Perfect Potato Salad with Egg and Bacon

If you ask me, potato salad is one of those dishes that never goes out of style.

This classic side dish brings together tender Yukon Gold potatoes with hard-boiled eggs and crispy bacon for a combination that works every single time. Crunchy celery and fresh green onions add just the right amount of bite.

The dressing is where things get good – a creamy blend of mayonnaise and sour cream mixed with a touch of Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar. It coats every piece without being too heavy.

It’s a go-to recipe for potlucks and barbecues, the kind of dish that disappears fast from any table.

What Kind of Potatoes Should I Use?

For potato salad, you’ll want to stick with waxy potatoes like red potatoes, Yukon golds, or new potatoes rather than russets or Idaho potatoes. Waxy potatoes hold their shape better after boiling and won’t turn into a mushy mess when you mix them with the dressing. Russets are too starchy and tend to fall apart, which isn’t what you want here. If you can’t find the exact variety, just look for smaller, firmer potatoes with thin skins – those are usually your best bet for a potato salad that looks as good as it tastes.

Options for Substitutions

This potato salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options:

• Potatoes: Yukon golds or red potatoes are your best bet here – they hold their shape well after boiling. Russets can work too, but they tend to get mushy, so cut them into larger chunks and watch them carefully while cooking.
• Bacon: Turkey bacon works if you want a lighter option, or you can skip the bacon altogether and add some smoked paprika to the dressing for that smoky flavor.
• Green onion: Regular yellow or red onion can replace green onions – just dice them finely and use about half the amount since they’re stronger. You could also try chives for a milder onion taste.
• Mayonnaise and sour cream: You can use all mayo or all sour cream if that’s what you have on hand. Greek yogurt works as a substitute for sour cream too, giving you a tangier, lighter dressing.
• White wine vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar both work fine here. You might even try a splash of pickle juice for extra tang.
• Dijon mustard: Yellow mustard is a fine substitute – just use a bit less since it’s milder, or go with whole grain mustard for more texture.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with potato salad is adding the dressing while the potatoes are still warm, which causes the mayonnaise to break down and turn the salad watery – always let your potatoes cool completely before mixing.

Overcooking your potatoes is another common issue that leads to mushy salad, so check them with a fork after about 10 minutes and remove them as soon as they’re tender but still hold their shape.

When boiling eggs, starting them in already-boiling water instead of cold water makes peeling much easier, and that ice bath isn’t optional – it stops the cooking process and prevents that gray-green ring around the yolk.

Finally, don’t forget to season your potatoes with a little salt right after draining them while they’re still warm, as this helps the flavor penetrate better than just adding salt at the end.

What to Serve With Potato Salad?

Potato salad is a natural sidekick to any grilled or barbecued meat, so fire up some burgers, hot dogs, or chicken thighs for an easy backyard meal. It also pairs really well with pulled pork sandwiches or ribs since the creamy, tangy flavors help balance out the smoky richness of the meat. If you’re keeping things simple, serve it alongside some corn on the cob and coleslaw for a complete summer spread. For indoor meals, this potato salad works great next to baked ham or even a simple rotisserie chicken from the store.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Keep your potato salad covered in the fridge and it’ll stay fresh for about 3 to 4 days. Since it has mayo and eggs, you’ll want to make sure it stays cold, so don’t leave it sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Make Ahead: This is actually a great make-ahead dish! You can prep it the night before and let all those flavors meld together in the fridge. Some people say it tastes even better the next day once everything has had time to hang out together.

Serve: Give your potato salad a good stir before serving since the dressing can settle at the bottom. If it seems a bit dry after sitting in the fridge, just mix in a tablespoon or two of mayo or sour cream to freshen it up.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1650-1800
• Protein: 45-55 g
• Fat: 90-100 g
• Carbohydrates: 155-170 g

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2.2 lbs potatoes (Yukon Gold for a creamier texture)
• 5 eggs
• 1/3 cup bacon (cooked until very crispy then crumbled)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup green onion
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann’s for the best flavor)
• 1/3 cup sour cream (Daisy for a thick and rich consistency)
• 1.5 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1.5 tsp dijon mustard
• 1.5 tbsp milk

Step 1: Start the Potatoes and Eggs Cooking

• 2.2 lbs potatoes
• 5 eggs
• salt

Wash and cut the potatoes into even 1-inch chunks so they cook uniformly.

