This blue cheese potato salad recipe is loaded with the tangy creaminess you expect from a potato salad but with an incredible blue cheese and bacon twist. We used Greek yogurt instead of mayo so the blue cheese could shine. And loaded it with chives and parsley for the most delicious cookout side dish around.

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I love a classic potato salad, along with a cherry tomato salad and grilled corn ribs, it is my go-to summer side dish. So if I am going to change it up, I need the recipe to be flavorful and special.
And this potato salad with blue cheese is perfect when served alongside your favorite burgers, smoked ribs, or BBQ chicken.
📖Why This Recipe Works
This is why I love this red white and blue potato salad. It has all the texture elements of the all-American potato salad but with a tangy twist. The creamy blue cheese dressing and green onion flavor complement each other.
Many specialty potato salad recipes roast their potatoes, but creamy dressings don't play nice with greasy roasted potatoes. Instead boiling our baby red potatoes is the way to go.
Crispy bacon tops off our delicious recipe!
🧾Ingredients for Blue Cheese Potato Salad
Red Potatoes- This recipe uses small, skin-on red potatoes. Any small round waxy potato will work but you want to avoid the larger russet-style potatoes. The starch level is too high for this recipe.
Bacon- You want super crispy bacon. Avoid any varieties that are sweet, maple-flavored, etc. Remember cooking bacon for a recipe is not the same as cooking to eat on its own. You want it a tad crispier.
Celery- Make sure it is fresh and crispy to give the potato salad a nice crunch.
Scallions- We use scallions rather than raw white onion or red onion so the potato salad has a nice onion flavor but we don't overwhelm the blue cheese, which is obviously the star of the show. The white and light green parts go in the salad and I reserve the dark green parts for garnishing the salad.
Fresh Herbs-Chives and parsley are responsible for giving the salad its aromatics. You can play around with the combination of herbs and the portion. If chives aren't available using all parsley is fine but you might want to through in a few extra green onions. Or add a little fresh dill.
BLUE CHEESE DRESSING
Greek Yogurt- Thick, creamy, and tangy. Don't use fat-free yogurt as it tends to have a bland flavor. You can also substitute sour cream.
Apple Cider Vinegar- Vinegar gives a little hint of acid that all potato salads need. You can also substitute white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar.
Blue Cheese- It may be tempting to use that beautiful block of creamy blue cheese sitting in your fridge but the drier blue cheese crumbles are easier to work with, not to mention less expensive.
I like the gorgonzola crumbles but any type of blue cheese will work.
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
⏲️How to Make Blue Cheese Potato Salad
Blue cheese potato salad follows the same general directions as a traditional potato salad, so there should be no big surprises here.
Step 1- Crisp your Bacon
The bacon should be nice and crispy. I prefer to chop my bacon before cooking it rather than crumble it afterward. Drain on a paper towel to remove excess grease.
Step 2- Boil the Potatoes
Cut your potatoes into bite-size pieces. You want them between half and one-inch dice. Depending on the size of your potatoes this may be in half or quarters. I typically use baby potatoes for this recipe.
Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring them to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender.
Drain the potatoes and allow them to cool to room temperature. You can throw them in the fridge for a bit to speed up the cooling process.
Step 3- Blue Cheese Dressing
While the potatoes are cooling make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Then stir in the blue cheese crumbles. I like to reserve back a tablespoon or two of cheese for garnishing the top.
Step 4- Mix
Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add bacon, scallions, celery, and herbs. Gently toss to combine.
Pour the dressing over the salad and gently stir to combine. Chill for about one hour before serving. Garnish with extra herbs, onions, and bacon.
💭Blue Cheese Potato Salad Variations
You might think that this is a one-and-done recipe. But you would be wrong, here are some of our favorite variations on this unique potato salad recipe.
Vegetarian Blue Cheese Potato Salad
This should be obvious but... leave out the bacon. The bacon is great but if I don't have it on hand or we have veg-heads coming over for a cookout we leave it out. Blue cheese potato salad is still amazingly tasty without the bacon.
Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Potato Salad
This is my favorite variation! Leave out the scallions and substitute caramelized onions.
Thinly slice a medium white or yellow onion. In a medium saute pan melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until they begin to brown slightly about 3 to 5 minutes.
Turn the heat all the way down and cook until the onions are brown and caramelized. This will take 30 to 40 minutes. You will need to stir frequently to prevent burning. Allow the onions to cool, chop the onions, and add to the blue cheese dressing.
