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Warm German potato salad is a mayonnaise-free version that relies on the smokiness of bacon and the sweetness of red onion for its distinct flavor. Unlike mayo-based versions, German potato salad is served warm to allow the vinaigrette made with bacon drippings, grainy mustard and apple cider vinegar to absorb into the potatoes for the most flavorful result.
Our version uses baby potatoes because they have tender skins that can be left on, saving that extra step of peeling. Serve it alongside grilled pork, chicken, or any of your favorite proteins for a hearty and satisfying meal.
Notes from the MGC Kitchen
We genuinely love the flavor of the bacon dressing on German potato salad and have long been fans of keeping a couple of tablespoons of rendered bacon fat in the fridge or freezer to add some extra oomph to other dishes, as well. We don’t generally use it straight up but combine it with a neutral oil or butter. Try adding a little to the pan when you sauté mushrooms to top a grilled steak, use it to sauté chopped onion to mix in with mashed potatoes, or combine with butter to sauté fresh spinach.
Key Ingredients at a Glance
Here’s an overview of the essential ingredients for this recipe, along with shopping tips, and possible substitutions. The complete ingredient list is in the recipe card below.
- WAXY POTATOES: New or baby potatoes eliminate the need to peel the potatoes, saving you time and giving the salad some additional texture.
- BACON: Bacon actually serves two purposes in this recipe. The crispy bacon bits add texture to the potato salad, while the rendered bacon fat is used to make the vinaigrette. We opted to use thick-cut bacon, which yields somewhat larger, meatier pieces in the potato salad, but that’s purely a matter of preference. Regular bacon will do just fine.
- RED ONION: Red onions are perfect for this dish, as they are somewhat milder than other varieties of onions. We mellow their flavor even more by cooking them for a few minutes.
- GRAINY MUSTARD: In grainy mustard, the mustard seeds are coarsely ground or crushed, giving the condiment a unique textural feel. It’s also more robust compared with mustards like Dijon.
- APPLE CIDER VINEGAR: Apple cider vinegar is the ideal choice to complement the flavors of mustard, bacon and red onion, as it is slightly sweet and less sharp than other types of vinegar.
- CHIVES: Fresh chives add a bit of fresh brightness and subtle onion flavor, as well as a beautiful pop of color to the potato salad.
How to Make Warm German Potato Salad (Overview)
Here’s a basic overview of how this dish is prepared. For detailed, step-by-step instructions and a complete ingredient list, please refer to the printable recipe card below.
PREP AND COOK THE POTATOES: Scrub the potatoes and place them in a large saucepan with salt. Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil, cooking until they are tender, then drain them and set them aside.
COOK THE BACON: Fry the bacon until crisp, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve the rendered bacon fat.
MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Wipe out the pan, add the reserved bacon fat and vegetable oil, and cook the red onion over medium heat until slightly softened. Lower the heat and stir in the mustard and cider vinegar until well blended. Remove from the heat.
MAKE THE POTATO SALAD: Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into 3/4-inch cubes and place them in a large bowl. Crumble the crispy bacon into tiny pieces and add to the potatoes. Add the onions and vinaigrette and toss thoroughly to combine. Top with chopped chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips for Success
- CHOOSE THE RIGHT KIND OF POTATOES: Waxy potatoes are the classic choice for a warm salad because they have a higher moisture content and waxy texture that allows them to hold their shape through the cooking process. We love new potatoes for this recipe because they have a thin skin (due to being harvested early in the season), as well as that ideal waxy texture.
- CUBE THE POTATOES: Many traditional German potato salad recipes call for the potatoes to be sliced. However, we leave the tender skins on our potatoes and cut them into small cubes, because if they were sliced, the skins would be more likely to slip off.
- MAKE SURE THE POTATOES ABSORB THE VINAIGRETTE: You’ll know your potato salad is ready to serve when the potatoes have a slight sheen and there’s no dressing pooled at the bottom of the bowl.
- MELLOW THE ONIONS: More traditional recipes also call for raw onion, but red onion can be an overpowering flavor, so we opt to cook it for a short time in the bacon fat to mellow and sweeten it.
Storage and Reheating
Warm German potato salad can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. To reheat, place the potato salad in a microwave-safe dish, cover it, and heat on medium (50%) power, stirring every 60 seconds until it’s warmed to your liking. Times will vary by microwave wattage.
What to Serve with Warm German Potato Salad
This warm potato salad is a hearty side dish, and we love to pair it with grilled foods. It’s a great accompaniment for brined pork chops, chicken breasts, spatchcocked Cornish hens, and cedar-planked salmon. Or, if you want to keep with the German-style flavors, serve it alongside our grilled brat sandwiches.
Warm German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs waxy potatoes, preferably baby red (see notes)
- 1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes and place them in a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil.
- Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- While the potatoes cook, fry the bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve 4 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat.
- Wipe out the pan, add the reserved bacon fat and vegetable oil and warm over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly softened but not browned (see notes). Lower the heat and stir in the mustard and cider vinegar until well blended. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Cut the potatoes into small cubes (3/4-inch) and place them in a large bowl. Dice or crumble the bacon into tiny pieces and add to the potatoes.
- Add the bacon fat mixture and toss to combine thoroughly.
- Add the chives, season to taste with salt and pepper and combine again.
- You may want to add a small amount of extra vegetable oil and/or vinegar if the potatoes seem a little dry. They should have a slight sheen, but the dressing should never pool at the bottom of the bowl.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Storage and Reheating
Warm German potato salad can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. To reheat, place the potato salad in a microwave-safe dish, cover it, and heat on medium (50%) power, stirring every 60 seconds until it’s warmed to your liking. Times will vary by microwave wattage.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
