Name: Instant Pot Potato Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 139 min
Ingredients: 3 strips bacon ({chopped}); 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 cup plain Greek yogurt ({or mayo}); 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp fresh dill ({use 1 tsp dried}); 1 tsp lemon juice (fresh ); 1/2 cup onion ({diced}); 3 ribs celery ({chopped}{optional}); 3 green onions ({sliced}); 1/4 cup cheddar ({shredded}); 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

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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 included in the post.

a bowl of potato salad topped with dill, bacon, and cheese

This Instant Pot potato salad (with or without mayo) will knock your socks off!

And just like my Artichoke Salad and Cucumber and Onion Salad, it will be the hit of your next meal, BBQ, or get-together.

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

Baked Potato Salad Ingredients

Greek yogurt, potatos, dill, seasonings, cheese, bacon, and other ingredients on a brown board

This recipe has:

Potatoes
Onions – both white and green (scallion)
Bacon
Shredded cheddar – I recommend extra sharp
Plain Greek yogurt OR mayo (try Instant Pot yogurt)
Celery (optional)
Garlic powder
Smoked paprika
Dill – fresh or dried
Lemon juice
Apple cider vinegar

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

In my experience, russet potatoes 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.

How to Make Instant Pot Potato Salad

*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can click “jump to recipe” to skip down.

Chop the bacon and cook it in a skillet until crispy. Remove and drain on a paper towel. Pro tip: you can save time making this loaded potato salad by precooking the bacon in the oven or making air fryer turkey bacon or air fryer bacon.

Scrub your potatoes with a vegetable brush under cool running water. If you prefer to peel your potatoes, do that now and then cut them into ~1-inch cubes.

Add 1 cup water and the salt to the Instant Pot. Place a steamer insert into the pot and place the potatoes on top.

I do not have a fancy steamer basket, but rather a basic metal steamer insert. If you are looking for a basket, this one is very popular.

Pro tip: You can use the metal trivet that came with your pressure cooker, but you’ll want to make sure the pieces of potato sitting directly on the trivet are a bit larger to prevent them from falling through.

Cubed potatoes on a steamer insert in an Instant Pot

Secure the lid, switch the vent to sealing, and press Manual>High Pressure>4 minutes. When it has finished cooking, carefully flip the steam release handle to “venting” and allow all the pressure to be released.

Carefully drain the potatoes into a colander/strainer. Let them drain for 10-15 minutes. Pro tip: if you have the space in the fridge, you can place the colander in a large bowl and let them cool in the fridge while they drain.

Transfer the drained potatoes to a mixing bowl (or put them back in the empty Instant Pot insert), and carefully toss them with the apple cider vinegar. If you didn’t have them in the fridge during the draining process, put them in the fridge now. They’ll need to cool for 1-2 hours.

In a small bowl mix Greek yogurt (or mayo), garlic powder, dill, and lemon juice and set aside.

a glass bowl with Greek yogurt, dill, garlic powder, and a whisk.

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.

two spoons mixing potato salad in a white bowl

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.

Making Potato Salad With Hardboiled Eggs

Adding chopped or sliced hard-boiled eggs is a great way to change up this Instant Pot potato salad.

You can even cook the eggs in the Instant Pot at the same time as the potatoes! Simply place the eggs (still in the shell) on top of the potatoes in the Instant Pot prior to cooking.

Once the Instant Pot has finished cooking, perform a quick release to release the pressure. Using tongs, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water. Once cooled, slice or chop the eggs and add them to the potato salad when you combine all the ingredients.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

Make Ahead: Potato salad is actually better if it sits in the fridge for 12-24 hours before serving. If possible, make it a day before your meal/event.

Meal Prep: You can peel and cut the potatoes up to 24 hours prior to cooking. Simply keep the cut potatoes submerged in cold water in the fridge and they will not oxidize (brown). Drain the potatoes prior to adding them to the Instant Pot.

You can also cook the bacon and refrigerate it for up to a week, or freeze it for 3-6 months. The onions and celery can be chopped and stored in the fridge for 3-5 days.

The yogurt/mayo dressing can be mixed and stored in the fridge for 48 hours. If you’re using Greek yogurt, it may become watery after 24 hours. The water is called whey and it’s a harmless product of yogurt. Simply stir the dressing prior to mixing it with the potatoes.

Storage: Keep the mixed potato salad in a container with an air-tight lid in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezing Leftovers: I do not recommend freezing this Instant Pot potato salad recipe.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

Do your best to cut the potatoes to uniform sizes so that they cook evenly.
Feel free to increase the amount of cheese and bacon if desired. Cheese should always be measured with your heart.
Add 2 tbsp relish to increase the tangy factor. Related: Homemade Dill Pickle Relish

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