This warm German Grilled Potato Salad is made with bacon bits, three kinds of grilled potatoes, green onions, and a tangy homemade dijon mustard vinaigrette. It makes a great side dish to serve at a summer BBQ, holiday dinner or family meal all year long.
Garnish with fresh parsley, fresh chopped chives, extra bacon bits, or simply nothing at all. No matter what, this warm potato salad recipe is certain to be a family favorite for years to come.
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Best Grilled Potato Salad Recipe
If you have never tried it, German Style Potato Salad is quite a bit different from the American mayonnaise-based types of potato salad. First of all, it’s traditionally served warm rather than cold. This grilled potato salad is filled with bacon bits, three different types of grilled potatoes. and green onions all tossed in a tangy dijon mustard and vinegar dressing.
We’ve chosen to use sweet potatoes along with red potatoes and Yukon gold potatoes because they are a fantastic combo with the dijon vinaigrette. You could definitely choose to use just one type if you prefer, or substitute fingerling potatoes or just about any other kind of small potato.
Old Fashioned German Potato Salad Recipe Ingredients
- Bacon - you can use any kind of bacon that you like to make your bacon bits. Or, for an easy shortcut, you could use 1 cup of purchased or premade bacon bits. You could also make a vegetarian German Potato Salad without bacon.
- Sweet Potatoes - you’ll want to wash the sweet potato well, then peel before cutting into large 1-1 ½” chunks.
- Red Potatoes - wash well, then depending on the size you can either cut in half or quarters. They should be about the same size as the other potatoes you are using.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes - we like to use these along with the red potatoes for a little variety. Again, you will want to wash them well and cut them to be the same size as the chunks of sweet potatoes and red potatoes.
- Avocado Oil - our favorite substitute for avocado oil in this recipe is olive oil.
- Salt and Pepper
German Salad Dressing
- White Vinegar - this adds the signature tangy flavor to German Potato Salad. You could substitute apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
- Avocado Oil - if you don’t have avocado oil, you could use olive oil or even vegetable oil.
- Dijon Mustard - dijon mustard makes an amazing vinaigrette, but the next best thing would be German mustard. You’ll want to avoid yellow mustard.
- Celery Salt - this adds a great flavor and a little bit of salt.
- Green Onions - you’ll want these to be sliced thin. You could also substitute fresh chives or finely diced red onion.
How to Make German Potato Salad
- Cook the bacon. Slice bacon into ½" pieces, then add to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon bits are golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Set aside.
- Boil the potatoes. Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil (or enough to cover the potatoes). Add the prepared potatoes and boil for 15 minutes, or until almost completely cooked - you should be able to put a fork into them without much force. Strain the water off the potatoes, then add the avocado oil and toss to mix.
- Grill the potatoes. Spray a preheated grill with non-stick cooking spray, then place the potatoes onto the hot grill and season with the salt and pepper. Grill the potatoes for 4-5 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and have grill marks. Flip them over and grill another side for another 4-5 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the grill and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
- Make the dijon mustard vinaigrette. In a small mixing bowl, combine the white vinegar, avocado oil, dijon mustard, celery salt, and green onions and whisk well.
- Toss the salad together. To the bowl with the cooked potatoes, add the cooked bacon bits and lightly drizzle the dijon mustard vinaigrette. Toss the potato salad, seasoning with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve warm or refrigerate. Serve the potato salad warm, or chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving cold. Enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure and cut all of the potatoes into similar sized pieces so that they cook evenly.
- Stir the vinaigrette very gently into the warm potatoes, begin careful not to crush or mush them up.
- Do not boil the potatoes completely since they will finish cooking on the grill.
- When boiling potatoes, it is always best to start them in cold water so that they can cook evenly throughout.
Recipe Variations for German Potato Salad
Here are a grilled German salad recipes variations to mix things up a bit:
- Bacon and Egg: add crispy bacon bits and hard boiled eggs.
- Sausage and Mustard: Cut up cooked sausage into small pieces and mix with the potato salad. Add a dollop of whole grain mustard for extra flavor.
- Hot Sauce and Pickles: For a spicy version of German potato salad, add a few dashes of hot sauce, then mix in some chopped pickles for a tangy crunch.
- Herbs and Lemon: Add fresh herbs like parsley or dill to the salad for a pop of color and flavor. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top for a bright, citrusy taste.
- Cheese and Onion: Grate some sharp cheddar cheese and mix it into the salad along with diced red onion for a zesty kick.
- Smoked Paprika and Peppers: Sprinkle some smoked paprika over the top of the salad and mix well. Add some diced roasted red peppers for a sweet and smoky flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are two main differences between German and American potato salad types - temperature and dressing. German Potato Salad is most often served warm (although it can be eaten cold) while American potato salad is always served cold. The base for a German Potato Salad dressing is a mayo-free vinaigrette while the base for American potato salad is most often mayonnaise-based.
You do not need to peel red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes because their peel is so thin. It’s actually a good idea not to because it tends to hold them together once they are cooked. Whether or not you peel the sweet potato is up to you. This recipe calls for peeling it, however if you like the flavor and texture you can choose to keep it on.
Sure! If you would rather not start the grill up just for this recipe, you can choose to oven-roast the parboiled potatoes instead. Lay them in a single layer on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and roast at 425 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden.
German Potato Salad is traditionally served as a warm potato salad, and that is my personal favorite way to eat it. However, you can absolutely serve German Potato Salad warm or cold, especially if you don’t want to bother reheating leftovers.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: store leftover potato salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To reheat: you can reheat leftovers in the microwave, or transfer to a baking dish, cover with foil and reheat in a 325 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes until warmed through.
Grilled Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ pound Bacon cut into ½" slices
- 1 medium Sweet Potato peeled, cut into 1-1½" chunks
- 1 pound Red Potatoes cut in half
- 1 pound Yukon Gold Potatoes cut into 1-1½" chunks
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
Dijon Vinaigrette Dressing
- 5 Tablespoons White Vinegar
- ⅓ cup Avocado Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Celery Salt
- ⅔ cup Green Onions sliced thin
Instructions
- Preheat your grill.
- Slice bacon into ½" pieces, then add to a hot skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon bits are golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil (or enough to cover the potatoes). Add the prepared potatoes and boil for 15 minutes, or until almost completely cooked - you should be able to put a fork into them without much force. Strain the water off the potatoes, then add the avocado oil and toss to mix.
- Spray the grill with non-stick cooking spray, then place the potatoes onto the hot grill and season with the salt and pepper.
- Grill the potatoes for 4-5 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and have grill marks. Flip them over and grill another side for another 4-5 minutes until lightly golden. Remove from the grill and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the white vinegar, avocado oil, dijon mustard, celery salt, and green onions and whisk well.
- To the bowl with the grilled potatoes, add the bacon bits and lightly drizzle the dijon mustard vinaigrette. Toss the potato salad, seasoning with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve the potato salad warm, or chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours before serving cold. Enjoy!
Nutrition
More Of Our Favorite Salad Recipes
- Fall Harvest Salad
- Winter Fruit Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
- Grilled Chicken BLT Salad
- Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
- Italian Pasta Salad
- Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- More Potato Recipes
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Your family is going to love this warm German Grilled Potato Salad recipe, made with bacon, three kinds of grilled potatoes and a killer dijon mustard vinaigrette dressing. It's the best no-mayo potato salad recipe for BBQs, potlucks and family dinners at home.
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