I Make My Mom’s 4-Ingredient Bacon Potato Salad Every Chance I Get

My aversion to mayonnaise is no secret. While I can handle it in small doses, a big glob of mayo makes me shudder. The one exception to this rule is my Mom’s famous potato salad. She learned the recipe from her mother, and growing up, she made it for almost every special occasion or BBQ we had throughout the summer.

We joke that this potato salad is so good because it only contains a “whisper” of mayonnaise—the real secret ingredient is bacon fat. Yep, you heard me. Unctuous, salty, rich bacon fat is what makes this easy four-ingredient summer salad so special. Fear not. You don’t need to add a ton to reap the benefits.

Why This Potato Salad Is the Best You'll Ever Eat

For ease, I usually make the bacon for this potato salad in the oven. Once it’s ready and you add the warm bacon fat to the cooked potatoes, the magic happens. At first, when you stir the bacon fat in, the surface of the potatoes gets a little roughed up and they release some starch, which makes the salad extra creamy. Since the potatoes are still warm, they absorb all of the delicious fat, infusing every single bite of potato with a ton of bacon-y flavor.

All that's left to do is add some crumbled bacon, minced onion, and that famous whisper of mayo—just enough to hold everything together. Add a little salt and pepper, chill everything, and prepare to eat the best potato salad of your life. It’s a very solid case for Mother always knowing best!

Bacon Makes Everything Better

• Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breasts
• Pasta Salad with Corn, Bacon, and Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
• Millionaire’s Bacon
• Bacon Jam

How To Make My Mom’s 4-Ingredient Bacon-y Potato Salad

For eight to ten servings, you’ll need:

• 3 pounds baby red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (12-ounce) package bacon
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous amount of salt and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and set them aside in a large bowl.

Once the oven is preheated, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then arrange the bacon slices in an even layer. Bake until the bacon is crisp and all the fat has rendered, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a cutting board, then reserve about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat.

Drizzle the bacon fat over the warm potatoes, slowly streaming it in while mixing constantly so all of the potatoes are evenly coated. Roughly chop the cooked bacon and add it to the bowl with the potatoes, followed by the diced onion. Add the mayonnaise, a generous pinch of salt, and some black pepper to taste. Mix until all of the potatoes are coated. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.