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Easy German Potato Salad Recipe

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This German Potato Salad Recipe is packed full of flavor! Crispy bacon, a delicious vinaigrette and plenty of dill. Itโ€™s easy to make and ready in no time! Creamy, sweet savory flavors that burst in your mouth!

German Potato Salad - top down shot in a frypan

This potato salad pairs perfectly with my Crispy Chicken Schnitzel Recipe! If youโ€™re looking for more delicious salads, give my healthy Chicken Caesar Salad recipe a go, my Vietnamese Chicken Salad or my Greek Salad. All tasty salads!

German Potato Salad is a mouthwatering salad that combines the creaminess of potatoes with a tangy and savory dressing. It has bacon, onions and vinegar giving it s deliciously bold flavor. Best served warm, itโ€™s the perfect side dish or main!

Why make this recipe!

There are so many things to love about this recipe! From the perfectly cooked potatoes to that tangy salad dressing that soaks in!

  • Potatoes – the boiled potatoes have a creamy texture and are perfectly seasoned!
  • Easy to make! It really takes little effort to put this delicious salad together
  • Great as a side or main!

Whatโ€™re the right potatoes to use?

Itโ€™s important to use the right potato when making potato salad. The best potato for potato salad is a waxy potato like :

German Potato Salad - red potatoes
  • Red potatoes – the ones I used.
  • Yukon Gold potatoes
  • New potatoes.

Waxy potatoes hold their shape when boiled, give you a nice creamy texture and and taste amazing.

Ingredients You Need To Make German Potato Salad

Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page โ€“ just scroll down to the bottom, or click the โ€˜Jump to Recipeโ€™ button at the top of this post.

German Potato Salad - ingredients image
  • Baby red potatoes – these are the potatoes I used and I love the contrast in color they provide. But you can use Yukon gold or new potatoes.
  • Streaky bacon – the fat that renders out of this bacon provides so much flavor!
  • Red onion – love the sweet flavor you get from these vibrant onions.
  • Apple cider vinegar – this is a slightly sweet and tangy vinegar and perfect for salads.
  • White sugar – granulated sugar works best here.
  • Olive oil – I used extra virgin olive oil.
  • Mustard – use any type you like but I used Dijon mustard. Iโ€™ve used English mustard which works as well.
  • Spring onions – also known as green onions.
  • Dill – use lots of this! It adds so much flavor.
  • Salt and pepper – to taste.

How to make German Potato Salad!

Whipping up this mouthwatering potato salad is so easy. Letโ€™s get started!

German Potato Salad - steps 01
  1. Add potatoes to cold water,
  2. Cook until a knife goes through with some resistance. The potatoes will continue cooking once taken out of the water.
  3. Drain from the water
  4. Allow to cool for 10 min before slicing into 3โ€™s or 4โ€™s.
German Potato Salad - steps 02
  1. Slice the streaky bacon long ways
  2. Then chop up.
  3. Place on a cold frypan and place on medium heat
  4. Until the fat renders out and is bubbly
German Potato Salad - steps 03
  1. Take the bacon out of the frypan using a slotted spoon and place on plate lined with paper towel.
  2. Add onion into frypan with bacon fat.
  3. Cook for a couple minutes before adding the apple cider vinegar, mustard, sugar and olive oil. Stir until it bubbles and is well combined.
  4. Add the potatoes,
German Potato Salad - steps 04
  1. Dill and spring onion.
  2. Stir until well combined. Serve warm!
German Potato Salad - close up in a frypan with garnish

Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!

  • Use waxy potatoes – waxy potatoes hold their shape and give you a creamy texture once boiled.
  • Cook potatoes until just tender – overcooked potatoes can turn mushy and fall apart.
  • Let the salad rest – for 30 minutes before serving to let the dressing flavors soak into the warm potatoes.
  • For best flavor results – make sure you add the potatoes to the vinaigrette when theyโ€™re warm so they can soak in the flavor.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature – also delicious served chilled straight out of the fridge!

