Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
by Sommer Collier — on Jul 20, 2026 The name says it all here! If you like bacon, ranch dressing, and potatoes as much as I do, you are going to LOVE my bacon ranch potato salad recipe! I mixed tender chunks of russet potatoes in a thick, tangy sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning base for a super rich taste. While it is an easy recipe, the combination of ingredients is power packed to create an amazing zesty flavor and ultra creamy texture!
Popular opinion: I make the best potato salads. Hands-down. (Did I say that out loud?!) Need proof? Just take a look at my step-by-step guide for how to make potato salad with a 4.9 ⭐️ rating across 900+ reviews as one example! Today I’m sharing another fabulous potato salad recipe… This one features chunky pieces of potato folded into a ranch-based dressing with crispy bacon and fresh scallions. My super easy bacon ranch potato salad is unbelievably soft and luxurious but packed so much flavor! In fact, I’ve been making it all summer, and my guests keep asking to take the leftovers home with them. This is probably the simplest potato salad recipe I’ve made to date, and no doubt will be another top-rated recipe.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Simple Ingredients – You likely have most of the ingredients to make a classic potato salad in your kitchen. Then just pick up a packet of ranch dip mix from the store, and you’re good to go! This little wonder packet of dip has all of the seasonings necessary for a incredibly tasty ‘tater salad!
Best Taste and Texture – No but seriously, my recipe is THAT good! The creamy base of the potato salad is a two-part sour cream one-part mayo ratio. This gives it an extra zippy and rich flavor when mixed with the ranch dip powder.
Make Ahead – The whole salad comes together in only about 30 minutes, including boiling time. Similar to my deviled egg potato salad, I like to chill potato salad for at least a couple hours before serving, so the flavors have time to mix and mingle. But overnight is even better!
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Potatoes – I find russet potatoes to be the best for making potato salad. They’re thick and hearty, and hold up very well to being boiled and chopped, without turning into mush. Yukon gold (AKA yellow potatoes) also work well, but they do make a softer texture. I love using Yukon Gold, but it’s important to be more gentle when mixing.
- Sour cream and mayonnaise – Using these two together gives the salad a super creamy base! They’re tangy but not too tangy, rich without being too rich, and are great to let the other flavors shine.
- Ranch dip mix – Yep, I’m talking about those handy little packets. They have everything you need spice-wise to make the most incredible bacon ranch potato salad. Usually a packet includes dried dill and parsley, garlic powder and onion powder, and salt and pepper. You can also find brands the meet special dietary needs.
- Bacon – If you’re in a hurry, you can use pre-cooked chopped bacon from the grocery store. But I prefer to cook bacon from scratch then chop it. This definitely creates the best flavor.
- Green onions – I try to slice my scallions fairly thin. It helps them mix well into the salad and adds a nice pop of freshness, without overpowering the other flavors.
- Lemon juice – Fresh is best! I try to never use the bottled stuff, which often includes other ingredients to make it shelf stable. Fresh lemon juice has such a better flavor and provides the perfect amount of acidity.
How to Make
Find the full ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Cook Potatoes – I start by getting out a large 6-8 quart pot and scrubbing my potatoes. Then I use a large knife to cut them into quarters, so each piece is about 1 1/2 to 2-inches big and chunky. They don’t need to be exact or pretty! I place the potatoes into the pot as I cut them, then fill the pot with cold water so the pieces are covered by 1 inch of water.
I place the large pot on the stove over high heat, and sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Like adding salt to pasta water, this one little trick makes the potatoes way more flavorful! I wait until the water comes to a full boil before setting a timer for 13 minutes. When the timer goes off I use a fork to check one of the larger chunks of potatoes for doneness. If the fork easily slides into the potato, I turn the heat off and remove the pot from the water. Keep boiling them for another 2-3 minutes until they reach that fork-tender texture. Then carefully dump the potatoes into a colander over the sink to drain them well. I let them sit in the colander for several minutes, until they are slightly cool and dry before removing the skins.
Peel and Chop – The skins are very easy to slide off of boiled potatoes. I typically use my hands to peel them off and discard the skin. If you like the texture of a little skin, leave some on.
Once the skins have been removed I chop the potato pieces into even-sized 3/4-inch cubes.
