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Home Side Salads

German Potato Salad

By:Nagi
Published:12 May '21Updated:9 Aug '21
70 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

This is a warm potato salad, German-style! Slices of boiled potato are tossed in a warm, tangy-sweet bacon vinaigrette while hot so they absorb the flavour. They’re then showered with crispy, golden bacon bits and hit with freshness from dill and green onion. This excellent combination of flavours and textures makes this quite possibly my all-time favourite potato salad!

German Potato Salad in a salad ready to be served

German Potato Salad

This is a German Potato Salad of the style that has evolved in English-speaking countries, based on traditional warm potato salads brought by German immigrants. So it’s not strictly authentic, but still bears German influences like the dressing style, bacon and dill. More importantly though, this kind of salad is just delicious regardless and boasts a very firm foothold in the potato salad world! (Outside of Germany, that is. 😂)

What’s so good about this German Potato Salad? For one, it’s the hot slices of boiled potato that are tossed in a slightly sweet, warm bacon-studded vinaigrette so they soak up the flavour. The whole lot then gets a hit of green and fresh flavour with a good helping of green onions and dill. The combination of salty-sweet-savoury with herby freshness turns an otherwise ordinary potato salad into something magic!

They say parents shouldn’t have a favourite child. If potato salads were my children though, I’d openly say it’s my favourite child! 😂 Regular readers know my other Potato Salad Children, whom I also dearly dote on. The classic creamy mayo based one. A bright, fresh, lemony one. This delicious bacon-y, charred corn one. Then of course there’s all the sweet potato ones, like this one and this one. Yes, I have an entire Potato Salad Family!

German Potato Salad being made in a skillet

Ingredients in German Potato Salad

Here’s what you need to make this German Potato Salad:

Ingredients in German Potato Salad
  • Red potatoes – Includes the desiree and pontiac varieties in Australia. Try to get potatoes that are of even size so they cook through at the same time. Sliced potatoes cook quickly, and it’s annoying when some are overcooked so they break! If you can’t get red potatoes, other waxy potatoes will do;

  • Bacon – Streaky stuff please! We need the fat as the bacon renders for the warm, bacon and cider vinegar vinaigrette. If you use turkey bacon or the eye of bacon (aka short-cut bacon – it’s an Australian thing), you’ll likely find the dressing is a bit too tangy and likely have to add extra oil to balance it;

  • Cider vinegar – The vinegar of choice in this dressing for a German-esque touch;

  • Sugar – This dressing is supposed to be sweet and savoury. Everybody knows that sweet goes extremely well with bacon (candied bacon anyone?)!

  • Oil – Any neutral oil will do fine here. I use canola or grapeseed oil;

  • Red onion – Sautéed with the bacon to form part of the aromatic flavour base; and

  • Green onion and dill – The fresh elements in this dish. The dill in particular works so well in this potato salad!

Cooked sliced potato for German Potato Salad
Cooked baby red potatoes, sliced and ready to toss in the bacon vinaigrette!

How to make German Potato Salad

How to make German Potato Salad
  1. Boil whole potatoes – Start the potatoes in cold water so they cook through evenly. If you put the potatoes into boiling water, then the outside will cook faster and become too soft before the inside is cooked (a good all-round tip for boiling potatoes!)

    They will take between 10 – 15 minutes to cook, depending on the size. Start checking early because you want the potatoes very slightly firm in the centre. This is because they will continue cooking as they cool and you don’t want them to overcook and become too soft.

    Also don’t forget to add salt into the water so it seasons the potatoes as they cook!

  2. Slice – Drain the potatoes then set aside to cool a bit. Slice into rounds about 0.7cm / ¼” thick. It’s best if you can time it so the potato slices are still warm when you toss in the dressing because they will absorb flavour better;

  3. Cook bacon and onion – I don’t want to come across like I’m teaching your grandmother to suck eggs, but here is how I cook bacon!

