Recipe for German Potato Salad

This old-fashioned recipe for German Potato Salad tastes just like grandma used to make: tender chunks of potatoes tossed in a warm, sweet and sour sauce with plenty of crispy bacon. Serve it on the side of all your favorite German recipes or even as part of a potluck or picnic.

Meggan’s notes

German potato salad sounds like a slam-dunk, but there are so many ways it can go wrong. Undercooked potatoes, gloppy sauce, and flat flavors can all bring this warm salad down. As a classically-trained chef, I wanted to ensure every layer of this recipe was perfectly cooked, balanced, and seasoned.

Here are my best tips to ensure the best possible German potato salad:

1. Cook the potatoes separately. Some recipes cook potatoes right in the sauce, and that takes a really long time (and may not work at all). You might wind up with crunchy potato chunks that haven’t been properly cooked through. Don’t forget to add salt to your cooking water or you’ll have unseasoned potatoes.
2. Thicken your sauce with a traditional roux. Fat and flour make roux, and here we focus on any rendered bacon fat mixed with neutral vegetable oil. Stir in flour until thickened and you’ll have the best base for your sauce.
3. Sweet and sour sauce. I use a mixture of sugar, white wine vinegar, and mustard in the sauce. These complimentary flavors add depth and nuance so every bite sings. After you build the roux, taste it to make sure you like the flavor and adjust ass needed.
4. Color and texture: Top off your finished salad with sliced scallions crispy bacon for color and crunch.

Follow these steps to have the best possible German Potato Salad that will taste even better than what you remember.

German Potato Salad 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.

• 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.
• Scallions
• Bacon
• Onion
• Flour
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

How to Make German Potato Salad Recipe

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.

2. Cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife, stirring once or twice, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well, tossing in a colander to remove excess water.

3. 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. Reserve the rendered bacon fat in the skillet.

4. To the skillet with the bacon fat over medium heat, add vegetable oil. Heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the oil just beings to bubble. Whisk in remaining flour cook and whisk until a thick paste forms, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

5. 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.

6. 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.

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

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.

What to Serve with Homemade German Potato Salad

• 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.

How to Store Homemade German Potato Salad

• Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Make Warm German Potato Salad Ahead

• 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.

More German recipes

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Lebkuchen

Homemade German Potato Salad Recipe

By Meggan Hill

This old-fashioned recipe for German Potato Salad tastes just like grandma used to make: tender chunks of potatoes tossed in a warm, sweet and sour sauce with plenty of crispy bacon.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings (1 cup each)

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 diced onion about 4 ounces
• ▢ 1/4 cup granulated 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 when pierced with a paring knife, 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. Reserved rendered bacon fat in the skillet.
• To the skillet with the bacon fat over medium heat, add vegetable oil. Heat until a pinch of flour sprinkled into the oil just beings to bubble. Whisk in remaining flour 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-c.) 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.

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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