This article was updated on 6th August 2023 for clarity and freshness.
If you’re wondering what to serve with potato salad, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, I list 45 of the most popular side dishes for potato salad.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best dishes to serve with potato salad are BBQ ribs, cowboy beans, grilled sirloin steak, and parmesan-crusted fish. You can also serve gumbo, grilled hot dogs, hot pastrami sandwiches, or schnitzel. For meatless options, try halloumi kebabs or herbed chickpea burgers.
Great flavor pairings for potato salad
Potato salad is a classic cookout side dish. There are many versions, but the most popular one is made with a mayo dressing, giving the spuds a creamy and tangy flavor with hints of sweetness.
- Meaty, savory flavors: Potato salad is a popular accompaniment for meaty dishes because its creaminess and tang help cut through their salty, savory notes.
- Zesty flavors: Adding some heat to your potato salad adds depth to its creaminess and helps offset the richness of the mayo dressing. Try incorporating bold spices like cumin and paprika.
- Fresh flavors: Fresh additions like herbs, cucumbers, and lemon brighten the flavor of your potato salad and prevent it from getting too heavy.
Cookout classics
A cookout isn’t complete without potato salad! Its signature creaminess makes it a great contrast to barbecued meat like ribs and even grilled sausages and burgers.
BBQ ribs
You can’t have a cookout without these sticky BBQ ribs.
This BBQ staple involves baking seasoned ribs in apple juice, then grilling and basting them with BBQ sauce. This results in fall-off-the-bone tender ribs coated with a sticky, finger-licking good sauce. Sounds divine, right?
Pair these ribs with your potato salad to enjoy a tried-and-true combination of sweet, savory, and creamy goodness.
Why we love this recipe: these won’t last long.
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Grilled sirloin steak
Grilling is my favorite way to cook steak – it isn’t the most convenient, but you won’t get that delightful char and smoky flavor with any other cooking method.
And my favorite steak to grill is sirloin because it won’t break the bank. Plus it has a prominent beefy flavor, so a touch of seasoning is all you need to jazz it up.
But if you have a couple more bucks to spare, you can also go for more premium cuts like ribeye, New York strip, or even Wagyu if you can find it.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a highly detailed guide on perfectly cooking steak on the grill. No more burnt-to-a-crisp steaks!
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Marinated grilled hot dogs
Like with steak and chicken, marinating is one of the best ways to boost your hot dogs’ flavor.
It sounds weird, but trust me, it works wonders. This recipe goes for a marinade made of Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and mustard, infusing the hot dogs with a sweet, salty, and tangy flavor that’ll delight your taste buds.
Pro-tip: cut slits on both ends of your hotdogs so the marinade can seep through.
Serve these jazzed-up hot dogs with warm buns and a creamy potato salad on the side for the ultimate cookout meal.
Why we love this recipe: your guests will be queuing for seconds of these marinated ‘dogs.
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Cowboy beans
Got a can of ready-to-eat baked beans?
Transform them into delicious cowboy beans with the help of ground beef and bacon. They infuse your baked beans with a smoky, savory flavor that’ll leave you wanting more.
These cowboy beans are excellent as a side dish, but you can also treat them as a main and serve them with your potato salad.
Why we love this recipe: leftovers can be frozen for up to six months.
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Spiced corn ribs
Try these corn ribs if you’re looking for another side dish to pair with your potato salad at a cookout.
They’re like corn on the cob, except the cob has been cut into quarters, making it easier and less messy to eat.
The great thing about these treats is you can season them with any herbs and spices you want – this recipe opts for an elote-inspired seasoning. But you can also try butter and parmesan cheese if you’re not a fan of spicy food.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a fun and trendy way to serve freshly grilled or roasted corn.
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Spiced corn ribs
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Grilled Cajun shrimp and sausage skewers
These surf-and-turf skewers are a party staple that goes great with potato salad.
The Andouille sausage and jumbo shrimp pieces are coated with Cajun seasoning before grilling, infusing them with an extra smoky, savory flavor and a bit of a spicy kick.
And another thing I love about these skewers is how quickly they cook, so don’t leave them unattended. It only takes a minute or two for the shrimp to go from juicy to tough.
Here’s a tip from recipe creator, Jean: if you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in water before using them to prevent burning.
Why we love this recipe: these skewers are a guaranteed hit among your guests, no matter the age.
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Main dishes
Potato salad isn’t only for BBQ parties, it’s also an excellent accompaniment to any protein dish if you want something extra hearty. It also holds up well against boldly-flavored dishes like gumbo or Nashville hot chicken.
Parmesan rosemary-crusted fish
Potato salads can get pretty calorific, so if you want to indulge responsibly, enjoy your starchy salad with a light-crusted fish filet.
Take your favorite white fish (any kind will do), dip it in whisked eggs, then coat it in the seasoned panko and parmesan mixture. The coating crisps up as the coated filets fry, giving you a crunchy bite to contrast with the tender boiled potatoes.
You can also bake the breaded filets if you’re looking for healthier options, but they won’t get as crisp or golden as the fried fish filets.
