8 Potato Salad Recipes for BBQs, Potlucks and Lunches

Potato salad can be warm and tangy, cool and creamy, or substantial enough to build a lunch around. These eight potato salad recipes give you different dressings and fillings for a BBQ, a potluck or your next meal. Start with the serving style you want, then choose between vinaigrette, cheese and creamy dressings.

How to choose your recipe

The warm Dijon salad and the egg-and-mustard version suit a vinaigrette-style choice. Ham with cornichons brings another mustard-based option. For a creamy salad, compare dill pickle, bacon cheddar, Greek-style feta and olives, blue cheese, or ham with harissa. The comparison below helps you choose a dressing and the ingredients you want alongside the potatoes.

Explore the recipes

1. Potato salad with blue cheese sauce

Warm potato rounds with scallions and a blue cheese and olive oil sauce.

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Potato Salad with Blue Cheese Sauce

This potato salad with blue cheese sauce brings together tender yellow potatoes, scallions, olive oil, and a bold blue cheese dressing. A tiny pinch of turmeric adds warmth to the color without taking over the flavor. Serve it slightly warm so the potato slices stay supple and the sauce coats them lightly.

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2. Warm potato salad with Dijon vinaigrette

Warm potato rounds, red onion and chives dressed with Dijon vinaigrette, without mayonnaise.

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French Warm Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette (No Mayo)

Warm potato rounds, fine red onion and chives need very little beyond a sharp Dijon vinaigrette. I dress the potatoes while they are still warm, then fold gently so the slices stay intact. The result should look glossy, with a little dressing clinging to each round rather than collecting in the bottom of the bowl.

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3. No-mayo potato salad with eggs

Potato chunks, hard-boiled eggs, green olives and herbs with mustard vinaigrette.

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Easy No-Mayo Potato Salad with Eggs and Mustard Vinaigrette

This potato salad is based on my YouTube video for three cold potato salads, with a few adjustments since publication to make the proportions easier to follow at home. In the video, I make this first version as the “farm-style” one because of the hard-boiled eggs, fresh herbs, mustard, green olives, and a simple olive oil vinaigrette instead of a heavy mayonnaise dressing.

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4. Ham and cornichon potato salad

Ham, cornichons, green olives and mustard vinaigrette in a French-style potato salad.

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Easy French-Style Ham Potato Salad with Cornichons and Mustard Vinaigrette

This ham potato salad is based on my YouTube video for three summer potato salads, with a few adjustments since publication to make the proportions easier to repeat at home. In the video, I made everything by eye, which is how I often cook, but for a written recipe the oil, mustard, vinegar, potatoes, and salty ingredients need a little more structure.

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5. Greek-style potato salad with feta

Feta and Kalamata olives with a creamy dressing made with cream cheese and olive oil.

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Easy Greek-Style Potato Salad with Feta, Kalamata Olives and Creamy Dressing

This Greek-style potato salad is a cold potato salad made with tender potatoes, feta, Kalamata olives, capers, fresh herbs, and a creamy olive oil dressing. It is different from a classic mayo potato salad because the sauce is built with softened cream cheese, olive brine, mustard, and olive oil instead of a heavy mayonnaise base. I make it when I want a cold side dish that still has a bit of character, especially for grilled meats, picnic plates, seafood, or a simple summer meal.

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6. Creamy dill pickle potato salad

Dill pickles, fresh dill and mayonnaise create a creamy, tangy cold salad.

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Creamy Dill Pickle Potato Salad with Homemade Mayo

This creamy potato salad is a cold side dish made with tender boiled potatoes, homemade Dijon mayonnaise, chopped pickles, pickle brine, garlic, and fresh dill. It is richer than a vinaigrette potato salad, sharper than a plain mayonnaise version, and made for barbecue plates, sandwiches, grilled chicken, picnic lunches, or a simple cold supper when the kitchen is already too hot.

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7. Bacon cheddar potato salad

Crispy bacon, aged cheddar and green onions with a curry-tinted mayonnaise dressing.

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Creamy Bacon Cheddar Potato Salad

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.

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8. Creamy ham and harissa potato salad

Ham, pickles and cherry tomatoes with a creamy harissa mayonnaise dressing.

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Creamy Potato Salad with Ham, Pickles, and Harissa

This creamy potato salad is a chilled side dish made with tender potatoes, diced ham, crunchy pickles, cherry tomatoes, green onions, and a smooth harissa mayonnaise dressing. It is richer than a vinaigrette potato salad, a little more lively than a classic deli-style version, and it works for summer BBQs, meal prep lunches, potlucks, or a simple dinner plate with grilled meat or chicken.

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Before you start

• Choose the dressing first: mustard vinaigrette, blue cheese blended with olive oil, cream cheese, or mayonnaise each gives a different finish.
• Dress and serve the Dijon and blue cheese salads while the potato slices are warm. The dill pickle and bacon cheddar recipes cool the potatoes completely before adding mayonnaise.
• Compare the fillings as well as the sauce: egg and green olives, ham and cornichons, feta and Kalamata olives, or bacon and cheddar each brings a different flavour.
• Keep the potato pieces intact by following the recipe’s cutting and cooking method, then folding gently when adding the dressing.

Frequently asked questions

Which potato salads use a vinaigrette?

Start with the warm Dijon salad, the no-mayo egg salad and the French-style ham salad with cornichons. Each recipe has its own mustard-based dressing and method.

Which one should I choose for a BBQ or potluck?

Choose according to the other dishes and the serving style you want. Dill pickle and bacon cheddar offer creamy options; the warm Dijon recipe offers a vinaigrette-style alternative. Check the individual recipe for its preparation and serving directions.

For more menu ideas, explore our more salad recipes.