This Hot German Potato Salad Recipe with tender red potatoes, smokey bacon, and a delectable tangy dressing is the perfect side dish for just about any meal you choose. And because it’s dairy-free, you can serve it warm or cold, making it an awesome choice to take on picnics or to serve at a backyard BBQ.
Table of Contents
Traditional German Potato Salad
If you’ve never tried REAL German potato salad, you are missing out! It is a lot different from traditional American potato salad that’s creamy and is usually made with mayo and boiled eggs.
German potato salad uses bacon grease and tangy vinegar to create a warm vinaigrette that is tossed with fried potatoes! It’s a super simple recipe to make but the result is a drool-worthy side dish that you’ll want to make time and time again.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Old Fashioned Potato Salad, but there is something so comforting about this hot potato salad. The potatoes are boiled then fried just until they start to turn brown on the outside and are nice and tender on the inside. They are added to sautéed onions, peppers and crispy bacon then everything is tossed with a warm dressing that is out of this world delicious!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Unlike creamy potato salads that have mayo, you can leave this potato salad out at room temperature for longer, making it great for potlucks.
- Simple fresh ingredients make a quick, easy and hearty side dish that’s great served with everything.
- The smoky bacon and vinegar dressing adds a ton of flavors to the potatoes.
Recommended Tools
- Large saucepan
- Large skillet (cast iron works great)
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Sharp Knife
- Colander or slotted spoon
What’s Needed to Make Authentic German Potato Salad
- Small red potatoes
- Bacon
- Onion
- Green pepper
- Salt
- Black pepper
- White vinegar
- Tablespoons sugar
- Vegetable oil
How to Make the Best German Potato Salad
Step One: Boil the Potatoes
- Boil potatoes whole over medium-high heat, with skin on until tender. Drain the hot potatoes and set aside.
Step Two: Fry the Bacon
- Cook bacon in frying pan until nice and crispy. Place bacon on paper towels to drain, saving the bacon fat drippings.
Step Three: Make the Dressing and Sautee the Vegetables
- Add bacon drippings with vegetable oil until you have ½ cup of liquid. Add this to a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add chopped onion and green peppers, salt, pepper, vinegar and the sugar.
Step Four: Brown the Potatoes
- Cut the warm potatoes into chunks and add to pan. Brown the potatoes slowly over low to medium heat. Turn the tender potatoes so they get brown on all sides and have a crisp edge.
Step Five: Combine and Serve
- Crumble crisp bacon on top of potatoes and serve warm.
How Long Does Potato Salad Last?
Leftover German potato salad will last up to about 5 days. For best results, store it in an airtight container in the fridge in the back of the fridge until ready to eat.
Warm Potato Salad Recipe Variations and Add-in’s
- Vinegar: We used regular white vinegar but use what you have on hand. Apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar are all great choices.
- Veggies: This recipe typically uses white onions, but you can use either yellow onions or red onions. Also, the color of the bell peppers you use it totally optional. Orange, yellow or red peppers would give the potato salad a nice little pop of red color.
- Seasonings: Dress the flavors up with any of your favorite seasonings. Celery seed, dry mustard powder, garlic powder and fresh parsley work well in combination with the other ingredients. If you want to add a touch of sweetness you can add just little bit of sugar or brown sugar to the vinaigrette.
- Bacon: You can use which ever type of bacon you normally eat. Applewood, hickory smoked, or even uncured bacon works fine.
- Toppings: This recipe is scrumptious just the way it is, but you can add toppings to kick things up another notch. Top them with shredded cheese, like parmesan or cheddar. You can also add a dollop of sour cream to the top of the potatoes right before serving.
Which Potatoes Make the Best Potato Salad?
When making potato salad, the type of potatoes you use really matters. Waxy potatoes are best because they have thinner skins which means you don’t have to peel them. This helps them keep their shape when boiled. If you need a little help figuring out the difference in the types of potatoes, here are the 3 main types:
- Waxy: Red potatoes or Irish potatoes or fingerling- the best for making this recipe.
- Starchy: Russet potatoes- great for baking and making soups.
- Good combination of the two: Yellow potatoes like Yukon gold- great for roasting, baking and grilling.
Can German Potato Salad Be Reheated?
This German potato salad recipe really is best when served warm. If you have leftovers, you can easily reheat them. But just keep in mind the longer it sits, the more the potatoes will soak up the bacon vinaigrette, so they may not be as moist as when first made.
In order to reheat it, just put them in a glass or microwave bowl and heat in the microwave until it’s warm. You can also put it in a casserole dish and put it in the oven on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until it is nice and warm.
Tips for the Best Warm German Potato Salad
- Even if they claim to be prewashed, make sure you give the potatoes a good rinse before cooking them to remove any dirt or debris.
- You want the size of your potatoes to be similar. If you have larger potatoes, just make sure you cut them all into similar sized chunks.
- Always start off cooking the potatoes in cold water then bring them to a boil. This ensures they cook evenly all the way through.
- When the potatoes have finished cooking, make sure you drain them well to absorb the excess moisture.
- Use a gentle hand when mixing in the dressing. You don’t want the potatoes to break apart too much.
More Side Dishes
- Scalloped Pineapple Casserole
- Funeral Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole
- Jiffy Corn Casserole
- Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Best Baked Beans
Hot German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 12-15 red potatoes
- 8 slices bacon
- ½ cup onion chopped
- ½ cup green pepper chopped
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 6 Tablespoons vinegar
- 6 Tablespoons sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Boil potatoes whole, with skin on until tender. Drain.
- Cook bacon in frying pan and set aside. Save the drippings.
- Add bacon grease with vegetable oil until you have ½ cup of liquid. Add this to a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add chopped onion and green peppers, salt, pepper, vinegar and the sugar.
- Cut potatoes into chunks and add to pan. Brown the potatoes slowly over low to medium heat.
- Turn potatoes so they get brown on all sides and have a crisp edge.
- Crumble bacon on top of potatoes before serving.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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