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Old-Fashioned German Potato Salad

Old-Fashioned German Potato Salad is made with warm tender potato slices, crispy bacon, and a tangy vinegar dressing that thickens on the stove. Sautéed onion and bacon drippings create a savory base that coats the potatoes just before serving for a traditional warm salad texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: German
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Russet potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and sliced
Bacon and onion
  • 8 bacon slices
  • 1 onion large, diced
Dressing
  • 3 4 cup beef broth
  • 1 3 cup white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp pepper
Garnish
  • 0.25 cup fresh parsley chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Boil the potatoes
  1. Bring a Dutch oven of water to a boil, then cook the peeled sliced russet potatoes until tender, 10-15 minutes. Visual cue: pieces should yield easily when pierced with a fork.
  2. Drain the potatoes thoroughly and set aside while you cook the bacon and dressing. Visual cue: no standing water should remain.
Make the bacon-onion base
  1. In a cast iron skillet, cook the bacon until crispy, 8-12 minutes. Visual cue: bacon turns deeply browned and releases fat, and drippings collect in the pan.
  2. Sauté the diced onion in the reserved bacon drippings until softened and lightly golden, 5-7 minutes. Visual cue: onion edges look translucent and smell sweet.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir until the mixture looks smooth, 1-2 minutes. Visual cue: flour disappears into the drippings instead of clumping.
Thicken the vinegar dressing
  1. Add beef broth, white vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to the skillet and simmer until thickened, 3-5 minutes. Visual cue: the sauce coats the back of a spoon and holds a line when you draw a finger through it.
Combine and serve warm
  1. Crumble the crispy bacon and add it to the hot potatoes. Visual cue: bacon pieces distribute through the potatoes.
  2. Pour the hot dressing over the potatoes and bacon, tossing gently until evenly coated. Visual cue: potatoes look glossy from the thickened vinegar dressing.
  3. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve warm. Visual cue: parsley is bright green and scattered over the top.

Notes

For the most authentic flavor, keep the potatoes warm and dress them right after simmering so the coating stays thick and clingy. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat on the stovetop with a splash of broth if needed. Freezing is not recommended because the vinegar dressing can break after thawing. For a lower-fat option, use turkey bacon and substitute part of the bacon drippings with olive oil to keep the onion sauté flavorful.