My loaded baked potato salad takes everything you love about a loaded baked potato, like crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions, and fluffy baked potatoes, and turns it into one incredibly creamy, flavor-packed salad.
Unlike traditional potato salad made with boiled potatoes, this version starts with oven-baked russet potatoes for an extra-rich, hearty texture. Every bite is loaded with cheesy, smoky goodness, making it a side dish everyone will be asking you to bring again and again.
If you love summery salad sides like this, then be sure to try my panzanella salad, broccoli salad, and BLT pasta salad!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made with baked potatoes for amazing flavor and texture.
- Loaded with bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions.
- Perfect for barbecues, picnics, holidays, and potlucks.
- Easy to make ahead.
- Tastes great served chilled or slightly cool.
- Simple ingredients with big flavor.
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
- Russet Potatoes: They bake up fluffy on the inside with sturdy skins, making them perfect for soaking up the creamy dressing.
- Bacon: Adds smoky, salty flavor and a crispy texture that makes every bite more satisfying.
- Sour Cream: Gives the dressing a cool, tangy flavor that balances the richness of the other ingredients.
- Mayonnaise: Creates the creamy base that coats every piece of potato and ties the salad together.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Adds rich, cheesy flavor that melts slightly into the warm potatoes for extra deliciousness.
- Green Onions: Bring a fresh, mild onion flavor and a pop of color that brightens the whole dish.
- Jalapeno Flakes: Add a gentle kick of heat that complements the creamy dressing without overpowering it.
Variations
- Swap the Cheese: Swap the cheddar for Colby Jack, pepper jack, or smoked gouda.
- Make It Spicier: Add diced jalapeños for even more heat.
- Baked Potato Egg Salad: Stir in chopped hard-boiled eggs for extra protein.
- Loaded Ranch Baked Potato Salad: Mix in ranch seasoning for a ranch-loaded potato salad.
- Make It Lighter: Use Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise and turkey bacon for a lighter version.
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Step 1: Bake the potatoes until fork-tender. Then, cool for a few minutes.
Step 2: Mix the dressing ingredients while the potatoes cool. Then, chill the dressing while preparing the potatoes.
Step 3: Cube the warm potatoes. Then, gently fold them into the dressing.
Step 4: Fold in the cheese and bacon. Adjust the salt and pepper if necessary, top with extra green onions, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Bake the potatoes rather than boil them for the best texture.
- Leave the potato skins on for extra flavor if you like.
- Allow the potatoes to cool slightly before mixing so they don’t break apart.
- Fold everything together gently to keep the potatoes chunky.
- Refrigerate for about an hour if you prefer a colder potato salad.
Loaded Baked Potato Salad FAQs
Yes! This salad is a great make-ahead side dish. Prepare it several hours or even a day in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve. Chilling allows the flavors to blend together, making it even more delicious.
Baking the potatoes creates a fluffier texture and a richer potato flavor than boiling. The potatoes also absorb the creamy dressing without becoming watery, making the salad heartier and more flavorful.
Russet potatoes are the best choice because they’re light, fluffy, and hold up well when mixed with the dressing. Yukon Gold potatoes can also be used if you prefer a creamier texture.
No. Leaving the skins on adds extra texture, flavor, and nutrients. If you prefer a smoother potato salad, you can peel the potatoes after baking or before serving.
Allow the baked potatoes to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting them into cubes. Fold the salad together gently with a spatula instead of stirring vigorously to keep the potatoes intact.
It’s delicious slightly warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Many people prefer serving it after it’s been refrigerated for an hour or two so the flavors have time to develop.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Stir gently before serving, as the dressing may settle during storage.
Freezing isn’t recommended. The mayonnaise and sour cream can separate after thawing, resulting in a watery texture.
Served This Baked Potato Salad With
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Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounce bacon, diced into 1-inch cubes or bacon bits
- 5 russet potatoes, large
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup green onions, sliced
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt, + more for taste
- 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno flakes, (bought from Sam's Club)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- Scrub and dry potatoes.
- Pierce with a fork and place in the oven on the rack.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until soft.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, green onions, and seasonings.
- Set in the fridge to keep cool.
- Once potatoes have cooled a bit, cut into 1 ½ – inch cubes and add to the large bowl.
- Fold the potatoes gently into the sauce mixture.
- Next gently fold in the cheddar and bacon.
- Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Best served room temperature or cool.
Notes
- Bake the potatoes rather than boil them for the best texture.
- Leave the potato skins on for extra flavor if you like.
- Allow the potatoes to cool slightly before mixing so they don’t break apart.
- Fold everything together gently to keep the potatoes chunky.
- Refrigerate for about an hour if you prefer a colder potato salad.
Nutrition
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