This German potato salad is loaded with a whole pound of smoky, crispy bacon, tender red potatoes, and a dressing that’s robust with apple cider vinegar, bacon drippings, and two kinds of earthy mustard. Served warm, it’s a delicious balance of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors. It’s the kind of potato salad that has people going back for seconds!
Hands Down, This German Potato Salad Recipe Is My Favorite Potato Salad!
With mostly German ancestry on both sides of my family, meals of sausage and sauerkraut were common at our table when I was growing up, and still are today. But it wasn’t until our family was on vacation in the Black Hills when our daughters were very young that I had my first experience with authentic German potato salad. Just like when I tried German potato soup and rouladen for the first time, I was instantly hooked!
There are a couple things that make German potato salad very different from the typical American potato salad. And the first thing that stood out to me was that it is served warm rather than cold. I admit that my first bites did feel a bit odd, but by the time I cleaned my plate, I was 1000% convinced that I wanted warm German potato salad on regular repeat!
The other major difference is that German potato salad has a dressing made of bacon drippings, vinegar, and mustard. It starts with a whole pound of bacon, and the drippings are put to good use, giving the dressing a rich, smoky base. Onion and garlic add savory sweetness, while two different kinds of mustard add creaminess and pops of pungent flavor. A bit of sugar balances the tang of the apple cider vinegar, creating a warm dressing that’s savory, sweet, and tangy. And that’s exactly what I want in a good German potato salad!
And last but certainly not least, let’s talk about the potatoes. There couldn’t be a more perfect vehicle for soaking up all that vinegar-y, bacon-y dressing. I use red potatoes because they don’t crumble and break like starchy potatoes do when boiled and stirred. Plus, I like the color that red potato skins add to the finished dish, as I never peel the potatoes.
When it’s just our family eating this potato salad, I most often serve it straight from the skillet, hot and super fragrant. I like to pair it with farmer’s sausage or juicy grilled bratwurst or pork chops from our local Hagberg’s butcher shop — plus a side of sauerkraut, of course!
“YUUUUUUUM!!! Made this for a Memorial Day cookout and it was a hit. Easy to put together, and omg the Apple cider vinegar was amazing. I’ll never go back to American-style potato salad again.”
Amber
It’s Very Important to Not Under-Cook or Over-Cook the Potatoes.
The amount of time for cooking potatoes will depend on a variety of things — such as the size of your potatoes, the size of your pot, how much water is in the pot, etc. I stress: do not pay attention to the minutes as much as the texture of the potatoes. The potatoes are done when you can pierce them very easily with a fork, with absolutely no resistance. When this happens, immediately drain the potatoes.
German Potato Salad Loaded with Bacon
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds medium-sized red potatoes
- 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt, divided
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into ½" pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard (use a bit more if you really like mustard)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cut any larger potatoes in half so that all potatoes are approximately the same size. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1". Bring to a boil and stir in 1 tablespoon of the salt. Reduce heat to medium, so the water is just gently bubbling. Cook potatoes until they are very easily pierced with a fork, about 10 to 15 minutes. Immediately drain the water so they don't overcook and place potatoes back in empty pot.
- Return the pot to the still-hot burner. With the lid off, let the potatoes steam-dry for a few minutes. This allows the potatoes to absorb the dressing more easily. When cool enough to handle, cut potatoes into ¾-inch sized pieces (leave the skins on) on a cutting board.
- In a large skillet with tall sides, fry the bacon pieces over medium heat until chewy-crisp. With a slotted spoon, transfer cooked bacon to a plate.
- Return skillet with bacon grease to the stove top, over medium heat. Add onion and stir to coat. Cook for about 4 minutes, or until onion is nicely softened, stirring regularly. If onion starts to brown, turn heat down a little bit and continue cooking until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Remove skillet from heat and stir in whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper. Then slowly pour in the vinegar and stir to combine. Return skillet to medium heat and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove skillet from heat and add potatoes. Fold the potatoes until nearly all the dressing is absorbed. Then fold in the bacon. Add remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt (use more or less, to taste) and parsley, and fold again. Finish with a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper over the top.
