacon, chop your herbs, and prep the dressing. Toss the drained potatoes with a little white vinegar (an old trick that's used in many potato salads to impart extra flavor). Toss the ingredients together in a large bowl when the potatoes have cooled. Eat right away or chill for an hour.

What kind of potatoes to use?

I used yellow creamer potatoes from The Little Potato Company (I live in Canada). I believe similar potatoes are available in the USA and they're sometimes referred to as "baby" or "petite" Yukon golds. You don't need to peel them, and they're perfect for potato salad. You could definitely use a different variety of potatoes and just cut them into bite-size pieces. I do recommend sticking to red, white, or Yukon Gold potatoes because Russets can fall apart (not good for potato salad).

Recipe notes & tips:

• You can swap the scallions with chives or red onions if you want.
• I use kitchen shears all the time when cooking. They're super handy to chop up the bacon quickly.
• This recipe makes a lot of potato salad, so if you don't have a crowd to feed, simply halve every ingredient quantity.
• I always like to reserve extra bacon fat and keep it in the fridge. It's delicious as a substitute for butter (like in sandwiches or for roasting potatoes/veggies).

More summer side dishes to try:

• Potato Salad with Egg
• Creamy Cucumber Salad
• Classic Macaroni Salad Recipe
• Caprese Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Grainy Mustard Potato Salad
• Easy Broccoli Salad

Will you make this potato salad with bacon? Questions? Let me know in the comments below.

Potato Salad with Bacon

This easy potato salad with bacon has plenty of crispy bacon that is complemented by a delicious smoky-tangy dressing and fresh scallions.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 402 kcal

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 3 pounds baby/petite Yukon Gold potatoes cut into halves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• ▢ 1 (12 ounce) package bacon cut into small pieces
• ▢ 1/3 cup scallions chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Dressing:

• ▢ 1 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Cut potatoes into halves, place into a pot, then cover potatoes with water and boil over high heat until cooked (approx. 15 minutes from when they start to boil). Once they're cooked, rinse them under cold water and let them drain in a colander. Return them to the pot and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of vinegar (I lightly toss them). Let them cool for about 15 minutes or so.
• Meanwhile, Cut the bacon into small pieces (use kitchen shears to make this easy) and cook in a skillet over medium/medium-high heat until crispy.
• Meanwhile, prep your other ingredients and make the dressing by combining the dressing ingredients in a medium bowl or measuring cup. Taste and adjust the dressing as needed (e.g. add more smoked paprika or vinegar).
• When the potatoes have cooled, add them to a bowl that is large enough to comfortably toss the ingredients together. Toss potatoes with the dressing, fresh herbs, and bacon (spoon the bacon directly from the frying pan, being careful to leave most of the bacon fat behind, but I do like to add a little for extra flavor).
• Serve immediately (it's good a little bit warm) or chill in the fridge (covered) for an hour prior to serving.

Notes

• Serves 6-8 depending on how much people eat.
• Recipe is easily halved. 
• Leftovers will last in the fridge for a few days.
• Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 18gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 958mgPotassium: 962mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 284IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 2mg

Keyword bacon potato salad recipe, potato salad with bacon

Author Natasha Bull