This easy Baby Red Potato Salad is light on the mayo and big on flavor—a delicious BBQ side dish you’ll make all summer long!
Baby Red Potato Salad
I love a good homemade potato salad, and this one is a favorite—especially if you’re not into the heavy, mayo-loaded kind. It calls for just one tablespoon of mayo, but still has plenty of creamy, tangy flavor thanks to Dijon mustard, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. And since it’s made with red potatoes, there’s no peeling involved, which makes it even quicker to throw together. For more lighter potato salad ideas, check out my Rainbow Potato Salad and Summer Potato Salad with Apples.
Why This Works!
True story—I used to dread making potato salad because peeling all those potatoes just felt like too much work. That’s why I love this version made with red potatoes—no peeling required! It’s lighter than traditional potato salad but still creamy, tangy, and packed with flavor.
- Quick and Easy – No need to peel the potatoes!
- Healthy – Red potatoes provide vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber. They are even higher in fiber when eaten with the skins on.
- Light on the Mayo – yet still creamy thanks to the creamy Dijon dressing
Ingredients You Will Need
Here’s what you’ll need. See recipe card below for measurements.
- Veggies: Baby red potatoes, green bell peppers, red onion, scallions.
- Dressing: Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper
How to Make Red Potato Salad
Here’s the step-by-step directions to make this potato salad. Tossing the warm potatoes with the remaining ingredients makes all the difference here. See printable directions in the recipe card below.
- Wash the red potatoes thoroughly to remove any dirt or debris. Cut the potatoes into even-sized pieces, leaving the skin on.
- Fill a large pot with water and add a salt. Place the potatoes into the pot and bring to a boil. Cook the potatoes until they are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes depending on the size.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, red whine vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Drain the cooked potatoes and let them cool for a few minutes until they are still warm but no longer hot.
- Transfer the warm potatoes to the large mixing bowl. Add the chopped red onion, green onions, and green bell peppers to the bowl.
- Gently toss everything together until the potatoes are evenly coated with the dressing.
- For variation, you can add additional optional ingredients like as dill pickles, celery, fresh parsley, fresh dill, garlic powder, or chopped hard-boiled eggs. Mix them in gently.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap until ready to serve. The salad is best room temperature but you can also serve it chilled.
How To Boil Potatoes So They Don’t Fall Apart
Cut the potatoes into uniform pieces, this helps them cook evenly and reduces the risk of some pieces becoming overcooked and mushy while others remain undercooked. Keep a close eye on the potatoes as they cook. Overcooking can lead to them becoming too soft and falling apart. Check for doneness by inserting a fork or knife into the potatoes, and remove them from the heat as soon as they are just tender.
What to Serve with Potato Salad
This red potato salad is perfect for bringing to a picnic or BBQ. You can make it the night before, so it’s ready to go. It would be great served with:
Variations:
- If you can’t find baby red potatoes, use larger red skin potatoes, russet potato or yukon gold potatoes cut in bite-sized pieces.
- Add additional optional ingredients like as dill pickles, celery, garlic powder, or chopped hard-boiled eggs.
- Add fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh dill, or chives.
- If you want to omit the mayo, swap it with full fat Greek yogurt.
FAQ
Yes, I like to cut my potatoes into pieces that are the same size so that they cook quicker and more evenly. This also helps the salt get into the potatoes so they have more flavor.
Both red and white potatoes can be used for potato salad, and the choice ultimately depends on personal preference. You can experiment with both types to see which one you prefer or even mix them together for a blend of flavors and textures.
More Summer Side Dish Recipes You’ll Love:
For More Summer Side Dish Recipes to round out your next potluck, try these fresh veggie favorites:Creamy Cucumber Salad, Watermelon Feta Salad and Grilled Corn on the Cobb or these five pasta salad recipes:
Yield: 6 servings
Serving Size: 3 /4 cups
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Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until soft, approx 10 minutes. Drain.
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While the potatoes are boiling, combine red onion, green pepper, mustard, olive oil, vinegar and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper.
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Once the potatoes are done, toss them into the bowl with dressing and add scallions and additional salt and pepper to taste.
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Serve room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Last Step:
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Variations
- If you can’t find baby red potatoes, use larger red skin potatoes, russet potato or yukon gold potatoes cut in bite-sized pieces.
- Swap the red onion for shallots.
- If you want to omit the mayo, swap it with full fat Greek yogurt.
- Add additional optional ingredients like as dill pickles, celery, garlic powder, or chopped hard-boiled eggs.
Serving: 3 /4 cups, Calories: 107 kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.8 g, Protein: 2.2 g, Fat: 3.2 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Fiber: 2.1 g
