This German Potato Salad recipe has been in my family for years, and I'm so excited to share it with you! This is my great-grandmother's recipe, and my family has been making it for three generations now. Every time I have it, I'm taken right back to my childhood, and I hope you enjoy it as much as my family has.
What separates this from regular potato salad is that it is served warm and has no mayonnaise in it. Even though this is served warm, it's awesome for warm-weather cookouts and barbeques!
German Potato Salad Ingredients
As mentioned above, this recipe doesn't use mayonnaise. The backbone of this recipe is the potatoes, of course. Any variety of potato will work, but plain old russets are the perfect, no-fuss choice. The rest of the ingredients are bacon, yellow onion, celery seed, salt, pepper, flour, sugar, and bread and butter pickle juice. Yes, you read that correctly: pickle juice. Trust me on this-it's delicious! All of this comes together to make a really balanced side dish.
Looking for the perfect pickle juice/brine? My recipe for Quick Bread and Butter Pickles makes the ideal pickle juice for this recipe!
Cooking Method
Here is a quick overview of how to put this dish together:
- Start by boiling the peeled and chopped potatoes in salted water. Cook completely through, about 15 minutes. Drain and reserve.
- While the potatoes are boiling, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and fry your bacon pieces until crispy.
- Remove the bacon pieces, keeping the bacon fat in the pan. Add the diced yellow onion and gently fry in the bacon drippings until translucent. (It is important not to develop any color on the onions; soft and translucent is what you're after).
- Add the flour and stir to combine with the onions. Sauté until the raw flour smell dissipates, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the sugar, celery seeds, salt, and pepper, stirring to combine. Cook for an additional minute or two.
- Slowly add the pickle juice while constantly stirring. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Hold for one minute, then remove from the heat. The sauce should be slightly thick, but not sticky.
- Add the cooked potatoes to a bowl and pour the sauce over the top. Fold the sauce into the potatoes until evenly coated.
- Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- Serve warm.
This potato salad pairs perfectly with my recipe for Chicken Schnitzel & Lemon Cream Gravy for an authentic German restaurant experience at home. Go check it out and let me know what you think!
Did you make this recipe for German Potato Salad?
Let me know in the comments below how yours turned out, and don't forget to leave a rating!
Recipe
German Potato Salad
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Large Cast Iron Pan or Heavy Bottom Skillet
Ingredients
Potatoes
- 6 Medium Russet Potatoes Peeled and cubed
- 4 - 6 Cups Water
- Heavy Pinch of Kosher Salt
Sauce
- 6 Slices of Bacon Sliced into ½-inch Strips
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion Diced
- 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt or ¾ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Celery Seeds
- ¼ Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- ¾ Cup Bread And Butter Pickle Juice
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Instructions
Potatoes
- Bring water to a boil in a medium sized pot and add a heavy pinch of kosher salt. Add potatoes and boil for 12 to 15-minutes until fork tender.
- Strain potatoes and reserve.
Sauce
- While potatoes are cooking, heat a large cast iron skillet, or heavy bottom pan over medium-high heat.
- Add bacon slices and cook for 8 to 10-minutes, stirring occasionally until crispy. Remove bacon and reserve.
- Add diced onion, and cook in the bacon drippings for 5 to 7-minutes until translucent. (Do not develop any color on the onion).
- Add the flour and cook until the raw flour smell dissipates, and flour turns a light sandy color, approximately 3-minutes.
- Add sugar, celery seeds, salt and black pepper and cook for an additional minute, stirring to combine.
- Slowly add the pickle juice, stirring constantly until completely incorporated and smooth. Bring the sauce to a boil and hold for 1-minute.
- Remove sauce from heat and add cooked bacon pieces. Add sauce to potatoes and toss to coat evenly.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper, and serve warm.
Sybil says
I can't wait to try this! It looks delicious!