German Potato Salad
Made with delicious bacon, potatoes and a tangy sauce, this German Potato Salad is a hit among guests and perfect any time of the year!
THE PERFECT WARM POTATO SALAD
If you have never tried German Potato Salad before, you definitely need to give this recipe a try! It has such a unique flavor and is super different from all the potato salads that you have ever tried. This kind of potato salad is traditionally served warm and has a vinegar based sauce instead of mayonnaise. It uses easy to find ingredients that work so well together and you don’t have to worry about any mayonnaise going bad while sitting out on the picnic table!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Red potatoes are the most common in German Potato salad recipes but you can use other potatoes such as russet or yukon gold. Russet potatoes love to really soak up dressings so you may need to make an extra batch of dressing in case the russet potatoes soak up too much of your prepared dressing.
If you don’t like shallots, or can’t find them, then you can absolutely replace it with a sweet onion.
Shallots have a delicious onion/garlic flavor so it really sets this recipe apart from other German potato salad recipes.
You can generally find shallots near where the fresh garlic is located in the produce section of your grocery store.
If you would rather cut them before cooking, instead of after, then yes you can do that. It will take less time for the smaller portions to cook so keep an eye on them and check doneness with a fork.
German Potato Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, just place in the microwave until heated through. I don’t recommend freezing.
This is all personal preference. I’m not a fan of spicy brown mustard. I like a whole grain mustard. It adds taste and texture. However, my Polish and German family prefer a spicy mustard which is pretty traditional for these types of potato salads.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- red potatoes
- bacon
- shallot
- garlic
- apple cider vinegar
- chicken stock
- granulated sugar
- whole grain mustard
- pepper
- parsley, for garnish
HOW TO MAKE GERMAN POTATO SALAD:
Scrub the potatoes clean and put them into a large pot. Fill the pot with cold water about 2 inches over the potatoes. Place the pot on the stove and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. It can take more or less time to cook depending on the size of the potatoes, you want to use potatoes that are around the same size.
Drain the potatoes and place them back into the pot off the heat so the excess moisture can evaporate.
While the potatoes are cooling, cook the bacon over medium-low heat in a 12-inch skillet with deep sides until crispy. Take the bacon pieces out to drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, set aside. Once the potatoes are dry, dice them into bite-sized pieces, set aside. Be careful, they may still be hot.
Leave the bacon grease in the pan, there should be about ⅓ cup of bacon grease. Sauté the shallots until softened (about 2-3 minutes) stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly for 30 seconds.
Add the vinegar, stock, sugar, mustard, and black pepper.
Stir to combine. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly.
Add in the cut potatoes and the bacon.
Stir to combine and coat everything in the sauce.
Take off the heat, garnish with parsley and serve.
Enjoy!
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German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes
- 12 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Scrub 2 pounds red potatoes clean and put them into a large pot. Fill the pot with cold water about 2 inches over the potatoes. Place the pot on the stove and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. It can take more or less time to cook depending on the size of the potatoes, you want to use potatoes that are around the same size.
- Drain the potatoes and place them back into the pot off the heat so the excess moisture can evaporate.
- While the potatoes are cooling, cook 12 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice over medium-low heat in a 12-inch skillet with deep sides until crispy. Take the bacon pieces out to drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, set aside.
- Once the potatoes are dry, dice them into bite-sized pieces, set aside. Be careful, they may still be hot.
- Leave the bacon grease in the pan, there should be about ⅓ cup of bacon grease. Sauté 1 shallot, thinly sliced until softened (about 2-3 minutes) stirring occasionally.
- Add 3 cloves garlic, minced and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup chicken stock, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, stir to combine. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly then add in the cut potatoes and the bacon.
- Stir to combine and coat everything in the sauce. Take off the heat, top with parsley, for garnish and serve.
Notes
- We like to use red potatoes for this recipe but you can also use Russet or Yukon gold.
- Shallots can be replaced with a sweet onion.
- This is meant to be served warm or room temperature.
- German Potato Salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, just place in the microwave until heated through. I don’t recommend freezing.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
My Grandmother’s was similar. She added hard boiled coarse chop eggs and tender young endive. Good endive is often hard to get and I have subbed any type of lettuce that has flavor. This was a meal in our family.
Tasty & nourishing
This is very similar to the way I learned to prepare it when we were stationed in Germany during the mid-60s. We absolutely love potato salad done this way.
Claudine in Fort Worth, TX
Thanks so much Claudine!