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Calling all potato salad lovers: you are sure to fall in love with my German Potato Salad recipe! Serve it warm, hot, or cool at your next BBQ or get together, and it's guaranteed to be the first side dish to disappear. Ready in just 35 minutes, this simple potato salad recipe is easy to make and so delicious!
Jump to:
- Best German Potato Salad
- German Potato Salad Recipes FAQs
- German Potato Salad Ingredients
- How to Make German Potato Salad
- Warm German Potato Salad Recipe Tips
- Should I serve German potato salad warm or cold?
- Leftover German Potato Salad
- How to Warm Potato Salad
- What to Eat with German Potato Salad
- Easy Potato Recipes
- Best German Potato Salad
Best German Potato Salad
Typically potato salads are served chilled from the refrigerator, but sometimes it's nice to switch things up and enjoy a delightful warm potato salad served right off the stove top, like my German Potato Salad recipe!
Potato salad is always a hit in my household, especially over summertime served with BBQ. I love making a fresh potato salad to serve with grilled steak, chicken, or even smoked turkey. Out of all my potato salad recipes, German Potato Salad is a favorite of my family. It is totally incomparable!
The warm, freshly boiled potatoes soak up all the flavors of the delectable vinegary dressing. And, topped with crispy bacon bits and fresh dill, this easy German potato salad is so good you'll want to lick the bowl! (My advice is to make enough for seconds - everyone will want more!)
German Potato Salad Recipes FAQs
American potato salad is generally mayonnaise-based and served chilled, whereas German potato salad is made with bacon drippings and a vinegar dressing, and served hot or warm.
German potato salad is a versatile side dish you can serve with a variety of main dishes. I typically will pair my German potato salad with pork chops, steak, or grilled chicken, though it also pairs well with smoked turkey and ham. If you're planning a BBQ, include the German potato salad!
German Potato Salad Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- Bacon strips*
- Red onion
- Fresh dill
- Fresh parsley
- Chicken stock
- Sugar
- Salt
- Pepper
- Red wine vinegar
- Japanese rice vinegar
- Vegetable oil
The key to German Potato Salad is the bacon fat. When you cook the bacon to make it, make sure to reserve about 2 Tablespoons of bacon fat to use in the potato salad. You will not believe the flavor this adds to the dish!
How to Make German Potato Salad
- Boil the potatoes in their skin in enough salted water to cover the potatoes, until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Begin checking at 15 minutes, as smaller potatoes could be done sooner. Drain and allow to cool so they can be handled and peeled.
- In a skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain bacon on a paper towel and save about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Chop the cooked bacon and set aside. While potatoes are cooking, dice onion and chop dill and parsley.
- In a separate bowl, mix chicken stock, sugar, salt, pepper, and both vinegars. Peel potatoes and cut in half, then cut into ¼-inch slices. Place in large mixing (or serving) bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the potatoes and stir gently to incorporate. The warm potatoes will soak up dressing.
- Add the bacon, onion and herbs. Add the reserved bacon fat and stir gently again.
- Let sit for about 5 minutes, then add oil. Start with ¼ and fold in gently. Then add the remaining oil. The mixture will be soupy at the bottom but over the next 15 or 20 minutes, the potatoes will soak it up.
- If you’ve saved any parsley or bacon bits, sprinkle them over just before serving. German potato salad is best served warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Warm German Potato Salad Recipe Tips
- Make sure to scrub your potatoes well before boiling them. I like to use a potato scrubber for this, but you can also use your hands, dish towel, or paper towel.
- Start your potatoes off in cold water first before bringing them to a boil. Putting potatoes directly into a pot of boiling water will cause the outsides to cook immediately while the inside will take longer. Starting them off in cold water allows them to cook evenly.
- Do not let your potato salad sit out for more than 2 hours before being refrigerated. If you aren't serving right away, pop it in the fridge as soon as you make it!
Should I serve German potato salad warm or cold?
I typically recommend serving this German Potato Salad hot or warm. However, it is also just as tasty and served at room temperature or chilled if it starts to cool down before ready for serving.
Leftover German Potato Salad
- Store your leftover German Potato Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- I do not recommend freezing potato salad.
How to Warm Potato Salad
- Microwave: Start with 1 minute at a time, using 50% power, until heated through.
- Oven: Preheat to 325°F, and cook for 5-10 minutes.
- As is: Let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
What to Eat with German Potato Salad
- Smoked Beef Brisket
- Grilled chicken cooked with our Grilled Chicken Breast Marinade
- Other BBQ Side Dishes like Mediterranean Bean Salad or Black-Eyed Pea Salad
- Roasted Tomatoes
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Slow Cooker Bread
- Cucumber Tomato Feta Salad
- This dish is one of the best Sides for Chicken Wings!
Easy Potato Recipes
- Grilled Potatoes in Foil (Oven or Grill)
- Instant Pot Potato Salad
- Pesto Gnocchi
- Duchess Potatoes
- Smothered Potatoes
- Au Gratin Potatoes
- Try more Easy Potato Salad Recipes and Side Dishes for Hamburgers
Did you try this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and leave a rating! We love to hear from you.
Best German Potato Salad
Equipment
- 1 bowl for mixing
- 1 Skillet for cooking bacon
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- ½ pound bacon strips reserve about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat
- 1 small red onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped; or 2 teaspoons dried dill weed
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt I recommend kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in their skin in enough salted water to cover the potatoes, until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Begin checking at 15 minutes, as smaller potatoes could be done sooner. Drain and allow to cool so they can be handled and peeled.
- In a skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain bacon on a paper towel and save about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Chop the cooked bacon and set aside. While potatoes are cooking, dice onion and chop dill and parsley.
- In a separate bowl, mix chicken stock, sugar, salt, pepper, and both vinegars. Peel potatoes and cut in half, then cut into ¼-inch slices. Place in large mixing (or serving) bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the potatoes and stir gently to incorporate. The warm potatoes will soak up dressing.
- Add the bacon, onion and herbs. Add the reserved bacon fat and stir gently again.
- Let sit for about 5 minutes, then add oil. Start with ¼ and fold in gently. Then add remaining oil. The mixture will be soupy at the bottom but over the next 15 or 20 minutes, the potatoes will soak it up.
- If you’ve saved any parsley or bacon bits, sprinkle them over just before serving. German potato salad is best served warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to scrub your potatoes well before boiling them. I like to use a potato scrubber for this, but you can also use your hands, dish towel, or paper towel.
- Start your potatoes off in cold water first before bringing them to a boil. Putting potatoes directly into a pot of boiling water will cause the outsides to cook immediately while the inside will take longer. Starting them off in cold water allows them to cook evenly.
- Do not let your potato salad sit out for more than 2 hours before being refrigerated. If you aren't serving right away, pop it in the fridge as soon as you make it!
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