This loaded Baked Potato Salad recipe is a guaranteed potluck FAVORITE! It’s a fun change from a regular potato salad, and instead includes the toppings and flavors you love from a loaded baked potato, including bacon, onions, sour cream, and cheese.

Want more tasty side dishes? Try this Apple Pecan Salad, Caprese Salad, Air Fryer Potato Wedges, or Jalapeño Cornbread!

A serving bowl filled with Baked Potato Salad, topped with cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and sliced green onions.

Why I love this side dish:

  • Next Level – I am a huge fan of potato salads! Classic Potato Salad is yummy, but baked potato salad is amazing. It is a HIT every time I bring it to a BBQ!
  • Delicious – It has all of the delicious flavors you love from a baked potato, transformed into a potato salad. You won’t have any leftover.
  • Easy – No tending a pot of boiling water, just put the potatoes in the oven to cook then throw this salad together in minutes.

What is Baked Potato Salad?

This recipe is different from traditional potato salad because the potatoes are baked, and instead of tossing it in a mayo based sauce with pickles, and hard boiled eggs, like you would with classic potato salad, baked potato salad is dressed with toppings you’d use on a baked potato, like sour cream, salt and pepper, cheese, onions and bacon.

How to Make Baked Potato Salad:

Bake Potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash potatoes and prick them with a fork or knife. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until they are fork tender. Remove from the oven and cool completely. 

A baking sheet with baked potatoes cut in half for Baked Potato Salad.

Cut Potatoes: At this point you can peel all of them, or peel half of them and leave the skin on the other half to get a real baked potato feel. Cut the potatoes into small, pieces.

Baked potatoes cut into bite size chunks and placed into a bowl for easy Baked Potato Salad.

Make Sauce: Combine the sour cream and mayonnaise in a bowl and stir well. 

Sour cream and mayonnaise mixed together to make a delicious sauce for the best Baked Potato Salad recipe.

Combine Ingredients: Add the potatoes to a large serving bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the sauce (just enough to coat them well–you may not use it all) and gently stir to coat. Add most of the bacon, onion and cheese, reserving some for topping at the end, and gently stir to combine.

Chopped baked potatoes tossed in a sour cream sauce and topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onion for a loaded potato salad recipe.

Serve: Enjoy this loaded baked potato salad recipe at your next BBQ or potluck! I get so many compliments every time I bring it! I love to serve it with Ribs, Steak, Chicken Kabobs, Steak Kabobs, or a Classic Hamburger!

A close up image of loaded Baked Potato Salad, ready to enjoy.

Recipe Variations:

  • Potatoes – I personally love using russet potatoes in this dish, but you could also substitute cooked red or yukon gold potatoes.
  • Ranch Potato Salad – If you love a ranch flavor, stir some ranch seasoning (to taste) in the sauce before coating the potatoes.

More BBQ Side Dishes:

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Recipe

A serving bowl filled with easy Baked Potato Salad, ready to serve.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 50 minutes
Total 1 hour 5 minutes
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Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash potatoes and prick them with a fork or knife. 
  • Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until they are fork tender. Remove from the oven and cool completely. 
  • At this point you can peel all of them, or peel half of them and leave the skin on the other half to get a real baked potato feel. Cut the potatoes into small, pieces.
  • Combine the sour cream and mayonnaise in a bowl and stir well. 
  • Add the potatoes to a large serving bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Add the sauce (just enough to coat them well–you may not use it all) and gently stir to coat. 
  • Add most of the bacon, onion and cheese, reserving some for topping at the end, and gently stir to combine.
  • Check out these other BBQ Side Dishes!

Notes

Variations:
  • Potatoes – I personally love using russet potatoes in this dish, but you could also substitute cooked red potatoes.
  • Ranch Potato Salad – If you’d love a ranch flavor, stir some ranch seasoning (to taste) in the sauce before coating the potatoes.

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 9gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 360mgPotassium: 548mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 238IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 1mg

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*I originally shared this recipe in June 2015. Updated April 2018 and May 2023.

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Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this today for a neighborhood pot luck .
    It’s so delicious . I did add buttermilk ranch dressing for a little extra flavor .
    Thank you for the recipe .

  2. This is a delicious potato salad. But the recipe calls for 2 pounds of potatoes to serve 8. I just made it and it will just serve 3, luckily that’s all I need for today. 6-8 medium potatoes (who ever finds medium russets) probably weighs 6-8 pounds. I bought 2 potatoes that weighed 2 pounds. So I’ve got a lot of dressing left.

