Smoked Potato Salad will be a huge hit at your next cookout!
The combination of smoking the potatoes and mixing them with a simple, but delicious dressing really takes this potato salad over the top delicious!
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Even if you don't smoke the potatoes, this potato salad recipe is delicious, but that little hint of smoke makes it extraordinary! It can be made a few days ahead of time, making it a perfect side dish for backyard barbecues with family and friends.
My husband says it is the best potato salad recipe I've ever made, and I sure hope you agree after you try it!
I used the Ninja Woodfire Grill & Smoker for this recipe, but any smoker will work fine. I love using my Woodfire because with just a few simple steps, I'm up and ready to smoke anything, including potato salad, meats, veggies, and cheese!
Ingredients & Substitutions
The most important ingredient in this recipe is the potatoes. I found that you will have a better smoke flavor if you use Yukon Gold/Yellow potatoes versus Russets.
Other than that, change it up however you like!
Potatoes
I recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes or yellow potatoes in this recipe. If you are in the UK, consider using a Maris Piper or another type of potato that holds its shape when cooked.
You can use small yellow or red potatoes, but I wouldn't bother removing the skin. With the larger potatoes (golden potatoes), the skins come off easily, but it still takes time. I can't imagine removing the skin from all those little potatoes.
I did try using Russet Potatoes and found that the smoke did not penetrate the skin as well, so if you use them your potato salad probably won't have much of a smoked taste. Unless of course, you leave the skins on.
Potato Salad Dressing
The creamy dressing is made from a simple combination of mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, and your favorite BBQ rub. I recommend using a dry rub that is both sweet and savory.
I use my Beginners Luck blend and it works perfectly! I will include that recipe in case you want to make it!
You can use any dressing that you like on your smoked potato salad. You will need about 1 cup of dressing for 2 pounds of smoked potatoes.
Veggies & Extras
I kept this potato salad pretty basic, allowing the smoke flavor to really come through. I add celery, red onion, crispy bacon, and a touch of fresh parsley for a touch of color.
You can omit or add any veggies that you don't like or like. Green onions would be very good as a replacement for red onions if you want a milder onion flavor.
I have also added in hard boiled eggs, but honestly I wasn't a fan in this smoked potato salad recipe. I usually add them to all of my potato salads, but I felt they interfered with the smoky flavor.
I almost always use sweet pickles, dill pickles, or dill pickle relish in potato salad, but I didn't this time because it doesn't need it, and I really feel the strong sweet or dill pickle flavors will take away from the BBQ feel of this potato salad.
How to Make Smoked Potato Salad in the Ninja Woodfire Grill & Smoker
Pellet Choice: I have enjoyed apple wood pellets for smoked potatoes the best so far. Other good options are oak, maple, or cherry. You can use whatever type of wood pellets you enjoy.
Smoking Time: About 90 minutes, but it depends on the size of the potatoes
Smoking Temperature: 250℉/120℃ worked the best. I tried higher temperatures to speed up the process but found the potatoes did not absorb enough smoke flavor, and the skins became harder to remove.
Setting up the Ninja Woodfire Smoker
- Fill the hopper on the side of the Woodfire with about ¼ cup of pellets.
- Turn the Woodfire on and select the Smoker Function.
- Set the temperature to 250℉/120℃ and the time for 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Press Start.
The Woodfire will begin by igniting the pellets, and you will see "IGN" appear on the display screen. You do not need to press the Woodfire Flavor button when on the Smoking Function. Once it goes through this process, you will start to see heavy white smoke coming from the vent in the back. Let the smoke burn off for 10-15 minutes.
Adding the Potatoes
Open the lid to let out the heavy smoke and place the washed potatoes on the grill grate.
Quick Tip
You do not want to poke the potatoes or score them in anyway or the peels stick and become very hard to remove. I did try scoring them and it had no affect on the smoke flavor
If you want to monitor the internal temperature of the potatoes, insert a thermometer probe into the largest potato. The target internal temperature for the potatoes is 200℉/93℃.
When you add the potatoes, take a peek in the pellet hopper box and see how they are burning. If they have burned down 25% or more, top off the hopper with more pellets.
I have found that different pellets will burn at different rates and you do want a full 90 minutes of smoke for the best outcome, so keep an eye on the pellet box and try to top it off as the pellets burn down. Usually, if I top them off when I add the potatoes, I don't have to add any more pellets for the remaining time.
If you catch them when they are still burning, you don't have to hit the Woodfire Flavor button and go through the ignite process again.
Close the lid and don't open the Woodfire lid for at least 45 minutes to allow maximum smoke absorption. *unless you are using really small potatoes, then you may want to check after 30 minutes.
After about 45 minutes, check the potatoes for doneness. Smaller potatoes may be done, while others may require the full 90 minutes.
The potatoes are done when the internal temperature reaches 200℉/93℃.
Quick Tip
If you do not have a thermometer, insert a fork into the potato to determine doneness. Perfectly cooked potatoes for potato salad should not fall apart when poked, but the fork should also not meet any resistance when inserted.
This may happen in stages and I recommend removing the potatoes as they are done and placing them into a large sealable plastic bag. I use a freezer bag.
This will steam them and loosen the skins to make peeling super easy!
Once all the potatoes are finished cooking, place that sealed bag into a bowl of ice water to cool. OR, place the bag in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
The goal of chilling the potatoes is to be able to handle them easily, but you do not want them to chill completely.
Prepare the Dressing & Potatoes
While the potatoes are chilling, prepare the dressing.
Whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl. You should have 1 cup of potato salad dressing.
If you want to make the rub I used, here are the ingredients (they are also in the recipe at the bottom of the page).
