
I first made this roasted red potato salad for the first time a few years ago to serve with grilled ribs. We had the leftovers with crab cakes the next day. (This post from Hey Grill Hey has a great recipe and all the info you need to make great grilled ribs. Savory Experiments has a great recipe for crab cakes.)
This recipe is part of my sides collection. Another one of my favorite potato side dishes is Parmesan & Chive Roasted Baby Potatoes. If you're looking for some more inspiration for a potluck or picnic side recipe, check out this BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad.
Recipe Notes & Potato Salad Tips
This potato salad recipe roasts the potatoes instead of boiling them. Roasting the potatoes seems to help the potatoes hold up against the dressing a little better, and it adds a unique texture. I don't peel the potatoes before roasting them, but you can peel them if you don't care for the skins.
Cut the potatoes into even, bite-sized pieces. Cutting the potatoes into pieces that are the same size makes sure that they cook in the same amount of time. Nobody wants a mix of overcooked and undercooked potatoes in their potato salad!
Let the potatoes cool before adding the dressing. It's fine to dress potatoes for a vinegar-based potato salad (like my Grandma's German potato salad) while the potatoes are warm, but it's important to wait for the potatoes to cool when using a mayo-based dressing.
This recipe transports well in a cooler for a potluck, picnic, or cookout. Transport in a well-sealed container so that no water gets into the potato salad.
You can make the potato salad up to a day in advance. The dressing and potatoes don't always play well together much beyond a day or two. I've definitely eaten leftovers beyond then, but it's best if eaten within a day or two.

Roasted Red Potato Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 lbs red potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 onion diced or sliced thin
- 1 rib celery sliced thin
- 4 strips cooked bacon (can cook at the same time the potatoes are roasting if needed)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Dressing
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Toss the cut potatoes in olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon garlic powder until all potatoes are well-coated.
- Spread cut potatoes in an even layer onto a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.
- Roast the potatoes for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and use a spatula to stir, ensuring that that they are in a single layer when you finish stirring.
- Return the potatoes to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through and many of them begin to brown. Remove from the oven to begin cooling.
- Make the dressing by whisking together all of the dressing ingredients.
- Stir together the potatoes, onions, celery, bacon, and dressing in a large mixing bowl. Chill before serving.

Jennifer Cochran
This recipe is amazing! The potatoes are so flavorful with the way they're roasted first. It's the best potato salad I've ever had. I loved the way the smoked paprika and the bacon flavors play off each other. This is going to be a regular in our house from now on!!
Sarah
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 😀