Buffalo Roasted Potato Salad is my popular (and simply the best!) Roasted Potato Salad with a bold, buffalo-flavored twist. It starts with crispy, seasoned roasted (never boiled!) potatoes. Drizzle with a little extra buffalo sauce or ranch, and you’ve got a flavorful side dish that’s anything but boring! And, you can serve it warm, chilled, or at room temperature! Once you see (and taste) how roasted potatoes can level up your potato salad, you will want to try my Jalapeño Popper Roasted Potato Salad, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes: I used red potatoes, keeping the skins on. They are a waxy variety that holds their shape well after being roasted. And, you can also roast the potatoes in an air fryer. Yukon gold and fingerling potatoes could also be used in the salad.
- Dressing: The dressing is mayonnaise-based and super creamy, with sour cream and ranch seasoning giving it a tangy kick. Blue cheese crumbles, crispy bacon, celery, and green onions add great flavor and crunch. A splash of buffalo sauce brings just the right amount of heat to tie it all together.
- Blue Cheese Crumbles: I used blue cheese crumbles for that tangy, creamy kick that goes great with buffalo sauce. Not a fan of blue cheese? No worries! You can swap in feta for a milder, salty flavor, or use goat cheese if you want something creamy but less bold. Or, just leave it out altogether; your salad will still be delicious!
- Bacon: I love thick-cut bacon so I can taste it and it doesn’t get lost in all of the other delicious ingredients! Cook it up nice and crispy before crumbling it for the salad. Check out how to bake bacon for perfectly crispy bacon every time with easy clean-up!
- Buffalo Sauce: We can’t have a buffalo potato salad without buffalo sauce! I have a wonderful homemade buffalo sauce you could use. Or, your favorite store-bought brand works, too. Mix some into the dressing and have some on hand for drizzling over the potato salad.
- Eggs: I love the hard-boiled eggs for extra protein and how they pair with the buffalo sauce. But the salad is still delicious without them (I tested it both ways), so it’s totally up to you!
- Ranch Dressing: When it comes to buffalo flavors (like buffalo chicken wings), some people prefer ranch while others like blue cheese. I know it can be a debatable topic, for sure! If you’d rather drizzle blue cheese dressing over your salad, go for it!
Why Roast Potatoes Instead of Boil?
Once you taste the difference of roasted potatoes, you’ll never go back to boiling! Roasting gives the potatoes a crispy outside and fork-tender center, which is perfect for potato salad. (And, you can roast the potatoes in an air fryer if you don’t want to turn on your oven! I use the same method in my Dill Pickle Roasted Potato Salad and Chipotle Roasted Potato Salad, and it makes all the difference.
Can You Make Buffalo Potato Salad Ahead of Time?
Yes! You can get a head start by roasting the potatoes, cooking the bacon, boiling the eggs, and even making the buffalo sauce ahead of time. They all can be prepared a day or two in advance and stored separately in the refrigerator. When ready, mix the potatoes, bacon, dressing, buffalo sauce, and other ingredients together for the freshest flavor and best texture. After assembling, store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1–2 days. If it seems dry before serving, add a little extra buffalo sauce or ranch dressing.
How to Serve Buffalo Roasted Potato Salad
This salad is delicious warm, cold, or at room temperature, and I love it all three ways! Serve it right after assembling or chilled straight from the refrigerator. For outdoor gatherings, keep it cold by placing the bowl on a bed of ice or packing it in a cooler with ice packs. For food safety, don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours.
How to Store Buffalo Roasted Potato Salad
Store any leftovers of this buffalo roasted potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a gentle stir before serving, and feel free to add a drizzle of buffalo sauce or ranch to freshen it up.
Buffalo Roasted Potato Salad
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 3 pounds red potatoes, washed, cut into bite-sized cubes
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Dressing
- ⅓ cup (86 g) sour cream
- ¼ cup (58 g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
- 2 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles
- ½ bunch green onions, thinly sliced, reserving a few for garnish
- ⅓ cup diced celery
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons (32 g) buffalo sauce, divided, plus more for garnish
- 2 large eggs, hard-boiled to your preferred doneness, chopped
- ranch dressing, for garnish
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F*. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine potatoes, oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Toss to coat completely.
- Place cubed potatoes onto the lined baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy, flipping after 30 minutes.
- Allow the roasted potatoes to cool for at least 15 minutes before assembling the salad.
- While the potatoes roast, prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning, blue cheese crumbles, most of the green onions (reserving a few for garnish), celery, and bacon. Mix until well combined. (The buffalo sauce will be added later with the potatoes.)
- Add the roasted potatoes, buffalo sauce, and eggs to the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Drizzle with additional buffalo sauce and ranch dressing, if desired. Sprinkle with reserved green onions and season with extra salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm, or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Notes
- Prepare the potatoes as instructed.
- Place the potatoes into the basket of your air fryer in a single layer. (Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to work in batches.)
- Air Fry at 380°F for 20-25 minutes, or until evenly crisped, flipping halfway through.
- Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes before assembling the salad.
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
This is SO flavorful! If you love all things buffalo, you will absolutely love this salad!
Elizabeth
I love this salad (and even prefer it without eggs). And, I am team blue cheese when it comes to buffalo wings, so I opted for a drizzle of blue cheese dressing on my portion.
Bella
I had leftovers, and it tasted even better the next day! It is great!
Stephanie
This salad is a great mix of creamy, spicy, and crispy. I will make this again!
