Looking for a potato salad sure to dazzle the pants off your guests? With smoky grilled red potatoes and a rich blue cheese vinaigrette, this Grilled Potato Salad recipe is it!
This Grilled Potato Salad is no traditional potato salad. No mayo, no hard boiled eggs, and no pickles (hat tip to my delicious Dill Potato Salad, however, that includes all three of these). I know that many people would not even call this potato salad. It’s unconventional, yes. But it’s also over-the-top delicious and fun, and I always get asked for the recipe!
Why We ❤️ This Grilled Potato Salad
Blake and I have been making this extroverted version of potato salad for many years. It’s a staple recipe at our house, especially when we have Grilled Steak. Our kids didn’t appreciate it when they were young (blue cheese = “what’s that smell?” and “yuck!”), but their taste buds have definitely matured, and they can’t help but ask for seconds now! Here’s what makes it such a show-stopper.
- Smoky flavor. Typically, potatoes are only boiled for potato salad, and it’s all up to the dressing and add-ins to give the salad its flavor. With this grilled potato salad, the potatoes bring a fantastic smoky char to the equation, so they stand up well to the sassy vinaigrette!
- It bears repeating. That vinaigrette! Insert ALL the heart-eye emojis. Red wine vinegar, shallot, and Dijon would make for a delicious dressing all on its own, but add sharp blue cheese to the mix and oh, is it dreamy! It makes this potato salad sing.
- An unexpected green addition. You might look at the ingredient list and wonder: Watercress? Yes, watercress! It cuts through the richness of this grilled potato salad with a peppery, slightly bitter flavor. Think arugula, but more tender.
What You’ll Need
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this awesomely delicious grilled potato salad. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
Blue Cheese Vinaigrette:
- Red wine vinegar – For a bright acidity and tanginess. Vinegar and potatoes are magic together, as fans of German Potato Salad can attest.
- Honey – A little bit balances the acidity without making the dressing “sweet”.
- Shallot – For a mild onion flavor. You can use red onion for a more assertive flavor if you’d like.
- Dijon mustard – This adds an earthy sharpness to the dressing to make the flavor pop.
- Olive oil – Avocado oil also works if you prefer.
- Blue cheese – Adds bold, pungent flavor and creaminess, along with some richness. Please don’t skip it!
Potato Salad:
- Potatoes – I use new red potatoes; keeping the skin on helps the potatoes hold together.
- Olive oil – For brushing the potato slices so they don’t stick to the grill grates.
- Salt & pepper – Simple seasonings are all these potatoes need, considering the flavorful dressing.
- Watercress – If you can’t find watercress, arugula is a good substitute. For a springtime swap, try pea shoots, which are often found in CSA boxes and farmers markets early in the season.
- Green onions – Got chives growing in your garden? Feel free to swap those in!
How to Make Grilled Potato Salad
Is your mouth watering yet?! You’re just a few steps away from getting this grilled potato salad recipe on the table!
- Make the vinaigrette. Whisk (or shake in a jar) all the vinaigrette ingredients until the mixture emulsifies.
- Boil the potatoes. Cook them in salted water until just barely tender. Drain and cool to room temperature.
- Prep the grill. Heat your grill to medium-high, then clean and oil the grates.
- Prep the potatoes. Slice them into rounds with a serrated knife, then brush both sides with oil and season with salt & pepper.
- Grill. Set the potatoes on the grill grates and grill both sides until nicely charred.
- Assemble. Add the watercress to a platter and arrange the potatoes on top. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and garnish with green onions. Add some freshly cracked black pepper and dig in!
Tips & Variations
Here are some tips and variations to try for this grilled potato salad.
- Don’t boil the potatoes too long. There’s a happy medium here—you want them tender (because the grill is too hot to cook them all the way through without burning the outside first), but if they’re too soft, they can break and fall through the grill grates. They should be easily pierce-able with a fork but still with a bit of resistance.
- Make the vinaigrette extra-creamy. As written, the blue cheese crumbles will break up a bit in the vinaigrette to make it a little creamy. But if you want your dressing extra rich and thick, you can blend it smooth to incorporate all the blue cheese into the liquid.
- Throw the green onions on the grill too. Rub them with oil and grill them quickly—just enough to char and crisp up. Grilled green onions are fabulous! After they’re grilled, coarsely chop them and add them to the salad.
- Add fresh herbs for additional layers of flavor. Toss in some chopped fresh parsley or dill for some added herbaceousness.
- Use another cheese. If blue cheese isn’t your favorite, try substituting it with feta, goat cheese, or a grated hard cheese like Parmesan or pecorino.
- Add pickled onions. You know how much I adore Pickled Red Onions. Sometimes I chop some up and sprinkle them over the top right before serving.
