German Potato Salad
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Skip the mayo! Creamy potatoes, pickled red onions, and a zingy vinaigrette make this German potato salad a summer standout.
I’m a big fan of German-style potato salads, which are quite different from American potato salad. German potato salads swap the usual mayo dressing for a zingy vinaigrette, making them lighter and brighter. Inspired by David Hagedorn’s recipe in The Washington Post, this version makes a generous batch and somehow gets even better as it sits—a total win for potlucks or picnics.
The salad starts with new potatoes, which hold their shape and have a nice creamy texture (bonus: no peeling required). The recipe calls for a whole raw red onion, which might seem like a lot. However, once those onions are slightly pickled in the vinaigrette, they lose their bite and turn tangy and sweet. They are honestly the best part of the salad, and that’s coming from a long-time raw onion-phobe. For a variation, try adding 3 to 4 slices of crumbled bacon.
“This is crave-worthy! The short ingredient list had me wondering, but it’s a home run!”
What You’ll Need To Make German Potato Salad
- Baby Gold or Red Bliss Potatoes: Tender, waxy potatoes that provide a creamy texture and hold their shape well. Feel free to use a mix of red and gold if you’d like the color contrast.
- Vegetable oil, rice vinegar & sugar: These form the vinaigrette—rich and tangy with just a touch of sweetness to balance the potatoes. It’s flavorful without relying on mayo.
- Smoked paprika: Infuses a smoky depth of flavor that complements the bright vinaigrette and creamy potatoes.
- Red onion: Adds a sharp, tangy bite and vibrant color. The pickling process mellows its flavor so it doesn’t overpower the salad.
- Parsley: Adds freshness and brightness to the finished dish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the potatoes. To begin, place the potatoes in a large saucepan and fill the pan with enough cold water so that it covers the potatoes by about 1 inch. Add one tablespoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 2: Combine the dressing ingredients and add-ins. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the oil, rice vinegar, sugar, remaining tablespoon salt (I know that sounds like a lot; feel free to add less and season to taste at the end but keep in mind that potatoes require a lot of salt), pepper, smoked paprika, red onion and parsley.
Step 3: Let the onion quick-pickle. Stir to combine and set aside, stirring occasionally and allowing the onions to marinate and pickle in the dressing while the potatoes cook.
Step 4: Cut the potatoes. Drain the potatoes in a colander. While they are still hot, cut them bite-size into halves, thirds, or quarters, depending on the size, and place in the bowl with the dressing.
Step 5: Toss it all together. Gently toss the potatoes with the dressing using a large rubber spatula—try not to mash them up too much. Let them cool to room temp, giving them an occasional stir so they soak up all the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you’ve got the time. Before serving, give everything a good stir and taste to see if it needs a little more salt or vinegar. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with a bit more smoked paprika and parsley. The salad will keep nicely for up to 3 days in the fridge.
More salad Recipes You May Like
German Potato Salad
Switch up the usual potato salad for something brighter and punchier—this German potato salad is perfect for picnics, potlucks, and making ahead.
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds baby gold or red bliss potatoes
- 2 tablespoons salt, divided
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium red onion, halved and very thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped parsley, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and fill the pan with enough cold water so that it covers the potatoes by about 1 inch. Add one tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue cooking until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a knife, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the oil, rice vinegar, sugar, remaining tablespoon salt (I know that sounds like a lot; feel free to add less and season to taste at the end but keep in mind that potatoes require a lot of salt), pepper, smoked paprika, red onion and parsley. Stir to combine. Set aside, stirring occasionally and allowing the onions to marinate and pickle in the dressing while the potatoes cook.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander. While they are still hot (as hot as you can handle), cut them bite-size into halves, thirds, or quarters, depending on the size, and place in the bowl with the dressing. Using a large rubber spatula, toss the potatoes with the dressing, being careful not to break up the potatoes too much. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally until the potatoes soak up all the vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, bring the potato salad to a cool room temperature. Stir well, then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or sugar, if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with smoked paprika and parsley.
- Potato salad should be left out for no more than two hours (or one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees). Leftovers should be promptly refrigerated.
- Make Ahead: This potato salad can be made and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator up to 3 days ahead of time.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 cup
- Calories: 355
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Sodium: 591 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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I live in Germany and had never had a potato salad like this one. After having served it to many Germans, I told them what it was called. All were surprised by the name, but loved it nonetheless!! It’s now my “go to” recipe for potato salad.
Thanks again, Jenn!
Hi Jennifer, recently, my Mom passed away and I can’t find her recipe for her potato salad which was always a hit at summer family picnics, showers and summer bbqs…I offered to bring one to my book club meeting this evening and made your recipe last night. OMGosh it is so delicious and I’m now in love with the vinaigrette. I used seasoned rice vinegar so cut the salt to 1 tsp for the potatoes and 1 for the dressing; I substituted fresh dill for the parsley, added probably a cup of sliced red onion and added bacon this morning as several other reviewers suggested. I have to stop nibbling on it before I leave, it truly is THAT GOOD. I will let you know how the book club rates it!
Can you add a few more ingredients?
Sure, Fern – bacon would be good. 🙂
Excellent and so easy to make. I am not a aw onion fan but I did add a whole onion and to was sooo good. I made the for a get together and everyone was asking who made it? Thank you for another great recipe.
Hi Jenn – just made this and it was delicious! My husband prefers the taste of apple cider vinegar over rice vinegar so I was thinking of trying it that way next time: would you recommend using the sugar or leaving it out for a cider vinegar variation? (I saw your note about the seasoned v unseasoned rice vinegar in a previous comment).
Hi Kelly, I think apple cider would work well here but I’d definitely still use the sugar. Hope that helps and I’d love to know how it turns out!
I only recently heard of German Potato Salad so started looking for recipes for this delightful sounding dish. Your site is one that I always check because I really like your narrative style of walking us through the prep combined with a traditional recipe format. Plus, I’ve liked all the recipes I have tried here and the reviews (and replies you provide) are full of good ideas.
This is another winner! The first time I made it, I went with the recommended amount of red onion and they were so good that the next time I upped the quantity. It really looked like too much, but at the July 4th get together I brought it to, the dish was a huge hit and the onions were consistently called out for being so good.
Very tasty – the onions are the best part! I just made this recipe last night just for something tasty to jazz up my usual lunches for the week, and it was a success. I look forward to making this again for the next barbecue to you know… show off your recipe to my friends a bit!
This was absolutely delicious! My 14 year old son devoured a bowl before it even got to rest in the fridge! I have to admit, I liked it best before it hit the fridge too. When it was fresh and slightly oily.
OMG… the German Potato Salad is addicting… and yes I’m still picking at it! I love your recipes and will order the cookbook. I cooked in restaurants from 16-25 and was going to make it a career, then realized professional cooking was too intense. I consider myself a good home gourmet cook. Every recipe of yours is tasty, simple and fun to make. The results wow my family and friends. Your site is my go to 🙂 Happy 4th of July!
Not the best I’ve had. Will not make it again.