The Most Perfect Garlic Roasted Potato Salad Recipe
Are you a garlic lover? If so, this is the perfect roasted potato salad recipe for you! Our family loves camping and we always like to BBQ in the summer. This roasted garlic potato salad is one of our favorite easy side dishes for camping, a potluck, or a cookout.
Best Ever Roasted Potato Salad
Basically, this is an elevated potato salad whose flavor screams “MORE WORK” but is actually super EASY to throw together.
Plus, the garlic flavor combined with fresh lemon in the dressing really gives it a delicious boost. You don’t even have to peel the potatoes, which is a huge time-saver.
When it comes to potatoes, there are two camps: those who prefer their potatoes with the skin on them, and those who prefer them without. Each camp has its own merits.
Those who prefer their potatoes with the skin on argue that the skin imparts more flavor and texture to the dish.
For this salad, I’d like to also point out that the crispy edges of the potatoes add an irresistible bite.
On the other hand, those who prefer their potatoes without the skin argue that the skin can be tough and chewy. Ultimately, it comes down to a matter of personal preference.
However, roasted potato salads will hold together much better with the skin on the potato.
What are the Best Potatoes for Potato Salad?
When it comes to a roasted potato salad, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you want a potato that will hold its shape after being cooked.
Second, you want a potato with a good flavor that will complement the other ingredients in the salad.
Finally, if you grow your own potatoes, you want to consider color. Every color of potato can have a different texture and flavor!
From purple to magenta, to blush to yellow and white, with varying skin colors, the options can be endless! With those criteria in mind, here are some of the best potatoes for roasted potato salad:
🥔 Yukon Gold potatoes are good all-purpose potatoes that hold their shape well and have a nice, buttery flavor.
🥔 Yellow Finn potatoes are considered a gourmet potato in Europe. Their buttery sweet flavor is lovely and they hold their shape relatively well.
🥔 Red Bliss potatoes have a slightly earthy flavor and hold their shape relatively well.
🥔 Russet potatoes have a strong flavor that can hold up to other bold ingredients, but they really don’t hold their shape as well.
Take this as an opportunity to try out new potatoes from your own garden or the Farmer’s Market.
For instance, Pinto Gold potatoes (pictured above) have striking rose and gold-colored skin with white flesh. They are excellent for roasted and the polka-dotted pattern will keep you smiling while you prep.
Roasted Potato Salad Recipe
Simply roast 2lbs of bite-size potato pieces tossed with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 6 chopped cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper on a sheet pan at 450 degrees for 35 minutes total.
Stir, scrape, and flip the potatoes once or twice after 20 minutes of roasting, to help a crust form on most edges.
Potato Salad Dressing Recipe
This dressing can easily be mixed days in advance and stored in an air-tight container. Mix it into your freshly roasted and cooled potatoes for a super easy side dish for your BBQ or camping trip.
This takes only a couple of minutes: Stir together 1/3 cup mayonnaise, juice from 1/2 lemon, 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 3 tbs of minced parsley.
Ingredients and Substitutions
✔️ Potatoes: You can substitute any kind of potatoes you like in place of the Yukon gold or red potatoes. New baby potatoes are a really delicious option.
- However, no matter the potato, just make sure they are big enough that you cut them at least once so that the sliced side achieves that delicious crisp roasted edge that makes this salad so tasty.
✔️ Mayonnaise: Please use real mayonnaise here, no Miracle Whip! Use jarred mayo or make your own fresh.
✔️ Lemon: Out of lemons? No problem. Sub half the amount the recipe calls for with vinegar. In other words, use 1 tbs of white vinegar per 2 tbs of fresh lemon juice.
✔️ Garlic: Wait, you’re not a garlic lover? That’s OK (kind of), use onion or just leave these ingredients out entirely. The tang of lemon, the freshness of herbs, and so on are delightful on their own!
✔️ Fresh Parsley: Remember, the 1:3 rule applies if you need to substitute dried herbs for fresh. One teaspoon of dried parsley is equivalent to three teaspoons (or a tablespoon) of fresh parsley. If you don’t care for parsley try basil, oregano, rosemary, or cilantro!
- Frozen parsley can easily be used too. We freeze bagfuls from our garden each fall. Just chop up the frozen herbs and drop them into the dressing, use as normal!
Potato Salad FAQS:
Is it better to boil potatoes before roasting?
If you’re looking for crispy, roasted potatoes, boiling them before you put them in the oven is not the way to go for this salad. Boiling potatoes causes them to release starch, which leads to mushy, rather than crispy, potatoes that will break apart when mixed into a salad.
When it comes to roasted potato salad, it’s better to start with raw potatoes and let the oven do the work. By starting with raw potatoes, you’ll ensure that they retain their flavor and attain the perfect crispy exterior. Your taste buds will thank you.
However, if you are simply roasting potatoes with zero intention of making a salad with them, then I highly recommend trying this recipe for Perfect English Roast Potatoes, which does require boiling. You will be very happy with the result.
What to Serve with Potato Salad
When it comes to side dishes, potato salad is a classic. Since this is not a heavy mayonnaise-laden potato salad, the dressing is light. It tends to go with most typical barbecue main dishes.
Its creamy texture, tang, and savory flavors make it a perfect complement to a variety of main courses. My personal favorite entrees to serve roasted garlic potato salad with are BBQ chicken, classic grilled steak, and this salmon recipe.
In addition, it’s quite a delicious scenario to have nothing but yummy salads on the tables, especially for a vegetarian. Roasted garlic potato salad is fantastic served alongside a big green salad, such as arugula, a summer tomato-basil salad, and grilled vegetables.
Can I make potato salad a day ahead?
Yes, you most certainly can! The texture of the potatoes changes with a day or two in the fridge but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still delicious. You can roast the potatoes in advance and add the dressing when you serve it.
Or, you can make the entire dish in advance, stick it in the fridge and bring it to a potluck the next day. Bringing the salad to room temperature before serving is helpful. It softens the starchy interior of the potatoes.
Final Thoughts on this Delicious Side Dish
Just MAKE IT! Whether you’re a garlic lover or not, this super simple potato salad recipe is definitely worth trying! The delicious flavors will have your taste buds singing with delight. Since it’s really easy to throw together, it’s truly perfect for any occasion.
Give it a try next time you have a bbq or are cooking some chicken or steaks over a campfire – we think you’ll love it!
For more camping meal ideas check out our Ultimate Camping Food List!
Garlic-Lover’s Roasted Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Roasted Potatoes
- 2 lbs Yukon gold or red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2” dice
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Dressing
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbs minced parsley
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a large bowl toss potatoes with olive oil, the chopped 6 cloves of garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Spread potato mixture out evenly onto a baking sheet. Do not line the sheet with parchment paper due to the high temp of the oven and the desire for crispier potatoes.
- Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pan, take a metal spatula and scrape against the pan and flip the potatoes, carefully. No need for perfection though.
- Roast another 15 min and do the same. Roast for a final 5-10 minutes until nicely browned and crispy bits have formed.
- Scrape as many bits from the pan as you can. Set to cool to room temp.
- In a small bowl stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, two minced cloves of garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Using a large bowl, add potatoes and mayonnaise mixture. Mix.
- If desired, transfer to a clean serving bowl and sprinkle with more chopped parsley or herbs of choice.
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