Place them in a large pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes depending on size.

In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and gently add the eggs, cooking for exactly 8 minutes for perfectly set yolks with slightly creamy centers.

While both are cooking, you can prep your other ingredients.

Step 2: Cook the Bacon and Prepare the Dressing

• 1/3 cup bacon
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1.5 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1.5 tsp dijon mustard
• 1.5 tbsp milk

While the potatoes and eggs cook, arrange bacon strips on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through, until very crispy and rendered.

Simultaneously, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and milk in a bowl until smooth and well combined—I like to do this while the bacon’s in the oven so everything comes together at the same time.

Once the bacon is done, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and crisp up further.

Step 3: Cool and Prepare All Components

• cooked potatoes from Step 1
• cooked eggs from Step 1
• cooled bacon from Step 2
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup green onion

Transfer the cooked potatoes to a colander and rinse briefly with cool water, then spread them on a sheet pan to cool faster—this prevents them from becoming mushy when mixed.

Remove the eggs from boiling water immediately and place them in an ice bath for at least 5 minutes to stop the cooking.

Once cooled, peel and dice both the potatoes and eggs into bite-sized chunks.

Crumble the cooled bacon into small pieces and finely chop the celery and green onion.

I find that letting the potatoes cool completely before mixing prevents the dressing from becoming warm and thin.

Step 4: Combine and Season

• cooled diced potatoes from Step 3
• cooled diced eggs from Step 3
• crumbled bacon from Step 3
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup green onion
• dressing mixture from Step 2
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, gently fold together the diced potatoes, eggs, crumbled bacon, celery, and green onion using a rubber spatula—avoid over-mixing to keep the potatoes from breaking down.

Pour the dressing from Step 2 over the mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, stirring gently to combine.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed—the dressing already contains salt, so taste before adding more.

Perfect Potato Salad with Egg and Bacon

Delicious Perfect Potato Salad with Egg and Bacon recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 1725

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the salad

• 2.2 lbs potatoes (Yukon Gold for a creamier texture)
• 5 eggs
• 1/3 cup bacon (cooked until very crispy then crumbled)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1 cup green onion
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann's for the best flavor)
• 1/3 cup sour cream (Daisy for a thick and rich consistency)
• 1.5 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1.5 tsp dijon mustard
• 1.5 tbsp milk

Method

 

1. Wash and cut the potatoes into even 1-inch chunks so they cook uniformly. Place them in a large pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook until fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes depending on size. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil and gently add the eggs, cooking for exactly 8 minutes for perfectly set yolks with slightly creamy centers. While both are cooking, you can prep your other ingredients.
2. While the potatoes and eggs cook, arrange bacon strips on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 18 minutes, flipping halfway through, until very crispy and rendered. Simultaneously, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and milk in a bowl until smooth and well combined—I like to do this while the bacon's in the oven so everything comes together at the same time. Once the bacon is done, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and crisp up further.
3. Transfer the cooked potatoes to a colander and rinse briefly with cool water, then spread them on a sheet pan to cool faster—this prevents them from becoming mushy when mixed. Remove the eggs from boiling water immediately and place them in an ice bath for at least 5 minutes to stop the cooking. Once cooled, peel and dice both the potatoes and eggs into bite-sized chunks. Crumble the cooled bacon into small pieces and finely chop the celery and green onion. I find that letting the potatoes cool completely before mixing prevents the dressing from becoming warm and thin.
4. In a large bowl, gently fold together the diced potatoes, eggs, crumbled bacon, celery, and green onion using a rubber spatula—avoid over-mixing to keep the potatoes from breaking down. Pour the dressing from Step 2 over the mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, stirring gently to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed—the dressing already contains salt, so taste before adding more.