This German Potato salad is unlike your typical potato salad. Instead of being full of eggs and coated in a mayo dressing this potato salad is covered in a vinegary mustard, bacony dressing that you can’t miss. It’s full of red potatoes, bacon, and onions, and is the perfect side dish!
German Potato salad is such a yummy side dish! It’s very different than your typical American Potato Salad. It’s full of soft red potatoes, lots of bacon, red onion, and all covered in a slightly sweet sauce of bacon grease, vinegar, olive oil, mustard, and some seasonings, for lots of flavor in every bite!
It’s perfect served up with almost any dinner, I especially love it with some grilled chicken or steaks, or going for a full German style meal with some Schnitzel or grilled sausages. It’s also a great dish to serve up at a potluck style barbecue, alongside some pasta salads, and burgers.
What is the difference between American and German Potato Salad?
American Potato Salad is usually coated in a mayonnaise based dressing, German potato salad (or Southern German Potato Salad) is made with a bacon dripping and vinegar based dressing.
May Recipe Challenge: Potluck Side Dishes
Last month we started something new! For the rest of the year we are doing a monthly reader recipe challenge. The theme for the month of May is Potluck Side Dishes!
At the end of the month, I will randomly select one winner and send them a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
How to Enter our Monthly Reader Challenge:
- Choose any potluck style side dish from our website, and make the recipe. It could be a yummy pasta salad, fruit salad, jello salad, you name it. Some of my favorites are this German Potato Salad of course, and our southwest pasta salad, taco pasta salad, strawberry fluff, rainbow fruit salad, and texas caviar.
- Send me a picture of the recipe you made. Take a quick photo on your phone of the recipe that you made and email it to me at aimee@lmld.org or you can DM it to me on instagram @lmldfood.
- For Bonus Entries: Leave a comment on the blog post of the recipe you made letting me know what you thought of the recipe. Let me know that you made it for our May Potluck Challenge
- You can Make as Many Recipes as you Want from our website. Just take a photo and email it to me and you’ll be entered each time!
I would also love it if you would share the photo on social media using the hashtag #lmldfood or tagging us @lmldfood, but it’s not required.
The challenge is open to anyone over 18 years old. The challenge begins on May 1st, 2021 and ends on May 31st, 2021 at 5pm. The winner will be selected randomly, and I will reach out via email to notify the winner on June 1st, 2021.
How to make German Potato Salad?
Start by adding the cut up potato pieces to a large pot and filling the pot with water, to about 1 inch over the top of the potatoes. Heat the pot up over medium high heat until the water boils. Then lower the heat to medium low to let the water keep simmering, and let the potatoes cook until they are fork tender (That means you can pierce them with a fork easily).
In another pot, or a deep skillet cook the bacon (probably in 2 batched) until it’s nice and crispy, to your desired crispness. Transfer the bacon to some paper towels and chop it up once it’s cool enough to handle. Leave the bacon drippings in the pan.
Add the chopped onion to the drippings, and cook for about 5 minutes, until it starts to get tender. Add in the vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, salt, celery salt, and pepper and stir it all to combine. Scrape the bottom of the pan a bit to get the brown bits off. Let the sauce cook enough to thicken just a teeny bit.
When the potatoes are tender, drain them (don’t rinse them). Add the potatoes, chopped bacon, and olive oil to the skillet, and stir to combine.
Scoop the potatoes into a bowl to serve. Top with chopped parsley, if desired. And serve it up warm!
Tips for making German Potato Salad:
- The potato pieces can be peeled or unpeeled before boiling them.
- You can add even more bacon if you want to, up to a full pound.
- This potato salad is yummiest served warm, but you can also serve it cold.
- You can also add chopped celery in with the potato salad with you add the onions. Add about 2 stalks, chopped finely.
- German Potato Salad can be served hot or cold. You can serve it straight from the pot, warm, which is how I like it best. But you can of course stick it in the fridge and let it cool down first, or if you have any leftovers just enjoy them cold from the fridge.
How to store German Potato Salad?
Put the potato salad in a bowl with a lid, or cover with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
This German Potato Salad is such a delicious side dish! It’s great all year long, but extra yummy served up in the summer time at a potluck!
More Potluck Side Dish Recipes:
- Southwest Pasta Salad
- Taco Pasta Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Texas Caviar
- Rainbow Fruit Salad
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans
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German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 medium red onion (finely diced)
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 2 TBS light brown sugar
- 1 TBS dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Add the cubed potato pieces to a large pot and fill with water, to 1 inch over the top of the potatoes.
- Heat the pot over medium high heat on the stove, and bring to a boil. Then lower the temperature to medium low to a simmer, and continue to cook for about 12-16 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. (If you cut them small they'll be done faster, check to make sure they don't get overcooked).
- In another large pot, or deep skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a pile of paper towels, and leave the bacon drippings in the pan. When the bacon is cool chop it up into small pieces.
- Add the diced onion to the drippings and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion pieces are tender, stirring often.
- Add the vinegar, olive oil, brown sugar, mustard, salt, celery salt, and pepper to the onions and stir it all together to combine. Scraping the bottom of the pan to get the brown bits as needed. Let the mixture cook for a couple minutes.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them (don't rinse). Then add the potatoes, and bacon to the skillet with the onion mixture, and stir it all to combine.
- Scoop the potato salad into a serving bowl, top with parsley if desired, then serve warm.
- If you want to serve the potato salad cold, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for about 2 hours until chilled.
Nutrition
Christine McFerrin says
Sounds REALLY GOOD 😋😘
I have A lot of German in Me. Been wanting to try making more GERMAN DISHES To Past the Recipes Down To My Son & GF 🤩😘 So Tysvm for this Recipe 🙏
Nicole says
We made this for Fourth of July bbq. Much better than a mayonnaise salad collecting E. coli in the sun.
Aimee says
So glad you loved it!
Alisha B says
I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while, and then with Memorial Day coming up and the may recipe contest I decided that today was the day. It was a HUGE hit at our Memorial Day barbecue and I was very happy with how easy it was to make! I definitely added a little extra bacon 😆 but I loved everything about it.
Michele Kay Hornaday says
This sooo delicious! I didn’t change a thing it is screaming good just as it is. As I’m writing this I am making it a second time for my husbands birthday this is what he requested.
Aimee says
Ahh that makes me so happy! So glad you loved it!