Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Bacon boasts a tangy maple syrup-based dressing for a zesty kick and spicy diced jalapeno peppers to create a perfect sweet and savory balance. If you can peel and dice, you’ve mastered the hardest step in making this simple yet sensational side dish — so let’s get cooking!

With just a handful of ingredients, Roasted Sweet Potato Salad is the perfect side dish for any summer meal.

Bring this tasty recipe with a unique twist to your next gathering, potluck, or summer BBQ — it is a sure win crowd-pleaser!

Key ingredients & substitutions for Easy Sweet Potato Salad

• Sweet potatoes | Instead of the standard gold or red potatoes used for potato salads, this recipe uses large orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes. 
• Oil | Toss the potatoes in quality olive oil for roasting. If preferred, use avocado oil or another mild-flavored oil.
• Bacon | Mix in freshly fried and crumbled bacon. If necessary, use pre-packaged bacon bits found in the salad aisle of your local grocery store. However, fresh bacon will be far more flavorful. Use turkey bacon for a healthier alternative.

• Jalapeno pepper | Add a hint of spice with half a seeded and diced jalapeno pepper. For extra heat, leave some or all of the fiery seeds.
• Green onions | Bring a light onion flavor with two sliced green onions. If preferred, replace them with red onions with a more distinctive and robust taste. Chives or leeks are some other excellent substitutes.

Dressing

• Maple syrup | Perfect for the natural sweetness of the potatoes, maple syrup is the star of the show for this yummy potato salad dressing. If you aren’t a fan of classic maple syrup, swap the ingredient out for your favorite brand of honey.
• Vinegar | Mix the syrup with tangy red wine vinegar. Apple cider vinegar will also do the trick.
• Dijon mustard | I like to use Trader Joe’s stone-ground Dijon mustard, but any Dijon mustard works in this recipe.

• Seasonings | Round out the dressing flavor with kosher salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and smoked paprika.
• Oil | Finally, drizzle the dressing with olive oil to thin it out so it completely and easily coats the salad ingredients.

How to make Sweet Potato Salad with tangy dressing

TIP: Smaller sweet potatoes are easier to peel, and cutting smaller sweet potato cubes will shave off a few minutes of the cooking time!

STEP 1 | Preheat oven and season potatoes

First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. After chopping them into bite-sized pieces, place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat evenly.

STEP 2 | Roast sweet potatoes

Next, pour the potatoes onto a large baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until fork-tender.

STEP 3 | Prepare the vinaigrette

While the potatoes are roasting, combine the dressing ingredients.

Start by whisking the maple syrup, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, cumin, and paprika until smooth. Then, slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing is emulsified.

STEP 4 | Combine salad ingredients

Transfer the roasted sweet potatoes to a large bowl and add bacon, jalapeño, and green onions, tossing gently to combine.

STEP 5 | Toss with dressing and serve!

Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and toss gently until fully coated. Finally,  serve this delicious sweet potato salad right away or chill it to serve later. Enjoy!

Frequently asked questions

Serving suggestions

This is the perfect salad to serve with flavorful Orange Mustard Glazed Pork Chops and these easy Crispy Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts with a hint of earthy bitterness to balance the sweeter notes. Then, top off the night with this Old-Fashioned Southern Sweet Potato Pie — Delish!

For even more ideas, check out this collection of the 30 Best Dishes to Serve with Potato Salad — there are plenty of great recipes there!

Behind the recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad Recipe

Russet, red, and Yukon gold potatoes may be the more popular choices in modern times, but did you know the sweet potato came first?

Researchers estimate sweet potatoes were first cultivated around 2000 BCE. Early civilizations in Peru grew the crop as a staple in their diet, and Christopher Columbus eventually introduced them to Europe in the 15th century many years later.

Tracking the history of the sweet potato has proven a bit challenging, as they were referred to as ‘potatoes’ until American colonists started to call them sweet potatoes to differentiate them from the white Irish potatoes.

While other potato varieties have become more commonly consumed in the U.S., sweet potatoes are still a favorite for some and are used in holiday dishes, desserts, entrees, and more!