Go Back

German Potato Salad

German potato salad with crispy bacon and a tangy vinegar dressing. Yukon Gold potatoes are boiled until tender, then tossed warm with a simmered bacon broth dressing for that classic kartoffelsalat texture.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: German
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes
  • 3 lb Yukon gold potatoes, sliced
Bacon
  • 8 bacon slices For crisping and drippings.
Aromatics
  • 1 onion, diced
Vinegar dressing
  • 0.75 cup chicken broth
  • 0.33 cup white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
Herbs
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Method
 

Boil the potatoes
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the sliced Yukon gold potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes, then drain well and keep them warm.
  2. Let the drained potatoes sit in the colander for 2 minutes to steam off excess water so the vinegar dressing clings better.
Make the bacon-onion base
  1. Cook the bacon in a skillet until crispy, about 8 minutes, then transfer it to a plate and reserve the bacon drippings in the skillet.
  2. Sauté the diced onion in the reserved bacon drippings until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a visible glossy sheen.
Simmer the vinegar dressing
  1. Add the chicken broth, white vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper to the skillet and simmer, about 5 minutes, until the liquid looks slightly reduced.
Combine and serve warm
  1. Crumble the crispy bacon into the warm potatoes and mix gently so the potatoes stay in slices.
  2. Pour the hot dressing over the potatoes and bacon, then toss gently for 30 seconds until the potatoes are evenly coated and glistening.
  3. Sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley over the top and serve warm right away.

Notes

For the classic kartoffelsalat texture, keep the potatoes warm and dry before dressing so they don’t get watery. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat, adding a splash of broth if needed. Freezing isn’t recommended because the potatoes can turn mealy. Dietary swap: use turkey bacon for a lower-fat version while keeping the vinegar dressing the same.