I always think steak dinners aren’t complete without a loaded baked potato. That’s why I love our Loaded Steakhouse Potato Salad. It brings those classic flavors into a delicious, easy-to-prepare salad. I love how simple this potato salad is, with creamy dressing, crisp bacon, and melted cheese. Make it ahead for a stress-free, flavorful side dish for your next backyard cookout, BBQ, or steak dinner.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
For this Loaded Steakhouse Potato Salad, you’ll need just a few simple ingredients to create a delicious BBQ side dish.
In the printable recipe below, you can find a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
- Red Potatoes: I prefer red potatoes for potato salad since they hold their shape well after boiling and have a slightly sweeter and creamier flavor than other varieties. Red potatoes also have thinner skins than russet or Idaho potatoes, so peeling them is unnecessary. Yukon Golds or baby potatoes are a good substitute.
- Bacon: I used thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon to achieve the traditional steakhouse baked potato taste. Turkey bacon or vegetarian bacon can be used as alternatives.
- Mayonnaise and Sour Cream: I used a combination of mayo and sour cream for creaminess. I recommend not skipping the sour cream since it gives the salad some tanginess, but you can substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream.
- Cheddar Cheese: I prefer a sharp cheddar since it is usually on a steakhouse baked potato, but you can use Colby Jack or Monterey Jack for a milder taste.
- Green Onions: A loaded steakhouse baked potato isn’t complete without a few green onions (or chives). They add a fresh, mild onion flavor, but chives are a great substitute.
How to Make Loaded Steakhouse Potato Salad
Here are the quick step-by-step instructions with visuals; you can find the full instructions with the exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
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Pro-tip: For the best flavor, let the Loaded Steakhouse Potato Salad sit in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. This allows the potatoes to soak up the creamy dressing and the flavors to meld together beautifully.
1. Prep the Bacon: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Place a wire rack on the baking sheet and lay the bacon slices without overlapping. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Once done, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess grease. Once it has cooled, chop the bacon into small pieces.
2. Cook the Potatoes: Cut the small red potatoes into bite-size pieces, leaving the skins on for added texture. Place them in a large pot and add enough water to cover them. Salt the water, then bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 8-12 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse with cold water to cool them down.
3. Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the cooked potatoes to the bowl with the dressing, stirring to coat them evenly. Fold in the chopped bacon, green onions, and shredded cheddar cheese until everything is well-mixed.
4. Chill and Serve: Garnish with a few extra pieces of bacon, then cover and chill in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Enjoy this easy side dish with your favorite summer recipes for a delicious meal.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can prepare the potatoes ahead of time to save time on the day of serving. Cut the small red potatoes into bite-size pieces and boil them until fork-tender. Once cooked, drain and rinse them with cold water. Store the cooled potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. On the day of serving, simply assemble the potato salad as directed.
How to Store: Store the potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days. While freezing potato salad isn’t recommended due to potential texture changes, you can freeze the cooked potatoes separately. Freeze them in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
How to Reheat: For best results, enjoy the potato salad cold. If you prefer warm potato salad, heat it gently in a microwaveable dish on medium heat for 30-second increments, stirring occasionally.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Chill the salad for an hour to let the flavors meld together.
- Let the potatoes cool slightly before mixing to prevent the dressing from becoming too runny.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use waxy varieties like small red potatoes or Yukon Golds to keep potatoes from falling apart. Cook them until just fork-tender, not overly soft. After cooking, drain and cool them in cold water to halt further cooking.
Potato salad can become watery if the potatoes are overcooked or improperly drained. The dressing ingredients, like mayonnaise and sour cream, can also release moisture as they sit. To prevent this, ensure the potatoes are well-drained and pat them dry before mixing with the dressing.
More Summer Sides to Try
Looking for more backyard cookout summer sides? Try these other favorites:
- Creamy Southern Coleslaw – This coleslaw comes together in minutes using just a few ingredients. It is perfect for pairing with some smokey BBQ meats.
- BLT Pasta Salad with Creamy Avocado Ranch Dressing – Loaded with bacon, lettuce, and tomato, this pasta salad is everything you love about a BLT sandwich, but as a pasta salad. Coated in a creamy avocado ranch dressing, it’s easy and delicious.
- Texas Caviar – This cold bean salad contains black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and peppers. It is the perfect side dish or appetizer.
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Loaded Steakhouse Potato Salad
This recipe may contain paid affiliate sales links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my full disclaimer policy for details.
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Equipment
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds small red potatoes
- 3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 green onions, sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
Bacon
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. This step will make cleanup much easier. Place a wire rack in the baking sheet.
- Place the bacon on the wire rack ensuring the slices don't overlap.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the bacon is golden brown and crispy. While the bacon is in the oven, start cooking the potatoes.
- Carefully remove the bacon from the oven and transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess grease.
- Once done, chop the bacon into small pieces.
Potatoes
- Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces, leaving the skins on. Place them in a large pot, add enough water to cover them, and salt. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the potatoes for 8-12 minutes or until they are fork-tender.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse with cold water for a few minutes to cool them down.
Potato Salad
- Thinly slice the green onion using the white and light green parts.
- Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined.
- Add the warm potatoes to the mayonnaise and sour cream mixture, stirring to coat them evenly. Then, fold the green onions, bacon, and shredded cheese until well mixed.
- Garnish with a few pieces of bacon on top. Cover the salad and chill until ready to serve.
This was delicious and so easy to make!
Made this for a barbecue last week and there was not one speck left over! Everyone was asking for the recipe, too. Delicious!!
We served this at potluck on Canada Day and it was a hit! Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. Definitely a keeper!
I skipped the bacon, and it was still very delicious. Thanks
My husband enjoyed this Loaded Steakhouse Potato Salad.