Smoky grilled potatoes are tossed with green onions, dill, and parsley and coated in a zingy lemon vinaigrette in this summertime spin on everyone’s favorite potluck salad.
Grilling Adds Tons of Smoky Flavor to This Potato Salad
Potato salad and backyard bbqs go hand in hand, and this grilled potato salad is one I make when I don’t want to cook in the kitchen but crave something a little lighter, brighter, and worthy of prime grill space.
Tender yellow new potatoes and red onion are cooked on the grill until smoky and perfectly charred around the edges before being tossed with fresh dill, parsley, and thinly sliced green onion. It’s reminiscent of my favorite no-mayo potato salad, but since we’re grilling the potatoes, this version is even more flavorful.
Because there’s no mayonnaise in the dressing, it can happily hang out on the picnic table longer than a classic potato salad. Watch out, this grilled potato salad might overshadow the brats and burgers at your next bbq!
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Small waxy potatoes work best for grilling. I used yellow new potatoes (aka Yukon Golds), which have a thin skin and firm but creamy flesh. Avoid using starchy potatoes like Russets, which tend to fall apart on the grill.
Fresh aromatics balance out the smokiness. I added fresh green onion, parsley, and dill to the potato salad to prevent it from tasting too heavy. Using a vinegar-based dressing instead of a mayo-based one also helps with this!
Potato salad always tastes best after it’s had time to rest. I typically assemble this potato salad an hour or so before serving it so the potatoes have time to absorb some of the tangy vinaigrette and lets the flavors blend.
Ingredient Notes
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Potatoes — To speed up the grill time and help the potatoes cook more evenly, I suggest cutting your potatoes in half before tossing with a little olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Red onion — When grilled, red onion turns jammy and sweet. You could use yellow onion or shallots as well.
- Aromatics — The thinly sliced green onions are non-negotiable for me, but you can swap out the parsley and dill with whatever fresh herbs you have on hand.
- Lemon vinaigrette — The dressing is made with a blend of olive oil, champagne vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, and a pinch sugar. For a slightly different flavor profile, you could swap in a Dijon vinaigrette.
How to Make Potato Salad with Grilled Potatoes
- Par-boil the potatoes. Boiling the potatoes just until tender means they’ll cook faster and more evenly on the grill.
- Season the potatoes and red onion. To prevent the potatoes from sticking to the grill grates and give them lots of flavor, they’re tossed with a little oil, salt, pepper, and freshly pressed garlic. The onions must be brushed with oil, not tossed, so that their layers don’t separate (which would make them impossible to grill without a grill basket).
- Grill over direct heat. Both the halved potatoes and the quartered onions need to cook over medium heat. The potatoes will take roughly 20 minutes and the onions 10 – 15. Keep the lid closed while the veggies cook, and open it only occasionally when you need to flip things over. Grilling potatoes with the lid closed creates an oven-like environment that helps cook them through evenly.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing. You can do this in a small bowl or whisk together the dressing in the bottom of the bowl you’ll be tossing the potato salad in. One less dirty dish that way!
- Toss everything to combine. Dress the potatoes while they’re still warm (that actually wakes up the fresh herbs quite a bit). If possible, I recommend letting the potato salad rest for about an hour before serving so the flavors can come together.
Not quite grilling season? I love to make a roasted potato salad when the weather’s not great for grilling.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Grilled Potato Salad Recipe
PrintIngredients
For the Potato Salad
- 2 ½ pounds yellow new potatoes , cut in half
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided
- 3 garlic cloves , pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium red onions , peeled, then halved, then quartered
- 6 green onions , thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
For the Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 garlic clove , pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Give the potatoes a head start by boiling them first. Add 2 ½ pounds yellow new potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Stir to dissolve the salt, and cook until the potatoes are tender but still firm, 5-10 minutes depending on size. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes in half.
- Preheat the grill. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350°F to 450°F). Brush the cooking grates clean.
- Season the potatoes and onion before grilling. While the grill heats, in a large bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil with 3 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add the halved potatoes, and toss to coat, taking care not to break the potatoes apart, and set aside. Place 2 medium red onions on a baking sheet or cutting board, brush them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
- Grill the potatoes and sliced red onion. Grill the potatoes and onion over direct medium heat, with the lid closed, turning occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. Grill the onion slices for 10-15 minutes, or until tender and browned, turning occasionally. Remove the onion. Transfer the potatoes and onion to the large bowl and set aside.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon grainy mustard, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 garlic clove, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the dressing and fresh aromatics. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and onion, then add the 6 green onions, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, and gently toss.
- Rest before serving. Cover and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour for the flavors to blend before serving.
Nutrition
FAQs
Go for it! I used yellow new potatoes, but another small waxy variety will work too (think: baby red potatoes or fingerling potatoes).
Most definitely! Potato salad of any kind almost always tastes best after it’s had time to rest. If you’re serving this grilled version to guests, I recommend prepping it no more than 24 hours in advance since it’s packed with fresh herbs (which will wilt over time).
If using halved yellow new potatoes as instructed, they should only need to cook for about 20 minutes over direct medium heat (350ºF to 450ºF). Keep the lid closed while grilling so the potatoes cook evenly.
What to Serve with Your Potato Salad
While you’ve got the grill fired up, go ahead and make it a meal by prepping one or more of the following dishes too:
More Mayo-Free Potato Salad Recipes
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