Servings
Font
Back
0 from 9 votes

German Potato Salad

The simple combination of red potatoes, bacon, onion, and a sweet and tangy dressing makes this authentic German Potato Salad the perfect side dish!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 261 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: European

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. red potatoes (about 8 medium)
  • 8 ounces bacon, diced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¾ cup water
  • ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ of an onion, finely diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Place potatoes in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Add salt to the boiling water and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender (about 15-20 minutes). Drain.
  2. When the potatoes are dry and cool enough to touch, cut into bite-sized cubes. Transfer the cubed potatoes to a large bowl.
  3. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a large skillet until crisp and brown. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Leave the bacon drippings in the skillet.
  4. Add the flour to the bacon drippings and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Stir in sugar, vinegar, water, dry mustard, salt, pepper and onion. Cook, stirring, until onion is tender and sauce has thickened (about 5-8 minutes). If the dressing gets too thick while the onion is cooking, stir in additional water until it reaches the desired consistency.
  5. Add celery, hard-boiled eggs (if using), parsley or dill, and cooked bacon to the large bowl with the potatoes. Pour hot dressing over the potato mixture and gently stir to combine.
  6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • It’s important to put the potatoes in the pot of water before you heat up the water and bring it to a boil. This ensures even cooking. If you drop the potatoes into already boiling water, the outside of the potatoes will cook quickly, while the inside will stay hard.
  • Boil the potatoes whole. Do NOT dice or peel the potatoes before they go in the water. Cutting or dicing the potatoes causes them to release steam while cooking, which will result in a mushier potato.
  • The potatoes will take about 15-20 minutes in the boiling water to become fork-tender. If you’re using baby potatoes, they may only require about 10 minutes, so keep a close eye on them — you don’t want to overcook them and end up with mushy potatoes.
  • How much potato salad per person? It’s safe to assume that 1 pound of potatoes will feed about 3-4 people. In this case, 2 pounds of potatoes for the potato salad yields about 6-8 servings. If you plan to feed 20 people, you will need to triple all of the ingredients. To feed 50 people, you will need about 8 batches; for 100 people, about 15 batches…and so on.
  • Optional additions to the German Potato Salad: Garnish the dish with any fresh herbs that you enjoy (such as parsley or dill); the hard-boiled eggs are optional so feel free to omit them. If you don't have dry mustard, you can add a dollop of Dijon mustard to the dressing.
  • Cooking for a Smaller Family? Cut all of the ingredients in half to prepare just 4 cups of potato salad. The instructions remain the same.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1/8 of the salad (about 1 cup) Calories 261kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 33g (11%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 4g (20%) Cholesterol 19mg (6%) Sodium 214mg (9%) Potassium 595mg (17%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 14g (28%) Vitamin A 41IU (1%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 18mg (2%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 261

% Daily Value*

Serving 1/8 of the salad (about 1 cup)
Calories 261kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 33g 11%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 214mg 9%
Potassium 595mg 13%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 14g 28%
Vitamin A 41IU 1%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 18mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.