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Warm German Potato Salad

German potato salad with warm potatoes tossed in a tangy bacon-vinegar dressing. Crispy bacon, tender onion, and Dijon mustard create a no-mayo warm salad that clings to every slice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: German
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes
  • 3 lb red potatoes Slice for even tender bites.
Bacon and aromatics
  • 8 bacon Cook until crispy; reserve drippings.
  • 1 onion Dice for quick soft sauté.
Bacon-vinegar dressing
  • 0.25 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley Chopped; stir in at the end.
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper Season to taste; split between boiling and dressing.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook potatoes
  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil in a Dutch oven, then add sliced red potatoes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. You should be able to pierce a slice easily with a fork.
  2. Drain the potatoes well after boiling. Let them sit briefly so excess water doesn’t thin the dressing.
Make bacon and onion base
  1. Cook bacon in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and crumble the bacon, then reserve 3 tablespoons drippings in the pan.
  2. Sauté diced onion in the reserved bacon drippings until soft, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir occasionally so it turns translucent and fragrant.
Warm tangy dressing and combine
  1. Add apple cider vinegar, sugar, Dijon mustard, and chicken broth to the skillet, then bring to a simmer over medium heat. Keep it at a gentle simmer so the sugar dissolves and the sauce looks glossy.
  2. Pour the hot dressing over the warm drained potatoes in a large bowl. Make sure the slices are coated so the surface looks glistening.
  3. Add crumbled bacon and chopped fresh parsley, then toss gently to combine. Stop as soon as everything is evenly distributed so the potatoes stay tender.
  4. Serve warm immediately. The salad is best when the potatoes are still hot and the bacon vinaigrette clings to the slices.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the potatoes warm and dry before dressing so they absorb the bacon-vinegar flavor instead of getting watery. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; rewarm gently so the potatoes heat through. Freezing isn’t recommended because the texture of the potatoes softens too much. For a lighter option, use turkey bacon and reduce the reserved drippings to keep the flavor while cutting some fat.