German Potato Salad

Name: German Potato Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 pounds red potatoes; 1 teaspoon salt (for boiling the potatoes); 12 ounces bacon; 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 teaspoon salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 3 large cloves); 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

May 6, 2019 · 70 Comments

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THE BEST German Potato Salad is a warm potato salad recipe featuring tender red potatoes and bacon in a tangy dressing for the ultimate summer side dish!

If you’re a fan of potato salad, be sure to check out my Simple German (Swabian) Potato Salad {Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat}, Herb & Greek Yogurt Potato Salad, or Classic Potato Salad!

Summer vacation is right around the corner, y’all! Between that and Memorial Day weekend coming up, I would say that summer grilling season is upon us. And what goes better with dinner from the grill than potato salad? Even better if it’s warm, bacon-loaded German Potato Salad!

What Is German Potato Salad?

It’s the million-dollar question, y’all.

When Americans ponder potato salad, we often think of two distinct varieties. There’s the mayonnaise-based potato salad popularized in the U S of A, of course, that’s served cold. It typically features some combination of peeled Russet potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, pickles, celery, and often a touch of mustard.

And then there’s German Potato Salad, which we tend to think of as being served warm and featuring unpeeled red potatoes. It’s loaded with bacon and dressed in a delicious combination of vinegar and bacon grease.

The truth is, different regions of Germany have their own distinct styles of potato salad, and what Americans commonly think of as “German Potato Salad” — like today’s recipe — is most typically associated with the Bavarian region of southern Germany. That being said, you will encounter different types of potato salad even across Bavaria!

So to summarize, every person’s German Oma probably makes her potato salad differently. My mom is actually from Germany, but she always made us American potato salad growing up — ha. My Oma and other relatives in Germany make a traditional Swabian potato salad, common to the Stuttgart area. And while the warm, bacon-loaded recipe in today’s post is what we Americans typically think of as “German Potato Salad”…it’s not actually found in that many areas of Germany. 😉

Nevertheless, it’s positively scrumptious. So I’m going to unashamedly call it German Potato Salad (I’m half German, after all, so I can do that) and show you how to make it today!

How to Make German Potato Salad

Now that we’ve established that German Potato Salad has as many different definitions as there are stars in the sky, this recipe starts out in a pretty standard way. Wash some red potatoes, toss them in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, add plenty of salt, and simmer until tender.

Then comes the fun part! After draining and setting aside your potatoes, you get to start on the most delicious step — frying the bacon!

Once the bacon is cooked, don’t discard that hot bacon grease! Instead, it’s going to form your dressing by stirring in apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and sugar. After allowing the mixture to simmer for a couple of minutes, you’ll add some minced garlic and then toss your cooked potatoes in the sizzling mixture.

The potatoes soak up all of that bacon-y, vinegar-y, sugary goodness, leaving you with a recipe that’s tangy, salty, and sweet all at the same time. Oh, and don’t forget to stir in your cooked, crumbled bacon and some fresh chopped parsley before serving. Holy moly, can’t you just taste it???

Hot or Cold?

I think that this particular potato salad is best served hot or warm. However, it’s also tasty at room temperature, should it start to cool down before serving. It’s a side dish that can readily go from grillside to potluck to picnic without too much stress over keeping it on ice.

Of course, this potato salad (as well as any food prone to spoiling) should not sit at room temperature for more than an hour or two before being refrigerated. So if your picnic or potluck isn’t starting right away, pop it in the fridge as soon as you make it!

Tips for Making German Potato Salad

Scrub those potatoes before you boil them. And then be sure to cut the big ones into equally sized chunks to ensure even cooking.
Always start your potatoes off in cold water before bringing them to a boil. If you put potatoes directly into boiling water, the outsides will cook immediately and the insides may take longer, resulting in potato salad that could have some hard and soft pieces.
Don’t forget to salt the water before adding the potatoes, which will flavor them from the inside out.
After the potatoes are cooked and drained, let them steam (or “dry”) a bit in their still-hot (but drained) pot. This will allow them to absorb the bacon grease-vinegar dressing more easily.
Be very gentle when stirring the potatoes into the dressing. Otherwise, your dish may end up looking more like mashed potatoes.

So have I convinced you to try German Potato Salad this summer and/or add it to your Memorial Day or Independence Day menu? Whatever the occasion — and whether it’s like your German Oma’s recipe or not — I guarantee that it’ll disappear like that!