Spanish Potato Salad is full of flavors like smoked paprika and Spanish olives. It makes a perfect side dish for a summer BBQ or take on a picnic. Your guests will love this twist on a traditional potato salad!
Spanish Potato Salad
I don’t generally think of potato salad as a particularly ‘exciting’ dish. It’s one of those side salads that you find at a summer BBQ sitting among the macaroni and 7-layer salads. We scoop a spoonful of it onto our plate as we make our way down the buffet line while we wait for the really exciting dishes like ribs, burgers, and steak.
Now, I happen to be a great appreciator of side dishes like the humble potato salad and I wanted to spiff it up a little bit to give it a chance to shine. I firmly believe that potato salad can be one of those dishes we actually look forward to eating. To change things up I went for Spanish flavors. I was really happy with the results and I think your guests will agree. I totally suggest trying this Spanish Potato Salad at your next BBQ or for a fun picnic food idea!
What Kind of Potatoes do you use for Spanish Potato Salad?
The cornerstone of any good potato salad, including our Spanish Potato Salad, is of course, potatoes. I find that that best potato variety for this sort of dish is the red potato. Admittedly, I am partial to red potatoes in general because I love the flavor but red potatoes don’t get mushy when they’re boiled so they stand up to the mayo dressing that gets added to the Spanish Potato Salad down the line.
How to Cook Potatoes for Potato Salad
I know everyone has a different opinion when it comes to peeling potatoes and I’m in the ‘don’t peel them‘ camp. Potato skins provide extra flavor, texture, and peeling them makes for more work.
- To make the potatoes for Spanish Potato Salad, wash and scrub 8 medium red potatoes really well. Feel free to cut off any damaged or discolored areas in the skins.
- Dice the potatoes into a uniform size. The smaller the dice the faster the potatoes will cook.
- Place the diced potatoes in a large pot and add cold water (make sure the water is 1-2 inches above the potatoes).
- Add a generous pinch of salt and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat after the water is boiling and cook for about 10 minutes on a high simmer/low boil. The potatoes should be easily pieced with a fork when finished.
- Drain and set aside until ready to assemble the Spanish Potato Salad.
How to Make Hard Boiled Eggs for Spanish Potato Salad
Hard boiled eggs are another one of those foods that doesn’t get the credit they deserve. They tend to get ‘lost’ in dishes like this. Hard boiled eggs are the perfect accompaniment to the potatoes – providing additional texture and and flavor in our Spanish Potato Salad. Hard boiled eggs may seem intimidating but turn out great with the right technique.
I use 4 eggs in this Spanish Potato Salad recipe, but you can definitely add more or less if you like.
- Place 4 eggs in a sauce pan and add water to the pan – the water should cover the eggs by an inch or two.
- Bring the water to a full boil and keep it boiling for a full minute.
- Next, cover the pan completely and turn the heat off. Keep the pan on the hot burner with the cover on and let the eggs sit for 12 minutes. The eggs should be hard boiled at this point.
- Drain the hot water and run cold water over the eggs to cool them off or, even better, let them sit in a bowl of ice water. Once the eggs are cooled they should easily peel.
Mayo Dressing for Spanish Potato Salad
You can’t have potato salad without some kind of mayo dressing. This version is kicked up a little bit to give it a Spanish flair for the Spanish Potato Salad
- Add 1/2 cup mayo, 2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. smoked paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper to a small bowl.
- Mix together until completely combined. Set aside until ready to assemble the Spanish Potato Salad
Assemble The Spanish Potato Salad
There’s just a few more small steps until the Spanish potato salad is ready to assemble…
- Dice the hard boiled eggs into pieces. Feel free to cut 1 egg into slices for garnish on top of the salad
- Chop 1/2 cup of Spanish olives and mince 1/2 cup of fresh chives
- I like to assemble this salad in ‘stages’ to ensure that all the ingredients are dispersed evenly throughout the dish. Add half of the potatoes, eggs, olives, and chives to a large bowl and drizzle half of the dressing over the top
- Mix the ingredients together completely and then repeat with the second half of the ingredients. You can use as much or as little of the dressing as you like. Use more if you like a creamier salad and less if you like a drier version
Finish the dish off with the egg slices and garnish the whole thing with some extra chives, olives, and a dash of smoked paprika. I love dishes that are familiar but with a twist. This Spanish potato salad is perfect for any summer party. I don’t know if it will overtake the ribs or the brisket but it’s got a fighting chance. Who else feels potato salad deserves a turn in the spotlight?
More Potato Salad Recipes:
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Make Spanish Potato Salad & WOW your friends & family! Check out the exciting flavors we used to transform traditional potato salad into this crowd pleaser!
- 8 medium red potatoes
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup Spanish olives
- 1/2 cup fresh chives
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- pinch salt adjust to taste
- pinch pepper adjust to taste
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Wash and scrub 8 medium red potatoes thoroughly. Cut any damaged or discolored areas from the skin with a knife. Dice the potatoes into bite-size pieces.
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Mince 1/2 cup Spanish olives.
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Mince 1/2 cup fresh chives.
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Place the diced potatoes in a large pot. Add water (making sure it covers the potatoes by 1-2 inches. Add a pinch of salt to the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the water to come to a high simmer/low boil. Cook potatoes for 10 minutes or until easily pieced with a fork. Drain and set aside.
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Place 4 eggs in a small sauce pan. Cover the eggs with water by 1-2 inches. Bring the water to a boil and let it boil for a full minute. Cover the pan and turn the heat off. Let the pan sit covered on the hot burner for 12 minutes. The eggs should be fully cooked. Drain the hot water and let the eggs cool by running them under cold water or placing in a bowl of ice water. Peel the eggs once they have completely cooled.
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Cut 3 of the eggs into small pieces and 1 of the eggs into slices for garnish on top of the salad.
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Add 1/2 cup mayo, 2 Tbsp. whole grain mustard, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a small bowl. Stir until completely combined.
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In a large bowl add half of the potatoes, eggs, olives, and chives. Drizzle half of the dressing over the ingredients and mix together. Repeat with the second half of the ingredients. Stir until combined.
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Garnish the salad with the egg slices, a few extra olives, a Tbsp. of chopped chives, and a sprinkling of smoked paprika.
Recipe Video
Feel free to use as much or as little of the dressing as you like. Use more for a creamier texture and less for a drier texture.
For best results we recommend using Idaho® potatoes
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