Old Fashioned German Potato Salad has perfectly crispy bacon, red onion, and is dressed with a dijon vinegar dressing. Bonus: it can be served either hot or cold! You’re going to love it!
Potato salad is an essential component to any family bbq. As kids, we never really understood what was supposed to be so alluring about potato salad. Cold potatoes coated in mayo? No thank you. We should have known better when the adults never made us add it to our plate, yet always went back for seconds themselves. By the time we finally got around to trying it for the first time, we had already wasted far too many potato salad eating years! Oh well, we are certainly making up for lost time now! However, our true love of potato salad didn’t start with that mayonnaise-loaded stuff we grew up with, but with German potato salad. German potato salad typically refers to Southern German style, and we are all about it. Forgo the mayo and enjoy this dijon vinegar dressing-based potato salad!
German Potato Salad vs: American Potato Salad:
In a Southern German Potato Salad, the dressing is made from bacon drippings and vinegar. In an American Potato Salad, the dressing is largely mayonnaise based. They are both equally delicious!
What is German Potato Salad called in German?
Kartoffelsalat is the name of German Potato Salad in the German language.
Potato Options:
You can use a wide variety of potatoes for this recipe as long as it has a thin skin that is pleasant to eat. Popular options besides the listed red potatoes include Yukon Gold, Yellow, Fingerling and New/Baby) potatoes.
Serving Options:
German Potato Salad can be served either warm or cold. It’s a matter of personal preference, and it is delicious either way.
Storage Instructions:
When chilling, you can simply cover the bowl in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. For longer term storage, this salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Since it can be enjoyed cold, no reheating is required.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious German inspired recipes:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Old Fashioned German Potato Salad
- 2 pounds red potatoes diced
- 1 pound bacon diced
- 1 red onion diced
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in diced potatoes and boil until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Meanwhile, add bacon to a cold large skillet. Heat over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon from grease and set aside, leaving grease in pan.
- Add red onion to grease and cook 5 minutes until onions are soft. Whisk in vinegar, olive oil, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour sauce over cooked potatoes. Toss with bacon and parsley. Serve hot, or chill to serve cold.
Nutrition
