This hot German Potato Salad features tender red potatoes tossed with crispy bacon, sautéed red onions, and fresh herbs, in a tangy vinaigrette dressing. Served warm or at room temperature, it’s an easy side dish that’s perfect for summer cookouts and potlucks!
If you want to impress everyone at your next holiday, backyard bbq, 4th of July bash, or potluck, bring this potato salad! As much as I love a classic creamy Southern potato salad, this one might be even more popular. Every holiday, especially Christmas and Easter, my husband’s German mother would grace the table with her signature German potato salad. Loaded with waxy red potatoes, crispy bacon, and garlic, with the best tangy, herbaceous, and slightly sweet dressing… It’s no surprise that it is always one of the first to disappear!
What Makes This Hot German Potato Salad Recipe Irresistible?
- Flavorful: Fresh dill, red onions, garlic, dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and salty bacon make this potato salad anything but bland!
- Quick and Easy: Ready in 30 minutes, the hardest part is chopping your herbs and vegetables.
- Served Warm or Cold: Unlike traditional mayonnaise-based potato salads, this version travels well and can be enjoyed warm, room temperature, or chilled.
- Crowd Favorite: As many people are not a fan of mayo-based potato salads, this savory vinegar-based dressing is always a hit!
Key Ingredients
You’re going to love how simple your shopping list is for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Red Potatoes: I don’t recommend using any other type of potatoes for this recipe. Red potatoes are waxy and hold their shape perfectly.
- Bacon: Be sure to reserve that bacon grease — you’ll cook the onions and garlic in it, infusing the vinaigrette with bacon flavor.
- Red Onion: Red onions have the a milder and slightly sweet flavor that really complements the other ingredients. I would not recommend using a white or yellow onion, but you could use shallots instead for a milder onion flavor.
- Dijon Mustard: This is a must! Don’t swap it for plain yellow mustard – save that for your air fryer hot dogs. 😉
- Sugar: While German potato salad is traditionally made with a little sugar, it is optional. I like to use just a teaspoon of sugar to cut through the acidic vinegar and tangy dijon. You can use as little or as much as you like to suit your tastes!
- Herbs: Fresh parsley and dill create the very best herbaceous aroma and zesty flavor. I would not recommend using dried herbs in their place.
How to Make Hot German Potato Salad
You’re going to love how easy this potato salad recipe is to toss together! Every bite is filled with the smoky crunch of crispy bacon, making it truly irresistible. Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions.
- Cook the Potatoes: Add potatoes and salt to a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook just until fork tender. Drain the potatoes with cool water – this makes them stop cooking. Slice the potatoes into halves or quarters.
- Cook the Bacon: Cook the bacon until nice and crispy. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon so you can use the bacon grease!
- Make the Vinaigrette: Sauté the onions in the bacon grease until softened. Stir in the garlic, dijon, sugar, salt, and pepper. Keep cooking for just another two minutes, then remove from the heat.
- Toss to Combine: Add the potatoes to a bowl. Pour the onion mixture over the top and toss together. Add in half of the crispy bacon and half of the herbs.
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve warm topped with the remaining bacon and herbs. You can also serve this German potato salad at room temperature or even chilled, it’s up to you!
Cook’s Tips & Variations
- Don’t Overcook: Avoid overcooking the potatoes! You want them to be just fork tender, so they retain their shape and don’t turn into mashed potatoes.
- Peeling: I chose not to peel the potatoes because I enjoy the pop of color (and extra nutrients) the skins add. Feel free to peel them if you prefer.
- Bacon: I used a lot of bacon! We love bacon over here and think that it makes everything taste better. If you’re not a big bacon fan, you can cut it in half. But in my opinion, the more the better.
- Make-Ahead Option: Prepare the dressing and cook the bacon in advance. Boil the potatoes the day before, storing everything in the fridge, separately, in airtight continuers. When ready to serve, warm all the components and toss to assemble.
Serve Warm, Room Temperature, or Chilled?
To chill or not to chill? People have very adamant opinions on this! Personally, I prefer a hot German potato salad as that is how I was first introduced to it. This salad is at its peak when served warm, as the hot bacon dressing absorbs into the potatoes beautifully. I also really enjoy it served at room temperature. If you want to chill it, plan for about an hour of chili time.
Hot German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs small red potatoes
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
- 16 oz bacon, cut into pieces
- 1 small red onion, diced
- ⅓ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, optional, or if you like it sweeter you can use up to 2 tablespoons
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Add the potatoes and 2 teaspoons kosher salt to a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes are just fork tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overcook the potatoes – you want them to hold their shape.
- Drain the potatoes and rinse immediately with cool water to stop them from continuing to cook. Once cool enough to handle, cut the potatoes in half or quarters and add the potatoes to a large bowl. Depending on how large the potatoes are will determine the size you need to cut them, I prefer them to be in bite size pieces.
- While the potatoes are cooling, in a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy for about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, scoop out the bacon pieces and set aside on a plate.
- Remove the extra bacon grease, leaving about a ¼ cup of bacon grease in the skillet. Sauté the onions in the bacon grease about 3 minutes.
- Add the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the hot onion mixture over the potatoes, and stir.
- Stir in half of the cooked bacon, half of the chopped parsley, and half of the dill. Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled, topped with the rest of the bacon, parsley and dill.
Notes
- Store: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors continue to develop over time, making it even better the next day.
- Reheat: To serve this salad warm again, microwave it in 30 to 60 second bursts, depending on how much you are heating up, stirring in between each interval.
Obsessed, these are so easy and delicious, the bacon and the dressing really add an extra level of deliciousness.