This hot German potato salad recipe is totally the BEST summer side dish. Guests will flip for the tangy apple cider vinegar & grainy mustard dressing, along with the crispy fried bacon bits. Serve it hot, warm, or even cold at your next cookout!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Smithfield®. The opinions and text are all mine.
Hot German Potato Salad
School's out, soccer tryouts are in the books (successfully, yay!), and we've got one more day to go in our community garage sale - and then I am D-O-N-E, DONE.
It's been a hectic few weeks, but I'm looking forward to hauling everything that doesn't sell to the donate drop-off, followed by a cookout with friends to celebrate the start of summer!
LOW KEY is the theme for this gathering, because frankly, I have zero bandwidth for anything else at this point. We're talking grilled brats, my family favorite German potato salad recipe, and maybe I'll ask my girls to make some of these simple individual veggie cups that are always a BIG hit.
Beyond that, I'll pick up some beer and, perhaps, a pound cake and fresh berries for dessert and call it a day.
Grilled Smithfield Brats + Yuengling Lager
The key to keeping a simple menu fresh and exciting is always in the details. Along with the German potato salad ingredients, we opted to pick up several packages of Smithfield Yuengling Traditional Lager Bratwurst sausages and buns. And of course, we also grabbed several 6-packs of Yuengling Traditional Lager to pair with them...
I mean, they go hand-in-hand, right? Each Smithfield brat is made with premium cuts of pork and a special blend of sweet and savory spices, then infused with real Yuengling Traditional Lager. A cold bottle of Yuengling lager to wash them down is practically a requirement.
I especially love these brats because you can forget about boiling them in beer before grilling them. Toss these babies right on the grill, and they come out juicy and flavorful every time!
Wanna try them for yourself? Smithfield Yuengling bratwurst sausages are available at your local Kroger. I always find them in the freezer case, but be sure to check the meat case as well. And if all else fails, the butcher counter always knows where they're at.
Authentic German Potato Salad Recipe With Bacon
Now let's switch gears to the recipe for German potato salad I mentioned. You're definitely going to want to try this amazing side dish!
What is German potato salad? Oh, boy, if you've never had an authentic German potato salad, you are in for a TREAT... It's very different kind of potato salad compared to the creamy potato salads you're probably used to.
Known as Kartoffelsalat in German (or as my Hungarian great-grandmother would have called it, Krumplisaláta), it's basically a fried potato salad. Hot red potatoes are tossed with a warm vinegar-based dressing that's both sweet and tangy, thanks to a combination of apple cider vinegar, a little bit of sugar, and some coarse Dijon mustard.
Oh, and did I mention it's filled with BACON?! Because it IS - lots and lots of crispy fried bacon pieces. PLUS the bacon fat is incorporated into the tangy dressing, as well. How can you go wrong with a bacon-filled warm potato salad recipe?
And if the smoky bacon wasn't enough to get your attention, maybe learning just how easy my recipe for German potato salad is to make will...
How To Make German Potato Salad
Let's start with the fact that you don't even need to peel the potatoes! For best results, I like to use small red potatoes in this recipe. These thin-skinned waxy potatoes can be cooked whole or quartered in the case of larger ones.
Simply boil the potatoes until tender in just enough water to cover them (or steam them in your Instant Pot!). Then drain them in a colander. Allow the boiled potatoes sit until they've cooled just enough that you can handle slicing them into bite size chunks without burning your fingers off.
The luscious warm bacon dressing can be prepared in a large skillet while the potatoes are cooking. It's simply a mixture of fried diced bacon, diced yellow onions cooked in the remaining bacon grease, some apple cider vinegar, sugar, coarse Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper.
Finally, the cooked still warm potatoes get tossed with the hot bacon dressing. This helps the tender red potatoes soak up all of the zingy flavor from the tangy vinegar dressing. Add in a healthy handful of chopped fresh parsley for subtle bright flavor and a pop of color, and it's ready to serve!
