Are you on the hunt for a new, unique side dish that will make mouths water? If so, you’ll want to bookmark my Loaded Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad. This recipe contains the best of jalapeño poppers and potato salad because who says you can’t have both?
Unlike other recipes, this Loaded Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad comes together quickly thanks to a few shortcut ingredients. Plus, it’s easily customizable to fit whatever additions your family likes best. This is the perfect addition to potlucks, family dinners, or picnics. Don’t just take my word for it; try it yourself and tell me what you think!
Many people avoid making homemade potato salad because of the time involved. I can safely say that potatoes are the usual time-sucker. I’ve remedied that fact by using frozen diced potatoes. No more peeling, skinning, or dicing! If you love uniformly chopped potato salad, you’ll adore this hack.
The Ingredients
Homemade potato salad doesn’t require a lot of fancy ingredients. In fact, you probably have most of these staples in your kitchen already. If not, here’s what you need to add to your shopping list.
- Bacon. Chopped bacon adds something special to a regular potato salad. Feel free to fry your bacon to your liking!
- Scallions. Scallions is just a fancy word for green onions. They add a little bite to the salad and color.
- Hardboiled eggs. Hardboiled eggs take any potato salad to a new level. I like to dice mine roughly so each bite has the perfect texture.
- Frozen diced potatoes. This shortcut ingredient makes creating potato salad a breeze. Potatoes get crisp and golden when cooked on the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill.
- Heath Riles Garlic Jalapeño Rub. This AP rub is our best-seller. It features a great blend of garlic, pepper, salt, and, of course, jalapeños. You can use it on chicken, steak, pork, or popcorn.
- Pickled jalapeños. You can purchase this ingredient at any grocery store. Pickled jalapeños are milder than others, giving your Loaded Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad just the right burst of heat. I also use a little pickled jalapeño juice straight from the jar.
- Shredded cheddar cheese. A little cheese makes this side dish taste just like a jalapeño popper! If you have time, freshly shred your cheese. It makes all the difference.
The Smoker Setup
Here’s the main equipment I used for this recipe. More of my grilling favorites are in the Equipment and Tools section.
- Flat Top Grill. I cooked my Loaded Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad on the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill. I love using this setup for quesadillas, tacos, and more! Pro Tip: Be sure to “season” your grill before using it! This step creates a slick, non-stick surface.
- Cooking with a flat top is easy, especially when you know how to clean it! Check out the video to see my process for cleaning your Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill without much elbow grease.
If you’re looking for an excellent flat top grill, try this one! With divided heat chambers, you can cook multiple things at once. It’s a beautiful addition to any outdoor kitchen!
The Process for Making Loaded Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad
You can find a detailed demonstration of this recipe within the recipe card and video. Here’s a quick rundown of this delicious Loaded Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad for now.
- Fry the bacon. I set the bacon on the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Griddle and turned the burners to medium. Watch the video to learn why I start bacon on a cold griddle. I cooked the bacon until crisp, then removed it from the griddle and chopped it.
- Chop and dice. While the bacon was cooking, I diced the scallions and hardboiled eggs. Then, placed them in a large mixing bowl.
- Fry the potatoes. I removed most of the grease from the grill, added the frozen potatoes, and spread them out evenly. Then, I seasoned them with a good layer of Heath Riles Garlic Jalapeño Rub. I let the potatoes saute until golden.
- Make the dressing. While the potatoes were cooking, I added the pickled jalapeños, jalapeño juice, mustard, mayonnaise, and pickles to the scallions and hardboiled eggs. I mixed everything until homogenous.
- Add steam. To help the potatoes get tender, I drizzled water over them, creating some awesome steam action. Once the potatoes got a little crunch to them, I took them off the Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill. My potatoes had a total cook time of about 10 minutes.
- Season and finish. I added another dash of Heath Riles Garlic Jalapeño Rub to the potatoes, then added them to the large mixing bowl and mixed thoroughly. I folded in the shredded cheese and let the Loaded Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad chill for a couple of hours.
The Results
The Loaded Jalapeño Popper Potato Salad was rich and creamy, with just a hint of heat. If you’re looking for a unique side dish, you’ve got to try this one!
Storing Leftovers
You can store your leftover potato salad in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze it for up to 3 months, but the texture won’t be the same.
Equipment and Tools
Traeger Flatrock Flat Top Grill, mixing bowls. Nechtik BBQ Gloves, metal spatula, disposable cutting board, metal sheet pan.
