The Meatwave

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing View Recipe

Getting into homemade bacon making has been a boon in expanding my cured and smoked pork belly horizons, allowing me to try out all sorts of seasoning options. I haven't found a flavor that hasn't worked yet, but having these specialty bacons also presents a conundrum because they aren't as all purpose as the usual stuff, so even more creativity is called for in trying to find the right uses. When I did a pastrami bacon, I found it a good home in mustard-sauced brussels sprouts, and using it as a mix-in like that was so delicious that I immediately was drawn to doing something similar with a Cajun-spiced bacon I made more recently, which is how I wound up with this Cajun-spiced potato salad with a buttermilk ranch dressing.

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad

It wasn't the bacon alone that got me here though, I also saw a Cajun-spiced skillet potato dish on Serious Eats awhile back I always meant to try out, but never did. So that provided a lot of inspiration for this grilled salad, which is a pretty unique end product compared to that recipe, even if an herbal and spicy Cajun seasoning on the potatoes is the primary focal point of both dishes.

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad

This salad also afforded me an opportunity to right one of the culinary wrongs I've released out into the world by fixing my ranch recipe. In the early days of my Sauced column on Serious Eats, I developed a recipe for a homemade buttermilk ranch that was a good sauce, but didn't quite live up to full ranch potential. A major omission was garlic, but I also tinkered with the amounts of fresh herbs to make sure that, with one taste of this dressing, you wouldn't think it's anything other than a really great ranch (the fresh herbs will make it taste a bit different than using a ranch seasoning powder though).

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad

The seasoning and dressing were all the indoor prep that was needed, so next I went outside and got a fire going. Once the coals were a lit and searing hot, I first grilled some red onion slices that I had skewered to keep them intact and easy to manage on the grill. I let these cook over direct heat until they were well charred and softened, and once done, after about ten minutes total, I moved them over to a cutting board.

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad

Next I laid my strips of Cajun bacon on the cool side of the two-zone fire and let the bacon cook until very well crisped. This also took around ten minutes total, and I uncovered the grill occasionally during that time to flip and turn the bacon to ensure they were browning evenly. Unlike the pastrami bacon brussels sprouts, where that sharp peppery and earthy seasoning was pretty prominent in the final dish, the Cajun bacon here isn't a necessity, especially since the potatoes deliver the bulk of that flavor.

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad

With the grill now empty and still plenty of burn time left on the coals, the potatoes went on next. Prior to setting them on the cool side of the grill, I tossed them with oil and the Cajun seasoning to get these halved baby Yukon golds ready to go.

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad

I then covered the grill and just let them roast. Knowing they would take a good fifteen to twenty minutes, I used this time to roughly chop the onions after removing the skewers and also crumbled the bacon into pieces between half an inch to an inch long.

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad

I did check in on the potatoes a few times while they roasted, and any that were browning too much, I moved further away from the fire, and ones not browning enough, I moved closer. I tested doneness by piercing some of the larger spud chunks with a paring knife and seeing if there was no resistance. Once I knew a few of those pieces were done, it was a safe bet they all were, and any pieces of potato that hadn't browned to my liking, I placed over direct heat and they quickly picked up some nice coloring like their brethren.

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad

I moved all the potato chunks into a large bowl and added in the bacon, onion, dressing, parsley, and chives and tossed until everything was well distributed. At first the ranch kept its white color, but the more I tossed, the more the dressing mixed with Cajun seasoning, leaving a final reddish-brown hue and making it not totally apparent it was a ranch dressing from the looks alone.

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad

Longtime readers know I'm attracted to big, powerhouse flavors, and this potato salad definitely delivered that experience. It wasn't so over the top that it tasted overwhelming, but as you might imagine, the Cajun seasoning provided a good kick that was contrasted by the equally strong ranch, and those two melded great when they came together—the tang of the dressing complimenting the heat of the seasoning and the two unique herbal components forming a harmonious marriage. That alone was enough to win my heart, but then the strong salty bite of the bacon lifted the salad up even further, while the mellow sweetness of the grilled onion layered in another welcomde component to the overall profile. And with that, a potato salad proved to be a great use of a uniquely flavored bacon, and this salad also served as a fitting side dish for the white sauce chicken sandwiches I paired it with.

Print Recipe

Cajun-spiced Potato Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

  • Yield 4-6 servings
  • Prep 15 Minutes
  • Cook 30 Minutes
  • Total 45 Minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Dressing
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic (about 1 medium clove)
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  •  
  • For the Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  •  
  • 1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices and skewered horizontally so the rings lie flat on the grill
  • 8 strips bacon
  • 2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and halved
  • 3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
  • 3 tablespoons finely sliced chives
  • 3 tablespoons finely minced parsley

Procedure

  1. To make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, vinegar, mustard, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, chives, dill, and onion powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer dressing to an airtight container and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
  2. To make the seasoning: In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
  3. Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Brush onions with about 1 tablespoon of oil and place on hot side of grill. Cook onions until softened and well charred on each side, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer onions to a cutting board.
  4. Lay bacon slices on cool side of grill, cover grill, and cook bacon, flipping occasionally, until strips are deeply browned and crisp, about 10 minutes total. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
  5. Place potatoes in a large bowl, add in remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and seasoning mixture. Toss to coat potatoes evenly in seasoning. Place potatoes on cool side of grill, cut side down, cover, and cook until a paring knife can be inserted into middle of potatoes with no resistance, 15-20 minutes. Move potatoes to hot side of grill and cook until lightly browned. While potatoes are cooking, remove onion slices from skewer and roughly chop. Roughly crumble bacon.
  6. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl, add in dressing, chopped onions, bacon, chives, and parsley; toss gently with a spoon to distribute dressing and ingredients evenly. Transfer potato salad to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

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