    Place bacon in a large, unheated, non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet* with no oil in the skillet. Turn the heat to medium. As it heats up, the bacon fat will start to melt, so the bacon cooks in its own fat without needing to add additional oil.

    Now turn the heat up to medium-high and cook the bacon until it starts to turn golden – about 3 minutes;

    For the onion, turn pan now down to medium. Add the red onion slices to the bacon and cook 3 minutes or until the onion is soft. By this time the bacon will be beautifully golden!

  4. Add vinegar and sugar – Add the cider vinegar and sugar. Bring to simmer, scraping the base of the pan to dissolve all the golden bits stuck on the pan into the liquid. This “brown stuff” is called fond and it’s going to add a ton of flavour into our dressing!

  5. Add oil – Add the oil and simmer for 2 minutes more. Congratulations, you’ve just made a warm vinaigrette dressing!

  6. Toss potato – Add potatoes to the pan and gently toss using two spatulas for 1 minute or so, until all the potatoes are well coated in the dressing and absorb it a bit.

    Check for seasoning – Taste and add more salt if you want (though the bacon should add enough).

* A seasoned pan is cast iron or carbon steel pan that has developed a natural non-stick patina through repeated use. It should also be kept lightly oiled to stop it from rusting.

Plating up!

How to make German Potato Salad

To plate up, I like to layer the potato salad with dill and green onion, rather than just tossing it through. It presents more neatly I find, but also importantly it means we are handling the potatoes less so they retain a tidier shape rather than breaking up.

You’ll find that this recipe has a good dose of green onion and fresh dill. It needs it, for a boost of fresh flavour to counter the richness of the sweet bacon vinaigrette!

German Potato Salad in a salad ready to be served
Close up of fork picking up a piece of German Potato Salad

Today’s recipe is being shared in the spirit of a German-themed week which kicked off with a bang with an epic, Crispy Slow-Roasted German Pork Knuckle. If you have never tried Pork Knuckle before (spoiler: it’s not pig’s trotter! It’s part of the pig’s upper leg and is incredibly delicious), prepare to be knocked off your chair. And if you have had it before, know that unlike other recipes out there, we’ve properly cracked the secret to awesome Pork Knuckle crackling!

I’m also sharing today a simple, refreshing Cucumber Salad which would be a terrific vegetable side to make a meal of the Pork Knuckle.

As for a sweet finish, what else could it be other than a Black Forest Cake?? Coming your way on Friday, this one is dedicated to all those who have tried and been disappointed by recipes or even cake shops in the past … I’m confident this one will not disappoint!! – Nagi x


Watch how to make it

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Close up of German Potato Salad in a bowl ready to be served

German Potato Salad

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 25 minutes mins
Side
German, Western
4.91 from 21 votes
Servings6
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. This is a warm potato salad, German-style! Slices of boiled potato are tossed in a warm, tangy-sweet bacon vinaigrette while hot so they absorb the flavour. They're then showered with crispy, golden bacon bits and hit with freshness from dill and green onion. This excellent combination of flavours and textures makes this quite possibly my all-time favourite potato salad!

Ingredients

  • 1 kg / 2 lb baby red potatoes or other small waxy potatoes (Note 1)
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 100g / 3oz streaky bacon , chopped into 2cm x 4mm (0.8 x 0.15") lardons
  • 1/4 red onion , sliced
  • 1/4 cup canola oil (or grapeseed)
  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp white sugar
  • 2 green onions , finely sliced
  • 3 tbsp fresh dill , finely chopped (sub parsley)

Instructions

Cook potato:

  • Boil potatoes: Place the baby potatoes in a large pot of cold water with the salt. Bring to the boil then reduce heat. Simmer 10 minutes or until just cooked through but still slightly firm in the centre (they will continue cooking as they cool, you don't want to overcook them so they hold their shape).
  • Slice: Drain and set aside to cool slightly, then slice into rounds about 0.7cm / ¼" thick.

