Warm German potato salad is a fantastically delicious departure from the traditional chilled, mayo-based potato salad, packed with lots of savory flavor. My German potato salad recipe features tender, roasted yellow baby potatoes, caramelized red onion, and crispy bacon, all tossed together with a delicious and easy warm bacon vinaigrette!
A Bright and Savory Potato Salad
Friends, do you find freshly roasted potatoes to be as utterly irresistible as I do?
In full disclosure, it’s very difficult for me to not start munching on those steaming little golden morsels right off the hot baking sheet—their salty, crispy skin glistening with a light sheen of good olive oil—mmm, mmm..!
Creating a warm potato salad out of a batch of freshly roasted potatoes takes them to a whole new level, one that's filled with lots of bright, earthy, and savory-sweet notes.
My German potato salad recipe features tender and buttery baby yellow potatoes, flavorful caramelized red onion, crispy bits of bacon, plus an out-of-this-world warm bacon vinaigrette to tie all of these gloriously delicious ingredients together.
Utterly cozy and irresistible, it's the perfect accompaniment to burgers, steaks, sandwiches, grilled meats... pretty much all of our favorite grilling season staples!
How To Make German Potato Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
What I love so much about a warm potato salad is that it offers a scrumptious alternative to cold, mayonnaise-based potato salads.
There's something about taking a bite of a warm, tender potato coated in a light and bright dressing with some savory tidbits added in that just makes me happy, extra comforted.
Plus, freshly roasted potatoes tend to take on the flavors of the ingredients that are added to them, absorbing the smokiness of the bacon, the tanginess of the vinaigrette, and the mild sweetness of the caramelized red onion for bite after bite of flavor!
Here's a peek at my warm German potato salad recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To get started, I season my baby yellow potatoes and roast them until buttery and tender.
- While the potatoes roast, I caramelize my red onion, then crisp up my chopped bacon, reserving some of the bacon drippings for my warm bacon vinaigrette. I then set aside my caramelized onion and crispy bacon.
- Once the potatoes are roasted, I add them to a large bowl along with my onions and crispy bacon, plus some parsley.
- Next, I whisk up my easy, warm bacon vinaigrette, then drizzle that in and toss all of the ingredients together until well-coated.
- I check to see if any additional salt and pepper is needed, and serve immediately while nice and warm.
Recipe
Warm German Potato Salad
by Ingrid Beer
Print RecipeThis warm German potato salad dressed with warm bacon vinaigrette, caramelized red onion, and crispy bacon is deliciously savory and bright!
Category: Salad
Cuisine: German
Yield: Serves 6
Nutrition Info: 444 calories per serving
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Potato Salad Ingredients:
- 3 pounds yellow baby potatoes, either halved or quartered depending on size
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 1 large red onion, quartered and sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 6 strips apple smoked bacon, chopped into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Warm Bacon Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons reserved, warm bacon drippings
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your potato salad ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- Preheat the oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with foil.
- In a large bowl, add the halved (or quartered) baby potatoes and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a couple of good pinches of sea salt and cracked pepper, and toss well to combine. Turn the baby potatoes out onto the baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, or until golden-brown and tender.
- While the potatoes roast, place a medium-large non-stick pan over medium heat, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the sliced red onion and the tablespoon of sugar, and toss to coat with a pair of tongs. Cook/caramelize the red onions on medium for about 12-14 minutes, or until a golden, caramel color, and softened.
- Once onions are caramelized, add the pinch of salt to them, stir to incorporate, and remove from heat. Set aside and keep them warm until ready to add to potato salad.
- Next, in the same pan set over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until brown and crispy. Then, remove it with a slotted spoon and place onto a paper towel to drain. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and set these aside to use in the vinaigrette, keeping the drippings warm.
- Once the baby potatoes are roasted, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a few moments while you prepare the warm, bacon vinaigrette.
- To prepare the warm bacon vinaigrette, gather and prep all of the vinaigrette ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients beginning with the apple cider vinegar up to and including the salt. Slowly drizzle in the bacon drippings while whisking, followed by the olive oil. Whisk until the vinaigrette is well combined.
- To assemble the warm German potato salad, add the warm, roasted baby potatoes to a large bowl, and then add the caramelized red onion, the crispy bacon, and the chopped flat-leaf parsley. Drizzle in the warm bacon vinaigrette, and toss everything well to completely combine, making sure that all of the potatoes are well dressed.
- Check to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed, then divide equally among plates, and serve while still warm.
Tips & Tidbits for my Warm German Potato Salad recipe:
- Baby potatoes for buttery texture: For this recipe I've opted for yellow baby potatoes, but you can certainly use red potatoes as well. I like the baby potatoes because they tend to roast up nice and buttery and flavorful, but if all you can find are larger yellow or red potatoes, feel free to use them instead, just cut them into smaller chunks.
