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You are here: Crunchy Creamy Sweet / Salad / German Potato Salad Recipe

German Potato Salad Recipe

Published: May 23, 2018 · Modified: Mar 14, 2020 by Anna 17 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

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This German Potato Salad is made with warm red potatoes, crispy bacon and tangy mustard onion dressing. It makes for a perfect summer side dish!

Serve this salad with grilled chicken or as a side to pork schnitzel and braised red cabbage for a truly German meal.

Close up of German Potato Salad with bacon, served in a white bowl.

Potato salad is always my go-to side dish for summer BBQ. If you stop by our house during any summer weekend, it is almost guaranteed I will have a big bowl of potato salad waiting to be served. We love them all: creamy and well-chilled or warm with a tangy dressing. Potato salads make for a great side dish and the combinations are limitless.

This German Potato Salad is tangy, hearty and so tasty thanks to the mustard dressing and crispy bacon. It goes so well with grilled chicken, burgers or sausage. If you are looking to switch things up from the classic creamy American potato salad, try the recipe below. It's bound to be a hit!

Ingredients:

  • red potatoes
  • salt and pepper
  • bacon
  • onion
  • apple cider vinegar
  • water
  • mustard
  • sugar
  • fresh parsley or dill

Instructions:

  • Start the salad by washing red potatoes and cutting them into quarters.
  • Place in a pot, cover with water, add a generous amount of salt and bring to boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes OR until the potatoes are done. Check with a fork. They should not fall apart but the fork should be able to go through a piece easily. Cut big pieces into smaller bite-size cubes.
  • Next, cook chopped bacon in a skillet. I recommend cast iron pan. Once crispy, remove bacon into a bowl. If your bacon is very fatty, feel free to drain some of the grease.
  • Add chopped onion (and garlic, if using) to grease. Stir often and cook until translucent.
  • In a small measuring cup, whisk together apple cider vinegar, water, mustard and sugar.
  • Add to cooked onion. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, then remove from heat.
  • In a bowl with bacon, toss potatoes with dressing. Garnish with chopped parsley or dill and serve while still warm. You can make the potatoes ahead of time and cook the dressing before serving.

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Cooked red potatoes, crispy bacon and mustard onion dressing in a white bowl with chopped parsley.

Should I serve it warm or cold?

Traditionally, German potato salad is served warm. It is recommended to make the mustard dressing in the skillet, pour over potatoes and bacon and serve. You can always refrigerate it and serve later, but cold bacon is not as tasty as crispy!

Variations:

  • Beer: You can add your favorite German beer to the apple cider vinegar and mustard mixture and reduce in the skillet. Don't forget to serve a tall frosty glass of it alongside the ready dish!
  • Pickles: Yep, feel free to toss in chopped pickles to the salad. They will go well since the dressing is tangy and vinegary.
  • Dill: This herb is made to go with potatoes. Skip the parsley and stir in a tablespoon of chopped fresh dill with potatoes and dressing. So tasty!
Overhead shot of potato salad served in a white bowl, wish parsley and red potatoes in the background.

More salad recipes:

  • Dill Pickle Potato Salad
  • Green Bean and Potato Salad
  • Easy Broccoli Salad

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

Potato salad in a white bowl with bacon.

German Potato Salad

Author: Anna
This German Potato Salad is made with warm red potatoes, crispy bacon and tangy mustard onion dressing. It makes for a perfect summer side dish!
4.75 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Salad
Cuisine German
Servings 6 people
Calories 346 kcal
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Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 lb red potatoes
  • ½ lb bacon chopped
  • 1 medium sweet onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic optional
  • ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
 

  • Wash potatoes and cut into quarters. Place in a pot and cover with water. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to boil. Cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes OR until the potatoes are done. They should not fall apart but the fork should easily pierce each piece. Drain and place in a large bowl.
  • In a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and add to potatoes in a bowl. If your bacon is very fatty, drain half the fat from the skillet. To remaining bacon grease in skillet, add garlic and onion and saute until the onion is translucent.
  • In a measuring cup, whisk together vinegar, water, sugar and mustard. Add to onion in skillet and simmer, stirring often, until slightly reduced and thickened.
  • Pour warm mustard dressing over potatoes and bacon and gently toss to coat.
  • Garnish with chopped parsley and serve, while still warm.

Notes

You can use red, yellow or young potatoes in this recipe, Traditionally, the recipe calls for red potatoes.
To easily chop bacon, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes. It should be very easy to slice.
To make ahead: cook potatoes and keep in a bowl in the fridge. Bring the room temperature while you make the dressing. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 770mg | Potassium: 1203mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2.2mg
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment with rating below!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.75 from 4 votes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Marilyn says

    April 18, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    4 stars
    I tried it tonight. It is really tart. But good with Bush’s Grilling beans.

    Reply
    • Anna says

      April 20, 2020 at 8:16 pm

      Thank you, Marilyn!

      Reply
    • Nancy Arasmith says

      August 12, 2021 at 9:44 am

      My grandma made a similar salad... but she used white vinegar and sugar in equal amounts... that way sweet, not tart, but really really tasty!

      Reply
  2. Barbara says

    October 03, 2019 at 7:28 am

    How many servings ?

    Reply
    • Anna says

      October 05, 2019 at 2:41 pm

      Hi Barbara! This recipe makes about 6 servings.

      Reply
  3. Doreen Chan says

    June 20, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    Can I use different kind of potatoes instead of the red skin potatoes?

    Reply
    • Anna says

      June 20, 2019 at 11:45 pm

      Yes, you can use Yukon gold potatoes, baby potatoes or even Russet potatoes. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  4. Sandra says

    May 25, 2018 at 12:07 pm

    5 stars
    Anything with bacon looks perfect to me!

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      May 28, 2018 at 11:18 pm

      Right? It just makes everything better! 😀

      Reply
  5. Catalina says

    May 24, 2018 at 3:42 pm

    WOW! This salad looks so perfect for me!

    Reply
  6. Jacque Hastert says

    May 24, 2018 at 10:04 am

    5 stars
    This sounds amazing. I love a classic summer staple.

    Reply
  7. Krista says

    May 24, 2018 at 9:01 am

    What a great potato salad! Great for a side dish!

    Reply
  8. Sabrina says

    May 24, 2018 at 7:33 am

    I love german style potato salad! Can't wait to try your recipe!

    Reply
  9. Katerina @ diethood .com says

    May 24, 2018 at 6:06 am

    5 stars
    This is my kind of potato salad!! Its perfect in every way!!

    Reply
  10. Dorothy says

    May 23, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    This looks tasty! I loved reading your suggestions on what else can be added! So good!

    Reply
  11. Amanda says

    May 23, 2018 at 4:09 pm

    Now this is comfort food! This is so tasty!!

    Reply
    • Anna@CrunchyCreamySweet says

      May 23, 2018 at 10:29 pm

      Thanks, Amanda!

      Reply

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