Crispy Smashed Potato Salad with Bacon and Pickles

Smashed potato salad with crispy bacon, pickles, red onion, and fresh chives in a creamy dressing.

Crispy Smashed Potato Salad with Bacon and Pickles

This crispy potato salad combines golden smashed potatoes, smoky bacon, and briny pickles with a creamy Dijon lemon dressing for one loaded bowl.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings Servings

Ingredients

For the Potatoes

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes unpeeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Salad

8 slices bacon
½ cup dill pickles finely chopped
⅓ cup red onion finely chopped
¼ cup fresh chives chopped

For the Dressing

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Add the potato chunks to a large pot and cover with cold, generously salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until just fork-tender but not falling apart, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well.
While the potatoes are boiling, cook the bacon until crisp using your preferred method. I like to use my broiled bacon method, but a skillet works too. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain, then chop into bite sized pieces.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Arrange the potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. Place a second sheet pan on top and gently press down to smash them all at once.

No second sheet pan? Smash them individually with the bottom of a glass or measuring cup.

Drizzle with olive oil and season with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until deeply golden and crisp around the edges. For extra crispy potatoes, broil for the final 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely.
In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Let the potatoes cool slightly, then break any particularly large ones into bite sized pieces. Add them to the dressing along with the bacon, pickles, red onion and chives. Gently toss until coated.

Serve warm or at room temperature for the best crispy creamy contrast.

Notes

Use Yukon Gold potatoes. Their creamy centres hold up well to smashing while the edges get beautifully crisp.

Keep the skins on: Don't peel the Yukon Gold potatoes. As the chunks are boiled and smashed, some of the skins will naturally pull away from the potatoes. Those loose, craggy pieces get especially crispy in the oven and are part of what gives this potato salad its texture.

Don’t overboil the potatoes. They should be fork tender but still holding their shape. Too soft and they can fall apart when smashed.

Try the sheet pan smashing trick. Place a second sheet pan over the boiled potatoes and gently press to smash several at once instead of doing them individually.

Give them room to crisp. Avoid overcrowding the baking sheet and roast until the potatoes are deeply golden, not just lightly browned.

Let them really crisp: Don't pull the potatoes just because they're technically cooked. You want deeply golden edges and visibly crisp pieces of skin before assembling the salad.

Dress close to serving. Once the roasted potatoes hit the creamy dressing, those crispy edges will gradually soften.

Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days. They’re great cold, but expect a softer potato salad the next day.

Nutrition