German Potato Salad is coated in a delicious and tangy dressing made of bacon, vinegar and Dijon mustard. The potatoes are soft and packed full of flavor. Try this one soon!

Truth be told- I am not a potato salad fan. Potatoes covered in mayo has never been my thing. My hubby loves it though, the weirdo. haha. JK. 😉
For some reason when I was planning our 4th of July menu I thought a potato salad would go good with what I had planned, so I went on the hunt for a non-mayo recipe.
While browsing through the web, I came upon this German Potato Salad recipe. After reading the ingredients I knew it was just what I had in mind! The biggest bonus was that there wasn’t one drop of mayonnaise in the recipe, but loads of other flavorful ingredients. Bacon for starters. Any recipe with bacon listed as the second ingredient you know is going to be good!
The vinegar and dijon mustard makes this potato salad tangy and yummy. I was worried about the mustard because Kale isn’t a fan, but he honestly LOVED this. It was another one of those meals he kept complimenting on as we ate. I love it when that happens! 🙂

Unlike traditional American potato salad, German potato salad uses the leftover bacon grease, vinegar, and other assorted seasonings to make the dressing. Although the bacon grease is used to coat the potatoes, this potato salad still tastes lighter than the recipes with mayo.
This salad is said to be best when served right away, but it can also be served cold too. When I made it I prepared it in the early afternoon, took a few delicious bites, then at dinner we ate it cold and was still so amazing!
MORE DELICIOUS POTATO RECIPES TO TRY!
Potatoes au Gratin
Scalloped Potatoes Ham and Corn Bake
Loaded Chicken and Potato Casserole
Crock Pot Creamy Mashed Potatoes
German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds red potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 package (12 ounces) applewood smoked bacon, cut in one-inch pieces
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 Tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Start by scrubbing and cleaning potatoes with water. Dry. Cut into large chunks trying to keep all equal in size. Place potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil. Season with the one teaspoon of salt and boil potatoes for 15 minutes or until fork tender. Turn off burner. Drain water then place pot back on burner. Let potatoes steam dry for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cook bacon pieces over medium-high heat until crispy. When done cooking remove bacon with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel lined plate; leaving bacon grease in saucepan. Remove pan from burner to let grease cool down a bit. Slowly add vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper to saucepan. Place pot back on burner and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and let simmer a few minutes. Stir in minced garlic and let cook only 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and carefully pour mixture over the cooked potatoes. Fold until all the liquid is absorbed then stir in bacon and parsley. Serve potato salad warm and enjoy!
Notes
SAVE THIS RECIPE FOR LATER AND
PIN IT TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!

This is close to my own German mother’s potato salad. It’s so yummy!
Was super easy to make and a big hit at the family BBQ. I’m not a fan of the taste of apple cider vinegar so next time I think I’ll use white vinegar and see how that goes.
I thought i remembered a recipe that you put In the ovEn? Does anyone know? GoinG to Try this.
Karan