How To Banish Bland Potato Salad With Bottled BBQ Sauce

Nothing complements hearty fare like perfectly grilled burgers and pulled pork sandwiches better than cool and creamy potato salad. Sure enough, while you might enjoy the occasional bowl of herbed potato salad dressed in vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard, it's hard to beat the deliciousness of traditional potato salad made with mayonnaise or sour cream. Though, if you're open to adding a new and flavorful condiment to your classic recipe, look no further than BBQ sauce.

The saucy combination of tomatoes, brown sugar, vinegar, and spices easily gives this Southern, potato-based side dish a brighter, more complex taste. Fortunately, incorporating BBQ sauce into your next batch of potato salad couldn't be easier. First, choose a bottle of your preferred variety from the grocery store or make a simple three-ingredient BBQ sauce by combining ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Then, simply follow your potato salad recipe with one exception: As you prepare this dish's creamy, signature dressing, add in a small pour of BBQ sauce. Start by incorporating just a spoonful but continue to add more to taste for a smokier, more pronounced flavor. Also, depending on the variety of BBQ sauce you choose, you may want to adjust the other ingredients in your recipe and add more or less mustard, brown sugar, or vinegar.

Truth be told, BBQ sauce can be made with a wide range of sweet, spicy, and smoky flavors. Luckily, with the right blend of additional ingredients, you can make a delicious bowl of potato salad with any favored variety.

As demonstrated by our comprehensive guide to BBQ sauces across the U.S., there are many styles of this flavorful condiment you can use to make tasty bowls of potato salad. For example, if you choose a sweet, Kansas City-style sauce made with ketchup and brown sugar, you may want to balance your potato salad with more savory extras like salty bacon and shredded cheddar cheese.

Conversely, if you're making a potato salad with a sauce that has a rich mustard flavor like Carolina gold, you may not need to add any mustard to your dressing base. Instead, upgrade your recipe with simple extras like chopped celery, sweet onion, and minced chives.

Depending on the flavor profile you're aiming for, you can also add more condiments and spices to your BBQ-infused salad dressing. For an extra spicy kick, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce, dried red pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper. For a lighter, more refreshing flavor, incorporate small amounts of sour cream and ranch dressing.

Whichever BBQ sauce you use, feel free to use a variety of additional ingredients to make a more show-stopping potato salad. Next to bacon and chives, incorporate a few tangy ingredients like chopped pickles or pickled red onions. You can also bulk up your BBQ potato salad and turn it into a complete meal by including ingredients like pulled pork or hard-boiled eggs.