German Potato Salad is in my blood (literally my Grandparents are German!) It runs through my veins and it's EVERYTHING you need for summer cookouts this year! If you love a good potato salad, my Greek Potato Salad is another favorite. Serve this one alongside Chicken Schnitzel for the ultimate German dinner, or set it out next to a Grilled Corn and Zucchini Salad for the perfect summer spread.
German Potato Salad at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 30 minutes (5 min prep + 25 min cook)
- 👪 Servings: 6
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: German
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Tangy champagne-vinegar and Dijon vinaigrette over tender baby potatoes with crispy pancetta, loads of chives, green onions, and parsley; zero mayo
- 📖 Dietary Info: Contains pork (pancetta); naturally gluten-free and dairy-free; not vegetarian as written (see the swaps for a bacon-free route)
- 📦 Storage Notes: Refrigerate covered for 3 to 4 days; genuinely great warm, room temp, or chilled; don't leave it out more than 2 hours at a cookout
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: This is my Omi's recipe, passed down for over 100 years. Warm baby potatoes soak up a sharp Dijon vinaigrette, crispy pancetta lands in every bite, and there's no mayo to babysit in the sun. It's the potato salad that converts mayo-potato-salad people.
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Why I love this recipe
This is a timeless traditional recipe that has been passed down through my family over the past 100 years! My Omi and my Omi's Omi have been making the most incredible potato salad loaded with herbs, bacon and a simple vinaigrette since I can remember. It's literal perfection and it's hard not to eat it before throwing it on the table for a dinner party.
Just like my Easy Greek Pasta Salad, I'm obsessed with a vinaigrette based potato salad, vs the traditional mayo based American Potato Salads. I think it has something to do with my German roots and the tangy/acidic combo of the vinegar and potatoes.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Herb Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Pancetta – Bacon is a great substitute!
- Red Onion – Sliced shallots would also work well in this recipe.
- Champagne Vinegar – If you don't have it on hand use white wine vinegar as a substitute.
- Dijon Mustard – Pick your favorite here, I like using a smooth dijon mustard for the vinaigrette in this recipe but whole grain dijon mustard would also be delicious.
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper
- Green Onions
- Chives
- Parsley
*For full instructions and ingredients please see recipe card below
How to Make German Potato Salad
Step 1: Start by boiling the potatoes until fork tender. Then drain and set aside in a bowl.
Step 2: Make the vinaigrette. Fry the pancetta until browned and crisp. Then remove it from the pan and set aside.
Step 3: To the pancetta grease, add the diced onion and cook until caramelized. Then add the vinegar and mustard.
Step 4: Cook the vinegar and mustard for 2 minutes.Then turn off the heat and whisk in the oil.
Step 5: Add the crispy pancetta, chives, parsley, and scallions to the potatoes.
Step 6: Pour the warm dressing over the potatoes and gently toss to coat.
🥔🥓🌿 Tips & Tricks for the Best German Potato Salad
A 100-year-old family recipe deserves to be made right
- Dress the potatoes while they're warm. Warm potatoes drink up the vinaigrette; cold ones just wear it. This is the single biggest difference-maker in the whole recipe.
- Start the potatoes in cold salted water. Dropping them into boiling water cooks the outside to mush before the center is done. Cold start, then bring to a boil, cooks them evenly.
- Halve or quarter before boiling. More cut surface means more vinaigrette absorbed and a faster, more even cook.
- Salt the cooking water like you mean it. Potatoes are bland sponges; season them from the inside while they cook, not just from the dressing after.
- Pull the potatoes at knife-tender, not falling apart. Check at 12 minutes. Overcooked potatoes drink the dressing and then collapse into mash.
- Render the pancetta low and slow. Medium heat until it's genuinely crispy. Rushed pancetta is chewy and greasy instead of crackly.
- Whisk a spoonful of the pancetta fat into the vinaigrette. That rendered fat is flavor money. It rounds out the sharp vinegar and ties the whole bowl together.
- Add the herbs off the heat, right before serving. Chives, green onions, and parsley go in last so they stay bright and fresh against the warm potatoes.
- Serve it warm, room temp, or chilled. It's legitimately great all three ways, which makes it the most flexible cookout side on your table.
