German Potato Salad with Bacon

German potato salad swaps the mayo traditional in American potato salads for a vinegar and mustard based sauce.

This particular recipe originated with some leftover potatoes after a lobster bake! Rather than keeping the potatoes and serving them as a plain boring dish, I decided to halve them and serve them with vinegar based sauce to make a rendition of German potato salad with bacon. Since this dish is more on the acidic side, I use a little sugar to cut some of the acid.

German Potato Salad with Bacon

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Red potatoes – Red potatoes are a medium size potato with thin, red skin and white insides. They don’t have to be peeled prior to serving since the skin is so thin. They are a waxy potato (less starchy than russet potatoes).
• Bacon – The bacon is added to a cold pan so that it cooks evenly and the fat has rendered. The rendered bacon fat is used as a flavorful and rich base for cooking the vegetables. I like the smokiness the applewood smoked bacon adds, though it can easily be substituted with pancetta in this recipe. 

How to Make German Style Potato Salad

1. Boil the potatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and quarter the potatoes then set aside in a large mixing bowl.
2. Cook the bacon. Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
3. Sauté vegetables. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan and discard the rest or reserve for another use. Return the pan to heat and add the onion and celery, sautéing until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
4. Toss with the potatoes. Add the mixture to the potatoes and toss to combine.
5. Make the dressing. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, Dijon, salt, sugar and garlic powder.
6. Assemble and serve. Pour over the potatoes and toss to combine. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this warm German potato salad recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• French Potato Salad with Green Beans
• Crispy Smashed Fried Potatoes
• Potato and Cheese Pierogi

German Potato Salad with Bacon

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Serves 6

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds red potatoes
• ½ pound thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, thinly sliced into ½” strips
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until they are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and quarter the potatoes then set aside in a large mixing bowl.
• Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is golden brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan and discard the rest or reserve for another use. Return the pan to heat and add the onion and celery, sautéing until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
• Add the mixture to the potatoes and toss to combine.
• In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar, Dijon, salt, sugar and garlic powder. Pour over the potatoes and toss to combine. Garnish with parsley and serve.

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