Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

What’s not to love about a fully loaded ranch potato salad filled with bits of bacon and chunks of egg? This has been my kids’ favorite potato salad for over 10 years now.

This is a super easy-to-make potato salad with bacon, eggs, and ranch dressing and it’s been a huge hit with everyone who tries it.

Ranch Potato Salad

One day a few years ago, while I was making a fresh batch of Ranch Dressing, my eye fell on an enormous leftover baked potato and a few hard-boiled eggs waiting in the refrigerator.

The ingredients were almost begging me to make a potato salad. I won’t pretend that the bacon here was leftover, I cooked it fresh. Who ever heard of leftover bacon?!

Even with cooking the bacon, this ranch potato salad came together so easily that I instantly knew it would be one that would show up in the future on our lunch and dinner menus. This recipe multiplies beautifully and I usually double or triple it for get-togethers with friends.

I’ve served this to plenty of guests, brought it to potlucks, and made it as a dinner side dish just for the family. It’s a guaranteed hit every time.

Potato Salad with Bacon

When I decided to make a ranch potato salad that first time, my mind immediately turned to bacon. There simply isn’t a bad way to include bacon in a salad, right?

I wanted a salad with the flavors of ranch dressing, but also with some smokiness from the bacon. I used just a bit of the bacon grease to season the dressing and the whole salad picked up that slightly smoky flavor that we love.

With a few leftover hardboiled eggs and baked potatoes, this salad comes together quickly. Rather than using a storebought or pre-made ranch dressing, I made an extra thick dressing with mayonnaise and all the usual ranch seasoning suspects like dill and parsley.

Every bite of this potato salad is creamy and full of smoky bacon and herbed ranch flavor. Fresh green onions tossed in at the end added a terrific bite and satisfying crunch to the salad.

Don’t be scared of the bacon grease, it makes an enormous difference in the final result. It’s just a small amount and takes this from an ordinarily good potato salad to something that tastes better than any potato salad you’ve had from a restaurant or deli. It blows the store-bought salads completely out of the water.

Potato Salad with Ranch Dressing

Can there be a perfect potato salad? If so, this is it. I found myself snacking on this all afternoon that first time I made it.

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

• cold baked potatoes
• hard-boiled eggs
• cooked bacon
• reserved bacon grease
• mayonnaise
• white vinegar
• kosher salt and black pepper
• dried dill, parsley, and chives
• green onion

Every time I walked through the kitchen, a fork managed to find its way into my hand as I opened and closed the refrigerator, just to “taste test” this recipe one more time. I’m lucky that there was enough left for our dinner!

Ever since the first time I made this ranch potato salad, I’ve served it as a side dish to countless main dishes. We love it with Crunchy Baked Chicken and Filthy Burgers but also it’s hearty and filling enough to serve as a lunch or light dinner all on its own.

And yes, I still find myself sneaking bites of it whenever I have leftovers in the fridge. This potato salad doesn’t need to wait or chill before being served. The flavors of everything come together perfectly right away and it’s best served fresh. I’ve also stored it in the fridge for a few hours or up to a day before serving and it’s still tasted fantastic.

Be prepared for everyone to ask you for your recipe when you bring this to a potluck. Everyone is always blown away by this combination of tender potatoes, creamy ranch, and smoky bacon.

Potato Salad Recipes with Eggs

Nothing says barbecue or picnic like a potato salad. If you’re looking for more great potato salad recipes, here are some more I’ve made over the years you need to try.

Looking for more potato salad recipes with eggs? Check out our Dill Pickle and Bacon Potato Salad and this Roasted Potato Salad.

Jalapenos and cheddar cheese make this Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad a guaranteed win. With a creamy, spicy dressing and smoky bites of bacon and egg throughout the salad, it’s a crowd favorite.

Creamy deviled egg filling creates the dressing that coats each bite of this potato salad. Chunks of potato and hard-boiled eggs are tossed with the dressing to make the ultimate potato salad for anyone who loves deviled eggs.

Tender potatoes mingle with crisp fresh vegetables in a creamy, herb dressing to take this Loaded Vegetable Potato Salad over the top.

An abundance of lemon and dill make this Lemony Dill Potato Salad the freshest tasting potato salad I’ve ever made. It has an unexpected bright flavor that makes you stop and savor the first bite.

Inspired once upon a time by a bit of leftover Elote Dip and a spoonful of leftover potato salad, this Street Corn Potato Salad was a fun random creation that I knew I needed to turn into a full potato salad recipe.

{originally published 4/16/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 4/15/24}