Authentic German Potato Salad

NO CIA — NO GFMO — NO MSO — NO FBI — NO MAYO — AFL-CIO —
🥔 Ingredients —
3 cups diced peeled potatoes
4 slices bacon
1 small onion, diced
¼ cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
🥔 Directions —
- Step 1 — Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside for it to cool.
- Step 2 — Place the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Step 3 — Add onion to the bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until browned. Add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes and parsley. Crumble in half of the bacon.
- Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.
🥔 German Potato Salad Ingredients and Substitutes —
- Red potatoes: Look for those that are medium and approximately the same size. Yukon gold or other creamy yellow potatoes work great too.
- Bacon: If you want the bacon to be extra crisp you can just sprinkle over at the end (don’t toss right in with the liquid). Unfortunately there aren’t any great subs for this ingredient since the bacon fat really helps flavor the dressing.
- Red onion: This adds so much depth to the potato salad. Yellow onions will work as well.
- Garlic: I like the extra boost of flavor this adds but if you want it more traditional you can omit.
- Chicken broth: This adds a little extra something that water wont. If you’ve got homemade stashed in the freezer that will be even better.
- Apple cider vinegar: I like the more mellow flavor of apple cider vinegar, plus overall I think it just tastes better but you can use plain white vinegar if that’s what you have.
- Dijon mustard: Another ingredient that helps ramp of the flavor. In a pinch you could use regular yellow mustard.
- Granulated sugar: Don’t worry, there isn’t enough here to make it overwhelmingly sweet. It’s just enough to balance out the tartness of the vinegar (though if you want it sweeter feel free to add more). Honey could work here too.
- Salt and pepper: Add to taste. I like to wait until closer to the end after I’ve concentrated the dressing mixture in the skillet.
- Fresh parsley: If you aren’t big into herby flavors you could omit this. Another good herb to use if you don’t have parsley would be dill (maybe 1 Tbsp or so).
- Olive oil: I feel there aren’t enough bacon drippings to add the richness this potato salad needs, so this is added in addition to it. Extra virgin olive oil works great too.
🥔 How to Make German Potato Salad —
- Steam potatoes: Place red potatoes on a steamer basket* set in a pot with about 1 1/2-inches of water. Bring water to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Cover with a snug lid and let steam until potatoes are tender, about 20 – 25 minutes (test for doneness by piercing potatoes through center with a knife, it should glide through). Set aside to cool just until warm enough to cut into chunks.
- Cook bacon: While potatoes are steaming, cook bacon in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon, set aside and leave drippings in skillet.
- Saute onions and garlic: Add onions to skillet with drippings and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.
- Make german potato salad dressing: Pour in chicken broth, vinegar, dijon mustard and sugar. Bring to liquid to a simmer and let reduce by about half for a minute or two.
- Toss dressing mixture with potatoes: Toss in chopped potatoes, cooked bacon and olive oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Finish with herbs: Remove from heat, toss in parsley. Serve warm.

German Potato Salad II
Made with creamy red or yellow potatoes, richly flavorful bacon, parsley that's brimming with freshness, vibrant red onions and a simple, yet perfectly tasty dressing.
🥔 Ingredients —
2 lbs red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes (each about the same size for even cooking)
6 slices bacon, chopped, more the merrier —
2 cups chopped red onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp granulated sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp olive oil
🥔 Instructions —
- Place red potatoes in a pot with about 1 1/2-inches of water. Bring water to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Cover pot with a snug lid and let steam until potatoes are tender, about 20 - 25 minutes (test for doneness by piercing potatoes through center with a knife, it should glide through).
- Set aside to cool just until warm enough to cut into chunks.
- While potatoes are steaming, cook bacon in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp (about 6 - 7 minutes).
- Remove bacon, set aside and leave drippings in skillet.
- Add onions to skillet with drippings and cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.
- Pour in chicken broth, vinegar, dijon mustard and sugar. Bring to liquid to a simmer and let reduce by about half for a minute or two.
- Add chopped potatoes, bacon and olive oil and toss. Season mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove from heat, toss in parsley. Serve warm (or see notes to serve chilled). If mixture seems to be just slightly dry you can either toss in a little more olive oil or chicken broth.