Ranch Potato Salad
Homemade ranch potato salad is a delicious side dish to bring to a potluck party. You can make it ahead 2 days in advance. Fresh and zesty from-scratch ranch dressing adds so much flavor but just takes minutes to whisk together.
We've done so much entertaining this summer, I've nearly perfected my party menus.
Start with an easy main dish and then load up the buffet table with make ahead side dishes like this creamy ranch potato salad.
I love that this fresh and flavorful potato side dish can be prepped in advance and just kept in the fridge until I'm ready to serve it!
Why This is the Best Recipe
Potato salad is always popular for a potluck party, but I think this is the best ranch potato salad recipe because:
- Amazing Ranch Dressing: The homemade ranch dressing is super easy but adds SO much flavor to this dish. But don't worry, I have several shortcut substitutions if you're short on time.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can prep the potato salad up to 2 days in advance of your party.
- Fun Variations: Want to make this a bacon ranch potato salad? Want to add crispy raw veggies for crunch? There are lots of great ways to enhance the dish for your family.
Ingredients
All you need to make this easy potato salad is:
- Red Potatoes: I used medium-sized red potatoes and peeled them. They boil nicely and have a great texture. You could substitute Yukon Gold potatoes or small boiling potatoes and skip the peeling like I do with my French potato salad.
- Dijon Mustard
- White Wine Vinegar
- Mayonnaise
- Buttermilk
- Spicy Red Sandwich Spread: For a pop of color and a boost in flavor, minced jarred roasted red peppers are an excellent option. I didn't have any on hand but did have a jar of red pepper relish sandwich spread similar to this hoagie spread. You could use either one.
- Green Onions
- Fresh Cilantro
- Minced Garlic
- Dried (or Fresh) Dill
- Salt & Pepper
Best Ranch Dressing to Use
The best ranch dressing to use is my easy homemade ranch dressing outlined in the recipe below. I use fresh herbs, minced garlic, and real buttermilk which all add so much flavor.
However, if you are short on time and don't want to make my from-scratch ranch dressing, your next best option would be to combine the following:
- Mayonnaise
- Buttermilk
- Red Pepper Sandwich Spread / Chopped Roasted Red Peppers
- 3 tablespoons dried ranch dressing seasoning or 1 ranch seasoning packet
If you don't have mayonnaise and buttermilk on hand, you could substitute a bottle of your favorite prepared ranch dressing. But the freshness of real buttermilk is worth a trip to the store, in my opinion!
Prep the Ranch Dressing
Making my homemade ranch dressing for potato salad only adds a few minutes. This step can be done while the potatoes are cooking.
Chop the green onions and cilantro.
Add the sandwich relish, minced garlic, dried dill, and salt to a mixing bowl.
Add the buttermilk and mayonnaise to the seasonings and whisk them together.
Add the fresh herbs and green onions and whisk again. That's it!
Peel and Chop the Potatoes
Fill a large pot with water and add a generous pinch of kosher salt.
Chop the potatoes to 3/4-inch sized pieces.
As you peel and chop the potatoes, add them to the cold water.
SAFETY NOTE: Sometimes red potatoes can be a little tricky to peel. If you prefer to skip the peeling, I recommend using 1 - 2-inch sized small boiling potatoes for this recipe. You can just wash them well and cut them in half. Leave the skins on.
It actually makes a gorgeous potato salad, you can see this trick at work with my French potato salad.
Boil the Potatoes
Set the pot of potatoes over medium-high heat and bring them to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the potatoes for 10 minutes or until fork-tender.
I always place a wooden spoon over the top of a pot of boiling water to help prevent it from boiling over.
To check the potatoes for doneness, just use the spoon to scoop a potato out of the water and prick it with a fork. It should easily break in half.
Want to Save This for Later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Assemble the Potato Salad
Place a large colander in the sink and strain the boiled potatoes. Let them steam dry for 2 - 3 minutes.
Vigorously shake the potatoes in the colander several times. This will rough up the edges of the potatoes and help them absorb the dressing even better.
Add the Dijon mustard and white wine vinegar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together until smooth.
Add the potatoes to the mixing bowl and gently stir them to coat. The potatoes should absorb almost all of the liquid.
CHILL TIME: Place the mustard-coated potatoes in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes before you add the ranch dressing.
Finally, pour the ranch over the potatoes and gently stir to coat. Chill again for 30 minutes before serving. This lets the flavors really mingle and makes the dressing nice and cold.
Make Ahead Tips
The ranch potato salad can be completely prepped ahead up to 2 days in advance of serving and simply stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
However, if you prefer to make it fresh, you can break down some of the steps for prepping in advance. Then it will be easy to just finish the work the day of your party.
- Peel and Chop the Potatoes: Store them in the pot of cold water in the fridge up to 24 hours.
- Prep the Ranch Dressing: You could make the homemade dressing up to 2 days in advance.
Do not try to freeze this potato salad, the creamy dressing will not thaw well at all.
Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
Turning this plain potato salad into a bacon ranch potato salad is easy peasy.
I recommend baking a batch of my crispy peppered bacon. Let it cool completely and then crumble it.
Stir the bacon into the ranch potato salad just before serving so it retains its crispy texture.
Serving Suggestions
I made this creamy ranch potato salad for a family party this summer and was thrilled to see how much my youngest daughter loved it.
I served it alongside grilled brats for Father's Day dinner, it would be right at home for a 4th of July potluck party, too.
Any open house party or potluck party you're attending, this recipe would make an excellent side dish for party sandwiches or anything fresh from the grill like our cheeseburgers, BBQ chicken, or even blackened mahi sandwiches.
More Potato Salad Recipes
📖 Recipe
Ranch Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes roughly peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- Salt for the cooking water
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar divided
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup red pepper sandwich spread or minced jarred roasted red peppers
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 sprinkle dried dill
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons pepper
Instructions
- Add the chopped potatoes to a large pot of salted water. Bring it to a boil over high heat and simmer the potatoes until they are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add just 2 tablespoons of the vinegar to a large mixing bowl. Add the Dijon mustard and whisk them together, set aside.
- Drain the potatoes and let them steam dry for 2- 3 minutes. Vigorously shake the colander, this will rough up the edges of the cooked potatoes and help them absorb the dressing even better.
- Pour the potatoes into the mixing bowl with the mustard mixture and gently stir to coat the potatoes. Let them cool in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Add the mayonnaise, buttermilk, remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar, red pepper sandwich relish, cilantro, green onions, garlic, dill, salt and pepper to a mixing bowl. Whisk them together till smooth. You can keep this prepared dressing in the fridge until the potatoes have finished cooling.
- Pour the prepared ranch dressing over the completely cooled potatoes. Gently toss to combine.
- Chill the potato salad in the fridge for another 30 minutes. This can be done up to 2 days in advance of serving.
Recipe Notes
Ranch Seasoning Substitution
If you prefer to use a packet of ranch seasoning instead of the fresh herbs and garlic, simply whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, sandwich relish, and white wine vinegar. Then add the dried ranch seasoning and whisk until smooth.Save This Recipe to Your Recipe Box
Find this delicious recipe next time you visit by saving it to your very own recipe box on my site. All your favorites stored in one easy place!
One Comment