Make salad:

  • Cook bacon: Place bacon in a large, unheated non-stick pan or well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Turn the heat to medium. As the bacon heats up, the fat will start to melt. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook the bacon until it starts to turn golden – about 3 minutes.
  • Cook onion: Turn heat down to medium. Add the red onion slices and cook 3 minutes or until the onion is soft.
  • Add vinegar and sugar: Add the cider vinegar and sugar, bring to a simmer, scraping the base of the pan to dissolve all the golden bits stuck to the pan into the liquid.
  • Add oil: Add the oil, and simmer for 2 minutes longer. The dressing is now ready.
  • Toss potato through: Add potatoes and gently toss using two spatulas for 1 minute or so, until all the potatoes are well coated in the dressing and absorb some of the dressing.
  • Check for salt: Taste and add more salt if you want (the bacon already should add enough).

Assemble salad:

  • Layer potatoes: Pile about 1/4 of the potato on to a platter or in a bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 of the green onion and dill. Top with another 1/4 of potato, sprinkle with more green onion and dill. Repeat until all used up.
  • Serve! I love it served warm, but it's also terrific at room temperature!

Recipe Notes:

1. Potato size – Try to get potatoes that are of even size so they cook through at the same time. If they are large you might need to cut some in half to ensure they all cook evenly.
If you can’t get red potatoes, then any waxy potatoes will do.
2. Storage – This potato salad will keep up to 5 days in the fridge. Bring to room temperature or gently warm in the microwave to reheat before serving.
3. Recipe credit: This German Potato Salad comes to you from Sandi Lee of Columbus, Georgia (United States) via her daughter, Heather Hancock of Baptiste & Wilson, Sydney caterers extraordinaire that I use for events when I can’t manage the cooking myself!
4. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 299cal (15%)Carbohydrates: 32g (11%)Protein: 9g (18%)Fat: 15g (23%)Saturated Fat: 3g (19%)Trans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 16mg (5%)Sodium: 1072mg (47%)Potassium: 750mg (21%)Fiber: 4g (17%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 65IU (1%)Vitamin C: 31mg (38%)Calcium: 26mg (3%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Keywords: German Potato Salad, German potato side, Potato Salad
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

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70 Comments

  1. Melisende says

    December 3, 2023 at 7:22 am

    4 stars
    Yhis was a quick and very good version of German Potato Salad. Would make it again.

    Reply
  2. Kerry says

    May 29, 2023 at 7:40 am

    5 stars
    This was Devine. Quick easy and perfect side to the pork
    Knuckle

    Reply
  3. Chels says

    February 7, 2023 at 9:00 am

    5 stars
    Made this for a picnic and it was lovely

    Reply
  4. Toni says

    January 20, 2023 at 8:28 am

    5 stars
    This salad was the highlight of our bbq. My family are still talking about it. Makes a generous amount to feed my big eaters. So pretty on the table too haha.

    Reply
  5. Ish says

    January 6, 2023 at 5:25 pm

    5 stars
    Salubrious!….and the tip about the murphys adds to the experience.

    Reply
  6. Jan says

    December 23, 2022 at 1:47 pm

    5 stars
    So good and even tastier the next day which was great as one less dish to have to prepare on the day. Loved it!

    Reply
  7. Wendylou says

    December 12, 2022 at 4:02 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe once again Nagi, delicious, I always check out your recipes 1st, I’ve cooked many and NEVER had a failure!

    Reply
  8. BEVERLEY says

    November 7, 2022 at 7:14 pm

    5 stars
    This has become my go to potato salad recipe. It pairs perfectly with so many things. Ribs and Smoked Beef Roast as so far our favourites. I see a a pork knuckle in the near future though!!

    Reply
  9. Michelle Baker says

    July 5, 2022 at 10:49 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious however can I just query the amount of sugar. 2 tablespoons seemed way too much so I halved it and while it was still yummy I still found it a bit too sweet. Is it supposed to be teaspoons instead of tablespoons?

