When summer hits, you know it’s time (finally!) to break out a delicious potato salad. But, if you’re wondering what to eat with potato salad, take a look at this collection of ideas. Whether you’re asked to bring a dish to a barbecue, picnic or potluck, you can rarely go wrong with this carby delight.

Before you start, choose your favourite potato salad. From a classic creamy potato and egg salad to a no mayo potato salad with a tangy dressing to a spiced roasted sweet potato salad or this warm potato and asparagus salad there are so many different versions around the world.

Closeup of a bowl full of potato salad with eggs.

Slow cooked meats

Rich meats like brisket and ribs go beautifully with a creamy potato salad. The deep savoury flavour blends so well with something creamy yet cold and balancing. That’s why it’s such a classic combo with ribs.

Slices of juicy beef brisket on a chopping board.

Chicken wings

Rich and flavourful chicken wings, especially spicy ones, crave the cooling and balancing effect of a cold salad but carby salad.

Closeup of a drumette.

Burgers

No matter what variety of hamburgers you’re having, they’ll all benefit from a delicious potato salad on the side. Soft burger buns filled with hot juicy meats always benefit from a great cold side dish.

Extreme closeup of the beef in the burger.

Ham

Classic creamy potato salad alongside our Christmas ham is always a must but it’s great for eating with leftovers too and wonderful with this pulled ham.

Top down view of a tray of pulled ham and a ham sandwich.

Grilled or roast meats

Grilled meats like a delicious juicy steak or tasty sausages are almost synonymous with potato salad. And while they’re not grilled, I promise you these crumbed sausages are great with one.

A whole air fryer roast chicken on a platter.

Seafood

Finally, it may sound surprising but potato salads are great with seafood. Maybe opt for a lighter version, like my no-mayo potato salad as the tangy flavour is great with everything from salmon to prawns (shrimp).

A pile of crispy prawns on a tray with wedges of lime.

Other sides

And because one side dish is never enough, here’s some more great sides that work really well with potato salad. There’s really no rules here either; you could choose something else that’s also creamy or choose something lighter and tangy to cut through the richness.

The salad in a bowl with wooden salad servers.

So, with all those ideas up your sleeve, tell me in the comments your favourite potato salad meal combo.