I’m starting to hit that phase of summer where everything feels fleeting and urgent and I realize that I’m far behind my seasonal quota of patio sitting, potlucking, and eating side dishes for dinner. My pick: Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon. This colorful, zippy salad is the ideal addition to your summer spread. It stand outs from the crowd, and I’m betting you’ve never had a potato salad quite like it. Bucket list recipe, right here.
While plain-old potato salad often lets me down (what is with that goupy dressing?), sweet potato salad makes my taste buds sing.
For a roasted sweet potato salad, this Sweet Potato Quinoa Black Bean Salad is my squeeze and a meal prep super star. When I’m looking to please a crowd, however, it’s this Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon all the way.
In place of the aforementioned goopy dressing and bland, over-cooked white potatoes that plague many classic potato salad recipes, this vibrant and healthy sweet potato salad recipe has no mayo, replacing it with a lively jalapeno mustard dressing.
A shower of crispy bacon and crunchy celery combined with the golden, tender sweet potato chunks give this salad different textural dimensions. A light sprinkle of green onions adds a subtle but important bite that will leave you craving more.
Lovers of German potato salad with its grainy mustard dressing (as well as all lovers of bacon and all lovers of sweet potatoes) will be especially enamored with this simple but surprisingly flavorful sweet potato salad recipe.
Healthy Sweet Potato Salad – A Recipe Above the Rest
The best I can say of old-fashioned potato salad is that it blends into the backdrop. Sweet potato salad stands out.
I first made this cold sweet potato salad a few years ago, and it’s become one of my favorite sides to bring to summer get togethers. It’s memorable, easy to make, and someone always asks me for the recipe.
I can’t, however, take credit for the recipe myself. I adapted it from my friend Heather‘s book Pure Delicious. Like me, Heather prefers her potato salad on the mustardy/vinegary side, no mayo please.
Also, in the process of reading Heather’s book, I developed a total girl crush on her. I’ve since had the pleasure to meet her in person, and I can say that crush is 100% validated.
Like all of Heather’s recipes, this healthy sweet potato salad is free of gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, and refined sugar. Heather and her family struggle with serious food allergies, so she’s learned to make recipes that are free of these things but don’t skimp on flavor. This sweet potato salad is a prime example.
Eating it, you’ll be entirely focused on what it does offer—a bounty of flavor—and not what it doesn’t.
I’m honored Heather let me share her sweet potato salad recipe with all of you! I’m updating it today with fresh photos and a video to give it the extra love it deserves. Try it before summer ends. I know it will be a staple on your picnic table too!
How to Store This Salad
- To Store. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. I’ve enjoyed this sweet potato salad cold, at room temperature, and even warmed up as a side at dinner.
Recommended Tools to Make Sweet Potato Salad
- Potato combination scrubber/peeler
- All purpose baking sheet, plus an oven-proof baking/cooling rack for the most perfectly cooked bacon
Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
For the sweet potato salad:
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon cooked
- 3 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks (I do a rough 3/4 inch, but you can do any size you like)
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery hearts
- 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
For the mustard dressing:
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced*
- 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large bot of salted water to a boil, then add the sweet potatoes. Simmer just until fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes depending upon the size of your potato chunks. Drain, gently and quickly rinse with cold water, then set aside.
- If necessary, cook the bacon according to these easy steps. Once cool, crumble it into a large bowl. Add the celery and green onions.
- Prepare the mustard dressing: In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the jalapeno (or fresno chile), mustard, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Add the sweet potatoes to the bowl with the bacon, drizzle with the dressing, then toss gently to combine. Taste and season with additional salt/pepper as desired. Serve warm, chilled, or at room temperature.
Notes
- I've enjoyed this sweet potato salad cold, at room temperature, and even warmed up as a side at dinner. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- *The original recipe calls for a red Fresno chili. I was unable to find one, and swapped a seeded jalapeño. It was delicious!
Nutrition
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RegisterThis recipe originally included a giveaway for Pure Delicious. The giveaway has ended, but I still HIGHLY recommend this cookbook, especially for those with food allergies or sensitivities.
I can’t wait to try this sweet potato salad for 7/4 it’s so simply and I love sweet potatoes it was one main vegetable along with carrots and greens I grew up on . It will be my new potato salad from now on . Thanks
I’m so happy to hear that Bridgette! I hope you enjoy the recipe :)
I’m going to try the sweet potato recipe this week minus the celery and add a few diced caramelized onions with the green onion. I’m not a celery fan. It’s probably meant to add a bit of crunch but it’s not my favorite flavor unless used in a stock or stew.
