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This authentic warm German potato salad is tossed through a tangy, creamy dressing that has NO mayonnaise! Ready in just 15 minutes.
Love potato side dishes? Try my roasted potatoes and carrots, Japanese potato salad, and stuffed baked potatoes next.
If I’m going to eat potato salad, it needs to have a little something special. Otherwise, it can be a bit boring. Thankfully, this Bavarian-inspired warm potato salad is anything but.
It has fluffy potatoes and crisp veggies enveloped in a creamy mustard-based sauce. With sweet, tangy, and savory flavors, it’ll be the star of the show at your next potluck, BBQ, or chicken schnitzel dinner. Even better, it only takes 15 minutes to make.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Simple ingredients. There are no niche or complicated ingredients needed. In fact, you probably have most of them on hand right now.
- No mayo needed. No one believes me when I say there’s no mayonnaise in this recipe. Its creamy texture and tangy flavor come solely from the mustard and a few simple kitchen staples.
- It can be served hot or cold. Despite ‘warm’ being in the name, you can, in fact, serve this potato salad cold if that’s more convenient.
- Healthier. Since there’s no added fat and calories from mayo, this is a relatively lean recipe, especially if you pair it with some protein.
Ingredients needed
- Potatoes. Use waxy potatoes for potato salad as starchy potatoes crumble and fall apart easily. Some of the best potato varieties you can use include Yukon Gold, fingerling, yellow, and red potatoes.
- Onion. Finely chopped. Use red onion for a milder flavor.
- Cucumber. Sliced cucumber adds freshness and some crunch to this potato salad.
- Vinegar. White and white wine vinegar works best for this recipe.
- Mustard. You can use brown, stone-ground, or Dijon mustard.
- Olive oil. For the dressing.
- Sugar. To balance out the acidity of the vinegar.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
How to make warm German potato salad
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Boil the potatoes. Add the potatoes to a large pot filled with cold water. Add ½ teaspoon of salt, bring it to a boil, and simmer the potatoes until fork tender. Drain them and set aside.
Step 2- Mix the other ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the other ingredients (except the cucumbers) until smooth.
Step 3- Combine. Peel the still-warm potatoes and slice them into cubes. Toss them in the dressing mixture, then stir in the cucumbers and serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Boil the potatoes in chicken broth or beef broth for more flavor.
- Don’t add the potatoes straight to boiling water. Otherwise, the outsides will cook quickly while the insides remain raw.
- Skip peeling the potatoes. If you don’t mind the rustic texture of the potato skins, you can skip the peeling step.
- Enjoy this salad cold, too! Just chill it for 2-3 hours with the dressing.
Variations
- Make it creamier. If you’re a diehard creamy potato salad person, fold in a little mayo or sour cream.
- Swap the cucumber with pickles. For extra crunch and a more tangy flavor, use dill pickles instead of fresh cucumbers.
- Add bacon. I prefer this authentic recipe, but I know many others call for chopped bacon. If you go this route, do yourself a favor and whisk in the bacon grease that’s left in the pan. It essentially makes a warm bacon vinaigrette.
- Experiment with different veggies, like celery, shredded carrots, or shallots.
- Garnish the potato salad with fresh herbs like fresh parsley or chives.
Storage instructions
To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
To reheat: Let the potato salad come to room temperature for 20 minutes, then eat at room temperature or microwave for 1-2 minutes.
More easy salads to try
- 7 layer salad
- Rotisserie chicken salad
- Greek couscous salad
- Chicken salad with grapes
- Avocado chicken salad
- Or any of these salad recipes
Warm German Potato Salad
Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add the potatoes to a large pot and fill it with cold water. Add 1/2 teaspoon and bring to a boil. Let everything boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, around 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the red onion, mustard, white vinegar, olive oil, and sugar, then the salt and pepper.
- Peel the still-warm potatoes and slice them into cubes. Toss through the dressing, ensuring all the potatoes are well coated in it. Add the cucumbers and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published November 2022, updated and republished May 2024
I love potatoes so much but never tried making potato salad. Good.
As a German, I can tell you, we don’t put Cucumbers into a Potato Salad, nor do Germans typically eat warm Potato Salad. That is more of an American Version.
Never made potato salad, could give it a try.
Would it also work with sweet potato?
Can’t share this recipe neither!!!!!!!!