Add Ingredients to Bowl – Next, I get out my large mixing bowl and add the potato pieces. Then I add the sour cream, mayo, ranch dip mix, chopped bacon and scallions, and lemon juice right on top.
Mix Well to Combine – I use a large silicone spatula to gently fold the ingredients together without smooshing the potatoes. I want the pieces to be totally coated in the creamy mayo and sour cream mixture, and the bacon pieces and green onions mixed in evenly. The goal is to get a ‘lil bit of everything in each forkful! OCD TIP: Yes, you can mix the dressing first before adding to the bowl, if the idea of dump-and-stir bothers you.
Cover and Chill – I stop mixing the potato salad as soon as it come together, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Then into the refrigerator it goes to chill! I like to give it at least 2-3 hours so the flavors of the potatoes and ranch dip mix really meld together.
Expert Tips
Yes, you can peel and dice the potatoes before boiling them. However, after making potato salad literally hundreds of times, I can tell you that texture of the potatoes is better if you just cut them in quarters, boil them with the peels on, and then pull the skins off with your fingers when the potatoes have cooled a little bit. With this cooking method the skins essentially protect the potatoes as they boil, giving them a light fluffy texture. Whereas when you boil small diced potatoes they can easily overcook and turn to mush.
The potatoes should cool a bit after boiling, however, I recommend combining them with the dressing ingredients, bacon, scallions and lemon juice while they are still slightly warm. This makes the sour cream and mayo base easier to mix in, and helps get those flavors even deeper into the potatoes.
Easily make this more like my loaded baked potato salad recipe with a creamy ranch dressing kick by adding shredded sharp cheddar cheese.
Serving Suggestions
I usually serve this potato salad as, well, a salad! It’s the perfect dish to pair with casual cookout and barbecue-style mains, or to bring to potlucks and share. (Be ready… You are going to get a LOT of requests for the recipe!) The flavors of the bacon ranch potato salad are great with classic bbq dishes like –
- Grilled Blackened Chicken
- BBQ Chicken Skewers
- Baby Back Ribs
- Smoked Pork Butt
- Chopped Brisket
- Classic Beef Hamburgers or Ground Turkey Burgers
Storage Notes
Ranch potato salad with bacon is excellent to make ahead and keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Be sure to cover it tightly though, so the dressing doesn’t dry out.
When I’m ready to serve I’ll use a spatula again to fold it and “stir” around, but don’t be too rough!
And no, you should not try to freeze it. The creamy dressing and tender potatoes will not freeze and thaw well.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to cut back a few calories and fat is to use low fat sour cream or Greek yogurt and light mayonnaise. You can also use cooked and chopped turkey bacon, if you like!
It’s important to let the boiled potato pieces drain thoroughly in the colander to remove most of the moisture. Chilling the salad for several hours also helps the creamy dressing to firm up nicely!
Sure! It will change the flavor, of course, but you can totally leave on the bacon and make this a vegetarian ranch potato salad recipe.
Eh, I wouldn’t deviate from starchy potatoes to make this recipe. If you are looking for something a bit different taste-wise, I suggest trying my red potato salad with briny capers and fresh herbs!
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More Side Dish Recipes
Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes or Yukon gold
- 16 ounces sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 packets ranch dip mix
- ¾ cup cooked chopped bacon
- ¾ cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into quarters and place them in a large 6-8 quart pot. Fill the pot with cold water until it reaches 1 inch over the potatoes. Then place over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Once the potatoes start to boil, set the timer for 13 minutes. At the 13-minute mark, test one of the potatoes. If it's fully fork-tender turn off the heat. If not, boil for another couple minutes then turn off the heat.
- Carefully pour the hot potatoes into a colander and allow them time to cool and dry.
- Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off as much skin as you prefer. I usually peel most of it off but leave a little bit on for texture. Then cut the potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes.
- Place the chopped potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch dip mix, cooked chopped bacon, chopped scallions, and lemon juice. Gently fold and mix the potato salad until each and every piece of potato is well coated in the dressing. Then taste, and salt and pepper as needed.
- Cover the potato salad and I'll let it chill until ready to serve. I like to chill potato salad for at least a couple hours, so the flavors have time to mix and mingle, but overnight is even better!