  3. 5 stars
    I brought this to a party last weekend. Everyone loved it! I made it the day before, and followed the directions to stir together on the day of. It was excellent! I am finishing the leftovers now and the bacon is starting to get a bit chewy on day 3. I would recommend eating within 2 days of combining with the dressing. I will make this again and try using boiled potatoes as I think they are easier to peel than baked potatoes. If it was just me, i would leave the skins on, but I am trying to deal with another’s dietary restrictions (low roughage).

  4. 5 stars
    I made this once absolutely delicious thank you for the recipe I’m wondering if you could add broccoli in with it and should you cook the broccoli or Al dente? Thank you in advance

  5. Trying this on Sunday for Father’s Day. I hope my husband enjoys this! Looks delish and the process sounds enticing!

    Quick one, is it okay if I add in the boiled eggs and dill pickle; as is on the classic potato salad recipe?

  6. Making this today! 6/13/2023 and I’m adding in a packet of ranch powder! I’m super excited to try this recipe though!!!

  7. 5 stars
    I tweaked this a little as I only had canned whole potatoes. Fried them up in the bacon grease and drained. Then followed all other instructions. Freaking amazing!

  8. First time I ever heard of this was at Buoys in North Myrtle Beach. We were there 09/03/2022. I loved it. Making it this evening for the family. Hope mine turns out as good as there’s did!

  9. Wonderful ! I chopped bread and butter pickles into relish and add … Everyone loves it Thank you.

    1. Yes you can prepare it ahead of time, but store the sauce separately, and coat it in the sauce just before serving.

  10. 5 stars
    Love this! I’m not a fan of traditional potato salad but this is a hit! I added chopped pickled jalapeños for a little extra flavor.

  11. 5 stars
    This is the best recipe… so easy to follow and absolutely delicious.. it’s my go to recipe and everyone loves it!!!

  12. 5 stars
    I love potato salad, but my wife isn’t a big fan… until she tasted this! She said it was more like having a fully-loaded baked potato, which is a favorite of hers. I used about 4 tbsps of chopped shallot instead of the green onion, because I like a stronger onion flavor, but otherwise made the recipe ‘as is’ for my first go. I noticed today, a few days after we finished off the first batch, my wife had without comment baked 6 potatoes while I was out, leaving them without comment on the stove top. I am pretty sure it’s a hint!

  13. 5 stars
    This quick and easy recipe gives you a hearty, somewhat spicy potato salad on short notice if you have a few baked potatoes in the fridge already. I used 1 shallot instead of the green onions (although I chopped one green onion for a topping), and added a stalk of thin-sliced celery because my wife says it’s not potato salad without celery. Give it a try!

  14. 5 stars
    I have had baked potato salad several different places and this potato salad is the most flavorful. It was easy to make and great flavor.

  15. 5 stars
    First time making this, made the recipe as written and O MY, it is deee-lish! I WAS going to give my neighbor a bowl, but I think he can wait til my next, bigger batch! Thank you for posting!

      1. Traditional potato salad is always better the next day after it has chilled over night. What is the reason we should not combine the ingredients the day before to let it chill?

  16. 5 stars
    Yum! I will only say that you can save sour cream and mayo by doing 3/4 cup of each and I think you would still have some leftover. And I only had 6 slices of bacon and 1/2 cup cheese but it came out really good anyway.

  17. 5 stars
    Excellent side dish that is easy to make. Takes loaded baked potatoes to a whole new level.

  18. 5 stars
    This recipe is awesome as is. I do notice variations between mayo and sour cream brands but otherwise I follow this recipe to the T. I like heat so I swap in habanero or ghost pepper cheeses.

  19. I had signed up to make potato salad for a work function. I wanted to try “baked potato potato salad” Which I’ve had from upscale supermarkets. I kind of had an idea of what went in it and bought all that. But then I decided to Google a recipe since I’ve never made it before. I found this one, followed it almost exactly and it was absolutely fantastic. And so easy! I did boil the potatoes to save time. I made a double batch. Everyone raved and 4 lbs was gone. Thanks so much for this excellent and easy recipe. I really love the Mayo sour cream combo, which sounds weird, but came out really great. I think I will try that in other salads such as low-carb cauliflower.

  20. I make this salad at request for all our family gatherings. Lately I’m told to make a bigger one. I’m saying like really? It’s always a hit.

