Creamy Red Potato Salad with Bacon
This red potato salad is a far cry from the traditional yellow mustard and boiled egg version and it’s sure to be a great addition to your side dish options. Bright with horseradish, green onions and bacon it will be your favorite!
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Yellow potato salad is everywhere, isn’t it? Watery and bland, you can buy it by the gallon bucket full at Walmart.
It’s pretty forgettable.
But when you’re ready for new, different and flavor-packed, go for red potato salad. Layered with green onions, horseradish, bacon and a creamy dressing you’ll see people take a bite and be pleasantly surprised.
Do the potatoes need to be peeled before boiling them?
Nope. Red potatoes have thinner, more delicate skin than a russet so you won’t mind them. Just scrub them well and cut them in to bite size cubes. Remember there will be other items like eggs and bacon in each bite too–so you don’t want the potatoes too large.
Should potatoes be cut before boiling or after?
Cut them before cooking. Make sure they are close to the same size pieces so the potatoes cook in the same amount of time.
Tips for great tasting red potato salad
- Make sure you salt the water when you boil the potatoes. This is your only chance to get seasoning IN the potatoes, not just on them.
- Add your potatoes to the dressing when they are still warm so they soak up plenty of flavor.
- Use fresh green onions and fresh parsley in this recipe.
- To make a no-mayo version you could swap in plain yogurt. I haven’t tested it but it might work okay.
- If you do use mayonnaise I recommend one without canola oil. Sir Kensington makes an avocado oil one or you can make your own,
- You can leave the hard boiled eggs out of this version.
- Use any bacon you like but the healthier option will be sugar free and uncured.
- Mix your dressing together first, adjust the salt, adjust the horseradish THEN put it on your potatoes. This avoids too much stirring which could mash your potatoes.
Where to buy horseradish
Horseradish is a spicy root that when ground adds amazing zip and heat to recipes. In this recipe you need prepared horseradish. It’s refrigerated in a small jar and contains nothing but horseradish.
I find it with the refrigerated pickles, or sometimes by the eggs and cottage cheese depending on the store.
Don’t buy any sort of horseradish sauce, dip or spread from the salad dressing aisle. That’s the wrong stuff.
Adjust the horseradish a little at a time
Keep in mind that horseradish is hot. I recommend mixing your dressing first (the mayo, sour cream, onions, horseradish, salt and pepper) then give it a taste. Keep in mind that the dressing will calm down some when the potatoes go in, but adjust accordingly.
Because some horseradish seems to be hotter than other kinds, I start with half the amount, taste, and gradually add the rest until the potato salad is just hot enough.
Red potato salad step by step
Step 1: Boil your potatoes in salted water until just tender. If you cook them too much they will fall apart when you try to stir the red potato salad together.

Step 2: Mix the dressing and adjust seasonings before adding the potatoes. You may need more or less salt depending on your mayonnaise and how much salt the potatoes were cooked in.

Step 3: Gently fold in the hard boiled eggs and bacon. Add the green onions and parsley.

Step 4: Add the slightly warm potatoes and stir gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate 2-24 hours for the flavors to meld.

Looking for more potatoes? Try these recipes!

Red Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes washed and cut in to 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
- 2 green onions sliced thinly
- 3 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 hard boiled eggs peeled and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Boil potatoes in salted water until just fork tender but not falling apart, about 18 minutes or so. Drain and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before adding to the sauce.
- In a large bowl mix the mayo, sour cream, salt, pepper, green onions, parsley and horseradish. Add potatoes when they are cool enough and stir well.
- Add bacon and eggs and combine.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight or a couple of days for the best flavor. Garnish with bacon and green onions before serving if desired.
I love the addition of horseradish to the mayo and sour cream. The bacon and green onions also compliment the dish nicely. For my second go around with this dish instead of horseradish, I used Japanese wasabi paste and brought it to a beach party here on the Big Island. There wasn’t a drop left after tripling the recipe. Mahalo for this awesome recipe???
Oh my heavens Dan, my potato salad made it to Hawaii? A place where this country girl has never been! I’m so jealous of my food right now!! LOL. I’m so glad that wasabi worked–I can imagine how great it tasted and I’m even more proud of you for taking home an empty bowl. That’s the best feeling. Thank you for letting me know. –Rachel
Really good.
It says to “see above for horseradish”… is it fresh horseradish or from the jar? how do you prepare the horseradish? do you boil potatoes before slicing?
Hi Jodie,
Yes it’s prepared horseradish in a jar that you buy at the grocery. I would never want you to grind horseradish. That would be awful! Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes before you drop them in the boiling water to cook. Hope that helps!
–Rachel
Welcome, fellow KY blogger! Good to have you join our group. 🙂
My husband loves horseradish and bacon, but not potato salad. Maybe this recipe would change his mind! After all, it’s hard to have a picnic without potato salad!
Thanks Danielle! And you’re right–because it doesn’t taste anything like traditional mustard potato salad, you may have a shot! Let me know if you make some for him and if it’s a winner. I looove it.