No mayo needed to make Red Skinned Potato Salad! This lighter, toppings-packed potato salad will be a summertime hit.
Where are my mayo haters at?!
Although I’m a mayo lover, I understand that many of you gag at the mere thought of glancing at a jar of mayonnaise. Fear not, because you can have your potato salad with no mayo too – Ultimate Red Skinned Potato Salad is killing the mayo-free potato salad game!
So, what makes it the “ultimate”?
Let’s review: creamy, red skinned potatoes are mixed with caramelized onions (one of my love languages,) crumbled bacon (yasss) green onions (yum,) and chopped hard-boiled egg (oh yeah,) then coated in a creamy, zippy Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette.
It is, as they say, incredible! Light yet decadent tasting. Dare I say it’s a fresh take on potato salad?
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItUltimate Red Skinned Potato Salad is also good warm or cold so make then enjoy right away, or stash it in the fridge the night before a BBQ or picnic. Either way, this potato salad is double-serving-worthy!
How to Make This Recipe
Start by making the Honey-Dijon vinaigrette which will replace the mayonnaise in this potato salad. It’s thick, creamy, and popping with flavor.
Combine extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, plus salt and pepper in jar or bowl then shake or whisk to combine.
Set the vinaigrette aside then chop baby red skinned potatoes. If you can’t find baby reds, just use regular red potatoes and chop them up. Cut the potatoes into quarters then place in a big pot of salted cold water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook the potatoes until fork-tender, 10-15 minutes, then drain and pop them back into the pot off the heat for 5 minutes to help dry out the potatoes.
Add 1/3 cup of the vinaigrette to the warm potatoes then toss to combine.
Transfer the dressed potatoes to a large bowl with a lid then refrigerate for at least an hour, or up to overnight. This is a trick I learned from my Mom and her Classic Potato Salad recipe – dress the warm potatoes first and the flavor of the vinaigrette really sinks in!
While the potatoes are cooling in the fridge, get to work on the caramelized onions which will add a slightly sweet yet savory flavor to the potato salad that’ll make everyone say, hmmm, what IS that?
Chop a large sweet onion then add to a large skillet over medium heat with extra virgin olive oil and a dash of salt. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the onions are deeply caramelized, stirring every so often and turning the heat down slightly if they start to brown too quickly. Set the onions aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, hard-boil eggs. Hard-boiled eggs are a staple in mayo-based potato salads and I couldn’t bear to leave it out of this vinaigrette-based version. It’s one of my favorite parts.
Place eggs in a saucepan filled with cold water then bring to a boil. Place a lid on top then remove the pan from the heat and let sit for exactly 12 minutes.
After 12 minutes, plunge the eggs into ice water or run under cold water until they’re cool enough to handle but still warm. Peel then chop. Eggs = done!
Once the potatoes have been chilling for at least an hour, add the caramelized onions and chopped hard-boiled eggs, as well as chopped green onions, and cooked then crumbled bacon.
Add enough dressing to coat the salad to your liking (I use about 1/2 cup total) then toss to combine.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary then stash the potato salad back into the fridge to chill completely or eat slightly-warm. It is totally awesome either way. I
hope you love this new, MAYO-FREE take on potato salad – enjoy!
More Salad Side Dish Recipes
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs baby red skinned potatoes, quartered
- 1 jumbo sweet onion, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- 3 eggs
- 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 green onions, chopped
For the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- salt and pepper
Directions
- Add Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette ingredients to a jar with a tight fitting lid or bowl then shake or whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add potatoes to a large pot then fill with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a boil then cook until potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain then return potatoes to pot off the heat for 5 minutes to help evaporate excess water.
- Toss warm potatoes with 1/3 cup Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette then refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then add onions and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring every so often until onions reach a caramel brown color, 20-25 minutes, reducing heat slightly if they start to brown too quickly. Remove skillet from heat then let cool slightly. Can be done a day ahead of time. Cool then store in the refrigerator.
