Smoked Potato Salad Recipe
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Smoked Potato Salad will always have a place on your picnic table – I guarantee it! You won’t find anything like this smoky potato salad in the grocery store. You’ll want to make a large bowl of this for your next cookout! It’s the best potato salad recipe, ever!
Tender Yukon golds, completely coated with creamy dill dressing and infused with deep smoky flavor from the wood chips.
You just need to taste this smoked potato salad to believe how good it really is!!
This will pair well with any main dish and has some of that classic potato salad flavor but with a little boost of more!
New recipes like this are perfect for family picnics and an easy way to have a delicious side dish for BBQ cookouts.
I love to make this for backyard barbecues! It is fast and simple and pairs with delicious recipes like cooked chicken thighs or anything cooked on the charcoal grill!
The next time that you want a way to use up those Russet potatoes, keep the printable recipe card below handy.
The fork tender potatoes and creamy dressing are the best!
Smoked Potato Salad
I’ve said a couple of times that almost everything tastes better from a smoker, so it’s time to put my money where my mouth is with this smoked potato salad recipe!
I’m not worried, though — once you take the first bite of this amazing side dish, you’ll never want to prepare it any other way!
Sure, you could boil potatoes and make regular potato salad. But you won’t have a deep, rich, flavor that can only come from a smoker!
I’m a huge fan of smoked side dishes.
From meatballs and smoked corn on the cob, to baked beans and bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, the smoker just adds a little something special to every dish.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Yukon Golds – These spuds are nice and starchy – perfect for smoking! You can use white or any other thin skinned variety if that’s all you have.
I recommend avoiding Russets as they are too starchy for a smoked potato salad. - Celery and Red Onion – I like to use these veggies because they’re crispy with a sharp taste. Some other recipes include green beans and green onion.
Those would be good, too! - Hard Boiled Eggs – Some people like to just use the egg yolks and mix them up in the dressing, but I like to include the whole egg!
- Pickles and Pickle Juice – Dill pickles or dill pickle relish is best! You won’t get that briny tang without them.
We dice the pickles, but I know some people like larger chunks of pickles in theirs. If that’s your choice, go for it! - Mayonnaise and Sour Cream – These form the base of the creamy smoky potato salad dressing.
To lighten things up, you can use light sour cream, low-fat or fat-free mayo, or a mixture of sour cream and Greek yogurt.
A substitute dressing of olive oil and lemon juice would also work!
Optional Add-Ins for Smoky Potato Salad
- Switch up the seasoning.
You can rub whatever you want on your spuds before smoking.
Add paprika or chili powder for a spicier salad, or consider swapping the kosher salt with garlic salt for more of a bite. - Seasonal fruits and veggies
Some people like to include fruits and veggies in their tater salad. Scallions and diced bell peppers are great additions.
For a spicy kick, you can add diced chiles. And, if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can add diced red apples! - Tangy ingredients
Apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar are very popular smoked potato salad recipe ingredients.
To add a bit of tang and vibrancy, add just a tablespoon and taste the difference! Some other zesty options include yellow and dijon mustard. - Skin-on potato salad
If you like, you can leave the peels and all of their tasty seasonings right on the potato. It adds texture, flavor, and nutrients to your smoky potato salad!
Smoked Potato Salad Recipe FAQ
At 200°F, it takes about 2 ½ hours for the potatoes to cook through.
Now, we’re not smoking them until they’re totally mushy! Just until they’re tender enough to pierce with a fork.
We want them to still be a little firm to chop up for the salad.
Almost any wood chips are suitable for this smoked potato salad recipe. Sweet fruity woods are an obvious choice, and smoke-flavored woods are great, too!
You only want to avoid really strong, harsh woods that will overtake the already mild potato flavor.
Nope! Leave those peels right on. It makes a difference in the consistency of the inside of the spud, as well as keeps it from drying out.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Smoked Potato Salad
Cover any leftovers in an airtight container and store them in the fridge. For the best taste and texture, consume within 5 days.
With mayonnaise in the dressing, you really shouldn’t keep it any longer than that.
Honestly, I think that this smoked potato salad is even better the next day.
The herbs, seasonings, and veggies all have a chance to sit and meld together. It’s so good!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Fantastic Potato Side Dishes
Smoked Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, (5 to 6 potatoes)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt, to rub on potatoes
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large pickle, diced
- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh dill, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 200°F. Use a vegetable scrubber to clean the potatoes under cold running water; pat potatoes dry with paper towels.
- Rub the potatoes with olive oil and coat with salt. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Smoke for 2.5 hours. Potatoes should be fork tender but still stiff.
- Allow to cool about 30 minutes before peeling and dicing.
- Add all ingredients to a large bowl and stir.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published August 2022, updated and republished April 2024
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Thanks Donna! I make a pretty good potato salad, but I think that it could use a little something extra. I have never smoked or even baked potatoes on a grill before, but I think that the next time I make potato salad I will be smoking the potatoes. I would smoke the eggs too, but I will start with the potatoes first and see how that goes over. I am also going to add the sour cream to my dressing. I had a taste of some potato salad many years ago in Indy when I lived there that had a sour cream dressing and it was so good that I have never forgotten it.
So thank you for sharing this. I saved it to one of my recipe folders.
Smoked potatoes have a fantastic flavor, so I hope you enjoy them, Donna!
TSRI Team member,
Becca