Potato Salad Variations
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American potato salad comes in many shapes and sizes, but they all typically have a mayonnaise base with a mix of crunchy chopped veggies and fresh herbs. All variations (Southern, jalapeño popper?!, etc.) are equally delicious and the result of German immigrants lending their love for flavors like vinegar and mustard to American cuisine. This version became so closely linked with German immigrants that it became known as THE German potato salad.
Unlike the chilled, creamy, mayo-dressed picnic staple we're familiar with, German potato salad is served warm, or even hot, with a bacon vinaigrette. I repeat, bacon vinaigrette. If you've never made a dressing with bacon fat, you're in for a treat. The best part of this is that there's no need to wait for the potatoes to get to room temperature before tossing everything together and heaping it on your plate.
What People Are Saying:
"My go to potato salad recipe. the first time I made it, I ate the WHOLE recipe by myself!!!" - BlueCone
After cutting the potatoes in half, the next step in creating this potato salad is to boil our potatoes until they are tender, and you can easily pierce them with a knife. Tip: Bland potato salad is a picnic no-no. To avoid it, give the potatoes a head start to being perfectly seasoned—don't forget to salt the cooking water generously! After your potatoes are done, drain and let cool slightly before adding to a large bowl.
Now we can move onto the stars of the show: our bacon, and the bacon vinaigrette. First cook some bacon, then pour out all but two tablespoons of the fat.
Sauté a red onion (or shallot) in the fat, then add apple cider vinegar , water, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a little bit of granulated sugar to the skillet and whisk it all together. Bring it to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then throw in some green onions and toss the vinaigrette with the potatoes and cooked bacon.
This is a potato salad you want to serve warm, so don't delay in serving it once it's ready! I love topping with some extra green onions on top, but you do you.
Full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.
Hot German potato salad would fit seamlessly into any picnic or BBQ spread (alongside campfire hot dog skewers, butterflied grilled chicken drumsticks or grilled ribs) but don't count it out for an easy weeknight side. Serve it alongside a juicy, crispy chicken schnitzel or grilled beer brats.
baby potatoes, halved
slices bacon
red onion, finely chopped
apple cider vinegar
water
extra-virgin olive oil
whole grain Dijon mustard
granulated sugar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
green onions, sliced
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