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Best Ever Potato Salad Recipe
The BEST EVER Potato Salad recipe from a friend’s grandmother, with a special secret ingredient in the dressing! It converted me from being a potato salad hater to a potato salad lover!
Potato salad falls into the same camp for me as egg salad. It’s a mayonnaise-based salad that I have long disliked because of how over the top mayonnaise-y it typically is. Until this recipe. It was a life changing experience and I neeeeeed to share it with you.
This recipe comes from a friend’s grandmother and on the recipe card she gave me it is titled “Best Ever Potato Salad”. A bold statement and one that always gives me pause, but it is absolutely, 100% warranted in this case. First of all, I tend to trust old-school family recipes over others; second, the grandma was confident enough to call it the best, and lastly, it has a secret ingredient that takes it over the top. So I am totally comfortable in telling you that it is, indeed, the best ever.
Watch How to Make the Best Ever Potato Salad!
The secret ingredient? Bacon drippings. Ahhhhhh.
MY OTHER RECIPES Along with all of the great ingredients that give this salad a great depth of flavor and lots of texture, the dressing on this potato salad is what makes it insanely special. After frying up the bacon, you save a couple tablespoons of the bacon drippings and whisk in a modest amount of mayonnaise, some Dijon mustard, a bit of sugar and smidge of salt. It is ah-mazing. The flavor is robust, not terribly mayonnaise-y (huge bonus in my book), and a perfect accent to all of the flavors and textures in the salad.
I have served this to people who, like me, claim to hate potato salad because of how gloppy it can get with mayonnaise. I have also served it to people who claim that they only like their mom’s/grandma’s/aunt’s recipe and no others.
All of these people? They have tripped over themselves raving about this recipe, declaring it the best they’ve ever had.
So there you have it. The best potato salad, ever. You’ll want to keep this recipe stashed away for all of your summer parties and picnics! Be prepared for lots of recipe requests!
If You Like This Potato Salad Recipe, Try These:
Three years ago: Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars
Four years ago: Hamburger Buns
Did you make this recipe?
The BEST EVER Potato Salad recipe from a friend's grandmother, with a special secret ingredient in the dressing! It converted me from being a potato salad hater to a potato salad lover!
Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender. (If you're not sure how to boil the potatoes,
this is a good resource.) Drain the potatoes and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the skillet and remove the pan from heat.
Add the mayonnaise, mustard, sugar and salt to the reserved bacon drippings in the skillet and whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, eggs, celery, onion and green pepper. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and gently stir to evenly coat. Stir in the bacon.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutritional values are based on one serving
Calories: 574kcal
Fat: 47g
Saturated fat: 11g
Cholesterol: 173mg
Sodium: 1032mg
Potassium: 714mg
Carbohydrates: 22g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 4g
Protein: 14g
Vitamin A: 5%
Vitamin C: 23.1%
Calcium: 3.7%
Iron: 9%
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Neat idea! I can’t try it because I’m vegetarian, but I know my boy would love this!
Make it vegetarian, i am also a ,vegetarian You could use veganaise instead of mayo smart bacon and tofu in replace of eggs.
I was raised vegetarian from birth, although not vegan, so dairy, eggs and honey, etc. were on the menu… However, I have never been much or a fan of eggs or mayonnaise especially!
Egg salad, macaroni salad and potato salad were my sworn enemies & nemeses as a child at summer potlucks!
The “bacon replacements” and tofu>egg replacements do NOT solve the problem for me (and I like veganaise no more than mayannaise- although the poster didn’t say she was vegan). However, I did discover a remedy which helped me come to enjoy potato salad! And its solution shares an element of this one but goes a step or two further… In essence: substitute part of the mayonnaise for something else (that performs the same role/function—that being fat, acidity and creaminess). The solution: OLIVE oil (or any salad oil if you don’t like OO), a bit of lemon juice (or even some vinegar; white wine is best, not too strong; but be careful!), and some sour cream (or Greek-style yogurt; or even ranch dressing in a pinch if that’s not offense as well). Substitute about half of the mayonnaise for about 1/3 (of how much mayonnaise is called) of sour cream, and add a little less than 1/4 as much oil & lemon juice/vinegar (2 or 3 parts oil to 1 part “sour” liquid) as mayo is called for. Don’t forget salt and sugar to make up for what would’ve been in the mayo PLUS what your veggies will need. As well as the mustard… I also like a bit of Worcestershire sauce. Sorry about the weird quantities… I was trying to give amounts which could be translated/applied to any recipe and be scaled up. In a smaller recipe like this, the amounts can be guestimated and will be fine; if you were to scale this up the proportions I provided would be helpful (albeit requiring a bit of math). Fresh Herbs- especially dill and parsley- also are a fantastic addition to potato salad!
