German Potato Salad

Crispy bacon and tangy mustard take classic potato salad on a trip to Germany. Ideal for potluck menus and Oktoberfest celebrations, this German Potato Salad might just become your new favorite starchy side dish.

German Potato Salad is warm with sweet-and-salty flavors, chewy bacon, and tangy vinegar. It is unlike cold American potato salad in almost every way (they both contain potatoes?), but it’s still delicious in its own right.

Unlike deli potato salad, a common picnic and party side dish, German potato salad really brings home the “meat and potatoes” menu with stick-to-your-ribs ingredients in a thick and hearty gravy. It’s a great side dish for dinner served with German classics like Bratwurst, Rouladen, and Pork Schnitzel.

But don’t get me wrong: people love it at parties too! It’s especially delicious on the side of Baked Ham or as part of a buffet.

Recipe ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

• Potatoes: Russets are the best spuds for many potato salads since they’re drier and have more starch than other varieties. Whole potatoes tend to cook unevenly (and take a long time!), so chop them into uniform pieces before you boil them.
• Chicken broth: Opt for store-bought or homemade broth; either will do.
• White wine vinegar: White distilled vinegar can be used in place of the white wine vinegar, if desired.
• Sugar: The German Potato Salad I grew up eating erred on the sweet side. If that’s not your style, start with 1 tablespoon of sugar in step 4. Taste the roux after it thickens, and add more sugar if you think the sauce could benefit from it. Alternatively, you can omit the sugar entirely; make this German Potato Salad recipe your own.
• Whole grain mustard: A store-bought brand like Maille or Inglehoffer works great, or feel free to make your own mustard.

Step by step instructions

1. In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, add potatoes and 2 tablespoons salt. Add cold water to cover potatoes by ½ inch. Over medium-high heat, bring to boil and partially cover pot. Cook until potatoes are tender and a fork can be easily slipped into the center, stirring once or twice, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well, tossing in a colander to remove excess water.

2. In a medium-sized skillet medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 7-10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

3. Make the roux by adding vegetable oil to bacon fat and heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the oil just begins to bubble. Whisk flour into remaining bacon fat, and continue to cook and whisk until a thick paste forms, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

4. In a medium-sized saucepan combine chicken broth, vinegar, onions, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, sugar, and mustard. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Add roux to broth mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce thickens. Discard any remaining roux.

5. In a large bowl, add warm potatoes and slowly add broth mixture, a little at a time, allowing time for the potatoes to absorb the mixture.

6. Add bacon and toss to combine. Garnish with scallions. Serve potato salad warm.

Recipe tips and variations

• Yield: This German Potato Salad makes six (1-cup) side dish servings. It’s always a hit at parties and potlucks, so you may want to make a double batch.
• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Make ahead: The potatoes can be peeled, chopped, and stored covered with water in the refrigerator a day in advance. Drain well before proceeding with the recipe.
• Oktoberfest: See my full Oktoberfest Menu to plan your own German festival. Start with crispy Pork Schnitzel or Chicken Schnitzel cutlets. Spaetzle, homemade egg noodles, make a delicious side dish along with Braised Red Cabbage. Serve with Soft Pretzels and homemade Mustard. Finish the meal with crunchy Lebkuchen cookies or a Black Forest Cake and serve with plenty of beer and some Lemon Spezis for the kids.

Recipe FAQs

More German recipes

German Recipes

Chicken Schnitzel

German Recipes

Rouladen

German Recipes

Spaetzle

German Recipes

Lebkuchen

German Potato Salad

By Meggan Hill

Crispy bacon and tangy mustard take classic potato salad on a trip to Germany. Ideal for potluck menus and Oktoberfest celebrations, this German Potato Salad might just become your new favorite starchy side dish.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 6 (1 cup) servings

Course Side Dish

Cuisine German

Calories 314

5 from 11 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces (see note 1)
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 4 slices bacon diced, about ½ cup uncooked
• ▢ ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus more, if needed
• ▢ 2 ½ cups chicken broth (see note 2)
• ▢ 1/4 cup white wine vinegar (see note 3)
• ▢ 1 cup onion diced, about 4 ounces
• ▢ 1/4 cup sugar (see note 4)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (see note 5)
• ▢ Scallions finely sliced, for garnish, optional

Instructions 

• In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, add potatoes and 2 tablespoons salt. Add cold water to cover potatoes by ½ inch. Over medium-high heat, bring to boil and partially cover pot. Cook until potatoes are tender and a fork can be easily slipped into the center, stirring once or twice, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well, tossing in a colander to remove excess water.
• In a medium-sized skillet medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 7-10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Make the roux by adding vegetable oil to bacon fat and heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the oil just begins to bubble. Whisk flour into remaining bacon fat, and continue to cook and whisk until a thick paste forms, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• In a medium-sized saucepan combine chicken broth, vinegar, onions, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, sugar, and mustard. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered until onions are tender, about 10 minutes. Add roux to broth mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the sauce thickens. Discard any remaining roux.
• In a large bowl, add warm potatoes and slowly add broth mixture, a little at a time, allowing time for the potatoes to absorb the mixture. Add bacon and toss to combine. Garnish with scallions. Serve potato salad warm.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Potatoes: Russets are the best spuds for many potato salads since they’re drier and have more starch than other varieties. Whole potatoes tend to cook unevenly (and take a long time!), so chop them into uniform pieces before you boil them.
2. Chicken broth: Opt for store-bought or homemade broth; either will do.
3. White wine vinegar: White distilled vinegar can be used in place of the white wine vinegar, if desired.
4. Sugar: The German Potato Salad I grew up eating erred on the sweet side. If that’s not your style, start with 1 tablespoon of sugar in step 4. Taste the roux after it thickens, and add more sugar if you think the sauce could benefit from it. Alternatively, you can omit the sugar entirely; make this German Potato Salad recipe your own.
5. Whole grain mustard: A store-bought brand like Maille or Inglehoffer works great, or feel free to make your own mustard.
6. Yield: This German Potato Salad makes six (1-cup) side dish servings. It’s always a hit at parties and potlucks, so you may want to make a double batch.
7. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
8. Make ahead: The potatoes can be peeled, chopped, and stored covered with water in the refrigerator a day in advance. Drain well before proceeding with the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 314kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 7gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 516mgPotassium: 797mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 10IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 2mg

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Meggan Hill

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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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