German Potato Salad
This German Potato Salad is the perfect side dish for BBQs and potlucks. It is tossed in a flavorful bacon-dijon vinaigrette and full of flavor. It is the perfect “no mayo” potato salad for any occasion. My husband lived in a town bordering Germany and had this tasty side dish all the time. It quickly became one of his favorite German-inspired dishes, and for good reason! It’s delicious!
German Potato Salad vs. American Potato Salad
The biggest difference between German potato salad and American “homestyle” potato salad is the “dressing”. The German variation has a vinegar-based dressing while the American variation is mostly mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip) based. American-style will sometimes include egg while most German variations do not. German potato salad can be served warm or cold and American potato salad is always served cold. For your next family BBQ, try one of our many popular BBQ side dishes including the recipe below or our popular Macaroni Salad or fresh and zesty Cucumber Salad.
Best Potatoes for German Potato Salad
For German Potato Salad (or any potato salad for that matter), you want to use a good, waxy potato. Red potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes are a perfect example of a waxy potato. Russet potatoes are more starchy and don’t hold up as well in a potato salad. We like using baby potatoes, small potatoes, or potato gems for this recipe because they cook quickly and just need to be cut in half.
To Peel or Not To Peel?
We like to keep the peels on the potatoes for this potato salad, but there are some authentic variations that call for the potatoes to be peeled. To do this, boil the potatoes just as you would if you are keeping the peels on. Don’t peel the raw potatoes with a peeler first. Drop the potatoes in the boiling water and when they are cooked to fork-tender, take them out and drop them in cold water. The peels should come off easily by hand. Use a knife to scrape off any excess peels.
More Add-Ins:
This recipe is great as-is, but there are several different add-ins you can add to bring out different flavors, including (add any of these, to taste):
Celery seedMustard seedDill Dill Relish or chopped dill pickles
Tips For Making German Potato Salad
Salt that water (or use broth). If you want your potato salad to have flavor, make sure you use plenty of salt in your potato water. After cooking, if you find your potatoes still aren’t flavored enough, sprinkle the potatoes with a little salt and gently toss to combine before adding the other ingredients.Don’t overcook the potatoes. You want them to be fork tender only. If you overcook the potatoes they will become mushy and difficult to toss in the dressing.Cook the bacon until it is crispy. Especially if you are using a thick-cut variety, you want to get that bacon nice and crisp.Use red potatoes or Yukon Gold. As mentioned above, waxy potatoes are the best choice for potato salad.
Should German Potato Salad Be Served Hot or Cold?
As with most potato salad recipes, it really just comes down to personal preference. We prefer German potato salad to be on the warm to hot side, but it still tastes great cold, especially for leftovers. You can either cook the bacon in whole strips and crumble it over the potato salad before serving or cut it up first and cook it with the onion. Either way, you want to cook the onion in the bacon grease so it absorbs that delicious flavor.
FAQ’s
What to Serve with German Potato Salad
German Potato Salad complements chicken, beef, and pork main dishes. The bright colors and textures also go well with other salads at a potluck or buffet. Try it with one of these recipes for a delicious meal.
Lemon Pepper ChickenThe Best Oven Roast BeefEasy Crock Pot Pork ChopsHamburgers
How to Make German Potato Salad
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