- Place eggs in a saucepan then cover tops by 1 inch with cold water. Bring to a boil, place a lid on top, then remove pan from heat and let sit for 12 minutes. Drain then plunge eggs into ice water or run under cold water for a few minutes. Peel eggs when cool enough to handle then chop and set aside. Can be done several days ahead of time. Cook then peel eggs and store in the refrigerator.
- Combine marinated potatoes with caramelized onions, chopped hard-boiled eggs, bacon, and green onions with as much Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette as you like then toss to combine. Taste then adjust salt and pepper if necessary.
Notes
- To enjoy as a warm salad, combine warm potatoes (do not refrigerate) with caramelized onions, bacon, and green onions then dress with vinaigrette.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
SO good! i made this last night. it is great warm or cold. sweet, zippy, savory. yum! a fabulous recipe- thanks! i just wish i had doubled it!
So glad you enjoyed, Christine, and thanks for rating the recipe too – I really appreciate it!! :)
Occurrer to me as I was making it that it is similar to my grandmother’s German potato salad, especially when served warm. Just made a different way. So yummy! I have loved everything that I made from this website. Never disappointed.
So glad to hear that, Sue – and I’m glad this recipe reminded you of your Grandmother’s! :)
Made this on Tuesday night and served it at a BBQ on Wednesday night and I absolutely LOVED it! That honey-mustard dressing is just so so good. Gonna be a new summer side dish staple. Thanks, Kristin!
Awesome!! So glad to hear it was a hit, Lauren!
This is the best, and I mean, best, potato salad I have ever had. Just finished making it again for a party. Yummmmm.
Thank you so much, Fiona, such a compliment! :)
Hello and happy Labor Day! I’m making this recipe for my grandson (turning three tomorrow) and want to confirm 2 tablespoons of both salt and pepper????
Hi Terri! I can see how the directions in the post make that a little confusing. If you follow the directions in the recipe card it’s more clear that’s it’s just salt and pepper to taste vs 2 Tablespoons. I hope that helps, and that you all love the dish! Happy birthday to your grandson, too!
This sounds and looks outrageous
Can’t wait to make it.!!!!
I think I’ll make this for Memorial Day weekend.
Love your BGSU beer holder, by the way!! My alma mater <3 I was Frieda Falcon :-)
This looks awesome! I don’t like mayo so this looks like a perfect substitute. BTW, I love your BG coozie! My husband graduated from there and I graduated from UT (Toledo) so we are a rivalry house. We still live very close to BG. Small world! Love your blog :)
Hi. For your potato salad, you called for 4 slices of bacon. Approx how much is this in terms of weight?
Made it this weekend – and it was amazing! Everyone in my family loved it! Can’t wait to make it again!
I have loved every single recipe of yours I have made. I followed this recipe to a T but I gotta say ok was a bit disappointed. Way too much Apple cider vinegar! Not sure what I can substitute for it.
I’m sorry to hear that, Evelyn! Is it possible that the apple cider vinegar was mis-measured, or possibly old? Mine didn’t taste very vinegary at all!
I used a measuring cup a d I just bought the vinegar last month from Trader Joe’s. Date good til January 2016. My son loved it, but for me the vinegar was too strong.
The only thing I can think of is to use a measuring cup that’s specifically for liquids like this one, since they can measure different than dry measuring cups: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/oxo-good-grips-mini-angled-measuring-cup/1013134030?device=c&network=g&matchtype=&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_kitchenfoodprep_&gclid=CNDdzoK50r4CFcpcMgod7CwAiA
I recently found your blog and I’m in love! I am trying to cut back on gluten and your recipes have been so helpful. And I love your BG coozie! I went there for grad school :) Can’t wait to try this recipe this summer!
I love potato salad! Made this last night with some barbecue chicken and it was awesome. I did leave the bacon out (mostly because I didn’t feel like spending the money on it) and it was still darn good! By the way, did you go to BGSU? I’m an Ohio girl and graduated in 2010!
My parents went to BGSU! Graduated in the 70s! :)