This Grilled Potato Salad with Bacon has been on our grill every Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day for as long as we can remember, and now that we've tweaked the method, it's even better. Baby potatoes go into a foil packet right on the grill, come out with crispy golden edges, and get tossed with a tangy apple cider vinegar dressing and half a pound of crispy bacon. No mayo-heavy glop. Just the ultimate summer BBQ side dish that cooks alongside whatever else is on the grill.
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Notes from Anna:
This recipe has a bit of a story. It lived on the blog years ago, we took it down, and then just… kept making it anyway every single summer because we couldn't quit it.
So we finally decided to bring it back, but not before we went back into the kitchen and made it even better. The big change: adding the dressing in two stages and keeping the bacon and green onions off the grill until the very end. Crispier potatoes, creamier dressing, bacon that actually stays crispy.
We should have done this years ago.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It cooks right on the grill. Foil packet on the grates. No need to run back inside to babysit it.
- Crispy edges, creamy center. The grill does what boiling never could.
- Bacon in every bite. Half a pound. Enough said.
- Works warm or at room temp. A total win for outdoor entertaining.
- Tangy, not heavy. The apple cider vinegar dressing keeps everything bright.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Baby potatoes: Those little 1½-pound bags you see at the grocery store are perfect here. They're often already small enough that you only need to halve them (or skip cutting altogether). Red potatoes, Yukon Golds, or fingerlings all work great, just cut them into similarly sized pieces (about ¾ - 1 inch) so they cook evenly.
- Celery: Sliced thin on the diagonal for a tiny bit of crunch that holds up even after time on the grill.
- The dressing: Mayo, apple cider vinegar, stone ground mustard, and a touch of sugar. It goes on in two stages: half before the grill (so it soaks into the potatoes as they cook), half after (to keep everything creamy and fresh). Dijon is a great swap for the stone ground mustard if that's what you have on hand. If you're a potato salad purist who prefers to skip the mayo entirely, our No Mayo Potato Salad is a light, tangy alternative that's also great for a crowd.
- Bacon: Cook it separately so it stays crispy. We add it after the grill to protect that crunch.
- Green onions: Also added off the grill to preserve their color and fresh flavor. No sad, yellowed onions here.
How to make Grilled Potato Salad with Bacon
This foil packet potato salad comes together in six straightforward steps. Most of the cook time is hands-off on the grill.
- Parboil the potatoes. Cover the cut potatoes with water, bring to a boil, and cook until barely fork tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the mayo, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
- First coat of dressing. Pour half the dressing over the warm potatoes, add the celery, and stir to coat.
- Build your foil packet. Layer two sheets of heavy-duty foil on top of each other, pour in the potato mixture, and seal the edges to form a packet.
- Grill. Grill over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. Open the packet and pour the potatoes into a large bowl.
- Finish and serve. Add the bacon, green onions, and remaining dressing. Stir and serve immediately.
Our Best Tips
- Don't overcook the potatoes. Parboil until just barely fork tender as they will continue to cook on the grill.
- Go double-layer on the foil. One layer can tear and leak dressing onto the grill grates. Two layers gives you peace of mind.
- Keep the grill at medium. Too hot and the dressing burns; too low and you won't get those crispy edges.
- Cook the bacon ahead. It can be cooked earlier in the day and crumbled right before adding so it stays crispy.
- Don't skip the two-stage dressing. The first half soaks into the warm potatoes on the grill; the second keeps everything creamy and fresh when you serve.
- Serve warm. This one is best right off the grill. If it sits, give it a stir and a splash more dressing to refresh it.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make ahead: Parboil the potatoes and make the dressing up to a day ahead. Be sure to drain the potatoes thoroughly and pat them dry before refrigerating as excess moisture will make the dressing watery. Store the potatoes and dressing separately, then assemble and grill right before serving.
Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The bacon will soften as it sits, so keep a little extra on the side to add fresh when serving.
Reheat: Gently reheat in the microwave. A splash of apple cider vinegar or extra dressing freshens it right up.
FAQs
Yes! Roast the foil packet in a 400°F oven for about 25 minutes. You won't get quite the same smoky notes, but the crispy edges and flavor are still really good. It's also a great way to make a warm potato salad in the middle of winter when the grill is packed away.
Absolutely. A couple of hard-boiled eggs chopped and stirred in at the end give it a classic potato salad vibe that works really well here.
They were likely parboiled for too long and became overcooked after time on the grill. You want to boil them just until they are barely fork tender.
Serving suggestions
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Recipe
Grilled Potato Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds baby potatoes, chopped into ¾-1" pieces
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal or diced
- ½ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 3 green onions, chopped
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Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook just until barely fork tender, about 5-7 minutes depending on size. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.1 ½ pounds baby potatoes,
- Preheat the grill to medium.
- While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper.½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon stone ground mustard, Kosher salt and pepper
- Pour half of the dressing over the warm potatoes. Add the celery and stir to coat.3 celery stalks,
- Layer two pieces of 18x24" heavy duty aluminum foil on top of each other. Pour the potato mixture onto the center of the foil. Fold and seal the edges to form a packet, leaving a little room inside for steam.
- Place the packet on the grill and cook for 25-30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.
- Carefully open the foil packet (watch for steam!) and pour the potatoes into a large bowl. Add the bacon, green onions and remaining dressing. Stir to combine and serve immediately.½ pound bacon, , 3 green onions,
Notes
- Baby potatoes from a 1½-pound bag are ideal. If they're very small, you may not need to cut them at all. Red potatoes or Yukon Golds cut into ¾-1" pieces also work great.
- Parboil potatoes until just barely fork tender so they don't get mushy and fall apart when grilled. (They continue to cook on the grill.)
- Always use two layers of heavy-duty foil. One layer can tear and leak on the grill grates.
- Bacon and green onions go in after grilling to keep the bacon crispy and the onions bright and fresh.
- The dressing is added in two stages intentionally: the first half soaks into the warm potatoes on the grill; the second keeps the salad creamy when served.
- Make ahead: parboil the potatoes up to a day in advance. Drain thoroughly and pat dry before refrigerating (excess moisture will water down the dressing). Store the dressing separately and assemble right before grilling.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The bacon will soften, so keep extra on hand to add fresh when serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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