Warm and tangy German Potato Salad will be the hit of every BBQ and potluck you go to this summer. It’s easy to make and loaded with bacon!
Why We Love German Potato Salad
- Tell the mayo and eggs to take a hike because German Potato Salad is in town! With its perfectly cooked potatoes and tons of bacon, you might just forget about all the other BBQ food and finish this salad yourself!
- If you know how much bacon grease adds flavor to everything then you’ll love that bacon grease is an ingredient in the dressing for this potato salad. Meaning it’s guaranteed to taste incredible.
- There’s no need to worry about this potato salad sitting out at the potluck and getting too warm. While we enjoy hot German potato salad, you can eat cold too.
- This may not be the potato salad you usually make, but you likely have all of the pantry ingredients you need to make this simple and hearty side dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make German Potato Salad
VEGGIES: For this salad, you will need red potatoes, red onion, and parsley. You can also substitute Yukon gold potatoes, but avoid Russet potatoes.
BACON: Pick up for favorite bacon for this salad. If you are using thick-cut bacon you won’t need quite as much. You can also add up to a pound of bacon if you want! (And who wouldn’t want more bacon?!)
PANTRY ITEMS: To make the dressing, you will need apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, light brown sugar, and olive oil. White vinegar or white wine vinegar can also be used instead of apple cider vinegar.
SEASONING: Salt, pepper, and celery salt will also be used in the dressing.
How to Make German Potato Salad
Jump to RecipeSTEP 1 Wash and cube the potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Add the potatoes to a large pot and fill with water so the potatoes are covered by 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil and then simmer the potatoes for 20 minutes or until fork tender.
STEP 2 In a large deep-sided skillet, cook the bacon (in two batches) until it’s nice a crispy. Then transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Leave the bacon drippings in the pan. Chop the bacon into small pieces once it’s cool enough to handle.
STEP 3 Add the red onion to the bacon drippings and saute for 5 minutes. Add the apple cider vinegar, mustard, and brown sugar to the onions, stir, and allow the mixture to reduce a little.
STEP 4 Drain the potatoes but do not rinse them. Add the potatoes to the skillet, along with the chopped bacon, olive oil, and seasonings, and mix well. Transfer the potato salad to a serving bowl, sprinkle with parsley, and serve warm.
Tips & Tricks
- Warm German Salad is best with either red potatoes or yellow potatoes. Waxy potatoes hold their shape after boiling and will absorb the dressing best.
- Be sure to keep those bacon drippings after cooking the bacon! That is where a lot of the flavor is and it is the base of the dressing.
- Dill is a great substitute for parsley and you can add a tablespoon or so of either fresh or dried to your salad.
- Many salads also include celery and garlic. If you would like to add either to your salad here’s what to do. Add two stalks of finely chopped celery into the skillet when you add the onions. About 1 minute before the veggies finish cooking add a clove or two of minced garlic, and stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning.
- If you don’t have a deep-sided skillet, you can return the potatoes to the pot they were boiled in. Then add the bacon and dressing to the pot and mix everything together.
German Potato Salad FAQ
What is German Potato Salad?
German Potato Salad is a warm salad, consisting of potatoes, bacon, seasonings, and a tangy, bacon-vinegarette. In the United States, potato salad is served cold and usually made with potatoes, eggs, and a mayo-based dressing so these two salads are really on the opposite ends of the potato salad spectrum!
Another difference between the two is that cold potato salad is coated with the dressing, while the hot bacon dressing is able to soak into the potatoes in the warm potato salad, which gives this salad its big bacon flavor.
Where did German Potato Salad originate?
Potatoes were not originally very popular in Germany, until after the 1700s. Through war and changes in farming, potatoes became a crop that was no longer just for peasants but for everyone. This can be seen in how different German Potato Salad recipes vary across all of Germany, with no one standard recipe but regional favorites instead.
German immigrants brought their potato salad recipes with them to the U.S. and once Americans fell in love with this salad, it was named German Potato Salad.
How long does German Potato Salad last in the refrigerator?
German Potato Salad will last for 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
You can enjoy the leftovers cold or warm them slowly in the microwave, 30 seconds to a minute at a time, to enjoy the potato salad hot again. You can also leave the potato salad to warm up on the counter until it’s room temperature if you prefer.
The potatoes do absorb the dressing so the leftovers may be slightly dry. However, don’t let freshly made or leftover potato salad sit out for more than 2 hours. If you make it further in advance than 2 hours, cover the bowl, and pop it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Other Recipes You May Like
- Broccoli Bacon Salad
- Julie’s Best Potato Salad
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Bacon and Avocado Pasta Salad
- Crockpot Baked Beans
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Tex-Mex Corn Salad
German Potato Salad
Equipment
- Large Deep-Sided Skillet (see note)
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds red potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 8 slices bacon (see note)
- 1 red onion peeled and diced
- â…“ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot. Fill the pot with water so that it covers the potato by 1 inch.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- While the potatoes cook, Place a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon (in two batches) until crispy, flipping as needed. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and leave the drippings in the pan. Once cool enough to handle, chop the bacon into small pieces.
- Add the onions to the bacon drippings and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.
- Add the vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard to the skillet. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan to get the brown bits up. Let the sauce reduce slightly.
- When the potatoes are cooked, drain the water, but do not rinse the potatoes. Add the potatoes, chopped bacon, and olive oil to the skillet with the onion sauce and stir to coat.
- Transfer the potato salad to a large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley before serving warm.
Notes
- If you don’t have a deep-sided skillet, you can return the potatoes to the pot they were boiled in. Then add the bacon and dressing to the pot and mix everything together.
- If using thick-cut bacon, you can reduce the amount to 6 slices. Or you can increase the amount of bacon all the way up to 1 pound.
- Some people like to add garlic or celery to German potato salad. You can add 2 stalks of finely chopped celery to the skillet at the same time as the onions. Then you can add a minced garlic clove or two with 1 minute left on the onion cook time, but make sure to stir constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
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