The summer season brings plenty of opportunities to indulge in some of your favorite warm weather-inspired foods and drinks—we’re talking grilled burgers, hot dogs, watermelon, ribs, margaritas, and of course, creamy potato salad. From beach days and picnics to holiday cookouts, we have you covered with some of the best and easiest potato salad recipes to try.
There are many variations on potato salad—like German potato salad, which swaps mayo for a vinegar-based dressing—but the classic usually consists of potatoes, mayo, hard-boiled eggs, salt, pepper, celery, onions, and relish. The recipes on this list range from the traditional to more unique spins on the classic, like ditching mayo for olive oil and pesto or making your own mustard-based vinaigrette.
If you plan on hosting a cookout this summer, treat yourself and your guests to one of these amazing potato salad recipes. And for even more inspiration for your next barbecue or cookout, discover the 23 Best Hot Dog Toppings.
The Healthiest Potato Salad
This classic potato salad recipe is perfect for those just dipping their toes into this summer dish. The ingredients list is fairly simple and easy to follow. It calls for a half cup of mayo, but if you want to make it even healthier, you can swap out the mayo for plain Greek yogurt.
Get our recipe for Healthy Potato Salad.
Greek Potato Salad
This recipe is similar to your favorite potato salad from childhood—except it has even more added bursts of savory flavors. Ingredients like Greek dressing, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives truly bring this summer side dish up a notch, and it is guaranteed to impress all who sample it.
Get the recipe from Foodie Crush.
The Best Potato Salad
Gimme Some Oven claims that this is the best potato salad recipe ever, and we can honestly see why. The combination of traditional potato salad ingredients along with toppings like Old Bay seasoning and fresh chives will satisfy your cravings and have you coming back for seconds (and thirds).
Get the recipe from Gimme Some Oven.
Mom’s Creamy Potato Salad
Potato salad should always be creamy and tangy, regardless of which kind you make. This recipe for Mom’s Creamy Potato Salad checks those boxes, and it achieves its extra creamy texture by combining mayo and sour cream. You can certainly use full-fat sour cream for the best texture, but if you want to cut down on a bit of the calorie count, you can always try a low-fat sour cream as well.
Get the recipe from The View From Great Island.
Pesto Potato Salad
The Pesto Potato Salad from Half-Baked Harvest is definitely not the potato salad you remember from your summers growing up. Still, once you’ve tried this recipe made from potatoes, fresh basil, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, olive oil, and eggs, you’ll be bringing it to every summer gathering.
Get the recipe from Half-Baked Harvest.
German Potato Salad
A potato salad without the mayo, this German recipe uses mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and the delicious addition of pancetta to make a quick, easy, and crowd-pleasing dish you can bring to any party. Because this isn’t your traditional potato salad, What’s Gaby Cooking suggests pairing it with some nice grilled steak or chicken.
Get the recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking.
Avocado Potato Salad
What is even creamier than a classic mayo-based potato salad? A potato salad recipe that uses both mayo and two delicious avocados. Not only will you and your guests be enjoying the creamy, tangy goodness of this dish, but you’ll get some heart-healthy fats in your meal as well.
Get the recipe from Gimme Some Oven.
Loaded Baked Potato Salad
Loaded baked potatoes are delicious and comforting. But the only thing better than one loaded potato is an entire bowl full of them. With bacon, potatoes, sour cream, chives, and cheese, you’ll simultaneously impress your guests at the barbecue and be able to indulge in some of your favorite comfort ingredients.
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Get the recipe from Foodie Crush.
Cheddar Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
Ranch dressing is good on pretty much everything, which is why this Cheddar Bacon Ranch Potato Salad recipe is the perfect side dish to bring to any social gathering. Aside from how yummy this dish is, it also has one of the shortest ingredient lists out of any of the other recipes, which makes it perfect for beginner cooks or those who don’t want to break the bank just to make an impressive potato salad.
Get the recipe from Cooking Classy.
Simple French-Style Potato Salad
This French-inspired potato salad recipe replaces the traditional mayo-based dressing with an herb-infused vinaigrette instead. Even though you’ll save yourself some extra calories, you and your party guests won’t notice, as this dish is still perfectly indulgent.
Get the recipe from The Minimalist Baker.
