Smoked Potato Salad

Get ready to have your socks knocked off with this Smoked Potato Salad! Using smoked baby potatoes and just a few ingredients, this is an unexpected mouth-watering side dish.

Smoky, tender potatoes coated in a creamy mayonnaise mixture create a dish that can’t be beaten. Fire up the smoker and get those potatoes done, as this dish is coming up for the next cookout.

Yes, even the classic potato salad is delicious but trust me, the smoked potatoes will make this dish the kind you dream about!

🥔 Ingredients

🛒Potatoes | You can actually use the Baby Medley as we did or try out fingerlings, cut-up russets, or red potatoes. Steer clear of the white potatoes.

🛒Creamy Sauce | A combination of mayo and sour cream makes the perfect base for the sauce. It’s incredible and easy to work with.

🛒Cheese | We love adding a little bit of cheese to take the potato salad to the next level. We used Mexican cheese this time and it was so good!

🛒Chives | The perfect mild oniony flavor to complement this rich-tasting potato salad.

🛒Bacon

🛒Salt & Pepper

⏲️ Equipment and Tools

⚡Vegetable Basket – A good quality, vented vegetable basket is the perfect tool for smoking these potatoes. The open holes allows the smoke to fully coat the potatoes.

⚡Disposable Aluminum Pan – If you don’t have a vegetable basket, use a disposable aluminum pan instead. After using, throw it away.

⚡Wood Chips – We used apple wood for the smoking, and I recommend you stick with a milder smoking wood for potatoes and veggies in general. If you aren’t sure about the typical pairings of wood choices, refer to my free Wood Pairing Cheat Sheet.

⚡Smoker – Use the smoker of your choice for this one. We always use our Big Green Egg when smoking but don’t hesitate to use Traeger, Masterbuilt, Pit Boss, Blaze or Weber. The only difference is in some of the smokers you are able to dial in the exact temperature you want it to stay at and some (like the BGE) you have to work it with the vents and charcoal.

📝 Instructions

Start by smoking some potatoes. The best part is you can make this even if you don’t own a dedicated smoker.

For a gas grill, simply use a smoker box to hold your smoking chips and then you can make this recipe with no problem. Alternatively, you can grill the potatoes instead of smoking them. It will still pick up the hint of smoke, which for a lot of folks, is just enough.

You can use our recipe for smoked fingerling potatoes, or you can simply follow along. Both recipes have similar smoking instructions. This recipe takes it a step further to make a loaded smoked potato salad.

✔️Step 1: Preheat the grill to 350°F. Normally, when smoking, I would keep the temperature at 225°F, but I am raising it to make the smoking process faster as the potatoes become quite infused with the smoke in just 40-50 minutes.

Note: For electric and pellet smokers, you can smoke the potatoes at a lower temperature (275-300°F). I smoked them on the Big Green Egg, which is a charcoal grill/smoker. For this type of smoker, the coals also contribute to the smoky flavor, so a shorter cooking time is needed.

✔️Step 2: Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. I find the best way to do this and get the best coverage is to use a one-gallon Ziploc Bag. Just dump it all in, shake it a little and the potatoes will be well-coated.

✔️Step 3: Pour the potatoes into a disposable aluminum pan. We had a reusable vegetable basket and used that instead. We want to show there are many ways to reach the finish line here! You can also pull out the Beer Can Chicken basket as it can hold about ¾ of the potatoes from this recipe.

✔️Step 4: Smoke the potatoes for 40-50 minutes or until fork tender. Bring the potatoes in and allow to cool.

✔️Step 5: After the potatoes are cool, cut them in half, and mix them with the mayonnaise, sour cream, chopped bacon, shredded cheese, apple cider vinegar, and fresh chives. I would not salt or pepper the mixture until you taste test it, as the potatoes already have salt and pepper on them.

✔️Step 6: Serve and enjoy! It is best if you can refrigerate it for a couple of hours before serving to have the ingredients meld together.

🌳 Best Wood For Smoking Potatoes

While the smoky flavor is a wonderful way to elevate a plain potato salad, the wood you choose can significantly affect the taste of the dish.

For smoking potatoes and other vegetables, I recommend milder woods. They absorb the smoke faster than meat and stored in the fridge, they will develop a stronger smoke flavor over the next few days.

I used apple wood for this smoked potato salad recipe, but you could also use cherry, citrus, or pear wood.

For a slightly stronger smoke flavor choose maple wood or use one of the fruit wood above mixed with a small amount of pecan.

❌ What Not To Put In Potato Salad?

Potato salad is a dish where simple and limited ingredients offer the best results. Here are some ingredients that can ruin the flavor or texture balance of the dish:

👎Overcooked potatoes – Avoid using potatoes that are too mushy or falling apart. They should be cooked just until tender but still hold their shape for a good texture.

👎Excessively strong onions – Raw onions, especially if they’re too pungent, can overpower the other flavors. Opt for milder options like green onions or red onions, and consider soaking them in cold water to reduce their intensity or simply using a small amount.

