This warm German potato salad is a delicious skillet recipe with a vinegar dressing, crisp bacon, sweet onion, and fresh parsley. You are going to love this easy potato salad with its tangy mustard dressing. This recipe is traditionally served warm, but it is equally delicious at room temperature.
Serve this tasty potato salad with all your favorite German entrees like pork schnitzel and beef rouladen, but it is equally delicious with roast chicken and baked lemon cod.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold and red potatoes are best in this potato salad. They are a little waxy, and they keep their shape well.
- Vinegar: My go-to vinegar for this recipe is apple cider vinegar. It has a subtle fruity sweetness. You can substitute white vinegar for a tangier finish.
- Mustard: I prefer the tanginess of Dijon mustard, but you can substitute spicy brown or stone ground mustard.
- Fresh herbs: Choose parsley, dill, or chives.
How to Make Skillet German Potato Salad
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
First, boil the potatoes until tender and drain. Place the potatoes in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once cool, cut them into bite-sized pieces. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it is crispy. Remove the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve the bacon fat in the skillet.
Add the onion to the skillet and cook until tender. Add the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and Dijon mustard. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the cooked potatoes and bacon to the skillet and toss to coat while warming over the low heat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and garnish with fresh herbs.
Preparation Tips
- The dressing can be mixed up to several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Although this potato salad is traditionally served warm, it is also delicious at room temperature.
- Don’t add the bacon and parsley until you are ready to serve.
Serving Suggestions
- Beef: oven-baked beef brisket or classic meatloaf
- Pork: brats, pork steaks, country-style ribs, or pork loin roast
- Chicken: chicken stroganoff, smothered chicken, or chicken francese
German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Yukon Gold or Red potatoes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 8 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 small sweet onion chopped
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot with cold water and a tablespoon of salt. Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook until fork tender, 15-20 minutes. It is best not to overcook them. Place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Cut into large bite-sized pieces.
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until it is crispy. Remove the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the skillet. Add the onion to the skillet and cook until tender.
- Add the vinegar, sugar, and Dijon mustard. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked potatoes and bacon to the skillet. Toss to coat while warming over the low heat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and garnish with fresh herbs.
Notes
Nutrition
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Yee Kok Siong
This is a great hot potato salad recipe to serve at dinner time
Tanza Erlambang
look so delicious…yummy.
have a great day
Lamona Whitt
Love this recipe. Almost identical to what my Mother made. She used bacon grease instead of the olive oil. She would also brown the potatoes but placed cooked potatoes in a bowl then heated the vinegrets in the skillet with bacon grease. She got it boiling hot, pulled over potatoes and then tossed lightly. This was the real German version she was taught from my Grandmother.
Beth Pierce
Sounds amazing and close to my recipe! Good times and great memories!
Marilyn
Your version sounds just like my dearly departed ex husbands great great grandma made . She was from Germany, born and raised, married american soldier. She became a US citizen but always made amazing German dishes. Thanks for sharing, as I never got the recipe from her and the other relatives have also passed . I am define gonna be making this.I would live for my son and this sins to know and love it too.
As. a side note this was like 50 years ago so it is indeed a old recipe
Beth Pierce
I sure hope you enjoy it Marilyn! German dishes hold a special place in my heart too!
Kenneth Beier
Love German Potato salad.
Beth Pierce
Me too! So delicious!!
Bob
Grew up on fried potato German potato salad. Been on my favorite list for over 70 years. Fry up the onions ,spuds in big iron skillet. Dont hold back on the sauce. Plenty of dark mustard , vinegar and carmalized sugar. Crumble on bacon. Brown up the links and enjoy!!
Is my mouth watering or what.
Cassarol in the old dutch oven. Works that way also.
Beth Pierce
Great! Now my mouth is watering too! 🙂
Linda Leone
I grew up eating German Potato Salad from the Plandome Deli, Manhasset NY ….. It was a German Deli … delicious . I now make my own, this is a good recipe … I use a little more vinegar. .. I like that first bite to make my tongue curl !
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! You are a funny woman…saying you like that first bite to make your tongue curl! LOL
Michelle
This is just like my grandmothers German potato salad !
I have made it since I was 14yrs old …. It’s the best ever!!
And now I’m 52.. she taught me how to make it personally !! I still her so much.
Beth Pierce
How sweet. Such great memories you hold in your heart. Thanks for sharing that.
Evelyn Winter
This looks great and I will make. Thanks for all of your delicious recipes.
bpierce
You are most welcome. My pleasure!
Paul MacLeod
I made several different versions of German Potato salad, but none have come close to this!!! My wife loved it as well. This is the only one I’ll do again Thanks for sharing
bpierce
You are most welcome. Thanks for the compliments. LOVE IT!!!! 🙂
Sandy
Wish I could save it on pininterest!
bpierce
Try again. I was having some trouble yesterday.