So I tried it this weekend as I mentioned. I put a little extra Jalapeno in and left out the celery. I served it warm and wasn’t that thrilled with it. It sat in the fridge overnight and the leftovers were much better cold. Overall, not as good as I expected, but not bad either.
This will be my new go to picnic/get together side! I’ve made it twice this week, and I’m in love! Way better than any mayo based potato salad I’ve tried. Thanks!
So I made this Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon this evening. It turned out beautiful and delicious! I decided to add some pomegranate arils for more color, health and yumminess. So glad I did. I wish I could include a photo to show you how lovely it is, but I’m posting it on twitter (@MaryShowalter). Thank you so much for the recipe!
Mary, I am so happy to hear this! The pomegranate sounds like a lovely addition too. Thanks so much for trying the recipe and leaving this lovely review!
I made this today for memorial weekend. I left the bacon on the side as we have some vegan family members. Delicious!
HOORAY Madeline! I am so happy to hear you all enjoyed it. It’s one of our favorites too!
I’m sorry to hear that the salad wasn’t a hit. As you can see from the other comments, many readers have tried it and enjoyed it very much, but everyone has different tastes. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it, so I truly wish you would have loved this!
Oh my gosh, lost my old sweet potato salad recipe (also with jalapeño) and stumbled across this one. So glad I did because it beats the oldie hands down! Thought I wouldn’t like the whole grain mustard, but it’s perfect. What a great blend of flavors and healthy to boot : )
So happy you enjoyed it Gina!! Thanks for sharing this lovely review, and I’m so happy you found the recipe too!
OMG, this potato salad is epic!
Nice Erin! Looks like one amazing salad. And well thought out too. I love that idea of adding the little salt bits of bacon to the sweet potatoes.
They are such a good combo Nicolas! I hope you enjoy it!
The idea of sweet potato salad is genius! How have I never thought of this? I love the vinegary dressing (I’m not into mayo potato salad either) and of course the bacon. grain mustard is the best. I’ll bet it’s amazing with the sweet potatoes. Love, love love this!!
THANKS DANIELLE! xoxo
Ridiculously delicious!
Whooo hoooo! Thanks Paul!
I make a similar sweet potato salad. It is the first thing requested whenever we are invited to a cookout. To make it even better, instead of boiling the sweet potatoes, roast them in the bacon fat. I do add a bit of homemade mayo to the dressing (sometimes I make it with the leftover bacon fat).
That sounds so yummy too Liz!
This was fantastic! My daughter took all the leftovers back to school with her! And EVERYONE has asked for me to make it again! (Even those who aren’t that crazy about sweet potatoes.) Only changes I made were to leave out celery, use red pepper flakes instead of jalapeno, and apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar. And those changes had to do with what I had on hand. I will be making this all summer!! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Melissa, I’m so glad this recipe is a hit! Thanks for taking the time to share this wonderful review.
This is absolutely AMAZING. My son actually found this recipe first and made it and then shared with me. I have made it several times since and have given the recipe to at least 4 other people. I can’t say enough about how great this is!!!
I’m SO happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Pamela! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Made a mistake. Stopped boiling sweet potatoes, quickly drained them placed in hot oven to finish cooking and hoped they crisp-up. They did crisp up a little. Add dressing. Served room temp. Everyone loved it. BUT THE NEXT DAY, EVEN BETTER TASTING. This sweet potato salad with bacon was very, very tasty. Gave friends recipe. Will make for lady’s get together. If I owned a healthy restaurant, would place Sweet Potato Salad on menu. Would definitely be a hit!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Kathy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Do I have to salt the water? (Low salt diet)
Hi! Salting the water does help the potatoes cook and promotes a wonderful creamy texture, but you could skip it if needed. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
My 10 year old and I just made this together. The kid loves potato salad and loves mustard but isn’t a sweet potato fan. He loved this recipe! He measured all of the dressing ingredients even helped peel the potatoes, put the bacon on the pan and cut the celery.
I’m so happy that it was a hit, Jacqueline! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Wow……loved this recipe, and definitely will use it again.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Laurie! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This is one of my favs!! I’m a big sweet potato fan and just add in avocados to this sometimes as an extra BUT seriously this is so delicious 😊
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Steph! Thank you for sharing this kind review!