Hot Cold Or Warm German Potato Salad?
There's a bit of debate over whether the best German potato salad should be served hot, warm, or cold... Traditionally, German potato salad recipes are served hot or warm. But I say go with whatever works for YOU!
Freshly prepared German hot potato salad is totally amazing. But it's often not practical to keep it hot at a gathering. If you have access to an outlet, a crock pot set on warm does the trick well. Though if not, no worries!
This potato salad is still super tasty warm, room temperature, or even cold. And since German-style potato salad is a vinegar-based potato salad without mayo in it, you don't need to worry about spoilage in the summer heat! You know, like you do with a traditional American potato salad.
What To Serve With Bratwurst Sausages
If you've never been sure what to serve with bratwurst sausages at your cookouts, I can wholeheartedly recommend this easy German potato salad recipe. And I highly suggest doubling it, because it definitely WILL NOT LAST.
The combination of warm German potato salad and Smithfield Yuengling bratwursts, paired with the subtle sweet caramel flavor of an icy cold Yuengling lager, will knock your next cookout out of the park. Prost!
P.S. Don't for one second think that this recipe for German potato salad is only good as a summer side. It's a perfect side dish to make year round! We serve it with this pork and sauerkraut recipe every year on New Year's Day and AND pretty much all year long...
Printable Recipe ↓
Bacon-Filled Hot German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds red potatoes - quartered
- 1 tablespoon salt - divided
- ½ pound bacon - diced
- 1 heaping cup diced onion
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (coarse)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley - chopped
Instructions
- Place the quartered potatoes in a large pot and fill with enough cold water to just cover them.* Add 2 teaspoons of salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until easily pierced by a fork, about 12-15 minutes. Drain the hot potatoes and set aside to cool slightly. When they are still warm but can be easily handled, cut into small pieces.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the bacon vinaigrette. Place the diced bacon in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook bacon until browned and crisp. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. Leave the bacon drippings in the frying pan.
- Add the diced onions to the pan, and cook over medium heat until they turn translucent and start to brown. Add the vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to the sautéed onions. Bring to a boil.
- Add the bite size potato chunks and bacon to the pan, and toss to coat. Turn off the heat and and fold in the chopped parsley.
- Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot (but warm and cold are fine, too).
Recipe Notes
Find Smithfield Yuengling Bratwurst Sausages
You can purchase Smithfield Yuengling Bratwurst at your local Kroger. Be sure to follow @SmithfieldBrand and @YuenglingBeer for more ideas to #grilloutchillout this summer!
If you like this traditional German potato salad, you might also enjoy these other cookout side dish recipes:
- Easy Macaroni Salad With Egg
- Hungarian Creamy Cucumber Salad
- Easy Orzo Salad For A Crowd
- Crockpot Baked Beans
- Broccoli Slaw with Ramen
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @unsophisticook on Instagram and hashtag it #unsophisticook.
Kathy says
I made this today and it is almost exactly like my mom's recipe that we ate more than 60 years ago. When I saw your recipe, my mouth started watering and it is so delicious! Thank you for reminding me, Tara.
Tara Kuczykowski says
Aww, I love hearing this!!
Jill Elliott says
I grew up eating this German staple but this is the best I’ve ever had! I never actually made the salad so I didn’t have a recipe so that meant only one thing…a surfing trip to the internet! Followed your recipe as is just used a full pound of bacon by accident! My daughter was helping and she cooked and chopped the package of bacon but never divided it….I think it was fine…in fact everyone loved it…which is proof there is no such thing as too much bacon! Thanks for sharing this!!!
Amber says
Fabulous! Tangy and flavorful. Perfect new take on potatoes for me. Loved it!!!!
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy you loved it, Amber!
Thomas says
I made this German Potato Salad it's one of the best I've ever tasted looks great and taste even better
Tara Kuczykowski says
Thank you, Thomas — very happy that you loved it so much!
