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German potato salad is everything a potato salad should be. It’s served warm, loaded with crispy bacon, tender potatoes, and tossed in a tangy mustard and vinegar dressing. It’s hearty, bold, and completely mayo-free.
We’ll always love a classic, creamy American potato salad, but when you want something a little different (and a whole lot more savory), this German potato salad is the answer. No eggs, no mayo—just simple ingredients, big flavor, and a side dish that steals the show every time.
What Makes It German?
Unlike American potato salad, German potato salad is traditionally served warm and dressed with vinegar, mustard, and bacon instead of mayonnaise. The result is a tangy, savory potato dish that pairs perfectly with grilled meats, sausages, and hearty dinners.
Why You Will Love this Recipe
- Easy and Approachable: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make this an easy side dish, even for beginner cooks.
- Flavor: Bacon, mustard, vinegar, and garlic create bold, savory flavor in every bite.
- Perfect Texture: Tender potatoes with crispy bacon give this salad the ideal balance of soft and crunchy.
- Allergy Friendly: This recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free—just double-check your mustard labels.
Ingredients for German Potato Salad
- Potatoes: We love the combo of some Yukon gold potatoes and red potatoes, but you could do all of one or the other. Just avoid the russets!
- Salt: adds flavor to the potatoes as they boil
- Bacon: adds flavor and a crunchy texture to the dish. Don’t forget to reserve some of the bacon grease left behind.
- Butter: use unsalted so that you can control the saltiness of the dish
- Olive Oil: extra virgin is preferred
- Apple Cider Vinegar: adds acid to the dish
- Garlic: adds flavor, be sure to use fresh garlic
- Sugar: mellows out the vinegar
- Mustards: we use a combo of stone ground mustard and Dijon for maximum flavor
- Salt and Pepper: just enough until it tastes perfect to you
- Parsley: some is going to get mixed in while everything is cooking and some is going to be added fresh on top at the end so make sure you follow the instructions
The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Don’t Skip the Parsley!
The ingredients are so few and so simple that it seems impossible it could be so good, but it is heaven! It’s all topped with a little fresh parsley on top because, while it seems useless, it actually freshens the whole dish up. Trust me, you need to make this.
How to Make German Potato Salad
- Boil the Potatoes: Heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling then add the halved potatoes and the salt. Cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes.
- Cook the Bacon: Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add the bacon pieces. Let the bacon cook, stirring occasionally until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve some bacon grease for the dressing (hello flavor town!!).
- Make the Dressing: Add the garlic and some of the parsley to the dutch oven and stir until cooked then add the rest of the ingredients for the dressing whisking until combined. Bring it to a simmer until it thickens slightly.
- Combine: Add the potatoes and stir gently to coat in the dressing. Add the bacon and the rest of the parsley and stir to combine.
- Serve: Serve warm with addition salt and pepper if needed.
Variations for German Potato Salad
There are a few options for changing this recipe up. You can always try different combinations of potatoes, though we really love the combination of reds and Yukon golds.
If you want to lighten things up a little, try using turkey bacon. You’ll be losing a lot of flavor if you go with this option because you won’t have the bacon grease to add to the dressing. Turkey bacon is quite lean and doesn’t leave much, if any, grease behind.
Feel free to play with the mustards that you use. If you want to add a little heat, try using a little spicy brown mustard.
And lastly, if you aren’t a fan of parsley, try it with dill! So yummy!
For potato salad, you’ll want to stay away from starchy, thick-skinned potatoes like russets, which will fall apart during the cooking process.
Red potatoes or golden potatoes maintain the perfect texture for potato salad.
German potato salad is traditionally served warm, though leftovers can be enjoyed at room temperature or reheated.
No. Authentic German potato salad uses vinegar, mustard, and bacon fat instead of mayo.
Yes! You can make it a few hours ahead and gently reheat it on the stove before serving.
You can, but it’s best warm when the flavors are most vibrant and the bacon fat stays silky.
What to Eat with German Potato Salad
This is a side dish that can go with any type of protein as the main dish. Here a few of our favorites:
Storing and Reheating
Left over potato salad will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container. This potato salad doesn’t freeze well unfortunately. The textures just don’t hold up when it is thawed.
The reheat this dish, I prefer to use a dutch oven on the stove top. Just warm it up over medium heat until the potatoes have warmed through.
Someone asked me the other day if I had to choose between German potato salad and traditional American potato salad, which would I choose. That decision is impossible for me to make! They are so different and sometimes I just crave the nostalgia of a classic potato salad.
But if you want a warm and flavorful potato side dish, then a German potato salad is a fantastic option!
More Potato Side Dishes:
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