Air Fryer Smoky Bacon Ranch Potato Salad Bowls

AF-200 Crew BBQ Recipe

Air Fryer Smoky Bacon Ranch Potato Salad Bowls

This is the sort of side dish that quietly steals the entire barbecue. Baby potatoes roasted until golden, tossed through a creamy ranch dressing with crispy bacon, mature cheddar, spring onions, smoked seasoning, and crunchy pickles. It works with ribs, burgers, brisket, sausages, or straight out of the bowl while you're supposedly "checking the meat."

Air Fryer Smoky Bacon Ranch Potato Salad Bowls
Air Fryer Smoky Bacon Ranch Potato Salad Bowls preparation stage

You’ll Need

For the Potatoes
800g baby potatoes, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp black pepper

Smokehouse Ranch Dressing
4 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp buttermilk (or whole milk)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp dried parsley
½ tsp dried dill
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
Freshly cracked black pepper

To Finish
6 rashers smoked streaky bacon, cooked until crisp and chopped
80g mature cheddar, diced into small cubes
3 spring onions, sliced
3 tbsp diced gherkins
Small handful fresh chives, chopped

Optional but dangerous
Crispy fried onions
Jalapeño slices
Extra smoked paprika
BBQ pulled chicken
Cracked black pepper

Method

Preheat your air fryer to 200°C.

Toss the baby potatoes with the olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper until evenly

coated.

Air fry for 18–22 minutes, shaking every 5–6 minutes, until crisp, golden and fluffy inside.

While the potatoes cook, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, apple cider

vinegar, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper until smooth.

Allow the potatoes to cool for around 10 minutes so they stay warm but don't melt the dressing.

Fold the potatoes through the ranch dressing.

Add the crispy bacon, cheddar cubes, spring onions, diced gherkins and most of the chives, mixing gently to avoid

breaking the potatoes.

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Finish with the remaining chives, a dusting of smoked paprika, crispy onions or jalapeños if using.

Serve slightly warm or chilled alongside anything coming off the barbecue.

Lad Tip: Leave a few crispy potato edges exposed instead of coating everything completely in dressing. Those crunchy smoky bites mixed with the creamy ranch are what make people come back for a second—and usually a third— helping.

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