If you have a smoker, you need to make this RIGHT NOW. I mean, like yesterday. I am normally not a huge fan of potato salad, but this one is amazing! The potatoes really absorb the smoke and it amps up the flavor x 100.
If you don’t have a smoker, you could just skip that part and cook them a little longer in the oven than I did here. That would be about 40-45 minutes at 450 degrees, until they are crispy but not burnt. They won’t have a smoke flavor obviously, but they will still be crispy and seasoned.
The first thing I do is cut the baby red potatoes into bite size chunks and toss them in a little olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley. Just lightly season them at this point because we will be adding additional seasoning later.
Spread them out on a foil lined sheet and smoke at 275-300 degrees for 1 hour. I used cherry chips and I recommend a fruit flavored wood chip. The hickory or mesquite chips can be a little too harsh.
Once they come out of the smoker, they won’t be crispy or fully cooked but they will have some smoke marks on them. The purpose of smoking them is to impart the flavor but I like the potatoes really crispy for this recipe which requires a higher heat, so I added some ranch seasoning to them and finished them off in the oven.
Here’s what they look like after cooking another 25 minutes in the oven:
Once they are fully cooked you want to cool them down. I recommend 30 minutes at room temp or in the fridge. Then you just add the rest of the potato salad ingredients and serve!
This potato salad is to die for!! I can’t wait to make it again. This would be awesome served at any cookout alongside burgers or BBQ – it can really go with any meat. This time I served it with a spiral glazed ham and a corn, avocado, and tomato salad. If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out!
Smoked Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lb baby red potatoes
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- sprinkle of salt and pepper
- 1 cup cherry wood chips
- 2 tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch dry seasoning
- 1/2 cup Duke's mayo
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 275 – 300 degrees. Cut the potatoes into bite sized chunks and toss in a bowl with parsley, garlic, olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread the potatoes out on a foil lined baking sheet. Add cherry chips to your smoker once preheated and smoke the potatoes for 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and remove the potatoes from the smoker. Sprinkle two tbsp on ranch seasoning on the potatoes and roast them in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Let them cool at room temperature or in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour. In a large bowl, combine potatoes and the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve cold.
