Grilled Potato Salad with Charred Lemon

Grilled potato salad starts with mini potatoes boiled until tender and cooled to room temperature, then halved and roughed up in olive oil and spices before going on a hot grate. The celery, red onion, and lemon all grill at the same time. One grilled lemon half goes directly over the warm potatoes as they come off. The rest of the grilled lemon juice goes into the mayo dressing. Everything has char. That’s the whole point, and it’s super tasty.

This is the summer staple that replaced (almost) every other potato salad I used to make. The grilled lemon in the dressing is the detail that makes people ask for the recipe.

Key Ingredients

• Mini red or yellow potatoes: Mini potatoes are ideal for this recipe. Less knife work, no peeling, and the small size means maximum crispy grilled skin on every piece. That skin-to-flesh ratio is where the flavor lives.
• Celery: 4 stalks, grilled whole. Keep them whole on the grate so they don’t fall through, then chop after.
• Red onion: Half an onion, grilled cut-side down. The face gets char and the layers soften without going mushy.
• 2 lemons: Both go on the grill cut-side down. Half squeezes over the warm potatoes. One full lemon goes into the dressing. The last half is for serving.
• Dijon or stone ground mustard: 1 tablespoon in the dressing. Dijon is sharper. Stone ground is milder with more texture. Both work well.
• Crushed chiltepin: The Sonoran finishing touch. Any chile flakes work as a substitute. This is optional but recommended. Pick up some dried chiltepin and crush them.

How to Make Grilled Potato Salad

Step 1: Boil and cool the potatoes

Add the mini potatoes to a pot and cover with cold water. Start from cold, not boiling. Season the water generously with salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook until a fork slides in without resistance, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Drain and spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Cool completely to room temperature before moving on. Hot potatoes stick to the grill and fall apart when you try to flip them.

Step 2: Toss in olive oil and spices

Halve each cooled potato lengthwise. Add to a large bowl with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.

Toss the potatoes hard with the seasonings. You want the cut surfaces roughed up and coated in a thin starchy paste. That’s what gives you a real crust on the grill.

Step 3: Grill the potatoes

Preheat your grill to medium-high. Hot grates and clean grates are what prevent sticking. Place the potatoes cut-side down directly on the grates. Leave them alone for 2 to 3 minutes. Don’t be tempted to move them. When they’re ready to flip they’ll release on their own.

Use a metal spatula to scoop and turn them. Grill another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.

Step 4: Grill the vegetables and lemons

Add the celery stalks whole, the red onion half cut-side down, and all 4 lemon halves cut-side down to the grill alongside the potatoes. Grill for a few minutes until the vegetables show char. The lemons will be done first, about 2 to 3 minutes. Pull everything off as it’s ready.

Step 5: Squeeze grilled lemon over warm potatoes

Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl immediately. Squeeze 1/2 grilled lemon over them while they’re still warm and toss. Let sit for 2 minutes. Warm potatoes absorb the acid quickly, and cold ones don’t.

Step 6: Make the dressing

Squeeze the juice of 1 full grilled lemon into a small bowl. Add the mayo, lemon zest, mustard, garlic powder, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Set the remaining 1/2 lemon aside for serving.

Step 7: Chop and combine

Rough chop the grilled celery into 1/2-inch pieces. Chop the grilled onion into rough pieces. Add both to the bowl with the potatoes. Pour the dressing over and fold gently to coat without breaking the potatoes apart. Taste and adjust salt and lemon.

Step 8: Top and serve

Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with at least 3 tablespoons of fresh chives, crushed chiltepin or chile flakes if using, and bacon crumbles if using. Squeeze the reserved grilled lemon half over the top right before serving.

What to Serve With Grilled Potato Salad

This is a full grill session side dish. Don’t waste warm charcoal, pair it with something tasty:

• Grilled Corn Ribs: Keep the grill going and add these while the potatoes cool. Same cook window.
• Charcoal Burgers: The grilled lemon dressing cuts through a rich burger better than a plain mayo salad.
• Hot dogs: The easiest pairing. Grill the dogs and the potato salad at the same time.
• Grilled Chicken Wraps: A full grilled spread with minimal cleanup.
• Grilled Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich: The bright lemon dressing balances the richness of the pimento cheese.
• Grilled Zucchini and Squash Skewers: Full vegetable spread off the grill. These go on at the same time as the celery and onion.

Frequently Asked Questions

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