This is a loaded potato salad โ red potatoes, sautรฉed seasoned chicken tenders, bacon, crumbled bleu cheese, and a creamy bleu cheese-bacon dressing thinned with sour cream and mayo. It comes together in about 35 minutes, which makes it a realistic weeknight option even though it reads like a cookout showstopper. The ingredient list is long, but most of the work runs in parallel.
Before you start
Two things actually determine whether this salad succeeds. First, cut your potatoes to a consistent half-inch size โ uneven chunks mean some turn mushy before others are cooked through, and mushy potatoes fall apart when you fold in the dressing. Start checking for doneness at the 12-minute mark; a fork should slide in with light resistance, not zero resistance. Second, let both the potatoes and the cooked chicken cool for at least 10 minutes before combining everything. Hot potatoes absorb dressing like a sponge and the salad ends up dry and heavy; slightly warm is fine, but steaming-hot is not.
What can go wrong
- The dressing tastes flat. Bleu cheese dressing, sour cream, and mayo are all rich but not sharp. Taste the finished dressing before folding it in โ if it needs brightness, a small splash of pickle brine from the relish jar fixes it without adding extra ingredients.
- The celery and carrots go soft. Slice them thin as the recipe says, but keep them in a bowl of cold water while the potatoes cook. Drain and pat dry before mixing in; excess water dilutes the dressing.
- The bacon bits disappear into the dressing. If you want visible bacon texture in every bite, hold back half the bacon bits and scatter them on top just before serving rather than mixing them all in.
- The chicken is dry. Chicken tenders cook fast โ 3 to 4 minutes per side over medium heat is usually enough. Pull them off the heat as soon as thereโs no pink at the center; theyโll continue cooking briefly off the heat and carry over into the salad just fine.
- The bleu cheese flavor is overwhelming. The recipe already flags this, but the fix is sequence: add the crumbled bleu cheese last, taste, and stop when itโs where you want it. You can always add more; you canโt take it back.
Storage and make-ahead
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The potatoes will absorb more dressing overnight, so stir in a spoonful of sour cream or mayo before serving to loosen it back up. If you want to get ahead on a weeknight, cook and cool the potatoes and chicken up to a day in advance and refrigerate them separately โ dress it at the table, or at least right before serving, because a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast. The chopped vegetables can also be prepped and stored in a covered bowl for up to 24 hours. Do not freeze this salad; the mayo-sour cream base breaks and the potatoes turn grainy.
Bleu Cheese, Bacon and Chicken Potato Salad
Equipment
- Large stockpot or Dutch oven
- 10-inch non-stick skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- Colander
- Sharp Chefโs Knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 2 lbs red potatoes about 5-6 medium, cut into ยฝ-inch chunks, 900g
- 1 lb chicken tenders about 12-15 pieces, 450g
- 3-4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil 15ml
- 1-2 tablespoons garlic and herb seasoning blend such as Mrs. Dash or similar salt-free blend
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill chopped
- โ cup dill pickle relish 80g
- 6 stalks green onions scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 1 cup baby carrots about 10, thinly sliced
- 1 small can sliced black olives 2.25 oz / 65g, drained
- ยฝ cup real bacon bits or 6-8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, 55g
- โ cup crumbled bleu cheese 45g
- ยพ cup bacon bleu cheese dressing such as Litehouse or similar, 180ml
- ยฝ cup sour cream 115g
- ยฝ cup mayonnaise 115g
Instructions
- Cut potatoes into ยฝ-inch chunks โ do not remove the skins.2 lbs red potatoes
- Place potatoes in the stockpot and cover with cold, salted water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook for 12-15 minutes until fork-tender but not falling apart โ a fork should slide in with light resistance. Drain in a colander and spread on a baking sheet to cool for at least 10 minutes.2 lbs red potatoes, 1 pinch salt
- Heat olive oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken tenders and sprinkle with the garlic and herb seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temperature of 165ยฐF / 74ยฐC). Add the chopped garlic during the last 1-2 minutes to prevent burning. Transfer to a cutting board, let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.1 lb chicken tenders, 3-4 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons garlic and herb seasoning blend, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Thinly slice the celery, carrots and green onions.6 stalks green onions, 2 stalks celery, 1 cup baby carrots
- Mix the pickle relish, chopped vegetables, olives, bacon bits, and fresh dill in a large bowl.1 teaspoon fresh dill, โ cup dill pickle relish, 6 stalks green onions, 2 stalks celery, 1 cup baby carrots, 1 small can sliced black olives, ยฝ cup real bacon bits
- Add bleu cheese dressing, crumbled bleu cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream.โ cup crumbled bleu cheese, ยพ cup bacon bleu cheese dressing, ยฝ cup sour cream, ยฝ cup mayonnaise
- Fold in cooked potatoes and cooked chicken pieces. Adjust the flavour with salt and pepper to taste.2 lbs red potatoes, 1 lb chicken tenders, 1 pinch salt, 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Serve warm or refrigerate for at least 1 hour and serve chilled on a bed of iceberg lettuce. For a milder bleu cheese flavour, omit the crumbled bleu cheese and let the dressing carry the bleu cheese taste on its own.
Notes
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking the tenders from scratch?
Yes, pulled rotisserie chicken works well and cuts your active cook time significantly. Use about 2 cups of pulled white meat to approximate the volume of 12โ15 chicken tenders, and season it with the same garlic-herb blend before folding it in.
Do I have to use Litehouse Bacon Bleu Cheese Dressing specifically?
No โ any store-bought bleu cheese dressing will work. The bacon flavor in the dressing is subtle anyway since the recipe also calls for bacon bits, so a plain bleu cheese dressing wonโt noticeably change the result.
Can I make this without the bleu cheese entirely?
Yes, and it still holds together well as a creamy, herb-forward potato salad. Swap the bleu cheese dressing for a ranch or Caesar dressing and skip the crumbled cheese, and you get a milder salad that works for people who find bleu cheese too strong.
How do I keep the red potato skins from looking gray by the time I serve it?
Drain the potatoes immediately after cooking and spread them on a sheet pan or large plate to cool rather than leaving them in the hot pot. Trapped steam is what dulls the skin color and continues softening the potato after youโve drained the water.