Crispy Smashed Potato Salad is a viral recipe on TikTok and Instagram and for good reason because the flavors are absolutely incredible! It reminds me of loaded tater tots, but in a potato salad form. It's also super easy to make with minimal prep and ready to eat in about an hour!
I've been watching these viral Smashed Potato Salads all over the internet and I just had to put my own spin on it. This recipe uses my homemade Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing as the sauce, which is so creamy and has tons of fresh herbs.
For more potato recipes, try these Garlic Cheese Mashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Wedges, Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes, and Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Unique. This is such a fun spin on the classic potato salad and will impress anyone who eats it. It's a side dish that will get some serious attention!
- Easy to Make. No peeling potatoes and minimal steps in this recipe.
- Big on Taste. This potato salad recipe is so delicious with the crispiest potatoes and bacon, a bit of spice, and a creamy sauce!
- Minimal Ingredients: This recipe uses less ingredients than a traditional potato salad.
- Versatile. It pairs well with so many recipes. Try this with Smash Burgers, Dutch Oven Pork Chops, or BBQ Chicken Thighs.
For more side dish ideas, try my Hawaiian Macaroni Salad, Broccoli Crunch Salad, and Tortellini Pasta Salad.
Ingredients:
Potatoes: You want a small, bite sized potato for this recipe. I used honey gold bite sized potatoes, which are like a miniature Yukon gold. I liked these because the skin was thinner than other varieties and it gets really crispy in the oven.
Pepperoncini: These add the perfect amount of spice and crunch to the recipe. I also pour a bit of the juices into the ranch to add a bit of heat.
Ranch Dressing: I highly recommend my homemade Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing for this recipe, which has a nice texture and tastes amazing with lots of fresh herbs like parsley, dill, and chives.
Bacon: This recipe tastes best with traditional or original bacon, even applewood is fine. I don't suggest using maple or any variations like it. Also, a regular cut bacon is best, instead of thick cut, and will crisp up better.
*For the full recipe ingredients and quantities, visit the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
- If you can't find honey gold potatoes, buy the smallest ones you can find with a thin waxy skin.
- The Ranch can be substituted with store-bought if needed, but I do recommend the homemade version.
- Red onion can be swapped out with yellow sweet onion.
- The pepperoncinis and juices can be substituted with banana peppers, if needed.
For more TikTok Viral Recipes, try these Bacon Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls, Italian Grinder Pasta Salad, and Feta Fried Eggs.
How to Make Smashed Potato Salad:
Step 1: If making my homemade Greek yogurt ranch, start with that recipe first and place it in the fridge.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for 4-6 minutes on each side until crispy.
Step 3: Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and allow it to cool. Then, chop into bite sized pieces.
Step 4: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the baby potatoes. Boil for 12-15 minutes until fork tender. Remove them from the pot before they start falling apart. Dry them well with paper towels.
Step 5: Grease a cookie sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then, add all the potatoes onto the cookie sheet. Use the bottom of a glass to smash each potato flat. Brush with remaining tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkle over spice mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
Step 6: Bake the potatoes for 25-30 minutes until super crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Use a spatula to loosen the potatoes from the cookie sheet, if needed.
Step 7: Into a large bowl, combine ¾ cup ranch dressing, pepperoncinis, pepperoncini juice, and red onions. Stir to combine. Reserve the remaining ¼ cup ranch for serving.
Step 8: Add the potatoes into a serving bowl. Pour in the ranch sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the bacon pieces. Serve and enjoy! Toss in the remaining ranch at serving, if desired. Note: I like this salad best at room temperature, but you can also serve it cold. The dressing does absorb quite a bit when sitting in the fridge, so make sure to toss the remaining ranch in before serving.
Expert Tips:
- Don't overcook the potatoes in the boiling water. You want them tender, but not falling apart. Make sure to dry them well before placing onto the cookie sheet.
- Spread the potatoes out as much as possible on the cookie sheet, so they get really crisp.
- I like serving this with the potatoes a bit warm still, but you can also cool it in the fridge and then eat it. It tastes amazing either way.
Love bacon recipes? Check out this Turkey Bacon Wrap, Broccoli Bacon Quiche, and Bacon Brie Turnovers.
More Potato Recipes You'll Want to Try:
If you tried this Crispy Smashed Potato Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Crispy Smashed Potato Salad
- Total Time: 65 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Crispy Smashed Potato Salad is a viral recipe on TikTok and Instagram, and for good reason..the flavors are absolutely incredible! It reminds me of loaded tater tots, but in a potato salad form. It's also super easy to make with minimal prep and ready to eat in about an hour!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Ranch Dressing, I recommend this Homemade Greek Yogurt Ranch
- 6 slices original bacon
- 24 ounce bag of bite sized honey gold potatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 4 pepperoncinis, stems discarded then roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon juice from the pepperoncini jar
- ⅓ cup red onion, finely diced
Instructions
- If making my homemade Greek yogurt ranch, start with that recipe first and place it in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for 4-6 minutes on each side until crispy.
- Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and allow it to cool. Then, chop into bite sized pieces.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in the baby potatoes. Boil for 12-15 minutes until fork tender. Remove them from the pot before they start falling apart. Dry them well with paper towels.
- Grease a cookie sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then, add all the potatoes onto the cookie sheet. Use the bottom of a glass to smash each potato flat. Brush with remaining tablespoon of olive oil, then sprinkle over spice mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Bake the potatoes for 25-30 minutes until super crispy. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Use a spatula to loosen the potatoes from the cookie sheet if needed.
- Into a large bowl, combine ¾ cup ranch dressing, pepperoncinis, pepperoncini juice, and red onions. Stir to combine. Reserve the remaining ¼ cup ranch for serving.
- Add the potatoes into a serving bowl. Pour in the ranch sauce and toss to combine. Sprinkle over the bacon pieces. Serve and enjoy! Toss in the remaining ranch at serving, if desired. Note: I like this salad best at room temperature, but you can also serve it cold. The dressing does absorb quite a bit when sitting in the fridge, so make sure to toss the remaining ranch in before serving.
Notes
- Don't overcook the potatoes in the boiling water. You want them tender, but not falling apart. Make sure to dry them well before placing onto the cookie sheet.
- Spread the potatoes out as much as possible, so they get really crisp.
- I like serving this with the potatoes a bit warm still, but you can also cool it in the fridge and then eat it. It tastes amazing either way.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: side dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Rob says
Definitely not your average potato salad but super tasty!!!!
Tara Smithson says
I love this one too and it reminds me more of loaded tater tots than potato salad. Thanks for the review.