Authentic German Potato Salad (Bavarian Version)

4.91 from 10 votes

Authentic German Potato Salad (Bavarian Version)

I have been making this authentic, hot German potato salad for YEARS. It's my Oktoberfest go-to salad from Bavaria, and it's perfect for grilling and holiday dinners (served warm or cold). Thick-cut potato slices mingle with onion, crispy bacon, apples, pickles, and chives in a tangy, vinegar and oil-based dressing.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Soaking Time30

Total Time1 20

Course: BBQ, Dinner, Entertaining, Grilling, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Bavarian, Bayern, German, Oktoberfest

Keyword: bavarian potato salad recipe, Easy Oktoberfest Recipe, german meat and potato recipe, German potato recipe, german potato salad recipe, Oktoberfest Recipe, warm potato salad recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 226kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Salad

1 kilogram waxy potatoes such as gold or red potatoes
4 large pickles I love using the barrel pickles from Hengstenberg (linked), but also love using Whole Foods brand cornichons (use about 20) and even Grillo's dill and garlic pickle slices. So good!
1 yellow onion medium size
2 apples medium size (I use Gala, but feel free to use any apple you like)
4 slices thick-cut bacon I love using the blackberry serrano bacon from the Whole Foods meat counter.
1 Tablespoon sliced chives plus more for garnish

Dressing

250 milliliters chicken broth or veggie broth
100 milliliters apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard I also like using a German mustard, just make sure it's mild
75 milliliters olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Boil potatoes with skin on in salted water. Let cool until ready to handle, then peel and slice into ½ inch (1 cm) thick slices.
1 kilogram waxy potatoes
Medium dice the pickles and onion.
4 large pickles, 1 yellow onion
Remove the core of the apples, then medium dice the apples (I leave the skin on). Drizzle with a little apple cider vinegar to keep the apples from turning brown.
2 apples
Finely chop the chives and combine all above ingredients in a large salad bowl.
1 Tablespoon sliced chives
Medium dice the thick-cut, raw bacon, then cook in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Reserve the bacon grease for another project and drain the cooked bacon on a paper towel covered plate.
4 slices thick-cut bacon
In a saucepan, combine the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, mustard, olive oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk together and bring to a boil, allowing the sugar to dissolve. Pour over salad ingredients and stir until combined. Allow to sit for about 30 minutes.
250 milliliters chicken broth, 100 milliliters apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 75 milliliters olive oil, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Top with the bacon and stir together. Garnish with more chives. This salad is perfect for grilling, holiday dinners or to serve alongside Bratwurst, homemade pretzels and Obatzda for an Oktoberfest party.

Video

https://youtube.com/shorts/Sjg83UZokO4?feature=share

Notes

Serving Size. Serves 10 as a side dish or 4 as a main dish.
Leftovers. There probably won't be any leftovers, but if you happen to have some, you can keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Now bookmark this recipe and make it! It's the perfect side dish to go with homemade pretzels and Obatzda for your Oktoberfest party or with grilled sausages and a Brötchenrad for when you're out grilling. Germans also like to serve their family potato salad with Wiener sausages for an easy Christmas Eve dinner. That being said, every German household has their own potato salad recipe. While this warm potato salad is a version more commonly known to Americans, also check out my Oma's creamy potato salad recipe. It's SO GOOD, made with boiled eggs, diced Wiener sausages in a creamy mayo-and-broth-based dressing.

Nutrition