Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad is a flavor-packed spin on classic potato salad. Filled with red potatoes, crispy bacon, sharp scallions, and a homemade Ranch dressing, this version of potato salad is sure to become your new favorite pot-luck go-to!  

Paired with Grilled Burgers and sliced watermelon, this Ranch Potato salad completes any cook-out or BBQ. It is creamy, salty, and filled with flavor!

While I love my Instant Pot Potato Salad that features traditional flavors, this Bacon Ranch Potato Salad may be my favorite potato salad recipe of all time.

Made with creamy red potatoes, crispy bacon, and ranch seasoning, this potato salad is so flavorful and unique, it stands out among other recipes.

Key Ingredients

• Potatoes: Red potatoes are best for this ranch potato salad, but you can use Yukon gold potatoes or even russet potatoes.
• Bacon Bits: I prefer to make homemade bacon bits, by baking bacon and then crumbling into small bits myself. However, you can use pre-made bacon bits if that is what you prefer.
• Ranch Seasoning: I always keep a blend of homemade ranch seasoning on hand to use in any recipe that calls for a packet of ranch seasoning. This allows me to skip the additives, preservatives, and extra sodium. You may use store-bought Ranch Mix if desired.
• Mayonnaise/Yogurt: I use a mixture of plain Greek yogurt and mayonnaise in this Potato Salad recipe to keep it a bit on the lighter side. Feel free to use all mayonnaise or all plain yogurt, or a mixture of the two. Just be sure if using yogurt, it is plain, not flavored.
• Chives: Chives really add freshness and flavor, making this Ranch Potato Salad exceptional in flavor. However, feel free to omit if you do not have them on hand.

How to Make Ranch Potato Salad

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water and heavily season with salt.
• Bring to a boil and boil until just fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
• Drain the water off the potatoes and return the potatoes to the hot pan. Toss the potatoes around slightly in order to allow the water to be evaporated from the potatoes.
• Remove the potatoes from the pan and spread on a large sheet pan to allow to cool slightly.
• While potatoes are cooling, mix together the mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, and ranch seasoning.
• Mix the dressing with the cooled potatoes.
• Refrigerate for 4 hours up to 24 hours.
• Right before serving, add bacon bits and chives and toss to combine.

Serving and Storing Instructions

This Bacon Red Potato Salad can be made up to 3 days in advance. But wait to mix the cooked bacon into your salad until right before serving, so that it stays crisp.

As for serving potato salad, it is safe to hold at room temperature for about an hour. However, if you do not have air conditioning indoors or are entertaining outside, this dish will need to be kept chilled. Place a bowl filled with ice on your serving table and nestle your serving dish with the potato salad on top of the bowl of ice. This will keep your potato salad at a safe temperature until the ice melts--just be sure that your serving dish is larger than the ice bowl, so it won't get water in the potato salad as the ice melts.

More Picnic-Worthy Side Dishes

• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
• BLT Pasta Salad
• Antipasto Pasta Salad
• Grilled Corn Salad
• Creamy Cucumber Salad 

I would love to hear if you enjoyed this Ranch Potato Salad as much or more than traditional potato salad--please leave a comment below!

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

A red potato salad made with a dressing seasoned with ranch seasoning, fresh chives, and crisp bacon. 

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 214kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 pounds red potatoes scrubbed and quartered
• ▢ ½ cup mayo
• ▢ ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning
• ▢ ⅓ cup bacon bits
• ▢ 1 cup freshly diced chives or scallions

Instructions

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water and salt with 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Bring to a boil and boil until just fork tender. Return the potaotes to the hot pan and gently toss the potatoes around slightly in order to allow the water to be evaporated from the potatoes.  Remove the potatoes from the pan and spread on a large sheet pan to allow to cool slightly.
• While potatoes are cooling, mix together the mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar and ranch seasoning. Add potatoes and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours for overnight or flavors to blend. It is the best after refrigerating overnight.
• Right before serving, mix in the chives and bacon. 

Notes

• I do prefer red potatoes for ranch potato salad, but you can use Yukon gold potatoes or even russet potatoes.
• This Bacon Red Potato Salad can be made up to 3 days in advance. But wait to mix the cooked bacon into your salad until right before serving, so that it stays crisp.
• Feel free to use all mayonnaise instead of a mixture of yogurt and mayo, or all plain yogurt in place of a mixture of yogurt and mayo. 
• For bacon bits, bake bacon and then crumble into small bits myself. However, you can use pre-made bacon bits if that is what you prefer. 
• For Ranch Seasoning: Mix together 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 teaspoon each of dried dill, garlic powder, and onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon dried basil. 

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 11.7mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg

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This post was originally published in 2018 but was updated in 2020 with new tips.