Ranch Potato Salad Recipe

Name: The Easy Ranch Potato Salad I'm Making for Every Summer Potluck
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds red or gold potatoes, peels left on, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 tablespoon salt; 1/4 cup dill pickle brine; 6 slices thick-cut bacon; 1/3 cup sour cream; 1/3 cup mayonnaise; 1 (1-ounce) packet ranch seasoning mix; 1 celery rib, finely diced; 1/2 cup finely diced dill pickles; 1 small bunch fresh dill, chopped (1/4 cup loosely packed); Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

bowl of ranch potato salad, and in the background, a platter wtih more and a glass of water — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Why Make This

• This easy summer recipe combines two favorites, potato salad and ranch, with pickles, bacon, fresh dill, and both mayonnaise and sour cream.
• The salad takes 45 minutes, but you can make components ahead of time.

Potato salad and I have not always been friends. You see, I have hated raw onions since childhood. And unlike the other foods I hated as a kid and now love, raw onions are still on my “absolutely not” list.

For me, crunching into a raw onion is very unpleasant. Its flavor overtakes everything else, and then I have the flavor in my mouth for hours. Because of this, potato salad is almost always off the table. Every single barbecue or potluck has been an incomplete experience. I pass by the potato salad longingly, knowing that it’s likely chock full of the one ingredient I can’t stand to eat.

This year I’ve made a resolution. I am taking over potato salad duties at every single summer gathering so I can make it exactly the way I want: raw onion-free.

I developed this recipe to be a crowd-pleaser (and me-pleaser), using one of the most beloved flavors—ranch—and a hefty dose of pickles plus their brine for a little puckery pizzazz. Plenty of crunchy bacon provides a savory saltiness, a handful of celery adds crunch, and dill brings its fresh, summery aroma to the party.

The main thing to remember about this particular potato salad is that almost every ingredient is “to taste.” Add more pickles or celery if you love those flavors or go wild with the dill or substitute for another herb. You can even add some raw onion if you really can’t help yourself. I’ll look the other way.

Quick Tips for Making Ranch Potato Salad

I used Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning (the packet that says “salad dressing”). If you want to use a different brand, such as Trader Joe’s ranch seasoning, add it to taste. Remember that the sour cream and mayonnaise mixture should taste very flavorful and maybe even a little too salty. Once it’s tossed with the potatoes its flavor will be toned down quite a bit.
Handle the potatoes gently. Don’t let them boil too vigorously or they can break apart.
Letting the potatoes cool and drain in the colander for 5 minutes helps ensure that all excess liquid drains off, but it also lets the potatoes cool slightly so they’re a little firmer when you transfer them to the bowl.

ranch potato salad on a platter next to a bowl of fresh dill and utensils on an orange kitchen towel — Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Recipe Variations

Add chives, green onion, or pickled onion.
Add cilantro and/or parsley instead of or in addition to the dill.
Use any kind of pickle that you like. Dilly beans would work, as would pickled asparagus. You’re mostly after the pickle flavor, not the cucumber itself.
Instead of ranch seasoning, you can substitute Trader Joe’s Seasoning In a Pickle (it’s a seasonal item, so snag it while you can!) for a pickle potato salad. You’re welcome.

Make It Ahead

Although this potato salad comes together in just 45 minutes, you can prepare some of the components ahead of time.

To cook the potatoes ahead, leave them whole instead of cutting them into 1-inch pieces and simmer them for about 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with a skewer or knife. Drain, cool, and refrigerate for up to 2 days, then cut into chunks and prepare the salad as directed.

The bacon can be cooked ahead of time, cooled, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Summer Sides

Ranch Potato Salad

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Servings 6 servings

Yield 6 cups

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

2 pounds red or gold potatoes, peels left on, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup dill pickle brine
6 slices thick-cut bacon
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 (1-ounce) packet ranch seasoning mix
1 celery rib, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced dill pickles
1 small bunch fresh dill, chopped (1/4 cup loosely packed)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the potatoes:

Add the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of fine salt to a large saucepan or small pot. Add enough cold tap water to cover the potatoes. Place the pot over high heat and cover. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to maintain a very slow, steady simmer. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and add pickle brine:

When the potatoes are tender, gently pour them into a colander and let drain for 5 minutes. Transfer them to a large bowl. Add the pickle brine and toss gently to coat, then set aside to let the potatoes cool completely.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon:

While the potatoes are cooking and cooling, cook the bacon. In a large skillet over medium heat, arrange the bacon slices in a single layer (if they overlap a little that’s OK—they will shrink as they cook and you can rearrange them so they aren’t touching each other). Once the bacon starts to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, flipping the bacon occasionally, until browned and most of the fat has rendered, about 15 minutes.

Transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain and cool.
Make the dressing:

Whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, and ranch seasoning in a small bowl.
Assemble the potato salad:

Once the potatoes have cooled, crumble the bacon and divide the crumbles in half. Add half the bacon to the bowl with the potatoes along with the sour cream mixture, celery, pickles, most of the dill (reserve a little for garnish), and black pepper to taste. Toss well but gently, with a silicone spatula, to combine all the ingredients. Taste, adding salt if needed.

Serve right away at room temperature or cover and refrigerate the potato salad until chilled, at least 2 hours. Right before serving, garnish with the reserved crumbled bacon, remaining dill, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Store leftovers (without the garnishes) for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
321	Calories
16g	Fat
36g	Carbs
9g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	321
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g	21%
Saturated Fat 4g	21%
Cholesterol 25mg	8%
Sodium 1034mg	45%
Total Carbohydrate 36g	13%
Dietary Fiber 4g	14%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 16mg	79%
Calcium 70mg	5%
Iron 2mg	11%
Potassium 981mg	21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.