This Bacon Ranch Potato Salad recipe is the perfect side dish for all your summer BBQs and potlucks! It's loaded with all the best ingredients, crispy bacon, ranch dressing, and potatoes, and it comes together in just minutes. Everyone always loves this salad, so be sure to make plenty!
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Ranch Potato Salad is total comfort food, this creamy salad features all of your favorite loaded baked potato toppings in one delicious dish.
- Tender potatoes are tossed with crisp bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and green onions, then coated in a creamy dressing to make this ultra delicious loaded potato salad
- Perfect for a potluck, picnic, summer cookout, or family gathering.
- This salad can be made ahead of time and chilled until you’re ready to serve.
- Some call this salad "Crack Potato Salad".
🧾 Ingredient List
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- tri-colored baby potatoes
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
- Ranch dressing mix
- crispy bacon, cooked and crumbled
- cheddar cheese, shredded
- scallions/green onions, chopped
- salt and black pepper
🍲 Equipment
- Large Pot, 8 quart
- Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Spoons and Cups
- knife
- Cutting Board
- Colander
- Wooden Spoon
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe. The full instructions are below in the recipe card.
- Wash and quarter potatoes. Place potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Add salt and black pepper to the water for extra flavor.
- Bring the water over medium-high heat to a boil. Boil potatoes until just fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully drain the potatoes by using a colander. Set them aside to cool.
- Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, and Ranch dressing in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in cooked bacon, shredded cheese, and scallions to the mayonnaise mixture
- Gently stir in the potatoes and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Everything should be well combined.
- Cover and chill the potato salad for at least 2 hours before serving.
Tip: Right before serving, taste the potato salad again for seasoning. If needed, adjust seasonings.
❄️ Make ahead, storage, and freezer tips
Leftover potato salad should be stored in an airtight covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
This dish will not freeze well. Any mayonnaise-based recipe should not be refrigerated.
👩🏻🍳 Eileen's Tips for Success
- When quartering the potatoes, try to cut them into even pieces so they cook evenly.
- Be sure to season the potato water to add flavor to the entire salad.
- Taste the potato salad before serving and preseason, if needed. The potatoes will absorb some of the dressing so I always give it a quick taste before serving.
📖 Variations
- Additional seasonings: Add a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar.
- Cheese: Use any of your favorite types of cheese.
- Add-ins: Chopped celery, diced red onions, fresh herbs, or green peppers.
- Onion: No onions, add ½ teaspoon of onion powder for flavor.
- Shortcut: Use some bacon bits.
- Protein: Add chopped hard-boiled eggs.
- Spice: Add a tablespoon or two of diced jalapeños.
- Vegan option: Omit the bacon and cheese and use vegan mayonnaise.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a larger crowd.
🥣 Serving Suggestions
- I love to serve this creamy potato salad recipe, with this Instant Pot Roast Chicken recipe they pair so well together.
- Cheesy Green Beans are fresh and cheesy and another great side to serve with this dish.
- This Twix Cheesecake is sweet, creamy, and full of chocolate and caramel flavor and is the perfect sweet treat to end this meal with.
- This cheddar bacon ranch potato salad is perfect to serve a classic burger and hot dogs.
- This salad is a great addition to any menu, it would be great alongside these Citrus Chicken Kabobs.
🍽 Similar recipes
- These Scalloped Potatoes are the ultimate cheesy comfort food, your whole family will love this side dish.
- Garlic Herbed Potatoes are fresh, flavorful and so easy to make when you need a simple side dish.
- Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and full of cheesy goodness.
- Next time, make our Macaroni Salad along with this homemade potato salad.
- Tuna Pasta Salad is an easy salad to make that is a great dinner salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regular potatoes can be used but adjust the cooking time. Cut them into 1-inch pieces and boil for 15-20 minutes or until fork-tender.
Any starchy potato such as Yukon Gold, Red Potatoes, or Russet can be used. Just be sure to cut them remember to adjust the cooking time depending on the size of the pieces.
Season the water with salt and pepper and cook till fork tender.
Any kind of cooked and chopped bacon will work for this recipe. I use thick-cut bacon because it has more flavor.
This loaded ranch potato salad is actually best if made ahead of time so the flavors can meld together. Make it at least 2 hours before you plan to serve it, or even the day before.
I love any comments or questions, please feel free to leave them below.
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Thank you for your continued support. I am forever grateful.
Eileen xo
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Loaded Potato Salad
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Equipment Needed:
- As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds tri-colored baby potatoes
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ounce envelope, Ranch dressing mix
- 12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 scallions, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Wash and quarter potatoes. Place them in a large pot and cover with cold water. Be sure to add salt and black pepper to the water for extra flavor.
- Bring the water up to a boil and let the potatoes boil until just fork-tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully drain the potatoes via a colander. Set them aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and Ranch dressing.
- To that mixture, stir in bacon, cheese, and scallions.
- Gently stir in the potatoes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Everything should be well combined.
- Cover and chill the potato salad for at least 2 hours before serving.