Frequently Asked Questions about German Potato Salad

What does it taste like?

German Potato Salad is tangy, salty and savory. The dressing is sweet and tangy and the potatoes, when cooked right, are creamy and delicious.

How do I store this?

Refrigerate German Potato Salad in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! This salad is great served warm, but still really nice served chilled straight out of the fridge!

How do I know when the potatoes are cooked?

Pierce the potatoes with a fork or knife. If it goes in smoothly with a little resistance, the potatoes are done.

What does the dressing taste like?

The bacon provides a delicious saltiness, the mustard and vinegar provide a tanginess and the sugar provides some sweetness. A perfectly balanced and delicious dressing that soaks into the potatoes and make them so tasty!

Can German potato salad be served cold?

Yes! You can serve it straight out the fridge. You can even re-warm it in the microwave.

Gave this a go? Donโ€™t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!

What to serve with German Potato Salad!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!

German Potato Salad - thumbnail 02

German Potato Salad Recipe

This German Potato Salad Recipe is packed full of flavor! Crispy bacon, a delicious vinaigrette and plenty of dill. Itโ€™s easy to make and ready in no time!

Serves 6

5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: German
Calories: 348kcal

Ingredients

German Potato Salad

  • 2 lb / 1 kg baby red potatoes, washed, (see notes)
  • 6 slices / 200 g streaky bacon, chopped
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup / 85 ml apple cider vinegar, (see notes)
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 2 green onions, spring onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped


Instructions

Potatoes

  • Add the baby potatoes in a large pot filled with cold water and bring to a boil. Once boiled, sprinkle in 1 tbsp of salt. Reduce to a heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until slightly firm in the center when a knife is inserted into them. They will continue cooking once you take them out. Drain and set aside to cool for 10 minutes before slicing in threes.

Dressing

  • Add the bacon to a large, unheated, non-stick frypan and turn on medium heat. The bacon will release a lot of fat. Continue cooking until golden and slightly crispy, about 3 minutes.
  • Take the bacon out with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towel, leaving the fat behind in the frypan.
  • Add the sliced onion and cook until slightly softened but with a little but of a bite in them, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the vinegar and simmer for a couple minutes before adding the cooked potatoes into the frypan and tossing to coat everything.
  • Add half of the potatoes to a serving plate before sprinkling with 1/2 of the bacon and dill. Add the remaining potatoes and garnish with the remaining bacon and dill. Salad is best served the day its made and typically served warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Potatoes: this recipe needs waxy potatoes that hold their shape after being boiled. Starchy potatoes will turn to mush when you try mixing the salad. I used baby red potatoes. You want your potatoes to be small. If youโ€™re based in America and canโ€™t find these potatoes, use the Yukon gold potatoes, and just thickly slice them once cooked and slightly cooled.
Apple cider vinegar: You can use white wine vinegar in its place.
Storage – Salad is best served the day its made and typically served warm or at room temperature but can also be stored in an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to three days.
Nutrition – is based on per serving and this recipe feeds 6 people as a side salad. 2 as a main.
A note on measurements – all ingredients in this recipe are offered in Australian cup measurements and weight measurements. Weight measurements are created by me, in my kitchen here in Melbourne Australia. The best way to get recipe success is to measure ingredients by weight, using kitchen scales.

Nutrition

Calories : 348kcal
Carbonhydrates: 31g
Protein: 8g
Fat: 22g
Saturated Fat: 6g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g
Monounsaturated Fat : 12g
Trans Fat : 0.05g
Cholesterol: 24mg
Sodium: 323mg
Potassium : 816mg
Fiber: 3g
Sugar : 7g
Vitamin A: 83IU
Vitamin C: 15mg
Calcium: 29mg
Iron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!

1 comment

Nick Makrides April 6, 2023 - 9:44 am

5 stars
This sweet and tangy salad is so easy to make and satisfying to eat! N x

Reply
5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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