German Potato Salad

German potato salad can be served hot or cold, though most people think of it as “the hot potato salad” which does sound weird, but is it less weird once you know that there’s no mayonnaise in German potato salad?

german potato salad

In fact, the dressing is mostly bacon fat! Some vinegar. A little sugar. It really reminds me of that old-fashioned wilted spinach salad, know what I mean, Gene? (Raise your hand if you loved that movie as an 80s kid!)

A couple key takeaways here are use a waxy potato like a red or Yukon gold (not a Russet) and don’t be afraid of all the bacon and the onion. You really need it. Truly. You do. It’s a lot. But it needs to be there.

This makes a great side for grilled steak or sausages, fried pork chops, or even just a sandwich. Leftovers reheat in the microwave, but I like it cold, too. Might be gross to some people, but I’ll pretty much eat anything cold, standing right in front of the open fridge door like that bear who snuck into a cabin and ate a frozen pizza a couple years ago. Hilarious.

german potato salad

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German Potato Salad

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  • Author: Hilah
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound small, waxy potatoes

6 slices bacon

1 cup diced onion

1 celery stalk, diced

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon grainy or Dijon mustard

12 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

fresh parsley and chives to garnish

Instructions

Start the potatoes boiling in enough water to cover and cook until tender. Small baby potatoes will just take about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, dice the bacon and cook in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring to break it up, until crispy. Remove the bacon bits and set aside in a dish.

Saute the onion and celery in the bacon fat for about 5 minutes or until softened and golden. (At this point, drain your potatoes if they are done and spread them on a cutting board to cool.)

Whisk the vinegar together with seasonings until the sugar and salt are dissolved. (Use the extra teaspoon of sugar if you like things on the sweeter side.)

Dice or slice the potatoes. I kinda prefer dice because they stay intact better that way instead of getting mashed up when you stir the salad together.

Add vinegar to the skillet and stir. Add potatoes and stir another minute or so until potatoes have absorbed the sauce.

Stir in reserved bacon bits and garnish with herbs

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 255

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