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German potato salad isn’t the traditional creamy potato salad that most think about. But this herb-heavy potato dish is mixed with cooked onion and celery and topped with an apple cider vinegar dressing. It’s the marriage of both sweet and sour and is light enough for a new season but hearty enough to be super filling. It’s a great recipe to try for something new!
Why I Love This German Potato Salad
Do you ever think back to childhood, and a food item somehow stands out? I’m talking about that one dish that, when you look back at the whole meal, you don’t remember anything else. For me, it was the first time I had my mom’s German potato salad. I have always loved potato salad but was used to the mustardy creamy dressing. German potato salad is completely different. The dressing is a vinaigrette that uses bacon grease for flavor and richness. A mix of honey and apple cider vinegar gives a sweet-sour finish to a potato salad with the flavor turned up.
Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Potatoes are roasted instead of boiled for more texture and caramelized flavor. I like a new potato, like a small gold potato, for the best flavor.
- Bacon is used once cooked in the potato salad, and the grease is used in place of olive oil for the vinaigrette. The grease will add a smokey flavor that will coat the roasted potatoes.
- Celery is traditional in potato salad and loved for the fresh crunch. Here the celery is sautéed in the vinaigrette for a crisp-tender texture.
- Honey gives a balanced sweetness to the dressing and the natural honey flavor. The sugars will help the vinaigrette become slightly thick to coat the salad well.
- Apple cider vinegar offers the acidity and flavor needed for the salad. The bright acidity cuts through the smokey bacon and allows all the flavors to be tasted.
Here’s how to make this recipe.
- Prepare the potatoes. Wash and dry the potatoes, then slice each potato into approximately ½-inch pieces. Place the potatoes on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, toss them with your hands to ensure all sides of each piece are coated, and spread them out into an even layer. Then sprinkle with salt and black pepper and place both baking sheets in the preheated 425°F oven to roast for 18 to 25 minutes. Once roasted, remove the potatoes and let them cool.
- Cook the bacon. In a skillet, place the strips of bacon. Let the bacon cook on one side, then flip it over to cook on the other side. Once all of the bacon is cooked and crisp, remove it from the skillet and place it on a paper towel-lined plate or pan. Remove the bacon grease from the pan, pouring it into a separate bowl. Remove the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet using a paper towel.
- Prepare the onion and celery mixture. To the same skillet in which the bacon was cooked, add the bacon grease and let it heat up over low heat. Chop up the celery and onion and add both to the bacon grease. Let the two vegetables cook and begin to brown, picking up any of the remaining bacon bits left in the pan. Then add the black pepper and apple cider vinegar, and let the mixture simmer and reduce slightly. Then add the honey, turn down the heat, and stir it into the mixture.
- Mix everything together. In a medium bowl, add the slightly cooled roasted potatoes, then pour the onion and celery vinaigrette mixture on top. Roughly chop up the dill, tarragon, and parsley, and add to the bowl along with the chopped bacon. Mix everything together and serve immediately or place in the refrigerator to be enjoyed later.
Pro Tips for Success
- While it may seem like too much empty space, make sure to use two baking sheets when roasting the potatoes. The space left around each piece of potato will ensure that the potato is able to roast correctly rather than simply steaming while in the oven.
- The potatoes are done roasting when a knife inserted meets no resistance and easily pierces through the outer crust.
- The longer the roasted potatoes and the onion and celery vinaigrette sit and meld together, the more the flavors will be combined.
Frequently Asked Questions
Either! This salad is great warm and is also perfect when cold. It can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. To serve, heat it up or leave it cool.
Yes, the potatoes can be peeled to remove the skin. But remember, once roasted, the skin provides texture and added nutrients.
Yes, simply remove the bacon and use swap out the bacon grease for butter. Add a bit of smoked paprika for some of the smoky flavor that comes along with the bacon. If you want this to be vegan, use good olive oil instead of butter.
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German Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the potatoes
- 3 lb yellow potatoes (new or larger baking potatoes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the vinaigrette
- ½ lb bacon
- 3 tbsp bacon grease
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 cup diced celery
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
Instructions
For the potatoes
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Scrub and wash potatoes and allow to air dry. Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces, approximately ½-inch in size, and place them on two large baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.3 lb yellow potatoes (new or larger baking potatoes), 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Roast in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the potato pieces meets no resistance and the outside is browned and crisp, 18-25 minutes. Once the potatoes are roasted, remove them from the oven and set them aside. While roasting, prepare the vinaigrette.
For the vinaigrette
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp and browned, 5-8 minutes. Remove the bacon and set it on a towel-lined dish. Pour off the bacon grease and wipe any debris out of the skillet. Add back bacon grease to the skillet and return the skillet to medium heat.½ lb bacon, 3 tbsp bacon grease
- Add the onion and celery to the hot grease. Sauté until the onion is golden and the celery has softened slightly, 4-6 minutes.1 medium onion, 1 cup diced celery
- Add the black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Simmer and let reduce slightly, 3-5 minutes.⅔ cup apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup honey, ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Add the roasted potatoes to a large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the roasted potatoes while the vinaigrette and potatoes are warm to allow the flavor to soak into the potatoes. Add the prepared bacon, chopped parsley, dill, and tarragon. Stir and taste, seasoning for salt and pepper.½ cup chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
Video
Notes
- While it may seem like too much empty space, make sure to use two baking sheets when roasting the potatoes. The space left around each piece of potato will ensure that the potato is able to roast correctly rather than simply steaming while in the oven.
- The potatoes are done roasting when a knife inserted meets no resistance and easily pierces through the outer crust.
- The longer the roasted potatoes and the onion and celery vinaigrette sit and meld together, the more the flavors will be combined.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
This recipe is just delicious! Love the little roasted potato creaminess, all the freshness and tang of the sauce! Excellent recipe!
Hi.
I haven’t made this yet, but it sounds delicious.
May I ask which brand of apple cider vinegar you use?
Thank you.
Dagmar
This looks delicious and similar to a recipe my grandmother used to make. Would this go well with your meatloaf recipe?
Kaleb, I happened to stumble across one of your FB videos for pfeffernuesse (pepper nuts) a few days ago. Your presentation and warmth is endearing and I love that your grandmother is german; mine too. Her cooking and baking recipies are still a huge part of our family bond. I’m excited to catch up with your past shows and looking forward to new ones. Thx for doing what you do ❤️ and sharing…
Take care and wishing you and yours all the best!
Christa
My Paternal Grandmother was German. She made awesome German potato salad. In fact German everything was awesome. After making your recipe of this amazing salad, I found out I love yours just as much. Yummy
I would love to see you make sour beef and potato dumplings. See if it is as good as my Grandmom.
Hi Kaleb, so excited to try the German potato salad!!! Looks yummy I noticed you used a cast iron skillet! I had one years ago and got rid of it!! It always felt so gunky! I guess I never seasoned correctly. I’m thinking of maybe trying one again any recommendations of where to purchase one? Thanks! Sue
Super delicious take on potato salad! Can’t wait to try this BACON….
VINAIGRETTE…..
Oh My Gosh!!!
I can’t wait to try this Kaleb @wyseguide ????
Thank You,
Tina