This creamy ranch potato salad is loaded with savory crispy bacon, green onions and couldn’t be easier to make! A homemade Paleo and Whole30 ranch dressing gives this potato salad a zesty, addicting “cheesy” flavor even though it’s dairy-free!
Potato salad has always been my “thing” – ever since college. Sort of weird, right? But yes, potato salad was always that thing I brought whenever I attended any gathering, the thing I put all my cooking pride in and the thing that probably started my love for cooking in the first place. Potato salad.
And, oddly, my love for potato salad came out of the fact that prior to making my own, I couldn’t stand it. In fact, it seems like all my favorite recipes are either inspired by something I LOVE or something I HATE. As in when I hate something, I challenge myself to re-make it and LOVE it.
My first favorite potato salad was quite an ordeal to prepare since it contained eggs, bacon, roasted potatoes, onions, and celery. I actually posted an updated paleo/whole30 version with white sweet potatoes on the blog early on, and in truth it remains my favorite.
The problem I have with it though, is that it simply takes forever to prepare, and most of the time nowadays, I just don’t have THAT kind of TIME to spend on a side dish, i.e. potato salad. Nowadays, I have other things to do/cook/clean/whatever and feel like spending several hours on potato salad is frustrating and anxiety provoking. Super dramatic, I know. However, I STILL love my potato salad, especially now that we’re in grilling season, and needed to find a simple solution to the darn potato salad problem.
So, I decided to get right down to the basics – potatoes and bacon. Yes, bacon is essential in my potato salad and I will not apologize for that one! After the bacon, the ranch and green onions just sort of felt natural. Tons of flavor, not much effort!
I also decided to use white potatoes – which (GASP!) are actually paleo for some people, although not for everyone (by the way, they are 100% Whole30 compliant as long as you’re not deep frying them.)
I often receive at least a couple of rude comments on my posts involving white potatoes telling me I’m being irresponsible in claiming white potatoes are paleo. Of course, “paleo” is not an exact science at this point in time, and white potatoes can be fine for some of us following a paleo or mostly-paleo diet. Since I started out paleo as a long distance runner, potatoes of all kinds had a part in my diet, but, if you’re a sweet-potato-only gal (or guy) then by all means, go with them (but use the white or japanese varieties since they’ll be so much yummier with this one!)
As for the ranch dressing – it really gives the potato salad a great flavor that mayo alone just can’t accomplish! For this recipe, I created a super simple, thick and creamy mayo-based ranch, using my homemade mayo recipe as the base. While the homemade version definitely has superior flavor (so consistent!), if you aren’t into homemade mayo, you can always purchase Whole30 mayo made with avocado oil to create a Whole30 and paleo friendly ranch.
Okay, guys, you are going to LOVE how simple and perfectly delicious this potato salad is! I hope you’re ready to get started, let’s make this!
Bacon Ranch Potato Salad {Paleo & Whole30}
Bacon Ranch Potato Salad {Paleo & Whole30}
Ingredients
For the Ranch:
- 1/2 cup homemade paleo mayo or purchased paleo mayo
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika
- 2 tsp dried chives
- 1/2 tsp fresh chopped dill dried is okay too
- 3/4 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/8-1/4 tsp salt
For the Potato Salad:
- 1 1/2 lbs small red skinned potatoes scrubbed
- 8 slices nitrate free bacon* sugar free for Whole30 cooked and crumbled
- 1 bunch scallions light and dark green parts, thinly sliced
- Ranch dressing to toss with
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and carefully add the potatoes, return to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes or until fork tender (they should be soft, but not so soft that they’re falling apart)
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Drain the potatoes and chill them in the fridge until at least room temp. (the freezer will work if you’re in a hurry.)
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While the potatoes cool, prepare the ranch dressing by whisking together all ingredients until well combined, then chill in the fridge until ready to use.
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If you haven't already, cook your bacon until crispy in a large deep skillet, drain/cool on paper towels, and crumble.
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Once potatoes are cooled, cut them into bite size pieces and toss with the crumbled bacon and sliced scallions, then the ranch dressing. Garnish with more scallions and bacon or fresh dill if desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*If you're following Whole30 make sure your bacon is sugar-free (most contain sugar.) My favorite Whole30 compliant bacon is from U.S. Wellness Meats.
Nutrition
What I Used to Make My Bacon Ranch Potato Salad:
Want More Paleo and Whole30 Side Dish Recipes? Try one of these!
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Lime Vinaigrette
Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon and Eggs
Tostones (Twice Fried Plantains) with Avocado Ranch Dip
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon
Tell Me!
What are your favorite summer side dishes?
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Fantastic! Made the day before and it was even better the next day! A non potato salad lover declared it his favorite part of the meal!
Delicious! I’ve made this twice for summer barbeques. The second time I didn’t have enough scallions, so I sautéed some chopped onion with the bacon. It turned out great. The bacon adds a nice smokey flavor. This recipe is a keeper, whether I’m on a round of Whole30 or not.
Love this potato salad! Third year making it for 4th of July family picnic and everyone loves it! I was actually asked to make it this year again, although I was already planning on it.
This turned out amazing! I loved the flavor and the mayo-to-potato ratio. And bacon sells the rest to the family. Thank you!
Nowhere near 10 servings. But whole family liked it!
Made this tonight as my dinner instead of a side dish. It was delicious and I can’t wait to have leftovers tomorrow. I added hard boiled egg, celery, red bell peppers, and chopped up pickles. I didn’t have any chives so I left them out but I’ll bet it would have kicked it up a notch. I also added a little more lemon in my ranch.
It is super delicious and healthy. I can eat it while playing geometry dash lite
It is really yummy
I appreciate how the author breaks down complex concepts into digestible parts, making the information easy to follow.
Jump into the crunchy delight of Bacon Ranch Potato Salad—a Paleo & Whole30 sensation! It’s a geometric blend of crispy bacon, creamy ranch, and tender potatoes that keeps you on the edge of flavor. Perfect for gamers and foodies alike, it’s a level up in taste!