Chipotle Potato Salad – Easy and Delicious!

If you’re looking for something to elevate your side dish game, you have to try my Chipotle Potato Salad. It’s fresh, delicious and super easy with the roasting method I show you in this post.

Now, this isn’t your traditional potato salad. It’s packed with extra veggies like sweet corn, fresh spinach and red onion that all get tossed in a creamy chipotle dressing, which has much more flavor and spice than regular potato salad. This dish is both smoky and zesty, giving it a unique, extra flavorful twist.

Chipotle Potato Salad is the perfect dish to serve at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner if you want something unique that’s sure to stand out. It’s also an excellent side dish for dinner any time of the year. It pairs perfectly with everything from chicken, steak and burgers to tacos, soups and salads.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS CHIPOTLE POTATO SALAD

Bold and Unique Flavor: The smoky heat of the chipotle combined with the tangy lime in the dressing are the flavors that really make this stand out.

Fresh and Healthy Ingredients: With roasted baby potatoes, sweet corn, onion and fresh spinach, this salad is packed with nutritious ingredients, making it both tasty and wholesome. There’s even some added protein with the Greek-yogurt in the homemade dressing. It’s a flavorful side dish that doesn’t feel heavy!

INGREDIENT NOTES

• Baby Potatoes – These should be cut into bite-sized pieces. You want to try and cut them a similar size, so they cook evenly. Baby potatoes roast up beautifully, becoming crispy on the outside while remaining soft and fluffy on the inside. They hold up well when tossed with the dressing.
• Fresh corn – Leave the corn in the husks and cut off the strings at the end, if any. If there’s some dirty husks on the outside, you can take those ones off but leave most of the husks on. We’re going to roast them like this, which keeps the prep work simple and the husks actually come off easier after roasted. (I used to wrap each ear in aluminum foil but leaving them in the husks cooks it the same way and takes less work.) If fresh corn isn’t in season when you want to make this, you can use about a cup and a half of canned or frozen corn. If using canned, be sure to drain it. If using frozen, be sure to thaw.
• Extra virgin olive oil – Helps the potatoes roast to the perfect crispness.
• Smoked paprika – This warm, smoky spice adds extra flavor to the potatoes.
• Salt & pepper – The classic seasonings that speak for themselves.
• Fresh spinach – Light and nutrient-rich, fresh spinach adds a pop of color and is really mild in flavor. You almost can’t even taste it, which is why I love adding it to everything. There’s so many health benefits that why not add it when we can, since it doesn’t affect the taste in bad way?
• Red onion – Adds a sharp, slightly sweet flavor that goes so well with the rest of the ingredients in this Chipotle Potato Salad.

For the Dressing:

• Plain Greek yogurt – Greek yogurt adds a light tang and smooth texture to the dressing while adding probiotics and protein.
• Mayonnaise – This classic flavor balances perfectly with the tang of the yogurt for the perfect base.
• Minced garlic – Adds more flavor and nutrients.
• Chipotle chili pepper seasoning – This chipotle seasoning definitely comes with a spicy kick. The recipe calls for one teaspoon of this seasoning, which makes the potato salad slightly spicy. If you want it less spicy, start with a half a teaspoon first and then taste it to see if you want to add more or not.
• Salt – A simple seasoning essential that always enhances the flavor.
• Lime – Crisp and tangy, lime juice adds a refreshing burst of citrus that enhances the smoky flavors and brightens the entire dressing with a zesty finish.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350℉. Leave the husks on the corn and cut off the strings at the end, if any. If outer husks are dirty, just take off those pieces but leave most of the husks on.

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lay the three ears of corn on one side and spread the potatoes out evenly on the other side. (See picture below.)

Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle the seasonings on top. Using a spoon or your hands, gently toss the potatoes in the olive oil and seasonings until evenly coated, and spread out evenly again.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake at 350℉ for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and rotate each ear of corn and gently stir the potatoes.

Cook for another 15-20 minutes. Potatoes should be soft when poked with a fork. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.

While the potatoes and corn are cooling, you can make the dressing. In a medium-sized serving bowl, add all the dressing ingredients and stir until mixed well.

Once potatoes and corn have cooled a bit, remove the husks from the corn. They should come off super easy! If there’s any string stuck to the corn, you can gently rinse it under cool water to help them fall off. Using a sharp knife, cut the kernels off the corn and transfer to the bowl with the dressing.

Next add the potatoes, chopped spinach and diced onion to the bowl. Gently stir until everything is combined. This is best enjoyed chilled the same way regular potato salad is, but you can serve it warm too. It’s delicious both ways.

If you love the smoky flavor of chipotle as much as I do, be sure to try my Chipotle Chicken Corn Chowder. Just throw everything in the crock pot and wait for the end result – a delicious chowder loaded with chicken, potatoes and other fresh veggies in the best creamy broth.

TIPS & NOTES

Roasting Hack: Did you know you could roast your corn with the husks on? The husks come off super easy after the corn has cooked and it means there’s zero prep work. Just cut off any strings at the end of the ear of corn, if any. The corn can go directly in the oven while still wrapped in the husks.

Adjusting Spice Levels: The chipotle in the dressing gives it a smoky, spicy kick, but if you prefer a more mild flavor, start with half a teaspoon of chipotle chili pepper seasoning and taste before adding more.

Storage: This potato salad is best enjoyed within 1-2 days. Make sure it’s stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last a couple days past that, but the potatoes will start to get soft and it won’t have the best texture.