Warm German Potato Salad

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My Warm German Potato Salad recipe is perfect for your next cookout, picnic, or Sunday Supper! Complete with creamy potatoes, crispy bacon, and fresh herbs, German potato salad is so flavorful and ready in only 35 minutes.

Hot Potato Salad Ingredients

• Potatoes: I'm using Yukon gold potatoes for my German potato salad recipe, but you can also use red potatoes. I wouldn't recommend using Russet potatoes due to their higher starch level, but if they're what you have on hand, you can.
• Bacon: You can use thick-cut or thin-cut bacon according to your preference. Although this recipe instructs you to make the bacon in a skillet, you can also prepare it in your air fryer or in the oven. If you make it in the oven, make sure to bake it on a baking sheet with a rack so you can collect the grease.
• Red Onion: The sharp flavor of red onion is perfect for German potato salad. If you only have white or yellow onion, feel free to use them, but red onion works best.
• Fresh Dill: You can also use dried dill, if it's what you have, but I recommend fresh. Fresh dill adds the perfect pop of bright flavor that complements the potato salad perfectly.
• Fresh Parsley: Like dill, I would recommend using fresh parsley if possible. The fresh herby flavor tastes fantastic with the savory bacon and potatoes.
• Chicken Stock: Mixes with the sugar, seasoning, and vinegar to form the dressing for this potato salad.
• Sugar: Plain white sugar for the potato salad dressing.
• Kosher Salt: Or sea salt flakes. Avoid fine table salt.
• Black Pepper: Freshly cracked works best.
• Red Wine Vinegar: For the potato salad dressing.
• Japanese Rice Vinegar: For the potato salad dressing. If you can't use Japanese rice vinegar, use ¼ cup more of red wine vinegar, making a full cup. I do not recommend substituting other kinds of vinegar for the rice vinegar in this recipe.
• Vegetable Oil: Added to the potatoes along with the dressing and bacon fat.

How to Make German Potato Salad

1. Boil potatoes in their skin in salted water, enough to cover the potatoes, until fork-tender (about 20 minutes). Check at 15 minutes, as smaller potatoes may finish cooking sooner. Drain, and allow to cool enough to handle.
   
2. In a skillet, cook bacon until crispy (or make Air Fryer Bacon). Drain bacon on a paper towel, saving 2 Tablespoons of the rendered fat. Chop cooked bacon and set aside. Then, while potatoes cook, dice onion and chop the dill and parsley. In a separate bowl, mix chicken stock, sugar, salt, pepper, and both vinegars.
   
3. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and cut them in half, then cut into ¼-inch slices. Place in a large mixing bowl and pour the vinegar mixture over the potatoes. Stir gently to mix through; the warm potatoes will soak up the dressing.
   
4. Add bacon, onion, and herbs, along with the reserved bacon fat. Stir again, gently. Reserve some bacon to sprinkle over the top if desired.
   
5. Let sit for 5 minutes, then add the oil. Start with ¼ of the oil and fold in gently, then add the remainder. The mixture will appear soupy at the bottom, but over the next 15-20 minutes, the potatoes will soak it up.
   
6. If you have any leftover bacon bits, sprinkle them over the top before serving. Serve (for best results, warm or at room temperature), and enjoy!

FAQ

Best German Potato Salad Recipe with Bacon

Recipe Author: Isabel Laessig

Learn how to make creamy German Potato Salad with bacon and fresh herbs for an amazing side dish for picnics, cookouts, and family dinners!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 12

Calories 274 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Bowl for mixing
• 1 Skillet for cooking bacon

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• ▢ ½ pound bacon strips - reserving about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat
• ▢ 1 small red onion - finely diced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh dill - chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup fresh parsley - chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup chicken stock
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• ▢ ¾ cup red wine vinegar
• ▢ ¼ cup Japanese rice vinegar
• ▢ ½ cup vegetable oil

Instructions 

• Boil the potatoes in their skin in enough salted water to cover the potatoes until fork tender about 20 minutes. Begin checking at 15 minutes because smaller potatoes could be done sooner. Drain and allow to cool so that they can be handled and peeled.
  5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
  
• In a skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Drain bacon on a paper towel and save about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat. Chop the cooked bacon and set aside. While potatoes are cooking, dice onion and chop dill and parsley.
  ½ pound bacon strips,2 tablespoons fresh dill,¼ cup fresh parsley,1 small red onion
  
• In a separate bowl, mix chicken stock, sugar, salt, pepper and vinegars. Peel potatoes and cut in half, then in ¼-inch slices. Place in large mixing (or serving) bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the potatoes and stir gently to incorporate. The warm potatoes will soak up dressing.
  ¼ cup chicken stock,1 teaspoon sugar,2 teaspoons kosher salt,¾ cup red wine vinegar,¼ cup Japanese rice vinegar,1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  
• Add the bacon, onion and herbs. Add the reserved bacon fat and stir gently again.
  
• Let sit for about 5 minutes, then add oil. Start with ¼ and fold in gently. Then add remaining oil. The mixture will be soupy at the bottom but over the next 15 or 20 minutes, the potatoes will soak it up.
  ½ cup vegetable oil
  
• If you’ve saved any parsley or bacon bits, sprinkle them over just before serving. German potato salad is best served warm or at room temperature.
  

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4.75 from 8 votes

Notes

• Boil the potatoes whole and let them cool a bit. This technique makes the potatoes easy to peel and cut—much easier than trying to do it when they are uncooked!
• The dressing for German potato salads is typically oil and vinegar dressing with a bit of sugar, plus chicken stock. Pour it on when the potatoes are warm so they soak up all the tangy deliciousness. If you wait too long and the potatoes cool too much, they won't absorb enough of the flavor.
• Add the fresh dill, parsley, and lots of crumbled bacon bits for an exciting blend of flavors in every bite! I recommend saving some bacon bits and herbs to sprinkle over the top just before serving for a beautiful presentation and to add a little crunch.

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 7gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 540mgPotassium: 835mgFiber: 4gVitamin A: 115IUVitamin C: 23.3mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 6.4mg