I was just wondering, is there no substitute for mayonnaise? Maybe greek yoghurt?
Thanks!
Hi Silvia, I’ve never made potato salad with Greek yogurt or any mayo replacements, but you’ve done it in other recipes you could give it a try here.
thanks :)
Over “mayonnaisey” potato salad has always been a problem for me too – I do half mayonnaise and half sour cream. It retains the consistency pretty well but its not mayonnaise. :) I’ve never tried it with only sour cream but it seems like could work well!
Veganaise is a mayonnaise replacement
sure I use low fat Greek yogurt with Mrs. Dash Original no salt and chopped green onions a lot.
I think it is important to also add some oil (I prefer EVOO) and acid (I prefer a mix of lemon juice and a bit of white (or red) wine vinegar) in addition to Greek yogurt, or even sour cream (or a mix of those). But yes, with the addition of those, a partial or complete substitution of mayo works just fine!
Don’t forget to add some salt and sugar (that would’ve been in the mayo- especially the salt…
I personally find that sour cream, or even yogurt, do not provide quite as much acidity as a good potato salad needs, or the same lubrication as mayo provides- it’s just kind of bland and missing something (at least for me..), and the ‘simple dressing’ of oil and vinegar (with a substitution of mostly lemon juice for vinegar) works perfectly to make a wonderful potato salad in which the mayo will not be missed but celebrated!
Another fantastic addition: fresh herbs… namely dill and parsley (a bit of thyme or even marjoram can be nice too- although they are strong and will definitely change the flavor from being a classic potato salad, which dill and parsley compliment without significantly altering the flavor).
Great suggestions, Jolene -will definitely try these substitutions!
Thank you!
This really does look good. Bacon makes everything better!
This sounds so yummy! except for the green pepper. Can’t eat it, so I will try it with out the pepper.
Bacon. Drippings. Oh yeah. This is soooo going on my Easter menu. I’ll put it next to my bacon mac & cheese and then everyone can pass out in a bacon coma.
I JUST posted on potato salad! Bacon totally does the trick, doesn’t it? I’m with you on mayonnaise-y salads… I love ’em if I make ’em the way I like ’em! This looks awesome, and I love the celery addition. I made mine with BBQ seasoning for a new twist. YUM!
I am trying this tonight! I have been trying to pry my friend’s grandmother’s recipe for over a year, IT was the best potato salad I have ever and it did contain bacon! Thank you so much…my hubbie will be much appreciative!
I absolutely love potato salad! Yours looks divine!! Bring on the crackers, I am ready!
Great potato salad recipe!
Of course it’s wonderful! Bacon drippings? Yes, please!
This sounds amazing. Bacon drippings give everything such a better flavour, I will have to try it for sure.
Hey, you had me at bacon drippings.
This is fabulous! I love everything about this recipe. From the bacon to the fact that you left the potato skins on! I make a similar recipe and add cubed chicken yum!
Bacon!! I love love love bacon! I am so glad you shared this :)
This is so similar to my best potato salad recipe and what I love the most? No pickle relish! Mine does mix some sour cream with the mayo so in answer to Sylvia’s question I wouldn’t hesitate to mix it up a bit with yogurt; especially Greek yogurt since it’s got such body.
Makes me want to make some . Now.
Oh the secret is out! Hard to go wrong with bacon drippings! Can’t wait to try this!
This recipe looks great and, AS ALWAYS, your pictures are gorgeous!!
Sinful! And I LOVE it!! :)
Oh yeah. Bacon drippings. They make just about anything better. With all deference to Benjamin Franklin, it is not beer, but bacon (and butter) that is proof God loves us and wants us to be happy.
Just yesterday I had a facebook conversation with a friend who let us all know that her daughters favorite FAT is bacon. I’ll be sending this recipe her way. It’s nice to see a recipe that uses the bacon grease…do you have other such recipes? it’s so flavorful that it’s kind of strange that you don’t see more recipes for it.
Hi Gwenevere, I actually have two other recipes…
This maple-bacon popcorn is popped in reserved bacon drippings:
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/01/19/maple-bacon-kettle-popcorn/
And these bacon onion cheddar biscuits use some of the leftover bacon grease to fry up the onions:
https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2010/09/08/bacon-onion-cheddar-biscuits/
Enjoy! :)
If you aren’t too concerned about the fat content, Bacon is absolutely the best flavoring, for Potato salad and for Collards too. In the interest of health, you could substitute smoked turkey parts( leg or wings) in the collards. Remember to cook them long time befre the frost hits them. Afterwards 30 min to 1 hour will do.