Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad, made with cream cheese, bacon, and lots of jalapeno peppers, is a spicy and delicious twist on regular potato salad that is just what you need to heat up your next cookout or picnic.
I love a creamy potato salad. It’s one of my favorite picnic sides. But I like them best when they have lots of flavor like this Bacon Ranch Potato Salad.
Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad has all the flavor of Jalapeno Poppers mixed in with chunks of red potato.
Lots of rich cream cheese, salty crumbled bacon, and shredded Mexican blend cheese, plus plenty of chopped pickled jalapenos.
RECIPE TIPS:
I leave the skin on the potatoes, but you could peel them if you like. You could also use russet potatoes or Yukon Gold instead.
In addition to using pickled jalapenos, I like to slice a fresh jalapeno and scatter the slices over the top of the potato salad. Not only do you get more jalapeno flavor, but the fresh slices look so pretty and they are easy enough to avoid eating for people who don’t want too much heat in their potato salad.
It’s best to make this potato salad at least and hour in advance so the flavors have time to meld.
Try These Other Jalapeno Popper Recipes:
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Watch the short vido below to see how to make Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad
Jalapeno Popper Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes,, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese,, room temperature
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeno peppers
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 cup shredded Mexican 4-cheese blend
- 6 slices bacon,, cooked and crumbled
- 1 fresh jalapeno,, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil and then simmer until soft, about 10-15 minutes. Drain well. Let cool so that they are still warm, but not hot when adding to potato salad.
- In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, and pepper. Don't worry if the cream cheese doesn't get completely smooth.
- Stir potatoes into cream cheese mixture along with pickled jalapenos, green onions, shredded cheese, and crumbled bacon.
- Check for seasoning and add salt if desired.
- Sprinkle fresh jalapeno slices on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published June 21, 2016.
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Looks good. My old body wont tolerate jalapenos so I use Tabasco Green Sauce as a spicy yet gentler substitute.
REgular potato salads seem boring after trying this!
Absolutely love this salad! Frequently made and updated to suit our vegan lifestyle. Just used vegan mayo and Follow Your Heart Cheddar Cheese and left the bacon bits on the side for the meat eaters. So deelish!
What can you sub. for the mayonnaise? You know for those who can eat mayonnaise for what reason .
It was easy to make. And I discovered, eating the salad warm tasted so much better
I’m a lazy cook. Too many ingredients or too many steps and I lose interest, but I can see myself making this with a couple of adjustments. Could even change it up to be a twice baked potato recipe.
That’s a great idea Jackie! I can’t wait to try making some Jalapeno Popper Twice Baked Potatoes!
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I adapted it to ketogenics by subbing cauliflower for the potatoes, and it is DEFINITELY going into my normal routine. It is so good!
Oh wow! I would have never thought to use cauliflower instead of potatoes in this recipe. Will have to try that sometime. 🙂
Made this for 10 harsh food critics on my rooftop in Osaka Japan last weekend. Not a drop left in the salad bowl. Pickled some jalapeños that were grown by a friend in the mountains of Nara.
Awesome recipe. Much thanks.
Luke.
Glad everyone enjoyed it. I’m trying to picture your rooftop in Japan. Must be amazing!
I want to make this salad the day before but I’m worried that the bacon will be chewy from the moist ingredients. From your experience how is the salad day after? Making it for a functiondo you recommend day of or night before?
Thanks
I would make it a day ahead but keep the bacon separate and mix it in right before serving.
IYes
Would this salad be ok if made the night before?
Yes, you can make it ahead of time.