This bacon cheddar potato salad is a creamy cold potato salad made with tender potatoes, crispy bacon, aged cheddar, green onions, and a curry-tinted mayonnaise dressing. It is richer than a classic deli-style potato salad, so I make it when I want a potato side that can stand beside grilled meat, burgers, sandwiches, or a simple summer plate without feeling too plain.

This recipe is based on my YouTube video Mes meilleures salades de pommes de terre, where I made three different potato salads from one big batch of cooked potatoes. I adjusted this version slightly since publication so it works better as a standalone recipe at home: less mayonnaise, controlled bacon fat, a touch more acidity, and clearer proportions. The mistake to avoid is adding too much bacon grease or too much mayo at once. The salad should look glossy and creamy, not oily, and the potatoes should still hold their shape when you fold everything together.

What Makes This Version Different

This is not the same kind of recipe as a light vinaigrette potato salad or a traditional picnic potato salad with eggs and pickles. This one is the bacon-and-cheese version, so it goes in a more generous, almost loaded baked potato direction, but served cold or lightly chilled.

Creamy Bacon Cheddar Potato Salad, Easy BBQ Side That Eats Like a Meal

Compared with a classic creamy side like macaroni salad, this one has more texture from the potatoes and more smoky flavor from the bacon. Compared with hot potato recipes like crispy fries or air fryer baked potatoes, this is made ahead and served cool, which makes it practical for BBQs, family meals, potlucks, and summer weekends in Canada or the USA.

I prefer to use waxy or all-purpose potatoes because they stay intact after boiling. If the potatoes are too floury, they break apart and the salad turns heavy. A little softness is good, but you still want pieces of potato, not mashed potatoes with bacon.

Ingredients You Need

For the potatoes, use Yukon Gold, red potatoes, baby potatoes, or any firm all-purpose potato. Yukon Gold is a good middle ground because it has a creamy texture without falling apart too quickly.

For the bacon, I like a smoked bacon with good fat, but not something sliced paper-thin. You want pieces that can brown slowly and become crisp around the edges. When the bacon hits the warm pan, it should first release fat, then start to sizzle louder as the moisture evaporates. That is when the color comes.

For the cheese, aged cheddar is the best choice. It gives a salty, sharp taste that balances the potatoes and mayonnaise. A mild cheese will melt into the background and the salad will taste flatter.

The dressing is mayonnaise-based, but I add Dijon, vinegar or pickle juice, black pepper, and a little curry powder. The curry is not there to make the salad taste like a curry dish. It gives warmth, color, and a little roundness. What I look for here is a pale golden dressing that still tastes like potato salad.

If you want to understand seasoning better, especially with salty ingredients like bacon and cheese, the guide on how to season a recipe properly is useful. With this salad, salt should come last, after tasting.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cut and Cook the Potatoes

Cut the potatoes into bite-size chunks, around 1 inch. Try to keep them close in size so they cook evenly. If some pieces are huge and others are tiny, the small ones will break before the large ones are cooked.

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Salt the water well. Bring to a boil, then cook until the potatoes are tender but not collapsing, usually 12 to 15 minutes depending on size.

You know they are ready when a knife slides in without resistance, but the potato does not crumble when lifted. Drain them well and spread them on a tray or in a wide dish. Let them cool completely.

The cooling step matters. If hot potatoes go straight into mayonnaise, the dressing loosens, turns greasy, and sometimes separates. At this point, the potatoes should be dry on the surface and no longer steaming.

2. Cook the Bacon Slowly

Add the diced bacon to a cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium and let the fat render out slowly. Stir from time to time.

At first, the bacon will look soft and pale. Then the pan will become wetter as the fat comes out. After a few minutes, the sound changes and the bacon starts to crackle. That is when it begins to crisp.

Cook until the pieces are browned and firm around the edges. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and keep 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Do not pour all the grease into the salad. I make it this way because the bacon fat gives real flavor, but too much makes the dressing feel heavy and oily.

3. Make the Dressing

In a large mixing bowl, stir together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar or pickle juice, curry powder, black pepper, and the reserved bacon fat.

The dressing should taste slightly stronger than you want the final salad to taste. Potatoes absorb seasoning and soften the flavor. If the dressing tastes flat now, the finished salad will taste even flatter.

For a richer homemade sauce direction, you can use your own mayonnaise technique, but keep the quantity controlled. This salad does not need to swim in dressing. It needs just enough to coat the potato pieces.

If your dressing ever feels too thick, loosen it with a small splash of pickle juice or vinegar. If it looks oily, whisk in a spoonful of mayonnaise to bring it back together.

