This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This German Potato Salad, or Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat, is the one my family has made for as long as I can remember, straight from the Swabia region of Southern Germany.
Instead of mayo, creamy gold potatoes and onions get tossed in a tangy oil and vinegar dressing. It’s the dish I always pack for a picnic or BBQ.
More German Sides & Potato Salads: German Fried Potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) | Creamy German Cucumber Salad (Gurkensalat) | Southern Potato Salad
What Makes German Potato Salad Different
There are a few versions of German potato salad out there. The one a lot of people picture is served warm with a bacon dressing, but in the Swabia region of Southern Germany, where my family is from, we make it cold with oil, vinegar, potatoes, and onions. No bacon, no broth, just salt and pepper to season.
The big difference between German potato salad and the American kind is the dressing. German versions are vinegar based and skip the mayonnaise entirely, so they taste bright and tangy rather than rich and creamy. That’s also what makes this one so easy to pack along: with no mayo, it holds up far better in the heat than a traditional potato salad.
Before You Get Started
A few simple things make the difference between a good potato salad and a great one. Here’s what matters most before you start.
- Vinegar before oil. This is the make-or-break step. Add the vinegar first so the warm potatoes soak it up. Oil first coats them and blocks the tangy flavor from getting in.
- Use waxy potatoes. Gold or new potatoes hold their slices and stay tender. Starchy russets tend to fall apart.
- Boil whole and peel warm. Cooking the potatoes unpeeled keeps them from getting waterlogged, and they peel and slice much cleaner while still warm.
RECIPE WALK-THROUGH
How to Make German Potato Salad
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
This comes together in a few easy steps. The full ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Boil the Potatoes
Place whole, unpeeled potatoes in a pot of salted water and boil for about 25 minutes, until they can be easily pierced with a fork but aren’t soft or mushy.
Larger potatoes may need a few extra minutes. Drain and lay them in a single layer to cool slightly.
Step 2: Peel and Slice
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, gently peel off the skins with a thin paring knife.
Slice them into thin discs. If a few break apart as you slice, that’s fine. A slightly rustic look is traditional.
Short on time? Boil the potatoes up to a day ahead and refrigerate them whole. Peel and slice right before you dress the salad.
Step 3: Season and Add the Onions
Add the sliced potatoes to a medium bowl, then season with salt and pepper and stir gently to coat. Stir in the diced onions.
Tame sharp onions. If raw onion is too strong for you, soak the diced pieces in cold water for a few minutes or sauté them lightly first. A couple of readers swear by this and it makes the salad easier on the stomach.
Step 4: Add the Vinegar, Then the Oil
Pour in the vinegar and stir, then add the oil and stir again. Order matters here: vinegar first lets the warm potatoes absorb that tangy flavor before the oil coats them.
Dress the salad while the potatoes are still warm for the best flavor, then taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and vinegar until you love it.
Step 5: Serve
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with minced chives or a little parsley for color. This salad is best at room temperature or lightly chilled, never piping hot.
What to Serve it with
This salad is built for a German spread, especially around Oktoberfest, but it’s just as at home next to anything off the summer grill. Bratwurst is the natural match, with schnitzel a close second.
For a more German feel:
More German recipes to try: German Spaetzle | German Pancakes | German Chocolate Cake Brownies
Storage Tips
Storage
Refrigerator. Store leftovers in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. The salad stays fresh for 3 to 4 days. The potatoes keep soaking up the dressing as they sit, so if it looks a little dry, just stir in a splash of oil before serving.
Freezing. Because this salad uses an oil and vinegar dressing instead of mayo, it actually holds up in the freezer. Place leftovers in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Keep in mind the potato texture may soften a bit as it thaws.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to peel the potatoes?
For the traditional Swabian texture, yes, the potatoes are peeled so the slices turn out silky and soak up the dressing evenly. If you’d rather leave thin skins on for a more rustic salad, scrub the potatoes well first and slice them a touch thicker so they hold together.
Can I serve it warm?
This Swabian version is meant to be served at room temperature or lightly chilled rather than hot. You can serve it slightly warm right after dressing if you like, but it isn’t the warm, bacon-dressed style. The flavor actually settles and improves as it rests.
More Picnic/Cookout Salads
- Lemon Herb Red Potato Salad
- Classic Macaroni Salad
- Coleslaw
- Red, White and Blue Cheese Potato Salad
- Instant Pot Baked Beans
Need more no-fuss sides for the table? Find my favorites in my collection of Best Picnic Side Dishes.
Easy German Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 2 pounds white (new) or Yukon gold potatoes
- 1/2 cup white onion finely diced (green onions could also be used)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced chives optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes whole and unpeeled in salted water for about 25 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork but not mushy. Larger potatoes may need a little more time. Drain and lay in a single layer to cool slightly.
- When the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, gently peel off the skins with a thin knife or potato peeler. (You can also refrigerate them whole overnight and peel the next day.)
- Slice the potatoes into thin discs and place them in a medium bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper and stir gently to coat. Stir in the diced onions.
- Pour in the vinegar and stir, then add the oil and stir again. Always add the vinegar before the oil so the warm potatoes absorb the tangy flavor. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Garnish with minced chives if desired. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.
