Upgrade Your Potato Salad With These 12 Celebrity Chef-Approved Tips

If you are planning a barbecue, garden party, or picnic, chances are potato salad is going to make an appearance. This humble side dish has become synonymous with outdoor dining and grilled meat, its velvety texture complementing rich dishes perfectly. As comforting as it is, regular potato salad can be a bit on the safe side, with only mayonnaise and a few fresh herbs lifting the flavor of the spuds.

To help get you out of a rut, we've tracked down the best tips from world-renowned chefs to inspire you to enhance this classic side dish. From getting the timing of dressing the potatoes just right to using bacon fat to add depth of flavor, these tips will take your favorite recipe to delicious new heights. None of these methods requires unusual ingredients or fancy gadgets, meaning your simple side remains good value and easy to make. Let's take a look at our favorite ways to upgrade potato salad with these celebrity chef-approved tips.

While adding unusual ingredients to a potato salad can make a big difference to the overall taste, timing is also a crucial factor. Martha Stewart has a family recipe that she loves, but she insists that adding the dressing while the dish is still warm is the key to taking it from good to great.

Her dressing consists of vinegar, onions, sugar, and salt, which are whisked together and poured over the sliced spuds as soon as possible after they leave the heat. This allows them to soak up the tangy liquid, meaning that every bit is perfectly seasoned. Stewart waits until after this step to incorporate the mayonnaise, which she does by adding it to an empty bowl, then tossing the potatoes back and forth until all of them are coated in the silky dressing.

This subtle difference in timing results in a dish that is brilliantly flavored throughout rather than bland potatoes with a seasoned dressing on top. If you want to elevate your next potato salad without buying extra ingredients, Stewart's method will make a noticeable difference without more trips to the store.

Ina Garten is the master of taking simple ingredients and turning them into irresistible dishes, so it comes as no surprise that she has an easy trick for elevating the humble potato salad. While the star of the show is in the dressing, she also has a handy tip for making sure the spuds are cooked to perfection. After boiling and draining the potatoes, she covers them with a clean dishcloth and leaves them for a further 10 minutes to allow them to steam in the residual heat.

When it comes to the dressing, the anise flavor of tarragon is what Garten uses for its unique taste. Tarragon vinegar is added to mayonnaise and lemon juice with plenty of salt and black pepper to create a decadent mixture. This is then used to coat the potatoes before adding fresh herbs (like dill and tarragon leaves), chopped scallions, and red onions. The combination ends up being the perfect foil for the smooth dressing and neutral potatoes, giving it an aromatic twist that elevates it above the regular version.

Garten also recommends leaving the salad for 30 minutes or so after you finish making it to allow the flavors to infuse. The freshness of the dish makes it ideal for serving at a picnic or alongside grilled meats such as burgers or sausages.

Jamie Oliver's food is all about real home cooking that anyone can try in their own kitchen, so his potato salad was unlikely to feature unfamiliar ingredients. Instead, he gives his version a delicious crunch by adding crispy bacon bits and breadcrumbs that deliver extra flavor as well as a texture contrast.

The base of Oliver's recipe is creamy, though he uses yogurt rather than mayonnaise, which keeps it light and gives it a delightful tang. The umami notes from the bacon balance the lighter elements nicely and provide a salty kick that is incredibly satisfying. The bacon — he insists it needs to be smoked — is crisped in the pan then removed, leaving behind the delicious bacon fat. The breadcrumbs are then fried quickly in it, giving the dish a double bacon hit as well as the texturally interesting crunch when you first bite in. The final result is a fantastic potato salad that will impress at your next potluck or garden party, with a couple of simple ingredients that take such a straightforward dish to the next level.

Nigella Lawson is not a fan of the traditional old-fashioned potato salad and prefers instead to dress her spuds with a zingy, fresh combination that is equally as satisfying as standard versions. Her secret is to add plenty of acidity, and to do so, she reaches for jars of cornichons and capers.

As well as adding the vegetables themselves, Lawson uses a little pickle juice for the dressing, which adds a unique tang to the dish. The liquids are also quite salty, meaning they season the dish well without the need for extra salt.

Once the dressing has been made with the pickle juice, mustard, apple cider vinegar, and cold-pressed oil, it is poured over the still-hot potatoes, allowing them to soak it up as they cool. The sliced capers and cornichons are then sprinkled over top to create a pop of intense briney goodness when you bite into them. This bright potato salad has a completely different flavor profile compared to versions you might be used to, but it still makes an excellent accompaniment to meat or fish, or can be served as a light meal topped with boiled eggs and anchovies.

Guy Fieri is not one to shy away from bold ingredients, so we can expect his potato salad recipe to pack a tasty punch. Like many chefs, he likes to add bacon to give it a meaty kick, but Fieri takes it one step further to make sure that not a single drop of flavor is lost.

After frying the bacon, he removes it from the pan, saving the liquid fat that is left behind. He then adds canola oil, and once it has heated up, fries the boiled potatoes in the smoking hot pan to soak up the bacon fat as they cook and crisp up, creating both texture and fantastic depth of flavor. The dressing ingredients, including vinegar, onions, Dijon mustard, and capers, are then added while the potatoes continue to cook in the mixture, further enhancing the formerly bland spuds.

Fieri's potato salad is nothing like the traditional version, but this is no bad thing. Instead, it is warm, crispy, and loaded with intense notes that make it a perfect side dish at a barbecue or family gathering.

One of the most appealing aspects of making a big portion of potato salad is how quickly it can come together — once everything is cooked, the prep should only take a few minutes. Giada de Laurentiis' tip, however, will require you to have a little more patience, as she suggests making the recipe in advance.