- Serve straight from the skillet or transfer the salad to a serving bowl. This dish is known for being served warm or at room temperature, but can also be served chilled.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
My First Taste of German Potato Salad
I first tasted German potato salad at the Alpine Inn in Hill City, South Dakota, on a family trip to the Black Hills.
While we were waiting to ride on the 1880 Train, a vintage steam locomotive near Mt. Rushmore, we walked across the street from the train depot to enjoy an authentic German meal. We sat at a sweet little table on the restaurant’s covered porch, which gave our daughters a front row seat to all the locomotive action.
As I perused a menu that included spaetzle, schnitzel, and lots and lots of red cabbage, my eyes caught sight of the German potato salad that came with the smoked bratwurst. From the waitress’ description of the potato salad, I knew I just had to try it. And as they say, the rest is history!
Your cover picture shows seeds within the delicious looking salad……..what are the seeds?
Thank You I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Hi Carroll – what you’re seeing is the whole-grain mustard.
I made with center cut bacon. Did not drain any fat, added a dash of red wine vinegar to the sauce and topped with sour cream and green onions. Cilantro would add even more taste. I used monk fruit sugar to keep it lower carb. Delicious.
Hi Teri – I’m so glad to hear this. Thank you for coming back here to let me know and to rate the recipe!
This is awesome, thank you!
So glad you like this, Rebekah – thank you for coming back here to let me know + rate the recipe!
My mom was born in Germany, came here as a young wife and mother. This recipe sounds close to hers but she also added a little powdered chicken bouillon for extra flavor. Sadly she is not with me anymore and I didn’t write down her recipe.Will try and recreate this weekend.
That’s an interesting recipe addition! Thank you for sharing about your mom. :)
I first had German Potato salad at The Alpine too! I have been trying to find a similar recipe ever since- so thank you for posting this! I work part time on the 1880 train in the summer, so it’s always fun to see someone has visited and has the same standards as The Alpine! Such a wonderful place!!
This was good, but I prefer my moms/grandmothers Hot German Potato Salad recipe. Regular potatoes, white vinegar, no mustard, done in the crockpot all day. Prior to this I never had a HGPS done in a skillet.
This potato salad is delicious. We don’t normally love vinegar so I toned it down with about a quarter of a cup of mayo added in and it was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
So glad you liked this!
YUUUUUUUM!!! Made this for a Memorial Day cookout and it was a hit. Easy to put together, and omg the Apple cider vinegar was amazing. I’ll never go back to American-style potato salad again.
I LOVE to hear this, Amber! Thank you for coming back to let me know. :)
This is delicious. My hubby and I went to our first German restaurant a few weeks ago and we are hooked. I love the ease of this recipe and more importantly the taste. It went well with our red cabbage and brats. Thanks for a great recipe.
So glad you like this recipe, Denise! Thanks for coming back to let me know. :)
Turned out great! Whole family loved it!
I LOVE to hear this!!
I love Alpine Inn! My family is from Rapid City. I can’t wait to try this salad.
Should this have some flour stirred in to thicken the dressing?
I lost my recipe for hot German potato Salad and yours came close. I remember mine had dry mustard and not regular mustards like this one, but really no difference, and my mother always put celery seed in hers which I added and it was wonderful. Thank you so much for your post. I think the celery seed adds a wonderful flavor to this salad. Try adding it and see what you think, ok.
Your picture of the wurst, kraut and salad was a picture of many childhood dinners in my family. Loved it then, love it now.
Yay! Me, too! :)
This is too good!! Funny thing is I just roasted about 10 red potatoes in the oven last night because they needed to be cooked. Now I can use them to make this!! <3
Beautiful. Hope you like this, Lauren!
I love non-mayo based potato salads… and this one looks fabulous. My mother-in-law has German routes and I’ve really grown to love some of the dishes she’s made, including a pickled herring salad (with potatoes and beets).
Now I’ve had plenty of pickled herring, but never a pickled herring salad. That sounds awesome!
Having spent 5 1/2 years in country, love agood dish of potato salad, this dish was as I remember, served with knockwurst great dinner
This is a great looking potato salad!
Thank you, Taylor!
This potato salad is on point!
Thanks Lauren!
The classic salad!! I love this meal :)
Thanks Gerry!