Make this warm German potato salad with crisp bacon tossed in a zesty dressing the next time you need a fun and flavorful potato side dish!
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German Potato Salad Recipe
When you’re looking for something different than the classic potato salad and a little lighter, but just as much flavor as a loaded potato salad, this recipe for German potato salad is the one!
Slices of warm red potatoes, crispy bacon, and sauteed onion are tossed in a tangy, zesty, herbaceous dressing and because the potatoes are warm, they absorb so much more flavor. Serve it on the side of all your potluck, BBQ, and special occasion meals!
Why This Recipe Works
- Creamy without the mayo. Sort of. The buttery tender potatoes and the dressing cooked in bacon fat give the illusion of creamy potatoes.
- Can be served warm or cold. Although traditionally served warm, it’s just as good served cold.
Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Small red potatoes: Leave them peeled until after they’re cooked. Even then, I keep the skin on.
- For the dressing: Chicken broth, white vinegar, granulated sugar, and Dijon mustard.
- Bacon: I usually do bacon in the oven, but this time we’re using the skillet to collect the bacon grease in the skillet.
- Aromatics: Chopped red onion and minced garlic.
- Parsley: Chop up some Italian parsley, otherwise known as flat-leaf parsley.
- Salt and pepper: To season.
How to Make German Potato Salad
Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with water. Boil until fork tender. Drain them and allow them to cool until just cool to the touch (it will still be quite warm).
In a large skillet, fry the bacon until crispy, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the grease in the pan.
Saute the onion in the grease over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic to cook for 30 seconds, then add the combined broth, vinegar, sugar, and mustard. Deglaze bottom of pan and bring to a boil.
Once it has evaporated by half, remove the skillet from the heat and add the sliced potatoes, bacon, and parsley. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper. Top with chives and serve warm!
Recipe Tips
- Once the potatoes are cool enough to touch, cut them into slices or chunks. Skin on or off, it’s up to you.
- Deglaze the bottom of the pan. Removing those bottom bits will add tons of flavor to the hot potato salad.
- If you don’t have fresh parsley, use whatever fresh herbs you do have. Dill is always a good alternative. The same goes for red onions, if you don’t have them, go ahead and use a yellow onion instead.
- Swap the red potatoes for russets, Yukon gold potatoes, or baby potatoes.
- Use up your leftovers. Make this with leftover roasted red potatoes for a quick shortcut recipe with crisp textures.
Recipe FAQs
American potato salad is tossed in a mayo-based creamy dressing and contains things like dill pickle and hard-boiled eggs. It’s served cold or at room temperature.
Whereas German potato salad contains no mayo or hardboiled eggs and is served warm.
I always think it’s best served hot, just because that’s how it’s meant to be served. Plus, the flavors absorb into the potatoes while they are still nice and warm. However, there’s no right or wrong way.
We love it on the side of oven roasted chicken, baked ham, grilled chicken, or steak in the oven.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They’ll taste even better the next day! Give everything a toss before serving.
More salad recipes to try include Caprese salad, Greek salad and broccoli salad.
More Potato Recipes
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German Potato Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds small red potatoes
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 3 Tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 12 ounces bacon , cut into small pieces
- ½ red or yellow onion , chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 Tablespoons Italian parsley , chopped
- salt and pepper
For serving: chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Boil potatoes, unpeeled, until a fork can easily pierce them, drain, and allow to cool for a few minutes. They should be cool enough to handle, but still very warm.
- Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together broth, vinegar, sugar and mustard. Set aside
- Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel, but leave grease in pan.
- Add onion to bacon grease and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into small chunks or slices. You can remove the skins from the potatoes with a knife or leave them on.
- Add garlic to pan and cook another 30 seconds. Add broth mixture and let it come to a boil. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, or until its evaporated by half.
- Remove skillet from the heat and add the potatoes, bacon and parsley. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve warm in a serving bowl or directly from skillet to keep the salad warm longer. Top with chives, if desired.
Notes
- To store: Although it is meant to be served warm, it can also be served cold. It will keep for about 3-5 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: 4th of July, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Potatoes, Reader Favorites, Salads, Side Dishes, Stovetop
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
I thought it turned out great without any problems. Loved the flavors…traditional German potato salad much like I remember my grandmother making often. – Recipe Tester
So glad it brought back some fond memories and was delicious!
We all loved this, served at a family 4th of July party, even the teens loved it! I actually oven baked my bacon but saved some grease for sautéing the onion and garlic. This will go on our side dish rotation!
Sounds like it was a hit, thanks for making!
This potato salad has become my favorite recipe. So much flavor in every bite.
Enjoyed this with dinner last night and it was a savory success! Easy, hearty and delicious; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
This potato salad was so unique and delicious. Everyone loved it!
How would you transport and serve this salad in about 3 hours (church potluck)? Would a crockpot be a good choice, set on warm? I am worried it might get cold and either get too thick/dry or too soupy. Thank you for your help. I had a delicious German salad years ago in Georgia and I have wanted to try it myself.
That might work, although it hasn’t been tested so I can’t say for sure. You might want to test it before taking it to the potluck or just serve it at room temperature. Looking forward to hearing how it goes!
So good! Love that it is warm and not a creamy dressing.