I had my first taste of authentic German Potato Salad 7 years ago… and it was love at first bite! The delicious side dish is made with red potatoes, yellow onion, and a delicious apple cider vinegar dressing. And gently tossed with cooked bacon, chives, and a drizzle of olive oil! Unlike American potato salads, this side dish can be served warm, cold, or room temperature.

German Potato Salad: The King of Summer Side Dishes

A few years ago my mother-in-law picked up lunch from a local German deli. Among the provisions, I spotted a small container of german style potato salad. Even before I took the lid off, I could smell the aromatic apple cider dressing. Bright green chives and crunchy bacon stood out on the bright red potatoes…

I’m not typically a potato salad fan, but I was instantly intrigued! I ripped off the lid and dug in. I was hooked after one bite and fell in love with this easy summery side dish. Here’s why I think you will love it too:

• German potato salad is the perfect summer side dish for potlucks, parties, barbecues, and picnics.
• But you can enjoy this year-round, because it pairs great with sausage, steak, chicken, and more.
• Quick and easy to make, it should only take you 15 minutes to whip up!
• This recipe makes a large bowl of potato salad. Double or triple the recipe to serve a larger crowd.
• Serve this potato salad warm, cold, or at room temperature. My personal favorite it room temperature.
• Unlike most salad recipes, this actually gets more delicious over time. So feel free to make it up to 24 hours in advance.
• 10 basic ingredients… and you can adapt them as needed.

What is German Potato Salad?

• Unlike American potato salads which typically feature a heavy mayo based dressing. German style potato salads are dressed in a light but flavor packed apple cider vinegar based salad dressing.
• Most recipes use small waxy potatoes, such as baby yukon gold or baby red potatoes. But fingerlings, peewees, or new potatoes will also work great here. I don’t suggest using starchy potatoes.
• People will argue about what should be included in an authentic german potato salad. But most recipes feature cooked potatoes, warm vinegar dressing, bacon, and chives gently tossed together.
• German style potato salad is most traditionally served warm, but is delicious cold or at room temperature. Making it a great party recipe!

German Potato Salad Recipe

• Baby Potatoes: Although this recipe calls for baby red potatoes, baby yellow potatoes will work! And in a pinch, you can use larger waxy potatoes and cut them into cubes. Do not sub starchy potatoes.
• Bacon: Don’t skip this ingredient! The recipe uses bacon grease in the apple cider vinegar dressing and cooked bacon in the salad. I like to think of it as essential saturated fat. If you can’t find bacon, pancetta makes a good substitute.
• Yellow Onion: One whole onion might seem like a lot, but it adds just the right amount of flavor. You can use red onion or yellow onion in a pinch.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar instead. But I do prefer ACV, as the flavor is perfect in this salad! And it’s super healthy, so definitely pick a bottle up when you can!
• Sugar: Granulated sugar and brown sugar create a sweet and flavorful dressing. Feel free to cut the sugar back by 1 Tablespoon, if desired. But don’t completely omit it.
• Dijon Mustard: Use regular dijon or country dijon for a seedier and heartier mustard flavor and texture. I don’t suggest omitting the mustard.
• Salt and Pepper: Use as needed. I suggest starting with a small amount, tasting, and adding more as needed.
• Chives: If you can’t find chives, fresh scallions – thinly sliced – make a nice substitute. They’ll add a nice kick and crunch to the salad. Or in a pinch, use finely chopped fresh parsley.

How to Make German Potato Salad

1. Cook the Potatoes: Fill a large pot with cold water and bring to a boil. Place the red potatoes in the large pot and cook until they’re soft enough to easily pierce with a fork. Drain and run the cooked potatoes under cold water. Slice into 1/4″ inch rounds.
2. Cook the Bacon: In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop the bacon strips into bacon bits. Don’t discard the bacon grease!
3. Cook the Onions: Add in the onions to the pan (leave most of the bacon grease) and cook until translucent. Adjust the heat in the onions starts browning or burning.
4. Make the Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing: Combine the apple cider vinegar, mustard, sugars, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined, taste, and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
5. Cook the Dressing: Add the vinaigrette to the onions and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes. This will help the dressing slightly thicken.
6. Gently Toss the Potato Salad: Add the potatoes and some of the bacon to the pan and stir gently. Making sure you coat all the potatoes in the yummy warm dressing and onions.
7. Garnish and Serve: And just like that, your German Potato Salad is ready! The finishing touch is transferring it to a serving dish and sprinkling on some chives and the remaining bacon. If you fancy, feel free to add a drizzle of olive oil right before serving.

What to serve with German Potato Salad:

If you’ve been searching for a mayo free potato salad to try this summer, I can’t recommend this one enough! Easy, super flavorful, and it won’t leave you feeling super heavy or bloated. Here are a few of my favorite recipes to pair it with:

• Hamburgers and/or hotdogs
• Other summer salads, like pasta salad, quinoa salad, or macaroni salad
• Italian hoagies (aka sub sandwiches)
• Turkey club picnic sandwiches
• Meatball sub sandwiches
• Chicken wings or grilled chicken
• Sausage and peppers
• BBQ ribs, chicken, or salmon
• Fruit salad
• Grilled shrimp or shrimp cocktail
• Cold ham

Basically, it’s the perfect side dish for any summertime picnic, potluck, or party! Or just as an exciting side dish for dinner tonight. I’ve even made this as the main course and topped it with a fried egg. Try it… it’s so delicious!

How to Store German Style Potato Salad

• Transfer any leftover potato salad to a clean storage container. Tightly seal with a cover or plastic wrap.
• Transfer the container to the fridge and chill for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to enjoy, remove it from the fridge and eat cold or briefly warm on the stovetop or microwave.
• When serving this, I suggest keeping it out of direct sunlight. And gently tossing it every so often to ensure it doesn’t get too dry.
• After 2 hours of being out of the fridge, I would suggest discarding any leftovers so you don’t risk getting food sickness. Use your best judgement here. If it’s very hot, the salad might need to be placed in the fridge sooner to ensure it stays fresh.

German Potato Salad Recipe

Ashley Manila

I had my first taste of authentic German Potato Salad 7 years ago… and it was love at first bite! The delicious side dish is made with red potatoes, yellow onion, and a delicious apple cider vinegar dressing. And gently tossed with cooked bacon, chives, and a drizzle of olive oil! Unlike American potato salads, this side dish can be served warm, cold, or room temperature.

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine German

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

 

• 2 pounds baby potatoes
• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced chives, for garnish

Instructions

 

• Place the potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook for about 13 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
• Drain potatoes and quickly run them under cold water until cool to the touch. Then transfer to a cutting board and carefully slice into 1/4-inch rounds. Set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Once crisp, place on a paper towel-lined plate to cool for a minute. Then transfer to a cutting board and roughly chop into small pieces. Drain about half of the bacon grease from the pan, then place the pan back over medium heat. 
• Add the onion into the skillet with the remaining bacon grease and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• In a spouted measuring cup combine the the apple cider vinegar, both sugars, dijon mustard, salt and pepper, and stir until well combined. Pour into the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until bubbling and slightly thickened. 
• Add in 1/4 cup of the bacon and the sliced potatoes and toss to coat. Cook for 1 minute, then transfer to a serving dish. 
• Top with the remains crumbled bacon and chives. Serve warm.

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