Bacon Ranch Loaded Potato Salad is a flavorful side dish that’s perfect for potlucks or your next game day party! Your guests will love it!
Potato salad is one of my favorite side dishes this time of year. While I’m a picky ass about my potato salads. There are some flavors that are just made to go with potatoes and there’s no denying it. Bacon, cheese, and green onions definitely fall into that category.
So now I’m turning my favorite potato salad recipe up a notch with this Loaded Bacon Ranch Potato Salad! This recipe is crazy good. One bite and everyone will be asking for the recipe. Promise.
Loaded Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Red potatoes
- Thick-cut bacon
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- Yellow mustard
- Ranch dressing mix
- Salt & pepper
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Green onion
All your favorite baked potato toppings + potato salad = ??
Now, I know this is bacon RANCH potato salad, but if you don’t care for ranch (like Mike) leave out the ranch mix. You’ll have loaded baked potato salad.
How to Make Loaded Potato Salad
This salad is super easy to make. Boil some potatoes. Cook up some crispy bacon. Throw everything in a bowl and mix, and that’s it!
Okay, there are couple more steps than just that…
- To start, fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Carefully add the cubed potatoes and cook until they are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them hang out while you make the dressing.
- While the potatoes are cooking, fry up the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat or bake it in the oven. Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate until it’s cool enough to touch. Chop the bacon up and set it aside for now.
- Next, you’ll make the dressing. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, ranch mix, salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika to a large bowl and whisk it all together.
- Then, add the potatoes to the dressing and gently stir with a spoon until the potatoes are completely coated in the dressing.
- After that, add in almost all of the bacon bits, cheese, and green onion and stir to combine everything together. I like to set a little of each aside to sprinkle on top of the potato salad after it’s all mixed up. After mixing transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl.
- Cover the bowl and chill it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve the salad – at least 2 hours to cool completely. The flavors need time to marry.
- When you’re ready to eat, uncover the bowl and top the potato salad with more cheese, bacon, and green onion.
The tangy ranch flavors go great with the classic loaded baked potato toppings. The best part is you can add more cheese, bacon, and green onion to your liking.
And it never hurts to sprinkle some of the potato toppings on the salad to add some color for extra presentation points.
This potato salad recipe is great alongside everything from burgers and dogs to grilled chicken and ribs. You may want to make a double batch. It goes fast!
More potato goodness!!
- Garlic Parmesan Roasted Red Potatoes
- Loaded Mashed Potato Bites
- Potato Leek Soup
- Pesto Mashed Potatoes
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Bacon Ranch Loaded Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 6 red potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces (2 pounds)
- 5 strips thick cut bacon diced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 ounce packet ranch dressing mix
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoons green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While the potatoes are cooked, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the mayo, sour cream and mustard until combined and smooth. Add the ranch dressing mix, salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Whisk to combine.
- Add the potatoes to the dressing and stir with a wooden spoon until the potatoes are evenly coated in the dressing.
- Add almost all of the cheese, bacon, and green onion to the potatoes. (Reserve a little of each to garnish the top of the salad.) Gently mix everything together.
- Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl, and garnish with the reserved cheese, bacon, and green onion.
- Serve immediately (if you don't mind a warm potato salad) or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- I prefer to let my potato salads chill in the fridge to the flavors have more time to marry together. That being said, this salad is great to eat right away too.
- If you can't find ranch dressing mix packets at the store, you can substitute 3 tablespoons of my mom's homemade ranch dressing mix.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
If you’re a potato lover too, get ready to drool! We’re having a potato party for this month’s feast & devour! All these recipes are perfect for parties and taste as good as they look. Get the recipe for your favorites by clicking the links below.
Melinda Caldwell says
This looks amazeballs! I am totally making this for Labor day!
Merry says
This looks delicious! Everything is better with bacon.
Erica says
This is freaking amazing. Best potato salad I’ve ever had! My husband hates mayo tho so I substituted Greek yogurt and WOW! Thanks for my new favorite potato salad!
Dawn says
Any idea as far as pounds for the potatoes? I could only find a bad of really big ones and I’m afraid I will end up with too much potatoes and not enough “dressing” lol
Julie Espy says
Hi Dawn! It’s around two pounds of potatoes. I usually buy bagged red potatoes. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Aniela says
I’d really like to make this for a bbq on Friday, but I don’t think I can find ranch dressing where I am. Could I maybe substitute one of the ingredients (mayo or sour cream) for actual ranch dressing in a bottle?
Julie Espy says
Hi Aniela! This recipe uses ranch dressing mix – the seasoning packet – and not the pre-made dressing. If you’re having trouble finding this in store, you can substitute 3 tablespoons of homemade ranch mix. Hope this helps!
Melissa says
Just made this for our 4th of July picnic and it is AWESOME!! I have never had good luck with making potato salad but this recipe makes it so easy. Great recipe!!
Kim says
Can this be made the night before party?!
Julie Espy says
It sure can! Just keep it in the fridge and give it stir before serving.
Kelsey says
Do I need to use red potatoes or will any kind be okay?
Julie Espy says
Red potatoes, yukon gold, fingerling, basically anything that’ll hold it shape a bit after boiling. Russett breaks apart too much.
Emily says
This recipe is so easy and comes out tasting awesome! I made some yesterday and it was a hit!
Aubrey says
Can you taste the mustard in this? Or Mayo? I don’t like either. If so, do you have substitutions?
Julie Espy says
I can’t taste mustard at all! I hate mustard, but you could swap for white vinegar if you prefer. The dressing needs something for tang. 🙂 I get a slight mayo flavor, but nothing crazy. You could try swapping out for more sour cream and use a little milk to thin the dressing as needed. I’d love to know how it comes out if you make this substitution!
Carol says
This recipe is the bomb! Best potato salad ii have ever had!
My husband went nuts over it. .i will never make traditional potatoe salad again. This is my go to recipe!!! Thanks for this recipe!
Melissa says
This is my go to potato salad recipe. Only thing I do differently is I fry the potatoes in the bacon grease after they are boiled. It crisps them up and gives them bacon flavor. Today I’m trying this recipe with pasta instead of potatoes because my daughter likes macaroni salad and not potato salad.
Julie Kotzbach says
Ummm… frying the potatoes in the bacon grease?! Hard yes!! I’d love to know how the pasta salad comes out! 🙂
Dee says
I like the crunch and taste of celery in my potato salad and I also like eggs. Can there’s to ingredients be added to this recipe?
Julie Kotzbach says
Hi Dee! You can absolutely add in some celery and chopped up hard-boiled eggs. (I like eggs in my potato salad too!)
AShley says
do you peel the potatoes?