An easy bbq side dish recipe loaded with potatoes, bacon, mustard olive oil-based vinaigrette without any eggs or mayo. This potato salad is light, very quick to make, and will be a perfect side dish for almost any main course. Perfect for parties.
This salad is made with olive oil and two types of mustard, a little bit of thyme, green onion, and vinegar that is perfect in combination with baby potatoes.
No Mayo and No Eggs in This Potato Salad - Serve it as a tasty summer side dish, for Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and other holidays.

If you like potato recipes be sure to check out Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes With Cream Cheese And Garlic, Sweet Potato Fries with Truffle Oil or simply type the word ''potato'' into the search bar.
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Ingredients
Potatoes - baby potatoes or red potatoes (see below paragraph for the explanation)
Mustard - Dijon and grainy mustard combined give the best flavor to this potato salad.
Seasonings - salt, pepper. Ground pepper - for something different, try flavored ground peppers such as Lemon Pepper Seasoning, yum! Or simply squeeze a bit of lime or lemon juice on top of the salad.
Herbs - None of my meals lack herbs, would that be fresh or dried will depend on the dish I’m preparing.
For this recipe, I’ve used thyme, garlic, and green onions. Thyme is another needed ingredient - will enhance any simple potato salad! But you can sub with basil, oregano, rosemary, tarragon however will give the salad a completely different taste.
Onions - red onions or sweet white onions are both great choices.
The dressing - simple and light olive and mustard-based dressing that can be used in many vegetable salads. If you want to try something different, use my homemade Cashew Pesto instead.
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For more in-depth reading about types of potatoes please check out this cool article from Lisa.
Best Potatoes For a Potato Salad
- ‘’New’’ Baby potatoes - best for potato salad, other salads, soups.
- Red potatoes - great for salads, steamed potatoes, baked potatoes.
- Purple potatoes - I haven’t tried these for a salad, but heard they are a safe option as well! If you do try these out, please share your feedback and photos on Instagram tagging @theyummy_bowl. Thank you!
- Safe, in-the-middle option - Yukon gold potatoes (medium-starch) that are multipurpose.
Instructions
Heat up a medium pot with water, take it to a boil.
Cooking potatoes for potato salad. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Remove from heat and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Cut in half or into thick slices. Set aside while you prep the dressing.
The dressing for potato salad. In a glass jar mix all the rest ingredients (except pancetta, red onion, green onions), close the lid and give it a good shake.
(For best results, make ahead and keep in the fridge for all the flavors to combine well).
In a large mixing bowl or serving bowl, add the potatoes, red onion, drizzle with dressing (add little by little until all the potatoes are covered, you may need less dressing, personal preference!)
Garnish with bacon slices, more onion, cracked black pepper, and serve with your BBQ meats. Enjoy!
Tips and Variations
Potatoes - cook the potatoes until tender and test with a knife for doneness, you should be able to easily poke a knife in them. They shouldn’t be mushy at any point.
Serving suggestion - Serve the potato salad warm or cold, it will taste good both ways. But I enjoy adding the dressing to the warm potatoes, this way the flavors combine even better.
Few of my favorite add ons:
- Capers.
- Dill pickles or even sweet pickles.
- Mix things up by adding other herbs or even two herbs combined such as parsley, tarragon, rosemary, basil, oregano, chervil, marjoram and even sage.
- Add some heat - for spicy lovers: mix in the dressing 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
FAQ
If you make it homemade, then yes. Potatoes don't contain gluten but depending on other ingredients added to the salad (especially in store bought potato salads), it can contain some hidden gluten ingredients.
Ideally, you’ll want to avoid starchy potatoes such as Russet potato (best for mashed potatoes), which will become mushy and fall apart during the cooking, stirring process.
I hope you'll enjoy this potato salad without mayo and if you make this recipe, please let me know down below in the comments or by tagging @theyummy_bowl under your picture on Instagram.
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
Easy Side Dish Recipes
- Lime Cilantro Rice
- Roasted Beetroot and Feta Salad with Walnuts
- Healthy Bean Sprout Salad
- Easy Pico De Gallo
- Homemade Easy Guacamole (3 ingredients)
Quick Potato recipes
- Mashed Potatoes With Cream Cheese And Garlic
- Sweet Potato Fries with Truffle Oil
- Mississippi Cheesy Mud Potatoes
- Twice Baked Cheesy Potatoes
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
- Crispy Smashed Potato In Oven
Potato Salad Without Eggs (Perfect BBQ Side Dish!)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pound baby potatoes (skin on)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoon salt or more/less to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper (I actually like to use about 2 teaspoon for mine)
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- 1 teaspoon dijon smooth mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar or light muscovado sugar
- 5-6 ounce bacon (or Pancetta, cooked and until lightly crisp and crumbled)
- 2 tablespoon green onion or scallions (shallots (or sub with celery))
- 1 medium red onion (sliced)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat up a medium pot with water, take it to a boil.
- Add potatoes and cook until tender.
- Remove from the heat and run them quickly under cold water to stop the cooking process. Cut into half or thick slices. Set aside until you prep the dressing.
- The dressing for potato salad. In a glass jar mix all the rest ingredients (except bacon and green onion, red onion), close the lid and give it a good shake. (For best results, make ahead and keep in the fridge for all the flavors to combine well).
- In a large mixing bowl or serving bowl, add the potatoes, drizzle with dressing (add little by little until all the potatoes are covered, you may need less dressing, personal preference!)
- Garnish with bacon slices, more onion, cracked black pepper and serve with your BBQ meats. Enjoy!
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia
A very easy but flavorful potato salad for serving with meat or fish.
Hannah
We often make this salad, both with bacon and without actually. The dressing is delicious and wouldn't change a thing!
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Thank you Hannah!