  21. Super super easy and simple and incredibly good! Made this on a whim. Had left over baked potatoes, peeled cut them up, and zapped them in the microwave and made this. The family LOVED it.

  22. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!!! I had ‘your’ salad at a picnic several years ago, and finally found the recipe for it. It was delicious then and hope it will be as delicious as when I prepare it for a family gathering…..

    Again thank you.

  23. 5 stars
    OMG delicious! I made this for Father’s Day and got rave reviews. Going to treat family to my new favorite side.

  24. Has anyone tried “baking” the potatoes in the instant pot and had similar success? I am on a time crunch.

    1. Hi Missy, to cook whole potatoes in the Instant Pot, add one cup of cold water, prick potatoes and stack them on your wire trivet rack. Cook on high pressure for 10-14 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Allow pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes. Enjoy! (Also, here is my traditional potato salad recipe, for the Instant Pot, if you’re interested: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/instant-pot-potato-salad/ )

  25. 5 stars
    Just made this for July 4th cookout today. I’m one who usually adjusts recipes after making the first time – not this one. It’s perfect!

  26. 5 stars
    I have made this one several times. My brother-in-law is not a fan of traditional potato salad absolutely loved this one since it had more of a baked potato flavor. Try this and you will not regret it!

  27. This is a super big hiy with my family, the only complaint we ever have is that there is never enough!!!

  28. I’ve made this baking mini potatoes but the same recipe and will serve it tomorrow’s Easter Sunday picnic along w/ ribs and baked beans!!

  29. 4 stars
    Made it as it was written but halved it because there were only 3 of us eating. Still had plenty left over to have fed another 2 or 3 people. Was really good and the person that described it as a “deconstructed baked potato” was spot on. Will definitely make it again. It needed to be a bit creamier is my only semi issue with it. Will make extra dressing next time to put on top.

  30. 5 stars
    I was so happy to find this recipe. Due to circumstances beyond my control I have a LARGE amount of washed and foil wrapped potatoes! I have made Loaded Baked Potato Salad before, using boiled potatoes. This was FAR easier and has a more “Baked” flavor. Thank you for sharing your expertise!
    Gigi

  31. 5 stars
    Everyone LOVED this recipe. I served half hot, the other half cold. Took it on a camping trip.
    Planning on making this weekend, another camping trip. Didn’t change the recipe AT ALL!! Leave it ALONE!!

  32. Could you use yukon gold potatoes? I’m going to try this tomorrow with grilled salmon & baked beans for a birthday dinner.

      1. Made it & was gone before I could get a picture. This will be on the menu quite often – DELISH! Thanks!

  33. 5 stars
    I frequent a deli that sells baked potato salad, which I only recently tried. I’m now so hooked on the flavor that I just had to find a recipe, and this one is it! I already know that it will taste yummy, sounding so easy to put together. As I purchase a small amount of this delicious salad at least 3 or 4 times per week, making it from your recipe is also going to save me a lot of money!

  34. 5 stars
    I’ve made this three times in the last month- after the first time it’s been requested twice by friends. Easy and delicious.
    Thanks for the recipe!

  35. Can you prepare this in advance, say the night before an event, or is it best prepared the day it is consumed?

    1. Hi Alex, you could do that! I would suggest reserving the majority of the sauce and stirring it in right before serving. Otherwise the potatoes will soak up the sauce overnight and the mixture wont be as creamy and flavorful. Hope you enjoy it!

  36. 5 stars
    I really enjoyed this, thanks! Had extra dressing and it was perfect added on top of my serving. De-contructed baked potato. It’s a WIN!

  37. 5 stars
    One of the best things about knowing you is that I get to sample your recipe and this was absolutely amazing 🙂

  38. I don’t eat bacon but potato salad sounds good. Got this recipe at perfect time going to prepare one for lunch along-with grilled sandwich and roasted peppers.

    Enjoy summers !

  39. I quite enjoy a good potatoe salad and your version looks and sounds really tasty 🙂 Pinned, hope I can maybe try ti when I’m back at my parents.

    Have a great day!

  40. Oooohh…My boyfriend loves all things bacon. I am definitely going to try this. All of these salads look great. Just in time for summer picnics! 🙂

  41. Lauren, that looks so good! You always make the most amazing looking dishes! I need a side dish for a bbq this weekend. Maybe I’ll try this one. 🙂