Serving Suggestions
We always, always, always serve this platter of deliciousness alongside grilled beef, as the potatoes and blue cheese make for a natural pairing. Ribeyes, T-bones, or a tenderloin…any of these are swell choices. Blake seasons the beef very simply with a sprinkling of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to let the ultra flavorful potato salad shine. Sugar Grilled Steak, Honey Mustard Beef Kabobs, and Grilled Steak Kabobs with Asparagus are excellent choices too!
And if you’re looking to completely round out this sure-to-dazzle meal, open a beautiful bottle of red. A Malbec or Pinot Noir would do very nicely. Then raise your glass to great food and unconventionality – ENJOY!
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover grilled potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can eat the leftovers cold, let them sit on the counter a bit to come to room temperature, or warm them up in the microwave.
More Grilled Salad Recipes
Grilled Potato Salad
Ingredients
Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
Potato Salad
- 16 small new red potatoes, do not peel
- olive oil, for brushing potato slices
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces watercress
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
Instructions
Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the vinegar, honey, shallot, mustard, olive oil, and blue cheese. Whisk, or cover tightly and shake to combine. (This can be made a few hours in advance. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
Potato Salad
- In a large pot of salted water, boil potatoes until just cooked through – about 15-20 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. Do not let them get too soft or overcooked. Test for doneness by piercing a potato with a thin skewer or fork. If it meets some resistance, but can slide all the way through, they’re done. Drain potatoes immediately. Let cool. (This can be done 1-2 hours in advance. Just set the cooked potatoes on the counter at cool room temperature. Do not refrigerate.)
- Heat grill to medium-high. Clean and liberally oil the grill grates. If the vinaigrette is in the fridge, remove that now and shake to combine.
- Cut potatoes into 1/4″-thick slices – I find that using a thin serrated knife decreases tearing the potato skins. This next part gets a bit tedious, but hang with me because the end result is fabulous! Lay potato slices out on a large sheet pan. Brush both sides with oil and sprinkle generously with salt & pepper.
- Set potato slices on hot grill grates. Grill until nice charred grill marks form, flipping to grill both sides. This should take about 5 minutes total.
- Scatter watercress on a serving platter. Top with the hot/warm grilled potatoes. Drizzle vinaigrette over the top, while potatoes are still warm, so they absorb the vinaigrette better. Sprinkle with green onions and some freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately.
I love these potatoes.
this looks delicious except for the blue cheese – i don’t like blue cheese. any ideas for a substitute??
How about goat cheese or feta? I think they would be great, too!
Wonderful presentation and awesome combo of ingredients. This sounds like an excellent recipe, especially since blue cheese is among my favorite cheeses. Looks amazing! Have you tried Faribault Dairy’s cheeses?
This sounds so amazing. I’m bookmarking it!!
Wonderful presentation and awesome combo of ingredients. nicely captured.First time i am visiting ur space. nice collection of recipes
Yum! I love potatoes and the vinaigrette sounds delicious! What an awesome take on the potato salad.
Oooh this looks and sounds fantastic! Now I just need a grill!
Nice to hear from you Monica! If you don’t have a grill or a gill pan, I could imagine roasting the potato slices on high heat in the oven, until you achieve some crispiness. Then just assemble per the recipe. It would have a very similar effect.
Extroverted potato salad – I love that description! It sounds like my kind of potato salad – no mayo and lots of flavor!
Thanks, Sylvie! I love a good tangy oil and vinegar dressing – and this is a super one with the blue cheese, as it adds just a touch of creaminess and lots of bold flavor.
this looks incredible.I am on the hunt for recipes for my wife.she is pregnant and new recipes make her day.:)
This sounds like an excellent recipe, especially since blue cheese is among my favorite cheeses. Fortunately, my favorite blue cheeses, Amablu and St. Pete’s Select are made right here in my community of Faribault and aged in sandstone caves. Have you tried Faribault Dairy’s cheeses? I would highly recommend them to blue cheese lovers.
No, I haven’t yet tried the cheeses from Faribault – I’ll look for them – thank you!
Delicious flavours! I can’t wait to try this one!
Hi Maria – enjoy!!
Absolutely GORGEOUS, Brenda!
Thank you so much, Robyn. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Wow! Large plates, forks or spoons mandatory…pants optional ;)
I’m not sure about the optional pants part. But a forgiving waistband would be great!! Hope you’re having a great weekend, Paula!
Looks amazing! I love blue cheese and it sounds like the perfect complement to grilled potatoes. Can’t wait to try this!
Hi Becca! You will not be disappointed in this dish. So nice to hear from you – thanks & have a great weekend!
Love it! I’ve also been making this for years – we even bring it camping. Mmm…
Ooooo…perfect for camping – love it, Crystal!