Why we love this recipe: it’s elegant enough for a quick date night dinner.
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Parmesan rosemary-crusted fish
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Sourdough hot pastrami sandwich
Potato salads aren’t only good with meaty main dishes – they’re a fabulous accompaniment for sandwiches too. Enter this hot pastrami sandwich.
The creaminess of your spud salad is great for balancing out the smoky pastrami, nutty Swiss cheese, and tangy mustard.
A quick heads up, though – you might need a nap after this meal.
Why we love this recipe: it tastes exactly like what you’d get at your local deli.
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Oven-fried Nashville hot chicken
With this recipe, you won’t need to plan a trip to Nashville to taste their infamous fiery chicken.
As the name suggests, this dish is HOT, thanks to that fiery glaze and hot sauce-laced buttermilk marinade.
Pickles are usually served as a side dish to act as a palate cleanser and manage the heat, but I like going all in with a cold potato salad for a cool and creamy twist.
Why we love this recipe: it’s baked but has a delightfully crisp bite. Same crunchy goodness without the guilt.
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Oven-fried Nashville hot chicken
Make it plant-based
Nashville hot tofu nuggets
Fire up the grill
Grilled spicy BBQ chicken thighs
New Orleans gumbo
Gumbo is traditionally served with rice, but potato salad is an excellent option too.
Among gumbo purists, this pairing is controversial. But when you think it over, it makes sense. The potato salad’s creamy, slightly tangy flavor is exactly what you need in between bites of your rich, savory gumbo. Especially if you like spicy gumbo.
Psst… got leftovers? You can freeze the rest for up to three months.
Why we love this recipe: it’s super authentic and boasts a massive 4.90 rating from 657 readers.
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Veal schnitzel
Take some tasty inspiration from Eastern European cuisine and whip up veal schnitzel for a quick meal.
This dish involves breading and coating thin meat cutlets, then frying them until golden and crunchy.
Veal schnitzel is usually served with a German-style potato salad, but I won’t tell if you go for the classic mayo-based version instead!
Why we love this recipe: you can also use it to make chicken or pork schnitzel.
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Meatless options
Don’t let all the meat-eaters have all the fun. Enjoy your dairy-free potato salad with a side of saucy vegan meatballs or a herby chickpea burger.
It’s also great with a slice of lentil loaf for the ultimate comfort meal.
Herbed chickpea burgers
Whether you’re a fully-fledged vegan or looking to try something meat-free, these chickpea burgers are the way to go.
They’re super healthy and full of flavor, thanks to the abundance of fresh herbs in the patties.
Plus, you won’t have to worry about these burgers falling apart as most plant-based patties do. The Curious Chickpea recommends using an egg replacer or simple potato starch to help bind the patties better.
Why we love this recipe: these patties are great for prepping ahead.
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Herbed chickpea burgers
Another vegan option
Portobello mushroom burger
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Halloumi kebabs
These halloumi kebabs are the perfect meatless main dish to serve alongside potato salad.
The veggies and halloumi are soaked in a lemon and parsley marinade for at least 30 minutes before being threaded into skewers and grilled. This gives them a bright, zesty flavor with a subtle smokey note that pairs well with your creamy potato salad.
Psst… for the best flavor, leave the kebabs to soak in the marinade for at least an hour.
Why we love this recipe: they’re low-carb, gluten-free, and naturally vegetarian.
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Teriyaki tempeh meatballs
These faux meatballs are a must-try for everyone. They won’t taste exactly like traditional beef meatballs, but they’re moist, tender, and brimming with garlicky, sweet-savory goodness.
The key with these faux meatballs is to mash the tempeh until it has a fine consistency. You could leave a couple of chunks, but I usually mash them until smooth. This ensures the faux meatballs won’t fall apart easily.
Enjoy them alongside a creamy potato salad for a satisfying meal.
Why we love this recipe: each serving has over 30 g of protein.
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Vegan lentil loaf
Most people shy away from vegan meatloaves because they tend to be mushy, but not this recipe.
It still uses lentils, but the trick is to drain the lentils well and avoid over-blending them to yield a “meaty” texture.
Yummy Mummy Kitchen uses pre-cooked lentils in their recipe to save time, but you can also start from scratch – remember to use green or brown lentils. The red ones are much softer when cooked and can turn your meatloaves into mush.
Why we love this recipe: it’s as good as the traditional recipe made with beef.
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What To Serve With Potato Salad – Marinated Grilled Hotdogs
Ingredients
- 8 hotdogs
- 8 hot dog buns
- ½ cup chili sauce
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
Instructions
- Make cuts at an angle on each hotdogs, about ½ inch apart. Don't cut all the way down. The cuts should appear as rounded half circles.
- In a bowl, combine the chili sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Transfer the mixture into a large ziplock bag and add the hotdogs. Let them marinate for about 20 minutes or overnight.
- Grill the hotdogs for about 4-5 minutes. The cuts should have open up and the hotdogs should have a light char.
- Assemble with the buns and serve immediately.
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