German Potato Salad

Tender potatoes, crisp bacon and a tasty dressing, make this warm German potato salad the perfect dish all year round.

Table of Contents

German Potato Salad Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This German Potato Salad Recipe
How To Serve
Storing This Hot German Potato Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Creamy potatoes loaded with bacon and drenched in a tangy dressing make this authentic German potato salad a perfect side dish any time of year. This is an easy recipe that you can throw together for dinner tonight and guarantee that it will be a hit.

close up overhead shot of German potato salad garnished with parley in a bowl with a large wooden spoon

German Potato Salad Ingredients

German Potato Salad raw ingredients that are labeled

German potato salad is a mouth-watering dish that is packed with flavor. Unlike traditional potato salad, it is dressed in a warm vinaigrette that includes mustard, sugar, and vinegar.

This combination creates a tangy and slightly sweet taste that perfectly complements the tender potatoes. You’ll also find plenty of diced bacon and onions mixed in, adding a savory and crunchy element to each bite.

You’ll need:

2 pounds of baby red potatoes
12 slices of bacon
1 medium red onion, diced
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
½ cup of white vinegar
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of sugar
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper
¼ cup of chopped fresh parsley

Substitutions And Additions

POTATOES: Golden or red potatoes are best because they are less starchy. Leaving the potato skins on is optional if you prefer your potatoes with no skins.

VINEGAR: In place of plain vinegar, you could substitute ½ cup of apple cider vinegar instead in this hot potato salad.

ONIONS: If you are not a fan of red onions, you could replace them with yellow onions or even just sprinkle green onions on top of the salad before serving.

MUSTARD: You could replace Dijon mustard with another fancy mustard if you have it on hand. Try German mustard or another grainy mustard.

How To Make This German Potato Salad Recipe

Let’s walk through the steps to preparing the potatoes, dressing, and other mix-ins that go into making this tasty salad.

STEP ONE: Wash baby potatoes and slice them into halves.

potatoes being sliced in half on a wooden board

STEP TWO: Add sliced potatoes to a large pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil over high heat for 7 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain water, place potatoes back into the pot, and cover (keeping the potatoes warm and allowing them to steam).

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Always start your potatoes in cold water. If you add them directly to boiling water, the outsides will cook immediately while the insides will take longer, leaving you with some pieces that are still hard.

Don’t forget to salt your water once you add the potatoes. It will add the flavor right into the potatoes.

STEP THREE: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan and chop it into small pieces slightly smaller than bite-size. Set the bacon to the side on a piece of paper towel to absorb excess bacon fat. Leave grease in the frying pan for the next steps.

STEP FOUR: Add the onion and garlic to the bacon grease. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 3 minutes.

Garlic and onions added to the bacon grease

STEP FIVE: Add vinegar, olive oil, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, and bacon to the frying pan with the onions and garlic. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

vinegar, olive oil, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, and bacon added to the garlic mixture

STEP SIX: Pour the sauce over the potatoes, add parsley, and toss well to mix. Transfer to a large bowl for serving.

PRO TIP:

Be very careful when mixing in the dressing as you don’t want your potatoes to end up looking like mashed potatoes.

sauce poured over potatoes and mixed together

How To Serve

While this salad is usually served hot, you can also choose to serve it cold or at room temperature.

This German-style potato salad goes well with any meat, such as grilled chicken, grilled tilapia, fried pork chops, hamburgers, hot dogs, or meatloaf.

Add green beans or salad on the side for your greens.

Potatoes are such a staple and can be served in so many ways. Try a few of our other potato recipes, including oven roasted potatoes, kielbasa and potato bake, cheesy potato casserole.

MORE POTATO SALAD RECIPES

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Mustard Potato Salad Recipe

Storing This Hot German Potato Salad

We’ve got you covered with some simple storage tips that will keep your potato salad tasting fresh and flavorful for days to come.

IN THE FRIDGE: Let cool to room temperature, and then you can store this German red potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

IN THE FREEZER: Because this warm potato salad doesn’t have mayonnaise, you can freeze it, although I wouldn’t recommend this as the liquids will separate, and the salad may become soupy when thawed.

REHEATING: You can reheat the salad in the microwave. Reheat on 50% power in 1-minute increments until warm.

close up shot of German potato salad garnished with parley in a bowl with a large wooden spoon

This is the best German potato salad recipe and tastes ridiculously good. So many yummy flavors all mingling together in the tangy vinaigrette to make an old-fashioned potato salad that you will love.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is German potato salad served warm or cold?

While the salad is traditionally served warm, you can serve this traditional German potato salad either warm or cold, depending on your personal preference.

Can I reheat this hot German potato salad?

You can reheat the salad in the microwave at half power in one-minute increments until warm.

Can I freeze this recipe for German potato salad?

Because the tangy mustard vinaigrette doesn’t have any mayo in it like most creamy potato salads, you can freeze it. It may not thaw with quite the same consistency as if it was freshly made, though, so we recommend trying your best to make it fresh.

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German Potato Salad

5 from 1 vote

Tender potatoes, crisp bacon and a tasty dressing, make this warm German potato salad the perfect dish all year round.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

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Ingredients

2 pounds baby red potatoes
12 slices bacon
1 medium red onion, diced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
½ cup white vinegar
¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Wash the baby potatoes and slice them into halves.
Add the potatoes to a 5-quart pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes. Boil over high heat for 7 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain water and place potatoes back into the pot, and cover (keeping the potatoes warm and allowing them to steam).
In a large (approximately 12 inches) frying pan, cook bacon. Once cooked, remove bacon from the pan and chop it into pieces slightly smaller than bite-size. Set bacon to the side for now. Leave grease in the frying pan for the next steps.
Cook onion and garlic in a frying pan over medium heat until tender, about 3 minutes.
Add vinegar, olive oil, sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, and bacon to the frying pan with the onions and garlic. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Pour sauce over potatoes, add parsley and toss well to mix.

Notes

Always start your potatoes in cold water. If you add them directly to boiling water, the outsides will cook immediately while the insides will take longer, leaving you with some pieces that are still hard.

Don’t forget to salt your water once you add the potatoes. It will add the flavor right into the potatoes.
Be very careful when mixing in the dressing as you don’t want your potatoes to end up looking like mashed potatoes.

Nutrition

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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!