Creamy Loaded Baked Potato Salad Everyone Loves
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If you’re looking for the side dish to take to your next BBQ, picnic, or potluck, this Loaded Baked Potato Salad is it. It’s creamy, cheesy, packed with bacon, and tastes just like your favorite baked potato in side-dish form. We make it with diced, perfectly cooked potatoes and toss everything in a rich homemade ranch dressing that takes this salad from good to unforgettable.
4 Reasons You’ll Love This Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Here’s why this one shows up on repeat every summer:
- All the loaded baked potato flavors – bacon, cheddar, green onion, and creamy ranch
- Make-ahead friendly – even better after it chills for a couple of hours
- Great with grilled meats – it pairs perfectly with burgers, brats, ribs… you name it
- Always a hit – I rarely bring home leftovers
What You’ll Need To Make Loaded Baked Potato Salad
You only need a handful of ingredients to pull this together:
For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Russet potatoes, diced, boiled, and cooled (see notes below)
- bacon, cooked and crumbled
- shredded cheddar cheese
- hard-boiled eggs, chopped
- sliced green onions
- Salt and pepper
- Ranch dressing – homemade or store-bought
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Making this potato salad is super simple:
When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
- Boil and cool the potatoes.
- Cook and crumble the bacon.
- Chop the eggs and slice the green onions.
- Toss everything in a big bowl with shredded cheese and ranch dressing.
- Season to taste, chill, and serve!
Loaded Baked Potato Salad Tips
- Use russet potatoes for that classic baked potato flavor and fluffy texture. Red potatoes or Yukon Golds are a good backup.
- Peel all, none, or half of the potatoes—totally up to you. Peeling just half adds color and texture.
- Cut potatoes into ¾-inch chunks for the perfect bite. Avoid going smaller than ½ inch to prevent mushy salad.
- Always dice before boiling. Whole potatoes tend to cook unevenly. Dicing first helps everything cook consistently.
- Start with cold, salted water to ensure the potatoes cook evenly from edge to center.
- Bring to a boil covered, then uncover and reduce heat to prevent boiling over.
- Boil until just fork-tender—about 13–14 minutes. A paring knife should slide in with slight resistance.
- Drain immediately—don’t rinse. Let the potatoes rest and cool to room temperature before mixing. Hot potatoes will soak up too much dressing and become gummy.
How to Store Potato Salad
- Refrigerate leftover potato salad in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- For best results, keep salad chilled until ready to serve, especially for picnics or potlucks.
- Store homemade ranch dressing in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More Side Dish Favorites
If you’re looking to round out your summer menu, here are a few more reader favorites:
- Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad
- Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad
- Classic Bean Salad
- Creamy Caprese Macaroni Salad
- Avocado Deviled Eggs
- Favorite Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
- Summer Pasta Salad
Whether you’re hosting a cookout or bringing a dish to share, this Loaded Baked Potato Salad is always a good call.
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Loaded Baked Potato Salad is everything you love about a classic baked potato—bacon, cheddar, sour cream, and green onions—all tossed into a creamy, crowd-pleasing salad perfect for summer cookouts.
Ingredients
- 4 Russet potatoes*(see notes), diced
- 8 slices of bacon, cooked, drained, cooled and crumbled
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 hard boiled eggs, cooled and chopped
- ½ cup sliced green onion
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups Ranch dressing (homemade or store bought).
Homemade Ranch Dressing:
- 1 cup mayo (I like Avocado mayo)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- ½ tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Ranch Dressing Directions:
- In a medium-sized bowl, using a wire whisk or fork, mix dressing ingredients until well combined.
Baked Potato Salad Directions:
- Boil, drain, and cool potatoes and set aside.
- Cook, cool, and crumble the bacon and set aside.
- Add cooled potatoes, crumbled bacon, cheese, eggs and green onion to a large serving bowl.
- Pour the ranch dressing over the mixture and gently fold everything together until coated.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving!
Notes
STORAGE:
Keep leftover potato salad in the fridge for up to 4 days, and always serve it chilled, especially at picnics or potlucks. Homemade ranch will keep up to 5 days in a sealed container.
POTATO TIPS:
- Russet potatoes work best, but Yukon Gold or red potatoes can be used
- Dice potatoes before boiling for even cooking
- Cut into ¾-inch chunks (no smaller than ½ inch)
- Start in cold, salted water for best texture
- Boil uncovered after reaching a boil to avoid overflow
- Drain immediately—do not rinse
- Let potatoes cool and dry before mixing
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 558Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 1147mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 13g
Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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