- Turkey bacon as a substitute for pork: If you're looking for an alternative to traditional pork bacon, turkey bacon will work perfectly for this. It still has that delicious smoky flavor, and will crisp up nicely—you may need to add a bit more fat to the pan, however, as it is leaner. So perhaps drizzle in a tablespoon or two of olive oil as the turkey bacon crisps, to have enough to use for the warm bacon vinaigrette.
- Apple cider vinegar for sweet tang: Apple cider vinegar is my favorite to use for warm bacon vinaigrette, as it not quite as sharp as white vinegar, and has a nice, mild sweetness to it, plus lots of flavor. If you do not have apple cider vinegar, you can substitute white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or even plain white vinegar, just go a little easier with the last one.
- Warm potato salad is best, but cool if tasty too: If you find yourself with some leftovers, you can enjoy this potato salad chilled from the fridge just as well. The flavors will still be delicious, but the experience will be a bit different. You could gently reheat it in a toaster oven for a few minutes as well to take some of the chill off, or even enjoy room temperature.
Craving more delicious recipes similar to this one? Check out this Loaded Baked Potato Salad, this Sweet Potato Salad, this Macaroni Salad!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2012, and has been updated with even more love!
Ingrid, this potato salad looks so tasty! My husband and I will love this dish. I could also see this compliment as a side dish with many of your wonderful entrees too!
Oh my! This is incredible! I've been roasting baby yellow potatoes in olive oil and herbs for awhile, but the additions you've made are over the top! Can't wait to try it. I know it's good just by reading the recipe. This is dinner tonight. Thanks!!
Hi Diane, I do hope you give this recipe a try — I think you'll really enjoy this spin on it.
Hi Ingrid! Great recipe. I live in South Africa, and when we have braais or barbeques, we always have a side dish of potatoes. If it is in the summer, it will be a cold potato salad - with loads of mayo - and in winter we like to have hot potatoes - like these. We would just add bachamel sauce and loads of cheese! I love the simplicity of this one though! Thanx!
Anina, thank you for stopping by and sharing that! It seems that so very many cultures just adore their potatoes, and it's interesting to see all the variations on recipes.
What can you use instead of the bacon drippings? I can't wait to make this!
Hi Carrie, feel free to use all olive oil (making a total of 4 tablespoons, then) in place of the bacon drippings. You won't have that smoky flavor, but the cider vinegar and the remaining ingredients will still give it that savory/tangy kick.
I made this last night and it was delicious! A new favorite for both my husband and me. I've roasted baby potatoes before, but not as successfully as your base recipe here. My husband ate a couple of them off of the cookie sheet and was bummed that I was going to do anything else with them. Until he tasted the end result. So this is a great recipe for both the basic potatoes and the salad. Thank you so much for sharing!
I appreciate that, Christina—thanks!
This is a must try. All these ingredients are on my list of favorite foods.
excellent! so creamy and yummy
This was awesome, as expected! My favorite way of cooking potatoes combined with bacon and caramelized onions--can't get much better than that! My dish had relatively more onions, because I only made half a portion and still used a whole onion (I used a yellow onion because that's all I had).
Just made this tonight for Father's Day dinner. It was amazing. Thanks for sharing. My fiance used the vinaigrette for gravy on his steak. Score!
Wow !! Thank you for this delicous looking recipe, I love bacon on just about anything. I live in South Dakota and it's too hot to cook inside and wonder if I could grill the potato's.
Hi Terri, if you prefer to grill the potatoes, that should be just fine — you'll actually be adding even more "smokey" flavor to them, which will be great for this recipe.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It looks amazing and I am very excited to try it.
Hi Ingrid,
Found you on pinterest and now found your web site. I'm a want to be cook and like to try different things. Needless to say I've struck gold. Your recipes are fabulous and so good. Many thanks!!!!!!!
Robert, so glad to have you come by! Seems like you've perhaps found some recipes that you may want to potentially try out, and I look forward to you coming back to share your experience with them once you do. Happy cooking to you!
This was fantastic. Love, love, love it. My husband did too.
Will be adding to my best recipes collection. Thank you.
Patsy, so glad you and your hubby enjoyed this, and that the recipe will hold a place in your "best recipes collection" -I'm honored!
This was yummy! I read the recipe wrong in a hurry and put 1 tbs of seasoning salt by accident but it still turned out fabulous! I would maybe add more bacon the next time though!
I made this dish for dinner today. It's so ridiculously good, I need to make this many more times.
I love this recipe we roast a ton of our veggies and btw we oven roast our bacon right next to the potatoes ....
I just made this salad for lunch& absolutely loved it! I added our favorotes avo and spring onion. My hubby says he will have it for dinner too(*^_^*) I am transferring the recipe to my notebook. Will do this every week! Thanks
Hi Yuri! That is wonderful—and the spring onion sounds delicious! So glad both you and your hubby enjoyed this, and I hope he enjoys having his left-overs for dinner, too! 😉 Thanks for taking a moment to share the experience with me.
