Bacon Ranch Potato Salad Recipe

Follow these easy steps for delicious, creamy bacon ranch potato salad! It is the perfect side dish for a cookout, potluck, or family meal.

Tips

I used the little red potatoes for this potato salad. They have a nice flavor that doesn't get lost in the homemade Ranch Dressing.

I am going to give you my favorite tip about potato salad that my husband's Aunt Molly taught me.

She was the sweet aunt that made incredible southern dishes like the Chicken and Pastry  I shared with you…

Her trick is to boil the potatoes until perfectly cooked, then rinse them off in cold water, and set them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more until they are completely cold. Only after they are completely cold do you mix in the other ingredients.

Why? Because hot potatoes make the mayonnaise dressing melt and it becomes oily.

Cold potatoes keeps the dressing from melting into the potatoes and you have a perfectly dressed, creamy potato salad.

Also, use real bacon. Do not use precooked bacon bits.

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredient for this salad:

• Small red potatoes
• Bacon
• Mayonnaise
• Sour cream
• Dry ranch seasoning mix
• Chives

Step by step instructions

Follow these easy steps to make homemade bacon ranch potato salad.

• Boil potatoes until cooked. Do not over cook and undercook. Potatoes should be tender enough to cut easily with a fork, but not mushy. (photo 1)
• Rinse potatoes in cold water and dry potatoes. Refrigerate potatoes for 30 minutes or more until completely cold. (photo 2)
• Slice cold potatoes. (photo 3)
• In a small mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, and dry ranch season mix. (photo 4)
• Carefully mix in ranch dressing mix with potatoes making sure each potato is fully covered in dressing. (photo 5)
• Add in bacon crumbles and mix well. (photo 6)

Can you make potato salad the night before?

Potato salad is actually better made a day ahead! It allows the flavors to build and the potatoes to absorb the dressing.

However, because you are using cold ingredients, the potato salad is still good if you serve it immediately.

I would try to refrigerate it a couple hours before serving if you have the time.

Why does homemade potato salad get watery?

If you slice potatoes while they are hot and mix them with the dressing, the potatoes will sweat as they cool and make your salad watery.

This is why waiting for the potatoes to completely chill is so important.

If you follow my directions precisely, you will not have watery potato salad.

Look at that! A perfect bite! Enjoy!

For more delicious Southern sides, try:

• Instant Pot Fried Cabbage
• Ambrosia Fruit Salad
• Southern Sweet Potato Casserole
• Collard Greens
• Slow Cooker Green Beans and Potatoes
• Spicy Tomato Grits

Please leave me a comment below if you make this bacon ranch potato salad and tell me what you thought about it. I would love to hear back, and so would my readers.

Also post your picture of your potato salad on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad Recipe

Bacon & Ranch. Need I really say more? Follow these easy steps for delicious, creamy bacon ranch potato salad! It is the perfect side dish for a cookout, potluck, or family meal.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 396kcal

Author: Katie Crenshaw

Ingredients

• 3 lbs small red potatoes3 lbs small red potatoes
• 12 oz bacon12 oz bacon
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped chives1/2 cup chopped chives
• 3 tbs dry ranch seasoning mix3 tbs dry ranch seasoning mix
• salt and pepper to tastesalt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Boil 3 lbs small red potatoes until cooked. Do not over cook and undercook. Potatoes should be tender enough to cut easily with a fork, but not mushy.
• Rinse potatoes in cold water and dry off potatoes. Refrigerate potatoes for 30 minutes or more until completely cold.
• Meanwhile cook 12 oz bacon until crispy .Drain grease from bacon and crumble.
• Mix ¾ cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup chives, and 3 tbs dry ranch season mix in a small mixing bowl.
• Slice cold potatoes.
• Mix in ranch dressing mix with potatoes.
• Add in bacon crumbles and mix well.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Video

Notes

Note: If you want to make the ranch dressing mix from scratch, try my DIY Ranch Seasoning Mix recipe. 

Note: It is important to chill potatoes before slicing. Cold potatoes keeps the dressing from melting into the potatoes and you have a perfectly dressed, creamy potato salad.

Note: Use real bacon. Do not use bacon bits!

Nutrition- Nutrition info is based on estimation only.

Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 374mg | Potassium: 724mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Tried this recipe? I want to see it!Mention @aForksTale or tag #aForksTale!

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