This colorful, easy Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon comes with a zippy mustard vinaigrette. Unconventional as it may seem, this is one of my favorite potato salads recipes ever!
This isn’t your grandma’s old-fashioned potato salad recipe.
In fact, I’m betting you’ve never had a potato salad quite like it.
That’s because this healthy potato salad recipe is made with sweet potatoes rather than everyday russets or Yukon gold potatoes. (Save those for this Grilled Potatoes recipe.)
Plain-old potato salad often lets me down (with the rare exception of this Healthy Potato Salad).
This sweet potato salad, however, makes my taste buds sing.
Complete with a shower of crispy bacon, green onions, and celery for added crunch, everything gets tossed in a lively jalapeño-mustard vinaigrette create the best sweet potato salad recipe ever.
It’s a total crowd-pleaser.
5 Star Review
“This is absolutely AMAZING. I have made it several times and have given the recipe to at least 4 other people. I can’t say enough about how great this is!”
— Pamela —
How to Make Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon
I first made this cold sweet potato salad a few years ago, and it’s become one of my favorite side dish recipes to bring to summer gatherings (along with this Italian Pasta Salad).
It’s familiar enough not to be intimidating, and its twist on a classic side makes it memorable.
Sweet potato salad is easy to make, and someone always asks me for the recipe.
The Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes. Making potato salad with sweet potato is absolutely delicious! Their natural sweetness pairs well with mustardy potato salad dressing. Sweet potatoes are a fantastic source of fiber and vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A and vitamin C.
- Bacon. Smoky and salty, the contrasting flavor and texture of bacon makes this easy sweet potato salad recipe all the more craveable. (Bacon is also a must for my favorite summer Pea Salad.)
Tip!
Try one of these easy bacon cooking methods for this recipe: Air Fryer Bacon and Oven Baked Bacon.
- Celery. For summer freshness and crunch. (Like in this Italian Tuna Salad.)
- Green Onions. Adds a subtle but essential bite.
- Mustard. To make this sweet potato salad the best recipe ever, opt for whole-grain mustard, not the bright yellow kind. If you enjoy German potato salad, you’ll adore the flavors in this dressing too.
- Jalapeño. Gives the simple mustard vinaigrette a little punch (like in this summertime Spicy Margarita recipe).
- Garlic. For some extra zip.
- Rice Vinegar. Adds just enough extra acidity to the vinaigrette to balance out all the flavors and marry everything together.
The Directions
- Boil and cube the potatoes. Cook the bacon.
- Combine the celery, green onions, and bacon in a large bowl.
- Whisk together the mustard dressing ingredients.
- Stir everything together. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. No reheating is necessary. Enjoy this sweet potato salad cold or at room temperature. I have warmed up leftovers before as a side at dinner, and they were delish! If you want to try this sweet potato salad warm, reheat it in a microwave for several minutes until heated through.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Potato Peeler. I like this one because it’s a combination tool that both peels and scrubs your potatoes.
- Mixing Bowl. For tossing everything together.
- Baking Sheet. For roasting the bacon in the oven. Add an oven-safe cooling rack to ensure the most perfectly cooked Baked Bacon in the Oven.
The Best Stock Pot
This 15-quart stock pot has great conductivity and is the perfect size for soups & stews or making sauces for a large crowd.
Quick, summer will be gone before you know it!
Better make a double batch (and some Healthy Coleslaw for good measure).
Frequently Asked Questions
No. If you are on a low-sodium diet, you may skip salting the water for the potatoes. Note that the salt does help season the potatoes and improve their texture, so omitting the salt may impact the taste and consistency of the potatoes.
This is a super forgiving sweet potato salad recipe, so you can use your judgment here and reduce the sweet potatoes to get an ingredient ratio you enjoy. I would probably go with 2 medium sweet potatoes rather than 3 large sweet potatoes for a half batch.
Sure! If you would like to make a vegetarian or vegan sweet potato salad, you can omit the bacon from the recipe. For smokiness, I would suggest swapping the bacon for a vegan bacon alternative you enjoy. Cook and crumble according to the package directions, then add to the sweet potato salad recipe as directed.
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 celery hearts thinly sliced
- 1 cup green onions thinly sliced
For the Mustard Dressing:
- 1 jalapeño 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 one of my easy methods listed below. 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 jalapeño (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
- TO STORE: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: No reheating is necessary. Enjoy this sweet potato salad cold or at room temperature. However, I have warmed up leftovers as a side at dinner and they were delish. If you want to try this sweet potato salad warm, reheat it in a microwave for several minutes until heated through.
- *INGREDIENT NOTE: Try one of these easy bacon cooking methods: Air Fryer Bacon and Oven Baked Bacon.
- Recipe shared with permission from Pure Delicious.
Nutrition
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Made this with 3 LG sweet potatoes, but I had a high ratio of celery and onion to the potatoes. Add 2 leftover boiled white potatoes. Had enough dressing, and of course I added more bacon! Everyone loved it.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made this today and it was a HUGE hit…HUGE! This has to be one of the best potato salads one had, no lie! I also made your Lemon layer cake with the Lemon Cream Cheese icing, so delicios! Thank you for the great recipes !
Ashley, YAY!!! I am so, so happy to hear this. Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your review!
Here’s the deal. I made this using butternut squash instead. It is orange, hard, and what I had on hand. Otherwise followed directions with less oil, more squash. I baked the squash chunks 15 mins. or so.My life is now forever changed for the better. Thank you Erin. I now must return to the bowl and ‘sample’ just to make sure.
Jim Duffey
Jim, this is so so good to hear, and I bet the recipe was delicious with butternut squash too. Thanks so much for sharing your comment and enjoy every bite!
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!
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!
Ridiculously delicious!
Whooo hoooo! Thanks Paul!
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!
Love at first bite!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Kim! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi Erin, I’m trying this for the first time today. The recipe calls for 3 large sweet potatoes, once they’re cubed, how do they measure? How many cups? I’m cutting this recipe in half. Thank you! Lorri
Hi Lorri, I’ve not measured the amount of sweet potatoes in cups, so it would be hard to say. This really is a forgiving recipe so if you are halving, I would use two medium sweet potatoes. Hope you enjoy it!
I found the dressing too bitter for my taste so added about 1Tbs sugar. Very tasty.
Hi Brian! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
My Sister in law brought this to Easter dinner and it was soooo good! We don’t have any dietary restrictions but it’s still delicious! Thankfully she sent me the link to the recipe!
Hi Frances! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This potato salad was delicious. My father-in-law is diabetic, so can’t have regular potatoes. I like to make items that don’t make him feel like he is missing out! I made this as a side for out BBQ, and the entire family loved it! Thank you!
Hi Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!