This Spicy Sweet Potato Salad is a mayo-less salad that’s a delicious option for the warmer weather! The sweet and spicy flavors are sure to tickle your taste buds!
Updated: This post was first published here at the BHK in April 2015. I decided it was worthy of a reshare, so I’ve added some new photos and notes to the post below.
There’s just something about potato salad and summer. They just go together, don’t they?
Growing up, we always enjoyed the classic potato salad with mayo. It had red potatoes, egg, celery, red onion and a dressing that was a combination of mayo, mustard, a bit of white vinegar and salt and pepper. It was a favorite for all our summer parties.
I still make the classic version several times a summer, but I also like to offer a mayo-less version for guests, so they have a choice.
I made this Spicy Sweet Potato Salad way back in 2015 here at the BHK and so many people have tried it and commented that it’s a totally tasty change up from the classic. So I decided it was time to re-shoot the photos and re-share.
When I was tossing around ideas for a new potato salad recipe, I immediately thought sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes. Then I thought, should I go totally sweet or should I add spicy? I couldn’t decide, so I went both, and the result is…DANG delicious!!
Sweet potatoes, red onion, yellow pepper, apricot preserves, jalapeños and bacon all tossed together make for a summer salad that’s sweet AND spicy, lighter than the classic mayo version and sure to please! Enjoy!
A Few Cook’s Notes for Spicy Sweet Potato Salad Recipe:
I use two on the larger size jalapeños. I chop one with the seeds and ribs in tact and remove the seeds from the other. If you like things on the spicier side, you can use both with the seeds.
Don’t crowd your potatoes on your baking sheet. Depending on the size of your baking sheets, you may need to use two.
Ingredients
- 4 lb. sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
- 8 strips bacon
- 1 cup red onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup yellow pepper, finely chopped
- 2 jalapenos, one sliced and finely chopped with seeds, one seeded and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- Garnish:
- 4 Tbsp. scallions, sliced
- 2 jalapenos sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In large bowl toss sweet potatoes with olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread sweet potatoes on prepared baking sheets in an even layer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, 20-25 minutes tossing potatoes and rotating trays after 10 minutes. Remove from oven when done and cool on trays to room temperature.
- Saute bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain fat and leave bacon in skillet. Add onion, yellow pepper, and jalapenos and cook 5 minutes until soft and golden brown. Whisk in the apricot preserves and vinegar and simmer until smooth. remove from heat.
- In large bowl toss potatoes with bacon mixture. Transfer to a serving dish. Before serving, top potatoes with scallions and jalapenos. You can serve cold or at room temperature.
That looks really good, I have never had a sweet potato salad! I am going to try your recipe!
Thanks Michael! I love sweet potatoes and this recipe is really tasty! Enjoy!
This looks so good! I love an interesting/different sweet potato recipe– will definitely try this!
I think you are going to love this one!
I am seriously drooling over this salad. Spicy and sweet…yum. And I looove that bacon in there :).
Annie you have got to try this one! Sweet, spicy and bacon! How can you go wrong?!
I often make salads like this for dinner but never have I thought to try adding apricot preserves before. I really like the idea and I bet it adds such a nice flavour too!
Hope you like it Thalia!
This looks wonderful and with such a balance of flavor! The apricot preserves is an unexpected but delicious twist.
You should definitely try this one! I couldn’t stop eating it!
THIS LOOKS AMAZING!
Thanks so much! I have to say it really is!! I did the photo shoot right before lunch and had to break out smaller bowls because I kept eating it!!
I made this for the Fourth of July and LOVED it! Great recipe! :)
Thanks so much! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for following!
This tastes SO amazing! I love it. It was still warm when I did a taste test of the finished product and I ended up taking bite after bite to continue to “test” it to make sure it tasted good… I finally had to cut myself off! I’ll be interested to see what it tastes like cold or room temp as that it how you directed serving it. But I know I love it warm so far, so I’m sure any way it comes on the plate it will be gobbled up by the family. And as long as I don’t add the extra garnish of jalapenos it will be great to serve my 3 and 5 year olds as it wasn’t too spicy like I expected it to be. Yum. This recipe is definitely a keeper for me! I followed your directions exactly and it was a recipe I don’t feel the need to alter at all next time I make it.
So happy you enjoyed it Robin! This is one of my favorites too. It seems like most recipes for potato salad use white potatoes, but I love the taste of the sweet potatoes! Thanks so much for following along!
Fresh apricots are available here; it’s their season so I guess using fresh is OK, gently cut. Thank you for the idea; I use regular potatoes for salads and this is really great to make a change !
This salad has my name written all over it – spicy and made without mayo. Looking forward to giving it a try!
We love sweet potatoes in our house so how have I not made a potato salad of them!? This looks amazing, Mary Ann. Love the spicy kick and that it’s lighter than your average potato salad!
We eat sweet potatoes a couple times a week, so you know this is making it into the rotation! My fam will be so happy!! :) Have a great weekend, Mary Ann!
What a fun twist on a potato salad. I forget all about sweet potatoes in the summer, but this recipe makes me want to pick up a few at the store today!