Giadzy's recipe doesn't much resemble the traditional American version, incorporating fresh green beans, baby tomatoes, and crunchy red onions. The dressing is light and zingy, made with olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and dried oregano, and is added to the potatoes while still warm. She recommends leaving the dish to marinate once it has been assembled to allow the flavors to develop further and penetrate the potatoes with the classic Mediterranean aromas.

If you have time ahead of your next potato salad endeavor, make it a few hours in advance and pop it in the fridge until serving time. It will be worth the wait when you serve up your irresistible side to your hungry guests.

Bobby Flay loves to get as much flavor into his cooking as possible, and a simple potato salad is no exception. Admitting that there are few things in the world better than bacon, he, of course, adds the meat to his recipe, but he makes sure the dressing doesn't miss out. Instead of cooking the onions in oil, he cooks them in the rendered bacon fat to make sure the intense meaty notes permeate the whole dish.

Flay boils red-skinned potatoes with onions for an extra punch before draining the water and chopping. The bacon cooks in the pan until crispy and is then added to the warm potatoes. The chopped onions and vinegar for the dressing are cooked in the bacon fat before the mixture is drizzled over everything else to allow it to soak up the delicious flavor. The upgraded dressing means the spuds have no chance of being bland, and the delightful bacon hit will be present in every mouthful.

Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal is known for his molecular gastronomy and unusual culinary inventions — snail porridge, anyone? — but he also brings his love of intensity to everyday dishes that we mere mortals can attempt. His potato salad may not require a tank of liquid nitrogen, but he still makes sure to incorporate as much flavor as possible into it.

Blumenthal's potato salad upgrade starts at the beginning of the cook, boiling halved spuds in water with garlic and rosemary. He explains that by cutting them in half, it creates more opportunity to soak up the aromatics as they cook. This step is crucial, since the potatoes themselves are usually quite bland, so having them bursting with seasoning will make a big difference.

For some added tang, he makes a simple, tasty dressing using shallots, mustard, and white wine vinegar, and pours it over the potatoes as soon as they have cooked. The last step is the fun part — crush everything together with a fork and mix to create a rustic side with lots of brightness. Blumenthal recommends serving it with grilled meat or smoked fish, which will balance beautifully with the slightly acidic dressing.

There is no reason that potato salad needs to be boring, either in flavor or color, and Rachael Ray has an easy upgrade that adds vibrancy to the usual side dish. Peppers, in the form of both spicy jalapeños and sweet bell peppers, add a flash of bright color and freshness to the dish, setting it apart from regular beige versions.

Ray recommends using canned jalapeños or hot peppers, allowing you to add them straight to the cooked potatoes. A little juice from the can then adds brightness to the dressing, alongside some apple cider vinegar. The chopped red bell pepper will also add a delightful crunch to an otherwise soft dish, while giving the salad another dimension. This upgraded starchy side is less rich than most, making it the ideal accompaniment for fish or as a side dish at a garden party.

Lidia Bastianich is known for her love of authentic Italian cuisine, and her elevated potato salad recipe has a tasty Mediterranean twist. By incorporating some unexpected ingredients into the dressing, she packs in plenty of bold flavor to a dish that is often pedestrian.

The first dressing ingredient in the blender is canned anchovies. This classic Italian staple may divide opinion, but as a seasoning booster, they are fantastic. Full of umami goodness and rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fats, they are salty and deeply savory, and complement the other ingredients perfectly. The anchovies are blended with fresh parsley and basil, mustard, vinegar, and olive oil to create a balanced dressing with just the right acidity.

Capers and sliced cornichons are added directly to the potatoes, providing a crunchy texture as well as a tangy, salty element that further enhances the anchovy-based dressing. Once everything has been thoroughly mixed together, Bastianich recommends serving the completed dish family-style in a rustic bowl, allowing everyone to help themselves to the classic side with a delectable Italian twist.

Curtis Stone's tip for upgrading potato salad begins with the cooking of the spuds. He starts by boiling them in regular water until they are done, but not starting to break apart. Since they will be soaking up further liquid in the form of flavorsome chicken broth, overly soft potatoes at the first stage will end up as mush by the end of the process.

Stone then creates a dressing made from the carton of broth, which the potatoes will absorb as they cool. He then adds shallots, cornichons, and capers for some acidity, and the mixture is poured over the warm potatoes. He recommends firmly stirring the pot to ensure the dressing is incorporated well, and even suggests crushing the spuds with your hands to encourage the chicken stock to absorb into every mouthful. 

He does add mayonnaise at the end to create the signature luxurious texture, but advises that the dish needs to cool first. Fresh parsley and crispy bacon finish Stone's irresistible potato salad, which is beautifully balanced with deep seasoning from the stock and the contrast of tangy dressing.

With his expertise in Creole and Cajun cuisine, Emeril Lagasse is a master at packing deliciousness into dishes. His potato salad recipe is no different, benefiting from his homemade ranch dressing that replaces the usual mayonnaise.

While mayo is perfectly fine for this dish, using homemade ranch means that the dressing will have more depth compared to the regular version. Garlic, green onions, and fresh lemon juice are amongst the bold-tasting ingredients, ensuring that the mild potatoes are in no danger of being bland. The recipe for the ranch dressing also includes Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning, a blend of paprika, cayenne pepper, dried herbs, garlic, and onion powder, which intensifies the seasoning even further.

The ranch dressing is poured over the cooked spuds before hard-boiled eggs and crispy bacon are added on top. The resulting potato salad has a fabulous mix of tang, freshness, and deep savory notes, turning simple ingredients into a delicious summer side.