Smashed Potato Salad

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An incredibly tasty potato salad made from boiled, roasted and smashed potatoes tossed in a tangy, creamy homemade dressing topped with bacon & chives.

White platter with creamy, loaded potato salad topped with chopped bacon and chives sits on a wooden table next to a spoon and a gray napkin.

Don't you love that this dish has the word 'salad' in it? As in "I'm just having salad for dinner tonight". No one needs to know it's this epic Smashed Potato Salad with a creamy tangy dressing and crispy bacon bits on top. That's between you and your salad. If potato dinner is something you can get behind, you'll probably also love our Haloumi and Chorizo Curry Potatoes.

Ingredient notes:

Various groceries on a wooden surface, including potatoes, streaky bacon, red onion, spring onions, yogurt, garlic, pickles, mustard, and cheese spread.

Potatoes: Baby potatoes work perfectly in this recipe as they smash easily. If using larger potatoes, you can either use a super versatile potato like I have here, or a roasting potato.
Gherkins: The finely diced (or grated) gherkins give the dressing the most amazing tangy flavour along with a good crunch.
Bacon: I prefer to use streaky bacon when making crispy bacon bits. Streaky bacon has a higher fat content than middle bacon, which means it renders down beautifully.

Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.

Step by step instructions:

Preheat the oven to 210°C fan bake. Line 3-4 oven trays with baking paper. In a large saucepan, place in the potatoes and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes until just tender. Drain well.

A baking tray lined with parchment paper holds several smashed yellow potatoes with skins, arranged in a single layer, ready for roasting.

Three trays of baked goods on parchment paper are stacked inside an oven, with the top tray appearing more golden-brown than the two trays below it.

On the prepared trays, spread the potatoes out, ensuring they are not overcrowded. Using the base of a jar or a potato masher, press each potato down until flattened. Drizzle over lots of olive oil and season with sea salt. Roast for 40-50 minutes until golden and very crispy.

Chopped red onions, pickles, garlic, herbs, mayonnaise, and paprika piled on a wooden cutting board, ready to be mixed.

Bowl of creamy, mixed dip with chopped vegetables and herbs, spread unevenly on the sides of a clear glass bowl on a wooden surface.

While the potatoes are cooking, place all of the dressing ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sheet pan with roasted smashed potatoes on parchment paper, golden brown and crispy, arranged in a single layer.

A glass bowl filled with crispy, roasted smashed potatoes, some pieces browned and charred, on a wooden surface.

Towards the end of the cooking time, cook the bacon in a frying pan over a medium heat until crispy. Set aside. Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Add the warm crispy potatoes to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss to coat.

A clear bowl filled with roasted potato salad mixed with creamy dressing, chopped herbs, and vegetables.

Crispy pieces of cooked bacon scattered in a nonstick frying pan with visible grease and browned bits.

Transfer to a serving dish and scatter over the crispy bacon and extra chopped chives to serve.

A platter of loaded potato salad topped with crispy bacon bits and chopped chives, served on a white plate with a spoon nearby.

Recipe FAQs:

Can this dish be made ahead of time?

You can prepare the dressing and cook the bacon a day in advance. For the crispiest result, roast the potatoes and assemble the salad shortly before serving.

Can I make this salad vegetarian?

Yes. Simply leave out the bacon or replace it with crispy fried onions, toasted nuts or a vegetarian bacon alternative.

Can I cook the potatoes in an air fryer?

Yes. Cook the smashed potatoes in batches at 200°C until golden and crispy. The cooking time will depend on the size of your air fryer and potatoes.

Storage:

Store leftover potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. The potatoes will soften once coated in the dressing, but the salad will still taste delicious. This recipe is not suitable for freezing.

Top tips:

Leave plenty of space between the potatoes on the oven trays. If they are overcrowded, they will steam instead of roast.
Don't smash the potatoes too thinly or they may fall apart. Press them down just enough to create plenty of rough, crispy edges.
For the best texture, add the potatoes to the dressing while they are still warm, then serve the salad soon after assembling.
The smoked paprika is optional but adds a lovely colour and subtle smoky flavour to the dressing.

Related Recipes:

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Crispy Smashed Potato Salad

Yield: Serves 8 as a side

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

An incredibly tasty potato salad made from boiled and roasted potatoes tossed in a tangy, creamy homemade dressing topped with bacon & chives.

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Ingredients

2 kg baby potatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
120 g streaky bacon, chopped
1 Tbsp Sea salt

Dressing

¼ cup mayonnaise
160g Greek yoghurt
2 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
½ red onion, finely diced
4 gherkins, finely diced
3 Tbsp gherkin juice
2 spring onion, finely sliced
2 Tbsp chopped chives, plus extra to serve
1 tsp smoked paprika, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 210°C fan bake. Line 3-4 oven trays with baking paper.
In a large saucepan, place in the potatoes and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes until just tender. Drain well.
On the prepared trays, spread the potatoes out, ensuring they are not overcrowded. Using the base of a jar or a potato masher, press each potato down until flattened. Drizzle over lots of olive oil and season with sea salt.
Roast for 40-50 minutes until golden and very crispy.
While the potatoes are cooking, place all of the dressing ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Towards the end of the cooking time, cook the bacon in a frying pan over a medium heat until crispy. Set aside.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes. Add the warm crispy potatoes to the bowl with the dressing and gently toss to coat.
Transfer to a serving dish and scatter over the crispy bacon and extra chopped chives to serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 440Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 1151mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 6gSugar: 8gProtein: 13g

Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.

Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya