Our best potato salad recipes

A classic potato salad is a summer staple. Perfect for picnics, BBQ's and alfresco dining you can't go wrong with a potato salad. It's easy to adapt the traditional recipe to suit your favourite foods and to make into a filling lunch or dinner option, take a look at our 20 ways with potato salad for more ideas to impress this summer

Pesto potato salad
(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

A potato salad recipe is just what you need in your cooking arsenal when summer comes rolling around. Whether it's a barbecue or a light lunch, everyone appreciates a well-made potato salad.

For those whipping up a storm in the kitchen as well, potato salad recipes are a great thing to have to hand when the going gets tough and lunch needs plating up. It's easy to make and very hard to get completely wrong!

It's a healthy option to go for BBQs as it's vegetarian and in some cases, can be made completely vegan. In the summer, as much as some of us love a heavy meat-based barbecue, parties and BBQs especially can get quite expensive. A potato salad is an ideal way to bring the costs of a BBQ down, while also giving your friends and family a taste of the grill. Pair it with a burger or lamb kebab for a top-notch BBQ combination.

As part of a light summer lunch, potato salads work perfectly. Especially as they can be kept in the fridge for a couple of days, so they're ideal to make at the beginning of the week and then eat gradually throughout the days when the weather is warm and you don't want something heavy.

Alongside summer soup ideas, these potato salad recipes are some of the best go-tos for summer cooking. But if you're looking for something a little more filling in the summer evening, why not pair your potato salad with a light pasta bake? You could even do half and half if you don't want to overload on the carbohydrates.

But if you can't be bothered with the kitchen fuss on a warm summer evening, then a potato salad recipe is one to dig out because it's a meal that don't require any cooking. So that means no warm oven to heat the house up - just a small pot on the stove to boil the potatoes.

If you like these recipes for potato salad, try out our selection of summer desserts and cupcakes for something sweet to finish.

Pesto potato salad

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

This pesto potato salad is an impressive side to bring to a BBQ. If you've got the time make your own pesto and top with Parmesan breadcrumbs for extra bite.

Get the recipe: Pesto potato salad

Classic potato salad

Classic potato salad

Sometimes the old favourites are the best! with a light French dressing and plenty of tasty herbs, this little number goes with everything from fish and chicken to beef and pork.

Get the recipe: Classic potato salad

Potato and egg salad

Potato and egg salad

Antony Worrall Thompson has updated the classic potato salad recipe by adding bacon, eggs and a fresh herb sauce.

Get the recipe: Potato and egg salad recipe

Warm potato salad with smoked mackerel

Warm potato salad with smoked mackerel

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

Ready in less than 25 mins, this potato salad with mackerel is filling

enough to eat as a main meal. Chunks of juicy beetroot and a wine

vinegar dressing bring extra flavour.

Get the recipe: Potato salad with mackerel

New potato and asparagus salad

New potato and asparagus salad

(Image credit: TI Media Limited)

This new potato and asparagus salad with goat's cheese, broad beans and mint would make a perfect side to most summer meals.

Get the recipe: New potato and asparagus salad

Pesto asparagus and potato salad

Pesto asparagus and potato salad

With plenty of fresh herbs and a good handful of rocket, this pesto has a wider variety of flavours than your average jar you'd find in the supermarket. While still warm the potatoes are coated in this delicious dressing and absorb all those lovely flavours for a delicious dish.

Get the recipe: Pesto asparagus and potato salad

Crushed new potatoes and shoots

Crushed new potatoes and shoots

If you're looking for a lighter salad than the usual offerings then try

this vibrant recipe. With lots of healthy leaves, protein-rich quail's

eggs and of course some tasty potatoes, this salad will keep you full

for a while without weighing you down too much.

Get the recipe: Crushed new potatoes and shoots

Warm Radish Halloumi Potato and Cherry Tomato Salad

Warm Radish Halloumi Potato and Cherry Tomato Salad

Crunchy radishes make a tasty texture contrast to soft potatoes in this delicious salad. with a punchy herb dressing and rich halloumi cheese this is a great meal to make at lunchtime if you fancy a change from sandwiches.

Get the recipe: Warm radish, halloumi and cherry tomato potato salad

Pasta, potato and bacon salad

Pasta, potato and bacon salad

Double carbs? Why not! This filling pasta, potato and bacon salad is delicious hot or cold - perfect for a family meal and lunchboxes the next day,

Get the recipe: Pasta, potato and bacon salad

Gizzi Erskine's rare roast beef and crushed potato salad

Rare roast beef and crushed potato salad

(Image credit: Created exclusively for Bring Back Britain's Lunch Hour by Gizzi Erskine)

Peppery with horseradish and zingy with lemon, this potato salad is the perfect accompaniment for rich red meat like roast beef. it would also be delicious with duck or sausages we think!

Get the recipe: Gizzi Erskine's rare roast beef and crushed potato salad

Jessica Dady
Food Editor

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 11 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies