German Potato Salad

It's the perfect party guest: easygoing and loved by all

By
Jasmine Smith
Jasmine Smith wearing a blue apron against an orange background
Jasmine Smith
Jasmine Smith is a recipe developer and tester at Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She has nearly a decade of experience in the culinary industry.
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Published on 06/4/23
A serving bowl of German potato salad topped with chopped parsley

The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

This German potato salad recipe has the perfect balance of flavors from savory bacon, tangy vinegar and mustard, and just a touch of sugar. It’s a crowd-pleasing dish you can whip up half an hour before the cookout starts and not have to worry about keeping it chilled like mayonnaise-based potato salads.

What is German Potato Salad?

“German potato salad” is often just used as a shorthand for mayonnaise-free potato salad. However, some potato salads in Germany, particularly northern Germany, include mayonnaise. Swabian (southern German) style potato salad features sliced yellow potatoes and raw onion bathed in beef stock. 

This version of German potato salad is most like Bavarian potato salad and is the most popular type of German potato salad in the United States, likely thanks to the addition of bacon.

What Ingredients Are in German Potato Salad?

Beyond bacon, this German potato salad recipe contains waxy potatoes (think new potatoes or gold potatoes), sauteed onion, a bracing glug of white vinegar, a little sugar to offset the acidity, and a squirt of mustard.

We use Dijon mustard for its nose-tingling character, but if you can find a German-style mustard such as Lowensenf so much the better.

How To Make German Potato Salad

German potato salad is refreshingly easy to whip up, requiring only a pot for cooking the potatoes and a skillet for the rest. After boiling the potatoes to tenderness, they are peeled (or not—it’s up to you) and sliced. 

Then you saute some bacon until crisp, reserving the bacon fat in the pan. Onion is sauteed in the fat then bathed in the flavorful dressing. Once the dressing comes to a boil, the sliced potatoes go into the pan with the reserved bacon and everything is ready to go.

Serving German Potato Salad

German potato salad is perfect cookout fare not only because it goes so well with grilled meats of all kinds, from hot dogs to pork chops, but also because it contains no mayonnaise. While you should still keep an eye on the time and not let food sit out for more than two hours, mayonnaise-free potato salad is less likely to spoil in hot weather.

Finally, unlike mayonnaise-based potato salad, which is best served cold, German potato salad is perfect served warm or at room temperature, making it the MVP of cookout side dishes.

Tips for Making German Potato Salad

  • The potatoes matter—This recipe requires waxy, not starchy, potatoes. Waxy potatoes, like new potatoes or red potatoes, will keep their shape even when tender while starchy potatoes like russets fall apart. You can also use gold potatoes.
  • Use good bacon—The bacon is the one element to splurge on in this recipe. Choose a bacon you’d be happy eating on its own. We use thick-cut because traditional German bacon is thicker than American bacon.
  • Make ahead—The potatoes can be cooked up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Leave the skins on so the potato flesh doesn’t oxidize. This has the added benefit of making the potatoes easier to slice.

"The sauce was perfectly balanced for me - it hits you with a pleasing tang, and is immediately mellowed out with the savory bacon mixture and sugar. The potatoes absorb the sauce, so there is no need to season the potato cooking water."—The Spruce Eats Test Kitchen

Potato salad made with red-skinned sliced potatoes, garnished with parsley
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds waxy potatoes (about 12 medium potatoes) 

  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon (6 ounces total), chopped (1 packed cup)

  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 small onion)

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon or German-style mustard

  • 1 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make German potato salad

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

  2. Place 3 pounds waxy potatoes in a medium pot and add cool water to cover by 2 inches.

    A large pot of potatoes in cold water

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

  3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes well in a colander, and set aside until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

    A colander of cooked, waxy potatoes

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

  4. If desired, peel the potatoes, discarding the potato skins. Cut potatoes 1/2-inch-thick crosswise.

    A cutting board with sliced, cooked potatoes

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

  5. Heat a large deep-sided skillet over medium. Cook 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

    A skillet with cooked, chopped bacon

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

  6. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel, reserving the drippings in the skillet.

    A paper towel-lined plate with cooked, chopped bacon

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

  7. Add 1 cup chopped yellow onion to the drippings in the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.

    A skillet with chopped yellow onion cooking in bacon grease

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

  8. Stir in 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; bring to a boil over medium.

    A skillet with cooked onion in bacon grease, in a sauce of water, vinegar, dijon mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

  9. Once boiling, fold in the bacon and sliced potatoes until they are fully coated in the sauce. Cook, gently stirring occasionally, until the potatoes have absorbed the flavors and the sauce has thickened, looks creamy, and clings to potatoes, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with additional salt to taste. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. Serve warm.

    A skillet of cooked, sliced potatoes with bacon and onions in a vinegar-mustard sauce

    The Spruce Eats / Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

How To Store

Refrigerate leftover German potato salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This potato salad is best served at room temperature or slightly warm so microwave it briefly just to knock the chill off before serving.

Recipe Variations

  • Po-ta-to po-tah-to—Substitute fingerling potatoes for the waxy potatoes if desired. Because of their small size and thin skins, these potatoes do not need to be peeled.
  • Vegan German Potato Salad—Omit the bacon from the recipe and substitute 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for the bacon fat for cooking the onions.
  • Onion swaps—Substitute red onion or shallots for the yellow onion.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
275 Calories
8g Fat
41g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 275
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 682mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 24mg 121%
Calcium 20mg 2%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 804mg 17%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)