There’s simply no way to crown a single best potato salad recipe. Some belong next to a platter of sliced grilled porterhouse, others alongside stovetop burgers, hot dogs, and a cooler packed with beer. Some potato salad recipes are creamy and classic, built to anchor the side dishes at a summer cookout. Others skip the mayo entirely in favor of sharp mustard, fresh herbs, chile heat, or punchy vinaigrettes. No matter the vibe, potato salads always show up for the function.
So whether you’re hosting a backyard cookout, packing a picnic, or figuring out dinner when it’s too hot to turn on the oven, here are 19 of our favorite potato salad recipes. We’ve got smashed potatoes loaded with bacon and sour cream, a potato salad with spicy Caesar dressing, another that channels the flavors of an everything bagel (yes, with lox), and even one topped with crunchy potato chips. Frankly, potatoes have range.