I made this tonight for my husband for a Father's Day dinner, I added about two cups of spinach at the end yum yum yum thank you for the recipe
Hi Joy, thank you for coming back to share that with me! So glad you both enjoyed this!
I used to make a version of these potatoes when I would be the camp cook for my friends in Arizona. I used to add different kinds of chiles to it, depending on if there were kids there or not. Didn't have a vinegrette though. Will try yours. Might also add green peppers and maybe a jalapeño. Brings back memories.
Mark, I love it when a recipe can bring someone back to a certain time, especially when it involves good times! Thanks for sharing that with me. I hope you try my twist, though I'm sure you'll make it your own creation. Enjoy!
Hi, Ingrid. I saw this recipe on pinterest, visited here a few weeks ago to see what you had to say about it. We tried it tonight. It is delicious! I wish I'd made a double batch so we could have had leftovers. I think it might be my new comfort food. Thanks so much for posting it.
Nancy, that's really great to read! (Well, at least now you'll know for next time to make a double batch!) So glad you decided to give it a try, and I'm thrilled that it'll be something you'll crave when you're looking for a little comfort. 🙂
This was so delicious!!! Thank you!
Hi Barbara, so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for your comments.
Wow. This was the best potato salad we've ever eaten. Because we like to tinker with recipes, we are already imagining different spice sets to try with this delicious base. I think curry would be amazing. Thanks for posting this recipe.
Greetings from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia!
Hey Jack & Barbra! So glad to read that! And I love comments from around the world, so I appreciate you taking some time to share your experience with me! Keep experimenting—the possibilities are endless! 🙂
Found this while searching for a German P.S. Recipe. It sounds great so I am making it today for the 4th! On the off chance you see this soooon, will the dressing soak in if I toss it early or should I wait for an hour or so before serving?? 🙂
Hi Laurie, got your comment! You can do it either way; the flavor should be good even if you do it earlier, plus it may allow for the potatoes to sit in the dressing a little longer. (It may also be more convenient for you, too!) But an hour before is fine, as well—you really can't go wrong either way. Hope you enjoy, Laurie!! Happy 4th!
Awesome! Thanks for the quick response! I am getting everything ready now and will toss when potatoes are done. I hope there is bacon left - my husband and I rarely indulge! So glad I found you! 🙂
Haha! I understand the "rarely indulge" in the bacon thing—even thoughI have a handful of recipes on the blog containing bacon, that's pretty much the only time I (we) indulge, as well; so hopefully, you'll have left over! 🙂 So glad you found us, too… 🙂
I'll stop bugging you but did want to drop by to tell you we all loved the potato salad! It wasn't your typical German-style salad. Thanks for a great recipe and for your help along the way! 🙂
Laurie, so thrilled to read that! That's great. And the pleasure was all mine! 🙂
This recipe looks amazing! Just wondering....can I make it two days ahead? Should I freeze it then or would it be ok in the fridge for two days? Thanks!
Hi Mary! You can absolutely keep this in the fridge for the two days—no problem! Hope you enjoy… 🙂
Thanks so much!
Served this for dinner with friends. The reaction after their first bites said it all. Will definitely make this again. Delicious!
Lori, that's wonderful! So excited to read that, and I'm glad that this recipe is one that you will be preparing again! Thank you for your comments.
Hi Ingrid, I have about 8 large, previously baked Idaho baking potatoes left over from our Super Bowl party. Is there anyway to prepare these potatoes to reuse for your recipe? Your recipe sounds delicious and since I have these, I hate toss them out it they could possibly be "recycled". Thanks so much!
Hi Sharon! Absolutely—what a great idea to try and use 'em up! If they're whole, just cube them, and proceed with making the dressing and adding in bacon, etc. 🙂
Made this tonight and it is one of the "forever" keepers
Lisa, so glad you enjoyed and that this goes into the "forever keepers" file, lol! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking a moment to share your experience.
Bacon, potatoes, beer... what more can you ask for? 😉
A warm Sunday summer evening in NH. A couple of retired folks still working an organic back yard garden... 3rd time this was a "go to" supper!
Simply ... Thank you!!!
Karen, thank YOU for sharing that with me! I can imagine you in your garden, and it's so cozy & comforting to me...and I'm so glad this recipe has been one you could go to for a simple meal, several times now. I appreciate your comments!
Hi Ingrid, I rarely write any comments but I had to let you know that this salad is beyond good - it is awesome! Occasionally we will eat a baked potato but NO more - this will be my only potato recipe! And the vinaigrette - WOW! I served the salad naked (sans vinaigrette) with the vinaigrette on the side as a sauce and I thought my father-in-law was going to drink it, he liked it so much! Thank you so much for your creative take on potato salad!
Hi JK, what a compliment! So glad this recipe was such a success for you, and you made me chuckle at the enjoyment your father-in-law received from the vinaigrette! Just wonderful...Thanks so much for sharing that with me, and I hope you find a few more recipes of ours to tinker with! Happy cooking!