Instant Pot Potato Salad {With Mayo Free Options}

This loaded Instant Pot Potato Salad is the dish that everyone will love. This recipe has mayo-free options for a healthier potato salad and is the perfect make-ahead side dish for your next BBQ. No pressure cooker? You’ll also find stovetop instructions include in the post.

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I’m not a fan of potato salad because it is so mayo-heavy. But people in my life like potato salad, and I like those people. A lot.

Therefore it became my mission to make a potato salad that even I would eat.

This Instant Pot potato salad without mayo will knock your socks off and just like my Nana’s Cucumber and Onion Salad, it will be the hit of your next meal, BBQ, or (social-distancing) get together.

If you are new to pressure cooking and the Instant Pot, check out this post on recipes for Instant Pot beginners.

How Do You Make a Classic Potato Salad?

Traditional potato salad containers potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, onion, mustard, pickles, and mayo. But my version has all the good stuff plus some crunch and is made with Greek yogurt. Related: Cold Start Instant Pot Yogurt

If mayo is your jam, have you ever tried making your own? It’s really easy! See the tutorial in this Whole30 Mayo recipe.

What Is The Best Kind of Potato To Use For Baked Potato Salad?

Are you team russet or team red/gold potato? In my experience, russets hold up best during the cooking, mixing, and chilling process.

If you prefer to leave the skin on the potatoes, try red or gold potatoes. You can also try a mix of 75% russets and 25% red potatoes. This is your world my friend; we all just get to live in it.

Here’s How to Make Baked Potato Salad

I’ll walk you through the process with some photos, but you’ll find a detailed and printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Start by peel and cubing your potatoes. I find about 1 inch works best. Do your best to keep the size somewhat consistent.

Add water and the salt to the Instant Pot. Place a steamer basket into the pot and place the potatoes on top. Pro tip: you’ll use this same method for making Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.

Secure the lid>switch the vent to sealing. Press Manual, High Pressure, and set the timer to 4 minutes. When it has finished cooking, flip the vent to “venting” to perform a quick release.

Drain the potatoes, transfer them to a mixing bowl, and gently toss with the apple cider vinegar. Go ahead and stick the bowl in the fridge to cool down.

Chop your bacon and cook in a skillet until crispy. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Steal 15 bites and realize you have no more bacon. Pro tip: you can save time making this loaded potato salad by precooking the bacon in the oven or making air fryer bacon.

Mix greek yogurt, garlic powder, dill, and lemon juice and set aside. Pro tip: You can use pickle juice if you don’t have any lemon juice.

Add the white onions, chopped celery, half the bacon, half the green onions, and half of the cheese to the potatoes and pour the yogurt dressing over the top. Gently toss to coat. Refrigerate.

Just prior to serving, top with freshly ground black pepper, the rest of the cheese, bacon, and green onions. Sprinkle a pinch of smoked paprika over the top and serve.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Feel free to bump up the cheese and bacon if desired. I tried to find a balance between “This is delicious. I am going to smuggle it home in my bra” and “too much food”.
• Use extra sharp cheddar for lots of cheese flavor without having to use a ton of cheese.
• Do you want hard-boiled eggs to add to your loaded potato salad? If you’re following the Instant Pot cooking instructions you can actually just nestle them on top of the potatoes and cook at the same time. I know, right?! Or, cook them separately if you want a bunch for other recipes (related: Easy Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs and Healthy Deviled Eggs With Greek Yogurt)
• Add 2 tbsp relish to up the tangy factor. Related: Homemade Dill Pickle Relish
• If you’d like to double, use 2 cups of water in the Instant Pot.

More Recipes Likes This:

• Check out all my Instant Pot Side dish recipes
• Whole30 Bacon Brands
• Instant Pot Asparagus
• Instant Pot Steamed Broccoli
• Air Fryer Fried Okra
• Make-Ahead Smoky Pea Salad With Greek Yogurt
• Kale Chop Salad With Bacon
• Air Fryer Fried Pickles
• Fried Cabbage With Bacon {Whole30, Paleo, Keto}
• Air Fryer Egg Rolls
• Encurtido – Honduran Pickled Vegetables
• Air Fryer Zucchini Chips

LoadedPotato Salad WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS

One serving of Baked Potato Salad has 1 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.

Print Recipe

5 from 12 votes

Instant Pot Potato Salad

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time4 mins

Chilling Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 19 mins

This loaded Instant Pot Potato Salad is the dish that everyone will love.

Servings: 10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthier potato salad, loaded potato salad, potato salad without mayo

Calories: 163kcal

Author: Sarah Cook - Sustainable Cooks

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 lbs russet potatoes {peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes}
• ▢ 1 cup cold water {1 cup for IP, 4 cups for stovetop}
• ▢ 1 tsp salt
• ▢ 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1/2 cup onion {diced}
• ▢ 3 green onions }sliced}
• ▢ 1/4 cup cheddar {shredded}
• ▢ 3 strips bacon {chopped}
• ▢ 1 cup plain Greek yogurt {or mayo}
• ▢ 1 tsp garlic powder
• ▢ 1 tsp lemon juice fresh
• ▢ 3 ribs celery {chopped}
• ▢ 1 tbsp fresh dill {use 1 tsp dried{
• ▢ 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Mixing bowl
• Silicone spatula

Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions

• Peel and cube your potatoes in 1-inch cubes.
• Add 1 cup water and the salt in the Instant Pot. Place a steamer insert into the pot and place the potatoes on top.
• Secure the lid>switch vent to sealing>Manual>High Pressure>4 minutes>Quick release.
• Drain, transfer to a mixing bowl, and toss with the apple cider vinegar. Place in the fridge.
• Chop your bacon and cook in a skillet until crispy. Remove and drain on a paper towel. 
• Mix greek yogurt, garlic powder, dill, and lemon juice and set aside.
• Add the white onions, celery, half the bacon, half the green onions, and half of the cheese to the potatoes and pour the yogurt dressing over the top. Gently toss to coat. Refrigerate.
• Just prior to serving, top with freshly ground black pepper, the rest of the cheese, bacon, and green onion. Sprinkle a pinch of smoked paprika over the top and serve.

Stove Top Instructions

• Peel and cube your potatoes in 1-inch cubes.
• Place in a pot, add the salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat, cooking uncovered for 15 minutes or until a knife can pierce the cube.
• Follow steps 4-8 above.

Notes

Use extra sharp cheddar for lots of cheese flavor without having to use a ton of cheese.

 

Want to hard-boiled eggs? If you're following the Instant Pot cooking instructions you can actually just nestle them on top of the potatoes and cook at the same time.

 

If you'd like to double the recipe, use 2 cups of water in the Instant Pot.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Potato Salad

Amount Per Serving (0.5 cups)

Calories 163 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 8mg3%

Sodium 329mg14%

Potassium 847mg24%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 165IU3%

Vitamin C 22.5mg27%

Calcium 106mg11%

Iron 6mg33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This recipe was originally published in June 2018. It has been retested and updated with reader feedback. New photos and a video have been added.

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8 Cup Measuring Cup

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Glass Storage

Smoked Paprika