This will make just under 1 cup of rub, and you will only use a couple of Tablespoons in the potato salad. Store the remaining rub in a sealed bag or airtight container. It is great on ribs, pulled pork, pork chops, and chicken!
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons seasoned salt
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika regular paprika is fine
- 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoons sea salt
- ½ tablespoons celery salt
Once you can comfortably hold the potatoes in your hand, they are ready to peel and chop. This takes about 10 minutes in the ice bath.
To remove the skins from the potatoes (which is optional), gently peel the skins with your fingers. I do not recommend using a potato peeler because the smoke flavor is just under the thin skin, and if you remove that, you won't have any smoke flavor in your potato salad.
If you encounter an area where the skin is stuck to the potato, slide a thin knife under it to loosen the skin.
Once the potato skins are removed, chop the potatoes into bite-size pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl.
I like to keep the potato chunks around 2", but you can make them as big or small as you want in your potato salad.
Add about half of the dressing to the chopped potatoes and stir to combine. The warm potatoes will absorb some of the dressing as they sit and this will add so much flavor!
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate the remaining dressing.
Finishing the Potato Salad
Once the potatoes have chilled completely, remove the plastic wrap and add in all the other ingredients.
I like to keep it pretty simple and use red onions and celery cut into about ¼-½" pieces. You can add whatever you like to it.
Mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl or cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate if you aren't serving it immediately.
Just before serving, top with cooked and crumbled crispy bacon and garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Quick Tip
If you add bacon crumbles and refrigerate the potato salad, the bacon will soften. It is best to add them just before serving.
Serve & Enjoy!
Storage Instructions
How to Store Leftover Smoked Potato Salad
Refrigeration
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and it will stay good for 3-5 days.
Freezer
I do not recommend freezing potato salad; the texture of the potatoes becomes mealy, and the dressing is too liquidy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, however, it won't be exactly the same.
Bake or boil your potatoes until they are fork-tender but not falling apart.
When you mix up your dressing, add about ¼ teaspoon of (affiliate link)apple wood liquid smoke.
Otherwise, follow the recipe as written.
Absolutely. You can make as little or as much smoked potato salad as you like by scaling all of the ingredients up or down. The smoking times stay the same for the potatoes no matter how many you smoke at once.
What to serve with Smoked Potato Salad
Here are some side dishes and appetizers that will pair nicely with your smoked potato salad.
Smoked Potato Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Smoker
Ingredients
Potato Salad Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ Tablespoons Beginners Luck BBQ Rub (see recipe notes for recipe) Or your favorite BBQ rub
For the Potato Salad
- ¼-½ cup apple wood pellets or pellets of choice
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes
- ¼ cup red onions ½" dice
- 2 ribs celery ½" dice (about ½ cup)
- 3-4 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon cooked crispy
- 1-2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
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Instructions
Setting up the Ninja Woodfire Smoker
- Fill the hopper with pellets. Turn the Woodfire on and select the smoker function. Set the temperature to 250℉/120℃ and the time to 1 hour 45 minutes. Make sure the grill grate is inserted. Close the lid and hit start. You will see "IGN" followed by several dashes showing on the display screen. This indicates that the pellets are ignited. Let them ignite and burn for 10-15 mintues.¼-½ cup apple wood pellets
Smoking the Potatoes
- Wash the potatoes, but do not poke holes or score them. Doing so will result in them being very hard to peel. When the pellets have been burning for at least 10 minutes, open the lid and let the heavy white smoke out of the Woodfire. Place the potatoes on the grill grate and close the lid. You can insert a probe into the largest potato to monitor the internal temperature. Check the hopper, and if the pellets have burned down at least 25%, top them off with more pellets. The potatoes will take approximately 90 minutes to cook to an internal temperature of 200℉/93℃. The timing depends on the size of the potatoes. I recommend checking smaller potatoes 30 minutes into the smoking time and larger ones 45-60 minutes into the smoking time. They are done when you can insert a fork without meeting resistance, but they do not fall apart. When the potatoes are done, remove them and put them into a sealable plastic bag or container. I like to use a ziplock freezer bag. This softens the skins and separates the skins from the flesh, making them easy to peel. Place the bag into an ice bath for about 10-15 minutes or just long enough for you to be able to handle them or place the bag into the refrigerator for 20 minutes.2 pounds Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes
Making the Potato Salad
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a small to medium size bowl and whisk.½ cup mayonnaise, 2 Tablespoons sour cream, 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1½ Tablespoons Beginners Luck BBQ Rub (see recipe notes for recipe)
- Gently remove the skin from the potatoes. Keep in mind that most of the smoke flavor is on the surface of the potato flesh, so I recommend peeling them with your fingers rather than a potato peeler. The skins should come off very easily. Chop the potatoes into bite-sized chunks and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add half of the prepared dressing to the bowl of potatoes and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until the potatoes have chilled completely.
- When the potatoes have chilled completely, add the diced onion and celery along with the remaining dressing. MIx well. Cover and refrigerate if you aren't serving it immediately.¼ cup red onions, 2 ribs celery
Serving Smoked Potato Salad
- Just before serving, transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl and top with crispy crumbled bacon and chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!3-4 slices thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, 1-2 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
Notes
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2½ Tablespoons onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons seasoned salt
- 2 Tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt or kosher salt
- ½ Tablespoon celery salt
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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Karen Crook
No, my husband chopped them up and boiled them. Might try baking them next time just to compare the two.
Karen Crook
This was extremely good! Did not have a smoker. Used applewood liquid smoke in the dressing. Will definitely be making this again!
Louise
YAY! I'm curious, did you bake the potatoes?