German Potato Salad

Easy German Potato Salad features tender potatoes and crispy bacon tossed with a sweet and tangy vinaigrette-style dressing.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword german-potato-salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 14

Total Time 34

Servings servings

Calories 261kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Place potatoes and salt into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. by 2-inches.
Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well then set aside in a large bowl.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then crumble. Set aside.
Reserve 3 Tbsp bacon grease in the pan. To the skillet over medium-high heat add the diced onion to the drippings. Cook until softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute longer.
Whisk in the vinegar, sugar, Dijon, celery salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and whisk in the oil. Cook just until the sugar is dissolved and dressing is slightly thickened around 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the crumbled bacon to the dressing reserving some for garnishing.
Pour over potatoes. Use a large spoon or spatula to gently toss the potatoes with the dressing, green onions and parsley.
Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled garnished with bacon, green onion, parsley and celery seeds. (Makes about 3 lbs )

Potatoes - Red potatoes are classic for German potato salad. You could adapt using Yukon golds or russets. When doing so, keep in mind that each variety has different starch content and texture, which affects the amount of time it take for them to cook. Test the center with the tip of a knife, it should easily glide through when the potatoes are done.
Vinegar - You could use white vinegar, rice wine vinegar, white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar for the dressing.
Oil - For this potato salad recipe, I recommend using a mild flavored oil like vegetable oil for the dressing, not olive oil, which could overpower the taste.
Onion - You could use yellow onion for a stronger onion flavor.
Fresh Herbs - You could use fresh dill or chives in place of parsley.
Serving Options - German Potato Salad is often served warm or at room temperature. You can enjoy it chilled as well. Please note, you'll need to gently stir the potato slices to coat with the dressing once it's been chilled.