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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Hello Jenn, can you tell me how much bacon you would add. I dont want to over or under do it. Thank you!
Hi Emmy, I’d recommend 3 – 4 slices crumbled. Please LMK how it turns out!
Great, thank you!!
Made this Potato Salad for a Fathers Day Barbeque. Haven’t had the barbeque yet, but am having a hard time not to keep munching this salad. Absolutely delicious! Followed the receipe as written, nothing needs to be changed. A few readers said it was addictive and I would agree.
This was amazing! I brought it to a housewarming party and it was the first to go. The smoked paprika is key. It gives you that smokey taste – didn’t even miss the bacon!
This potato salad looks delicious, but I’m not a fan of the flavour of smoked paprika. Would regular paprika be good enough, or can you suggest anything else I could substiture?
Thanks, Jen!
Sure, Davinia, regular paprika will work here. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
We have some new potatoes in our garden and I’d like to make this but I’m really allergic to paprika. What can I use instead? Also, if I’m make this as a side, can you recommend a good entrée ? Thank you!
Hi Turtle, You can leave out the paprika. I love this potato salad with grilled Italian sausage or grilled chicken.
I want to let everyone know how awesome this recipe is! My oh so picky husband loved this! The only difference is I subbed in a scallion since his stomach can’t take red onion. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love reliable recipe blogs and now I’ve happily found Once Upon A Chef!
The first time I made this salad I was lukewarm on it. But for some reason I couldn’t stop eating it, haha. The second and third time I made it was all for me (husband doesn’t eat many carbs and didn’t particularly enjoy it – more for me!). This salad really grows on you. Now I always increase the marinade and onions a bit – they are the best part! I think you are right Jenn, bacon would be great in the salad, but it also has such body it’s great all on its own!
Hands down one of the best potato salad recipes I have made. First time I made it, it didn’t make it to the party, I saved it for me. Now when I make it I double it. One batch for me and one batch for the gathering. It is just yummy. It is best the next day after sitting in the fridge over night to marinate. I let it come to just room temp before serving. I do like using red potatoes over gold, although both are good. And using smoke paprika makes a big difference from regular paprika.
Fantastic! I made it for NY party, it was very popular. Cannot wait to make it again! (I’ve already bought potatoes and red onions for the next batch (-:
Love this recipe and website as well. My mom passed away in 2003 and this recipe reminds me of her when she made German Potato Salad. Very easy to make and delicious. Definitely will make this again. Thanks for all the great recipes I have made from this site! I try a new recipe from your site every week and have never been disappointed.