Steakhouse Entree Sized Potato Salad
This is a great way to use up leftover potato salad. For each person spread 2 cups of spinach on a dinner plate, add one serving of the blue cheese potato salad, 6 to 8 cherry tomatoes cut in half, and top with grilled flank steak or a seared bavette steak. You could also top with grilled chicken.
Mustard- Blue Cheese Potato Salad
Omit the apple cider vinegar in the blue cheese dressing and instead add 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Start the potatoes in cold water. This will ensure that the potatoes cook evenly. You don't want the outside to crumble before the center is done.
- Don't forget to salt your water. It really makes a difference. I typically do about 1 teaspoon of salt for 2 pounds of potatoes.
- The potatoes will continue to cook while they are cooling. They are "done" when they barely fork tender.
- To save time on this recipe I cook the bacon and the potatoes at the same time. While they are cooking I prep the remaining ingredients.
- Season to taste right before serving so the flavors have time to meld.
🌡️Storage and Making Ahead
The potatoes will absorb whatever liquid you put on them. To make the potato salad ahead of time add 2 tablespoons of milk to half of the dressing to thin it out. Pour that half the dressing on the potatoes and save back the bacon. When ready to serve, add the remainder of the dressing and the bacon.
Blue cheese potato salad should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 days.
More Summer BBQ Recipes
Here are a few of our favorite recipes for your next backyard BBQ (P.S. they are all gluten-free too!).
💬Frequently Asked Questions
Blue cheese is naturally gluten-free. However, you need to double-check the package to make sure it is gluten-free. There is a terrible rumor going around the internet that blue cheese is not gluten-free. That is untrue! But some brands do use bread so always best to verify.
If the dressing is too thick you can thin it down by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of either milk or the cooking liquid from the potatoes.
Did You Enjoy Making This Recipe? Please rate this recipe with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ or leave a comment. It helps other wonderful people connect with our food.
📖 Recipe
Blue Cheese Potato Salad
Ingredients
Red Skinned Potato Salad
- 2 lb red potatoes skin on and cut into bite size pieces
- 6 slices bacon crisped
- ¼ cup celery diced
- 4 scallions thinly slices (white and light green parts)
- 2 tablespoon chives
- 1 tablespoon parsley
Blue Cheese Dressing
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover potatoes with salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain the potatoes and allow the potatoes to cool to room temperature.2 lb red potatoes
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add bacon, scallions, celery, and herbs. Gently toss to combine.6 slices bacon, ¼ cup celery, 4 scallions, 2 tablespoon chives, 1 tablespoon parsley
- In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Gently stir in the blue cheese crumbles.½ cup Greek yogurt, 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 4 ounces blue cheese crumbles
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently stir to combine. Chill thirty to 60 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
- See post for recipe variations.
- The potatoes will absorb whatever liquid you put on them. To make the potato salad ahead of time add 2 tablespoons of milk to half of the dressing to thin it out. Pour that half the dressing on the potatoes and save back the bacon. When ready to serve, add the remainder of the dressing and the bacon.
Jo says
I'm a huge potato fan and this is simply the best salad to make. Love the addition of blue cheese on the recipe. Flavors are perfect!
Natalie says
Lovely addition of blue cheese. I love it! What a brilliant idea. I bet it gave so much flavor. I will definitely give this recipe a try. Looks really delicious.
Jen says
Let us know how it turns out.
Jenny Graves says
Our new favorite potato salad! My husband LOVES blue cheese and got so excited when I told him I am making this wonderful salad. Thank you!
Denise says
What a delicious twist for potato salad! This will be made and enjoyed many times this summer for sure!
Paige says
This is a tasty riff on potato salad! I love the blue cheese addition, and this would be a great side for any BBQ!
Nicole says
I'm blue cheese's biggest fan, and I'm all over this recipe. It would go great with a bbq'd steak, or in my case, as the whole meal, haha! The more blue cheese (and bacon), the better.
Carol Borchardt says
I've been wanting to do some new variations on potato salads this summer and this looks great! I love blue cheese so am super anxious to give this a try!
Chef Dennis says
I love bleu cheese and never thought of adding it potato salad. What a great idea, I can't wait to try it!
Loreto and Nicoletta Nardelli says
Thanks for all the tips! This bacon blue cheese potato salad is awesome and perfect for the warmer months ahead!
Gloria says
You can never have too many potato recipes this time of year. Love the addition of blue cheese. I think this would be a hit at bbq parties for sure.
Jen says
I think my husband would agree with that! And I love the blue cheese- perfect match.