- Save any leftover pancetta-herb mixture. Scatter it over grilled bread or a pizza; it's a built-in bonus recipe.
FAQs
What is German potato salad?
German potato salad is a warm potato side dish from Germany dressed with a tangy vinegar-and-mustard vinaigrette and crispy pancetta or bacon, no mayo in sight. Mine is my Omi's recipe, passed down through our family for over 100 years and loaded with fresh herbs.
What is the difference between German and American potato salad?
German potato salad is vinegar-based and served warm or at room temperature; American potato salad is mayo-based and served cold. The vinegar version also holds up far better on a summer cookout table.
How long can German potato salad be left out?
No more than two hours unrefrigerated, same as any cooked side. The good news: it's genuinely great warm, at room temp, or chilled straight from the fridge.
How do you reheat German potato salad?
Covered in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring between each. A small splash of vinegar wakes the dressing back up.
What makes a great German potato salad?
A timeless recipe: my Omi and her Omi have made this exact one for the past century. Baby potatoes dressed warm, crispy pancetta, loads of herbs, and a sharp champagne-vinegar-Dijon vinaigrette.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
German Potato Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds baby new potatoes halved or quartered
- 8 ounces pancetta small diced (or bacon)
- 1 large red onion diced
- ¼ cup champagne vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 bunch chives thinly sliced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender and remove from heat, drain and set aside in a bowl.
- While the potatoes are cooking, place the pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the diced onion to the pancetta grease, and cook over medium heat until browned.
- Carefully add the vinegar and mustard to the onions and cook for 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Whisk in the oil and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the hot dressing to the potatoes and toss gently to coat. Fold in the pancetta, green onions, chives, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- I love this hot or room temp, and even eat the leftovers cold. That makes this SO easy to serve at any meal!
- Bacon is a great substitute for pancetta.
- Sliced shallots are a great swap for red onion in this recipe.
- If you don't have champagne vinegar on hand use white wine vinegar as a substitute.
Nutrition Information (estimated)
Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe from What’s Gaby Cooking
Hi Gaby -- one guest mentioned the amount of vinegar and olive oil. Should the olive oil be 3/4 cup or 1/3 cup? Also do you use the entire green onion or only the white part? I LOVE every recipe I have tried and can't wait to keep cooking/baking with you!
recipe is correct as printed in the post! and I use the entire green onion
Love this dish! Can you make this the day before?
sure can!
that sounds so tasty, i have not made the German Potato Salad yet, but i sure will. thank you for sharing
Can’t wait to try this! I prefer vinaigrette based potato salads too!
Just want to double check...the recipe call for 3/4 cup of champagne vinegar, and only a 1/4 cup olive oil? Is that correct, or should they be reversed? Usually there’s more oil than vinegar in a vinaigrette.
Thank you!!!
def a typo!! fixed
These are very very good! I made these for a German-themed potluck and the German hostess gave them two thumbs up!
Honestly the best German potato salad recipe I’ve tried! My Swiss/German husband, loved it, too!
THRILLED!!!
We made this as part of our Father’s Day dinner and LOVED it! Made it exactly as written. Thanks!
Just wonderful!
This along with some grilled steak sounds like the perfect outdoor summer dinner to me!
Delicious with a vinaigrette! So much better than creamy salads!
most of us do not put bacon in our potato salads here in germany.
That's fair!! My omi does so I'm just going with her recipe which I love
This looks amazing! I’m going to be making this at my sister’s and she’s vegan . What can I add instead of bacon to give it a kick? Thank you!
more herbs!! or soy-rizo
My family devoured this at our Fourth of July gathering. Accidentally forgot to add the olive oil to the dressing so just drizzled a bit over the top and it was delicious. Just as yummy hot as it is cold the next day!
German Potato Salad (lovingly referred to as GPS by my family) was the only one on the table at a Weber family function. Growing up in AL, none of my friends understood. I love the addition of parsley to your recipe. My grandmother's vinaigrette (which always used bacon because... AL), added celery seed. Try it sometime. You will not be disappointed!
Made for dinner last night with grilled pork tenderloin. My husband said, “Please don’t lose this recipe”!