Warm German Potato Salad with Bacon

If you want an authentic German potato salad which is easy to make, yet will wow the crowds, then this recipe is for you. This warm German potato salad is soaked in a tasty thick dressing and served with crispy bacon and fresh herbs. Perfect with your bratwurst, Frankfurter sausages, or a nice piece of Schwenkbraten.

By popular demand, this reader-favorite recipe made it into my debut cookbook, German Kitchen-Classic Dishes!

Warm German Potato Salad

Here are some of the homemade German potato salad recipes on my blog:

Ingredients in Warm German Potato Salad

• waxy potatoes - Waxy potatoes are best for salads because they hold their shape when cooked. Try Yukon Gold or Red potatoes for the best result.
• Bacon - If you can, use speck instead of bacon! This is what they use in Bavaria. The difference is that the meat for speck is taken from the pork leg, whereas bacon is made from pork belly. However, if you cannot get hold of speck, then bacon (ideally streaky) is a good alternative.
• Onion - chopped finely, and sauteed with the bacon to add to the smoky taste
• White wine vinegar - This will give the dressing a slightly fruity note. Substitute it with cider vinegar if you want.
• Sugar - To achieve a slighlty sweet and sour flavor, we need to add a teaspoon of sugar. This will also complement the smoky bacon taste.
• Oil - Any neutral oil will do fine here. I used sunflower oil
• Beef Broth / Stock - you can also use vegetable stock (affiliate link), but beef broth is traditional in Germany.
• Flour - this will thicken the vinegarette, and help it stick to the potatoes
• Pickles- Whether you use cornichons or German pickles, make sure they are stored in a dill marine.
• Parsley and chives - Use can also use one or the other. I mixed them and they rounded this dish off perfectly. Just add before serving.

How to make warm German Potato Salad with Bacon

1. Boil the potatoes. In Germany, you do not peel the potatoes before cooking, as they believe there are a lot of nutrients in the skin. Boil them in salted water until soft. Remove from the water and set aside to let of steam.
2. Make the dressing Start by frying the bacon in oil until crispy before adding the chopped onion. Cook together until the onions appear translucent, then sprinkle the flour over the bacon and onion. Briefly stir for a minute before adding the pickles and pouring over the hot beef broth /stock. Bring to a boil, and the dressing will start to thicken. Remove the dressing from the heat and set aside.
3. Slice the potatoes. By now the potatoes should be cool enough to handle without hurting your hands. Remove the peel and slice into bite-size pieces.
4. Combine the warm dressing and hot potatoes. Mix well before sprinkling over the fresh herbs.

Top Tips

• Give it time - I would give this classic potato salad at least 3 hours to soak in the flavor of the dressing. Serve it at room temperature or reheat it.
• Make sure it's hot - the potatoes and the dressing should both be warm when combined, as this will enable the potatoes to soak up the flavor.
• Use the bacon grease to give your dressing extra flavor.
• Make it in bulk, this authentic German potato salad is gone in no time!

What to serve with this Bavarian Potato Salad

German potato salad goes well with anything grilled. From grilled sausages, to meat and vegetables. Another obvious choice, if you want to keep with the German cuisine, is a Schnitzel. Take a look at the pics below

Storage and Reheating

Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can eat it chilled or let it come back to room temperature. To eat it warm, reheat it in a pan, toss a couple of spoons of water in the salad, and reheat it on the stove, while stirring continuously. This salad is not suitable for freezing, as the flavor and texture change.

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