    Reply
  10. Ellie says

    June 19, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    This looks delicious. Just curious though – watching the video the amount of oil added at the end seems a lot more than is necessary.

    Reply
  11. Judith Cromwell says

    May 6, 2022 at 1:14 pm

    5 stars
    This was awesome and paired it with pork schnitzel tonight. Had friends over and they loved it

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 6, 2022 at 2:39 pm

      What a delicious German meal Judith! I’m happy you enjoyed it! N x

      Reply
  12. Rachel Gregory says

    April 12, 2022 at 4:37 pm

    This was super delicious 😋

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 13, 2022 at 5:14 pm

      Woo hoo!! I am happy you liked it Rachel!! N x

      Reply
  13. Leya says

    April 6, 2022 at 7:22 pm

    This is delicious. I had with thick pork sausages from my local butcher. Another keeper!!

    Reply
  14. kylie says

    December 3, 2021 at 9:19 pm

    nagi and dozer let me say my happy place is absolutely not the kitchen. but since discovering your website maybe a year or so ago kitchen time has changed and my husb thanks you for that😄😄. we are a potato kind a family so this recipe hit the mark. i popped barossa valley ham to it as i was light on for bacon and then slopped a fair bit of an adelaide hills olive oil through it, mmmm mmmm really diff take (for me at least) on potato salad. dozers mum just rocks👍👍

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      December 3, 2021 at 11:43 pm

      Thanks Kylie!! N x

      Reply
  15. Conny says

    September 24, 2021 at 4:59 am

    5 stars
    Made this the other day. Excellent, just like my mom used to make. Substituted part of the vinegar for vinegar from a pickle jar – a trick I learned from my mom. This adds another layer of garlic and dill flavours. So good!

    Reply
  16. Veronica says

    September 6, 2021 at 11:21 pm

    My favourite recipe. I agree it might not be the right kind of potato, the right kind of this and that but it’s enough for me to retrieve the taste of the baltic salad I had when I was very young. Thanks Nagi for this unexpected German recipe.

    Reply
  17. Emma says

    September 1, 2021 at 1:05 pm

    Hello! Can I use another oil other than grape seed or canola? PS: I love your site! Thank you

    Reply
  18. Wandermom says

    August 15, 2021 at 8:24 pm

    This is golden! Even my german mom-in-law fell in love with this salad. Thanks Negi for this and the rest of your yummy recipes.

    Reply
  19. Olly Downie says

    July 10, 2021 at 8:33 am

    I made this salad yesterday and I must say, its a cracker. It might just replace my go-to French potato salad. Definitely making it again today and sharing it around. I peeled the potatoes prior to cooking. I’ll give it a shot with the skin on today. Thanks for this!

    Reply
  20. Eva says

    June 26, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    Hi Nagi
    Recently I discovered and fallen in love with your website.
    There is however one recipe that is not authentic. Your German Potato Salad is not German. Yes, it is warm but otherwise has no resemblance with a classic Kartoffelsalat
    I grew up in Germany and lived there over 20 years. What I am saying is that I have consumed huge a amounts of German potato salad in my life. As a matter of fact I did not eat bacon as it is known in North America until I moved to Canada.
    The authentic German Potato Salad is made with warm potatoes that receive a dressing of broth (very important), salt, white vinegar, oil and sugar. Very often cubed small pieces of dill pickle are added. Toss with finely chopped onions. Some people add pepper and top with fresh parsley or dill.
    Guten Appetit !

    Reply
    • Maggie says

      January 18, 2022 at 2:46 am

      There are two distinct German potato salads. I grew up enjoying both recipes … yours and Nani’s 😋 Your recipe is very often served at funerals and weddings and large gatherings as it is served at room temp or even cool. Nagi’s recipe is one my dad’s dad made at home for family meals … usually summer and early fall as every garden had lots of green oneion and dill.

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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