Bacon ranch potato salad is a classic for summer grilling season (just like hawaiian macaroni salad). It's a 6 ingredient easy side dish that's full of flavor and so easy to make. A family favorite over here!
Baby potatoes are combined with cooked bacon, green onion, dill pickes and cheddar cheese. All ingredients are tossed together with ranch dressing.
Simple no-fuss recipes like this one are a great addition to summer barbecues, picnics or next potluck with hamburgers, marinated pork chops, steak or our oven-fried chicken recipe.
Perfect Side Dish Salad With Potatoes
- Similar to classic potato salad, but uses ranch dressing and no eggs.
- The perfect side salad to serve with marinated salmon, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken legs or pork chops.
- A great recipe to bring to barbecues, picnics and potlucks alongside our strawberry spinach salad. It can easily be prepped in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
- This recipe is budget-friendly, costing only $6. The simple ingredients taste so much better than any store-bought version!
- Ranch dressing adds delicious flavor and makes this recipe quick and fast. Use a store-bought dressing to keep things simple or make your own homemade version. It's a secret weapon in a variety of our recipes including our ranch chicken breasts, our delicious and flavorful chicken salad, and chicken bacon ranch wraps.
Recipe Ingredients
SALAD: Baby potatoes (yellow or red) are combined with sharp cheddar cheese, green onion, dill pickles and chopped bacon.
DRESSING: Any brand of ranch from the grocery store will work for this recipe. I used chosen foods ranch dressing which is paleo-friendly, made with real food ingredients, and uses avocado oil.
VARIATIONS: Use russet potatoes or yukon gold chopped into bite-size pieces or sweet potatoes. Replace cheddar cheese with grated mozzarella, marble or Monterey jack cheese. Use pre-cooked bacon bits to help save time. Add cucumber, bell pepper, or radishes for a little crunch.
How To Make Bacon Ranch Potato Salad Recipe
Potatoes and bacon need to be prepped in advance, then the salad comes together easily in a large bowl.
- Cook six pieces of bacon in a frying pan or bake in the oven until crispy. Blot with paper towel and chop into small pieces.
- Place potatoes in a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook until soft according to full recipe instructions below.
- Add tender potatoes, bacon, green onion, dill pickles, shredded cheese and ranch dressing to a large bowl. Toss everything together. Let chill in the fridge for 3 hours minimum before serving.
This salad is best served cold, similar to our marinated vegetable salad recipe.
Leftover potato salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Best Crispy Bacon
One of the easiest ways to get crispy bacon is to use a baking rack. The bacon is laid in a single layer and baked at 400°F for 16-20 minutes or until it reaches desired crispiness. I use this nordic ware bacon pan (also great for making crispy potato wedges).
Recipe Tips
- Cook Potatoes Al Dente. If you overcook the potatoes, they become mushy potatoes that are too soft and crumbly for the salad. Instead, try cooking them until they're just slightly soft when poked with a fork.
- Bake Bacon To Save Time. Cooking bacon in the oven can help to save time. You can still use the stove for other ingredients without grease popping back at you, plus the bacon cooks flatter and is easier to chop.
- Use Paleo Ranch Dressing. You can use a lighter dressing to reduce calories and unwanted ingredients. I like to use paleo ranch dressing which is made with real food ingredients and avocado oil.
- Chop and Crumble With Kitchen Scissors. Kitchen scissors make chopping bacon and green onions a breeze.
More Salad Recipes
- Beet Bacon and Feta Salad is drizzled with a delicious balsamic rosemary salad dressing and feta cheese.
- Chickpea Lemon Tuna Salad is a great recipe for a high-protein lunch.
- Ranch Taco Chicken Salad includes veggies, cooked chicken, black beans, cheddar cheese and crunchy tortilla chips.
- BLT Pasta Salad is a healthier version of the classic, using greek yogurt, mayonnaise and fresh parsley as the salad dressing.
- Watermelon Arugula Salad is so light and refreshing, perfect for hot days!
- Cobb Salad is a combination of chicken, cheese, tomatoes, eggs, avocado, bacon, romaine lettuce, and homemade salad dressing. Yum!
Did you love this bacon ranch potato salad? Be sure to leave a rating below!
Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
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Ingredients
- 6 bacon slices - cooked and crumbled
- 1½ lbs baby potatoes - quartered
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese - grated
- 4 green onions - chopped small
- 1 cup dill pickles - chopped small
- 1 cup ranch dressing
Instructions
Prep The Bacon:
- Cook 6 bacon slices in advance. I like to cook a pack of bacon in the oven, then freeze the other half for future recipes. Bake at 400°F for 16-20 minutes or until it reaches desired crispiness (You can also cook it in a frying pan on the stove).
- Lay bacon on a paper towel to absorb excess grease. Use kitchen scissors or knife to chop and crumble small.
Boil Potatoes:
- Scrub the outsides of potatoes, then slice into quarters. Fill the pot with enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until potatoes are slightly tender when poked with a fork. Drain water.
Assemble Salad:
- Add cooked potatoes, crumbled bacon, green onion, dill pickles, grated cheese and ranch dressing to a bowl. Toss everything together.
- Serve immediately, or let chill in fridge until ready to eat. Leftovers can be stored in fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-calculated and meant to be an approximation only.