Paul says
Diced onions green or white
Tara Kuczykowski says
Regular yellow or white onion!
Ronda says
Made this for Father’s Day. I usually make traditional egg/Mayo potato salad. However, this is so easy and delicious. I did use white wine vinegar in place of apple cider vinegar though. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy you loved it, Ronda!
Helga cotner says
I made this for superbowl last year for a crowd at a bar, they loved it so much they asked me to make it again this year. Best recipe ever. Thank you
Tara Kuczykowski says
You just made my day, Helga!! Thanks for sharing.
Jenn says
This plus the Yuengling caramelized onions = absolute heaven! Love the flavors here!
Ashley says
Love this easy recipe! It's so flavorful and perfect for summer parties.
Brenda says
This recipe sounds delicious. Going to pick up some bacon so we can make this for supper. Will let you know how it comes out. Can’t wait to try it. I grew up on German Potato Salad and love it but this sounds like the easiest recipe to make and I’m all for easy
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hope you love it, Brenda! I haven't made it lately, but now I'm craving it...
kanchipuram sarees says
Have not made German potato salad in ages and now totally craving a bowl. Fabulous for all those bring a dish to pass BBQ potlucks.
Catrina Haider says
I usually make my German Potato Salad in a pressure cooker. The booklet that came with it in the 1940's (I got my Grandma's pressure cooker) had lots of great recipes in it and it had a yummy recipe for German Potato Salad. The pressure cooker seems to infuse all of the flavors together. Yours sounds good too though.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
I'd love to try your recipe, Catrina! Please send it to me if you have a chance. Old pressure cookers are pretty much the best. I had my grandma's for a while, and then my dad asked for it back. I find it really difficult to get my favorite recipes that have been passed down through my family to taste the same in my new Kuhn Rikon cooker or my Instant Pot. I'm pretty sure it's mainly a size thing, because my grandma's pressure cooker was much smaller. I'm thinking I just need to borrow it back and do some testing!
Shanika says
Wow, I've never heard of a german potato salad, but it sounds so amazing! Plus, there's bits of meat added? You couldn't ask for a better dish!
Katie Doyle says
I much prefer tangy potato salad over creamy so this sounds amazing to me! And the bacon is just a bonus
Tina Dawson | Love is in my Tummy says
This potato salad sounds incredible!!! Anything potato that begins with 'you don't have to peel' is a win, in my book!
Gloria says
Oh man....what a great side for grilling season. I don't even remember the last time I had this....NOW I need to make it soon. So good.
Traci says
Potatoes, bacon, and Dijon mustard, all tossed together in a salad…who doesn't love that combo?! This is the perfect summer side dish...Thanks for the recipe! Pinning now :)
Shinta Simon says
Yummy, I love the sound of that hot bacon dressing! I am so tempted to make this very soon! They look perfect with those hot dogs and beer.
Shanika says
Wow, I've never heard of a german potato salad, but it sounds so amazing! Plus, there's bits of meat added? You couldn't ask for a better dish!
Gloria says
Oh man....what a great side for grilling season. I don't even remember the last time I had this....NOW I need to make it soon. So good.
Traci says
Potatoes, bacon, and Dijon mustard, all tossed together in a salad…who doesn't love that combo?! This is the perfect summer side dish...Thanks for the recipe! Pinning now :)
Shinta Simon says
Yummy, I love the sound of that hot bacon dressing! I am so tempted to make this very soon! They look perfect with those hot dogs and beer.
golu dolls says
I feel like you can’t go wrong with anything bacon-filled, lol. This looks amazing and a perfect cookout side dish.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Have not made German potato salad in ages and now totally craving a bowl. Fabulous for all those bring a dish to pass BBQ potlucks.
Carissa Nelson says
I feel like you can't go wrong with anything bacon-filled, lol. This looks amazing and a perfect cookout side dish. Your mustard squiggles are absolutely how I'm plating my next round of brats! We don't have Krogers around us but I will look in other stores!