4. Fold the Salad Together

Add the cooled potatoes to the bowl with the dressing. Fold gently with a spatula, turning from the bottom of the bowl so you coat the potatoes without crushing them.

Add the crispy bacon, grated cheddar, and sliced green onions. Fold again.

At this point, it should look creamy with visible pieces of bacon and cheese throughout. The potatoes should be coated, but there should not be a puddle of dressing at the bottom of the bowl.

Taste before adding salt. Bacon, cheddar, salted cooking water, Dijon, and pickle juice already bring salt. Most of the time, a little black pepper is enough.

5. Chill Before Serving

You can serve it right away, but I prefer to chill it for at least 30 minutes. The potatoes absorb some of the dressing, the cheese firms up slightly, and the bacon flavor spreads through the bowl.

If the salad seems a little tight after chilling, stir in 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise or pickle juice before serving. Cold potatoes can absorb more moisture than expected.

This is a hearty comfort-food side, not a light salad. It has protein and fat from the bacon and cheese, and it is filling. Serve smaller portions beside grilled chicken, pork, steak, sandwiches, or other summer dishes.

Substitutions

Use sour cream for part of the mayonnaise if you want a tangier dressing. I would replace about one third of the mayo, not all of it, because sour cream alone can become watery.

Use smoked cheddar, old cheddar, Monterey Jack, or gouda instead of aged cheddar. A stronger cheese gives the best result.

Use turkey bacon if you prefer, but add a little neutral oil when cooking because it will not render the same amount of fat.

Use chives instead of green onions for a milder taste.

Use apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or pickle juice. Pickle juice gives the most picnic-style flavor.

For another creamy potato direction, potato and cheese pierogi uses the same comfort-food idea in a completely different format.

FAQ

Can I make this potato salad ahead of time?

Yes. Make it up to 24 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Before serving, stir gently and adjust with a spoonful of mayonnaise or a splash of pickle juice if the potatoes absorbed too much dressing.

Should the potatoes be warm or cold when mixed?

Cool or room temperature is best. Warm potatoes can make the mayonnaise greasy. If you want the potatoes to absorb more flavor, toss them with a little vinegar while they are still warm, then cool them before adding the creamy dressing.

Can I use russet potatoes?

You can, but they break more easily. If using russets, cut them larger and watch the cooking time closely. For a cleaner salad, use Yukon Gold or red potatoes.

Is this served cold?

Yes, cold or lightly chilled. I do not serve this hot because the cheddar and mayo can turn heavy. Let it sit 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature before serving so the flavors open up.

Can I skip the curry powder?

Yes. The curry is subtle. You can leave it out or replace it with smoked paprika, garlic powder, or a pinch of cayenne.

Why not add all the bacon fat?

Because the salad becomes greasy fast. A little bacon fat gives smoke and richness. Too much coats the potatoes and dulls the acidity.

What to Serve With It

This salad is rich, so it works best beside something grilled, roasted, or crisp.

For chicken, serve it with grilled lemon chicken thighs, sticky soy maple chicken, or crispy skin chicken thighs.

For pork, it fits naturally beside garlic butter pork chops, bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, or easy sausage and potato sheet pan dinner.

For a BBQ plate, add something fresh like grilled chicken Caesar salad or marinated feta salad so the meal does not feel too heavy.

If you want another potato side for a different meal, try classic pommes boulangères, traditional gratin dauphinois, or one-pan pork chops and potatoes.

Creamy Bacon Cheddar Potato Salad

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Prep Time 20

Cooking Time 20

Category Entrée

Cuisine North American

Portions 6 portions

Calories 420 kcal

Ingredients

2 ¼ lb Yukon Gold or red potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks
1 ½ tbsp kosher salt for the cooking water
6 oz bacon diced
4 oz aged cheddar grated
3 green onions thinly sliced
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp pickle juice or vinegar
½ tsp curry powder
½ tsp black pepper
1 to 2 tbsp reserved bacon fat
Salt only if needed

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add the salt and bring to a boil.
Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender but still holding their shape.
Drain well and let the potatoes cool completely.
Add the bacon to a cold skillet and cook over medium heat until crisp. Reserve the bacon pieces and 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.
In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pickle juice or vinegar, curry powder, black pepper, and reserved bacon fat.
Add the cooled potatoes and fold gently until coated.
Add the crispy bacon, grated cheddar, and green onions. Fold again without crushing the potatoes.
Taste before adding salt.
Chill for 30 minutes before serving, or refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Video

Notes

FAQ