👎Too much dressing – Overdressing can make the salad soggy and heavy. Start with a smaller amount of dressing and add more as needed.

👎Wrong potato type – Waxy potatoes like red or fingerling hold up better in salads than starchy ones like Russets, which can become too soft.

👎Raw vegetables with strong flavors – Ingredients like raw garlic or too much raw celery can overwhelm the salad. Balance is key.

👎Excessive mustard or vinegar – I love using a small amount of Dijon mustard in a potato salad but too much tang can overpower other flavors. Balance them with the creamier ingredients so the salad doesn’t become too acidic.

👎Sugary ingredients – Adding too much sugar, honey, or sweet relish can throw off the savory balance of the salad.

🥡 Storage

If there are any leftovers, store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a sealed container.

When you smoke vegetables and then store them in the fridge, the smoky flavor will intensify over the next few days. That is another reason just to use a little bit of smoke while cooking these.

Cover these well in the refrigerator so the smoke flavor doesn’t take over everything else.

🍴 Meal Prep

🔸Make-ahead – This salad can be made one day ahead of the event. If you choose this option, be aware the smoke flavor of the salad intensifies over time.

🔸Cut the potatoes and prepare them the day before – They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a day after being cut.

🔸Cook and chop the bacon – I typically cook the bacon on a sheet pan in the oven with a raised baking grid. Make these a few days in advance to save you time late.

🔸Chop up the chives – Store them in a Ziploc bag in the fridge until you are ready to use them.

🔸Shred the cheese – Transfer it to the fridge in an airtight container or resealable bag with the rest of the salad ingredients.

🔁 Additions & Substitutions

👉Switch up the recipe – Make your family’s traditional recipe and simply substitute with these smoked potatoes.

Create texture contrast – Add celery for a crispy texture. A Jalapeño will add some heat to the dish too!

👉Classic version – If you go classic, it would be fun to add Smoked Eggs. Or think ahead and use smoked eggs in a traditional/classic potato salad.

👉German potato salad – Use the smoked potatoes for a new twist on a German potato salad. This salad has a vinegar-based dressing that makes it taste very different than my smoked potato salad recipe. Still yummy, though!

👉Low-calorie version – Substitute Greek Yogurt for the mayonnaise and sour cream. That will give you a tart flavor but it will save on calories.

👉Try different types of bacon – Replace regular bacon with turkey bacon. There are many types of bacon, and exploring them can add variety to all your recipes using bacon.

👉Switch up the cheese – You can use any cheese you like. We used a Mexican Cheese today but this would be excellent with a mild or sharp cheddar. Even try Gouda – just keep the smoke mild as the potatoes are already robust!

🍴 Serving Suggestions

I always think of eating potato salad on a paper plate while standing around friends and family at a BBQ. In that light, consider making some of these other BBQ-friendly dishes that will complement the smoked potato salad.

I love pairing my smoked potato salad with smoked brisket or smoked pork roast for a traditional BBQ experience.

Grilled beer can chicken or grilled chicken lollipops are lighter, yet flavorful dishes that balance well with the smoky potato salad. Or make some gorgeous grilled chicken Lollipops for a special presentation.

Serving it next to seafood also works wonderfully. Everyone will love this potato salad next to whole grilled Spanish mackerel or grilled mahi-mahi. The freshness of the seafood offers a delightful contrast to the smoky depth of the potato salad.

And when it comes to safe choices, it can’t get safer than steak and potatoes!

We love it next to grilled ribeye cap steak or grilled flank steak with avocado corn salsa. The robust flavors of the steak and the smoky, creamy salad create a very satisfying combination you’ll want to come back to.

💡 Expert Tips

📌Tone down the smoke flavor – Vegetables don’t contain the fat of meats to absorb the smoke so they will take in the smoke and HOLD it much faster and stronger than a rib roast or pork butt.

To offset that, partially cook the potatoes in the microwave BEFORE putting them in the smoker. Pierce them with a fork before microwaving to avoid them bursting out.

With a shorter cooking time, the smoke can ENHANCE the flavor and not take it over. Also, consider using the mildest wood chips like alder, cherry, or apple.

📌Use similar-sized potatoes – Try to have the potatoes be the same size so they cook evenly.

📌Avoid overcrowding – Place the potatoes in a single layer in your disposable aluminum pan or vegetable basket. Overcrowding can lead to uneven cooking and smoke flavor distribution.

If you need to smoke more potatoes, do it in batches.

📌Monitoring smoke density – Keep an eye on the amount of smoke in the smoker. Too much smoke can lead to a bitter taste. For the best flavor, aim for a thin, blue smoke rather than a thick, white one.

📌Temperature check: You can use a digital thermometer to check the internal temperature of the potatoes. They are done when they reach a tender consistency, which typically occurs around 205-210°F.

👨‍🍳 Recipe FAQs

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