This authentic German potato salad recipe was handed down to me from my German immigrant Grandma. It’s made with red potatoes dressed in a warm vinegar dressing with bacon, onion, and grainy stoneground mustard.
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“I made this recipe of German potato salad for a family reunion and they liked it so much that at the end there was some left that they took the leftovers home for themselves and I was left with an empty dish. I was also told that I HAD to make it again next year.” -Andrew, FoodieCrush reader
This Is One of the Recipes That My German Grandma Passed Down to Me
Potato salads are my jam, and I enjoy them all. From my grandma’s classic potato salad to a loaded baked potato salad to Greek potato salad, I can’t play favorites. This warm, vinegar-based potato salad is yet another staple in my house.
The tangy vinegar dressing is mixed with zesty grainy mustard and bacon to make an irresistible combo. My German potato salad recipe is adapted from one of my German immigrant grandmother’s handwritten recipes she added to the inside cover of her dog-eared and worn Joy of Cooking cookbook (this sweet and sour red cabbage is another favorite passed down from her).
Even the most devout mayo-lovers will be convinced — this potato salad is on a whole other level.
Enjoy!
Ingredients Notes
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
The Potatoes
I like using red potatoes in this potato salad recipe because that’s exactly how my grandma made it. Yukon gold would work too.
The Bacon
I use applewood smoked bacon. Somewhat frozen bacon slices more easily than bacon straight from the fridge. Pop the bacon in the freezer for 10-15 minutes then slice easily with a sharp knife (this is the chef’s knife I use for almost every meal).
The Warm Vinegar Dressing
The base of the dressing is a simple blend of vinegar, sugar, and mustard. I always use white vinegar for tang and acidity, but apple cider vinegar works too. It’s a little milder in flavor and not quite as sour, so try using 1 ½ cups of cider vinegar to just ½ cup water when you stir together the potato salad.
Coarse ground or stoneground mustard is key to flavoring this salad. The better the quality, the better the salad. The whole mustard seeds add tons of flavor to the dressing that you won’t get from yellow, brown, or Dijon mustard.
How to Make Warm German Potato Salad
- Start the potatoes in cold water. Cook the potatoes over high heat in a large saucepan of boiling water seasoned with kosher salt.
How can you tell when potatoes are done cooking? You can tell when the potatoes are down when you can easily pierce them with a fork and the skins pull away from the cut edges of the potatoes. This takes about 15 minutes.
- Drain, cool, and cut. Drain the potatoes and cool them until they can be handled. Cut into large dice then add back to the pan to keep warm.
- Cook the bacon. I suggest doing this while the potatoes boil. You’re not looking for the bacon to become super crispy, you just want to cook it through and for it to develop some color.
- Sauté the onion in the bacon grease. You aren’t caramelizing or even browning the onion. It just needs about 3-4 minutes of cooking.
- Make the vinegar dressing. The warm dressing is built right in the skillet so the potato salad can be served warm. To the onions, stir in the water, vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Let the mixture simmer for 5 or so minutes to thicken it.
- Toss everything together. Transfer the potatoes to the hot dressing and toss with the bacon and parsley. Always remember to taste your potato salad and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
What to Serve with German Potato Salad
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Warm German Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ½ to 4 pounds medium red potatoes , quartered
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound bacon , cut into ½-inch pieces*
- 1 large yellow onion , minced
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons coarse or stoneground German style mustard
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ cup parsley , chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes. Cook the potatoes over high heat in a large saucepan until water comes to a boil. Season generously with about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Reduce the heat to medium so that the water is still gently bubbling and cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until they are easily pierced with a fork and the skins are barely starting to pull away from the cut edges of the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and cool them until they can be handled. Cut into large dice and add back to the pan you cooked them in to keep warm.
- Brown the bacon. Meanwhile, cook the sliced bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally. Transfer the bacon to a plate topped with paper towels to drain.
- Make the dressing. Add the onion to the bacon grease and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the onion is transparent but not brown. Stir in 1 cup water, the white vinegar, mustard, and sugar, and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the dressing has reduced to about 2 cups.
- Toss to combine. Add the potatoes back to the pan with the dressing and toss to coat. Add the chopped bacon and parsley. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
More Potato Salad Recipes You Need to Try
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Angelika
I’m German born and raised and we’ve never made our potato salad this way. For one thing, we don’t have Red Potatoes. Our standard is a lovely yellow akin to a Yellow Finn. Also, we use a nice strong vinegar like Altmeister. We do NOT heat the vinegar. The bacon is rendered out completely and then diced onions are sauteed until lovely and soft.
We boil the potatoes unpeeled and whole until just tender. Peel while warm and slice. Mustard is optional. Put it all together, salt & pepper to taste. We serve it room temp hence the warm salad but never heated. This is what was made for ages in my part of Germany.
Hi there, I guess everyone makes their German Potato Salad a little differently. Thanks for your ideas.
Alex
Made this last night, it was quite delicious and a big hit with the group.
S l
My first try at German potato salad this recipe was delicious
Dolores Hansen Nelson
I’m a fourth-generation lover and maker of German Potato Salad. When I serve it, it disappears, and people ask for the recipe. I cook celery with the onion; I think it improves the texture and makes it a bit lighter. One tip: If you are not going to serve it soon, I chill both sauce and potatoes, warming both when ready to serve, and THEN adding the potatoes to the sauce.
Chip athelstone
Made this tonight to go with knockwurst. Everyone said this is the best German potato salad ever! Thanks.
So glad you liked it Chip. Knockwurst is a great idea to go along with it!
Andrew
I made this recipe of German potato salad for a family reunion and they liked it so much that at the end there was some left that they took the leftovers home for themselves and I was left with an empty dish. I was also told that I HAD to make it again next year
Angie Mysterioso
Love your recipe, but I have to quibble a bit. LEGOs were invented by a Dane and Nutella was invented by an Italian. But I did own a VW bug and it was my favorite car. Cheers!