Name: 25-Minute German Potato Salad (Warm Recipe!)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds small red or yellow potatoes; 4 slices nitrate-free bacon; 1 red onion (diced); 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; Optional: small handful of fresh parsley (chopped)

Warm German Potato Salad is a no-mayo, vinegar-based potato salad that is prepared in just 25 minutes using small red or yellow potatoes. Layered with crispy bacon, diced red onion, tangy Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, a hint of maple syrup, and a sprinkle of sea salt and black pepper. This is a healthy and delicious dish that is easy to make and perfect for potlucks, picnics, parties, and barbecues.

German potato salad served on a large white platter with a wooden serving spoon.

As much as I love a good Creamy Red Potato Salad, the flavor of this 25-Minute German Potato Salad is hard to beat. It’s a vinegar-based, no-mayo potato salad tossed in a tangy bacon vinaigrette and served warm. Simple to make and deliciously addictive!

Reasons you will love this recipe

Incredibly flavorful: Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, this dish has lots of flavors and textures!
Healthy: Classic potato salad is typically made with mayo or sometimes sour cream, which makes it pretty rich and higher in fat and calories. This German potato salad recipe has only 6 grams of fat and under 200 calories per serving, so it’s a great alternative when looking for a lighter option.
Quick & easy to make: With a little bit of multitasking, you can have this salad on the table in under 30 minutes!

White bowl filled with cooked red potatoes, bacon pieces and fresh parsley.

Ingredients needed

The ingredients needed for this German potato salad recipe are quite simple. Here’s everything you’ll need:

Potatoes: Use small red potatoes or yellow potatoes for the recipe. Either one works well because they have a waxy texture and will hold their shape after boiling, yet absorbs the warm dressing.
Bacon: We’re adding pieces of crispy bacon to add texture and flavor to the salad. And the bacon grease is used to sauté the onion and add extra deliciousness to the vinaigrette.
Red onion: Many recipes use yellow onion, but we love the milder flavor and color red onions added to the salad.
Dressing: To make the dressing, sauté red onions in the bacon grease, and mix with Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. So good!
Herbs: For color and freshness, you can add some chopped fresh parsley over the finished salad.

Ingredients for making German potato salad divided into small bowls.

How to make this recipe

With just a few simple steps, you’ll be enjoying the best potato salad in no time! Here’s the simple process:

Prep: Cut potatoes into quarters and place in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by an inch or so.
Cook potatoes: Bring the potatoes to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 5-8 minutes after boiling. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Cooked red potatoes in a large bowl. — Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water.

Boiling potatoes in water. — Add potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water.

Fry bacon: While the potatoes cool, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the bacon until it begins to render some of its fat. Once brown and crispy, remove the bacon heat. Place on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the extra grease.

Four slices of bacon in a cast iron skillet. — Place bacon in a cast iron skillet and cok until crispy.

Cooking slices of bacon in a large skillet. — Place bacon in a cast iron skillet and cok until crispy.

Remove extra grease: Once cooled and safe to handle, carefully pour the excess grease from the pan, leaving 3 tablespoons in the pan. I like to remove it all and then measure out 3 tablespoons to add back.
Sauté onion: Heat the bacon grease over low heat and add the diced onion. Sauté until the onions are tender and translucent.
Make the dressing: Turn off the heat and whisk in Dijon mustard, vinegar, maple syrup, salt and pepper.

Sautéing diced red onion in a large cast iron skillet. — Add a few tablespoons of th ebacon grease to the pan – saute the onions in the bacon grease until tender.

Stirring apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt and pepper with red onion. — Add a few tablespoons of th ebacon grease to the pan – saute the onions in the bacon grease until tender.

Toss the salad in dressing: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Gently toss in fresh chopped parsley (if using!).
Serve: Enjoy warm (my personal preference!), cold, or room temperature.

Combining dressing with cooked red potatoes. — Pour the warm bacon vinaigrette over the potatoes and gently toss.

Tossing potatoes with dressing, bacon and parsley. — Pour the warm bacon vinaigrette over the potatoes and gently toss.

Expert tips

Best potatoes to use: It’s best to use a waxy potato, like red or yellow potatoes, for this recipe. Do not use starchier russet potatoes, as they will likely fall apart when stirring together all of the ingredients.
Prepping potatoes: Cut the potatoes, so that all of the pieces are about the same size. This will help them cook evenly and at the same rate.
Tossing dressing: Gently toss the potatoes with the dressing. We don’t want this dish to end up looking like mashed potatoes!
Herbs: Aside from fresh parsley, fresh dill, green onions or chives will work to garnish this dish.

Frequently asked questions

What is German salad made of?

German potato salad is very different from the American version, which is served cold and usually features a combination of peeled russet potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and pickles in a mayonnaise dressing. Instead, this recipe is often served warm and is made with unpeeled red potatoes (or yellow potatoes) and also includes bacon and a vinegar-based dressing.

How long can German potato salad be left out?

This version of potato salad is great for serving at barbecues, potlucks and picnics because it does not need to be kept chilled. However, we don’t recommend letting it sit out for more than a few hours.

How do you reheat German potato salad?

If you’d like to enjoy your leftover potato salad warm, you can reheat it in the oven, covered with foil, to prevent the potatoes from drying out. You can also rewarm individual servings in the microwave at about 30 seconds at a time (stirring and testing after each increment) until heated through.

German Potato Salad topped with fresh parsley on a white platter.

Storage recommendations: Leftover potato salad will keep for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.

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If you make this 25-Minute Warm German Potato Salad, be sure to leave a comment and ★ rating below letting me know how it turned out. Your feedback is so helpful for me and our Clean & Delicious community (thank you!).

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5 from 9 votes