Notes
- Vinegar before oil. Adding the vinegar first lets the warm potatoes soak up the flavor. Oil first blocks it.
- Best potatoes. Waxy gold or new potatoes hold their shape; avoid starchy russets.
- Dress them warm. Potatoes absorb the dressing best while still warm from boiling.
- Mellow the onions. Soak diced onion in cold water or sauté lightly if raw onion is too sharp.
- Make ahead. Boil the potatoes up to a day in advance and refrigerate whole; peel and slice when ready to assemble.
- Storage. Keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Stir in a splash of oil if it dries out. Freezes up to 3 months.
- Adjust to taste. Play with the vinegar, salt, and pepper until the flavor is right for you. Parsley or green onion add color, though white onion is traditional.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
I always make this delicious potato salad to serve with Bierocks when I make them. Easy and flavorful!
Fantastic feedback Natasha! Thanks for stopping by to share.
Haven’t tried the recipe yet, but it’s the same my Polish mother would make when we were growing up. I loved this so much. It usually accompanied Swiss Steak that she would make.
Awesome feedback Rick! Thanks for stopping by to share.
Delicious. Much simpler than my Oma’s !
TY,
Thank you Victoria!
Tks for sharing. A few months ago, I visited Stuttgart and surrounding towns. Certainly no shortages of potato salad varieties…the oil/vinegar was my favorite.
Your recipe is spot on. I only used 1/4 of fine chopped white onions. Delicious…👍
Since not everyone can tolerate raw onions, i soaked a few slices in ice water prior. Not sure if it it made a difference, but can’t imagine the dish without white onions.
Any suggestions on your end appreciated.
Thank you, Sabine!
Can’t get enough of this salad. Delicious and easy to prepare, especially when it’s 104 F outside.
Made it again, using only 1/4 white onions, finely chopped and sauteed in a bit of oil. Tasted great, and easier on the stomach.
My kids hate raw onions on anything so I fooled them. I sauteed the onions in a bit of oil then mixed them in with the other ingredients. I blended the dressing and poured it over the hot potatoes and the kids LOVED it. They had no idea they were still getting the same recipe only in an altered form. Thank you!
You are so welcome Nona! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by.
Yes! This is how my Mom and family always made their potato salad. Simple and so delicious. She was from Nurtingen. Thank you for posting this!
You are so welcome Mary Lou! Thanks for stopping by.
Thank you for posting this recipe! This finally sounds like the perfect-for-camp-cooking, easy salad some newly-met German friends taught us in Camp 4 in Yosemite in the 90s. We adored it, never tasted anything like it before. Made it ourselves for a few years, but then I kinda forgot about it, and forgot the ratios. Never could find it anywhere online! All the German potato salad recipes had bacon, and we’re so much richer than this simple, tangy, onion-y recipe that we remembered. Thank you so much!
You are so welcome Lara! Thanks for stopping by to share.
We love your recipe for Easy German Potato Salad, can it be made a day before it’s to served?
Yes you could do it in advance, but the potatoes will soak up the liquid as it sits. You may need to add a little more dressing to moisten it back up.
Been working on uncovering the secrets to making German potato salad the way I like it (and remember as a child) and this was a great help. Adding the vinegar first while the potatoes are warm is key. Also, it’s critical to boil the potatoes whole and then peel after cooking – why? Because by doing it this way, you retain all of the starch that would otherwise be lost in the boiling water. This starch gives the salad a creamy texture without the mayonnaise.
I usually end up adding more salt and vinegar after letting it sit overnight rather than trying to adjust the seasoning right away.
Thank you!
Thanks for the feedback Charles!
My Mom was from Stuttgart and this was exactly how she made her potato salad, WITH thinly sliced baby dill pickles for a nice briny bite. I still make mine this way and everyone raves about how light and tasty it is! Wirklich lecker!!!
That’s awesome Cordy! Thanks for stopping by to share.
This was perfect! So easy and delicious, thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome Kelly! Thanks for stopping by.
I make similar salad use red skins leave skin on slliced thi n 2C finely sliced celery .
I use salt between layers of potatoes onions and celery. My great Aunt Marge Gootemotes reciepe.
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Kristine.
My Mom was from Sandhausen, Germany. This was the only way she made her potato salad , although, she added her own flair to it… sliced hard boiled eggs, chopped tomatoes. Her additions added a bit of colour and another level of flavour.
Love that!
My grandma from Germany made this for us all the time and we love cold German potato salad! She didn’t follow a recipe for how much oil and vinegar she used but just eyeballed it so this recipe is very helpful for me, thank you!
You are so welcome Michele! Thanks for sharing.
My Australian mother (German background) made this potato salad and everybody loved it. I couldn’t replicate it until I found the recipe here and it’s just right. Adding the vinegar first is a handy tip that makes a big difference. Many thanks
You are so welcome Ann! Love the feedback, thanks for stopping by.
I have been looking for a recipe like this. My Mom made this for my graduation and communion dinners. She had not made this for a long time so I intend to make this for my husband and I know we will really enjoy it and think of my Mom. Thank you so much.
You are so welcome Lois! Thank for taking the time to share.
My mother in law was from Schwaebisch Hall, Germany and made this type of potato salad. She showed me how to make it, but I did not have measurements and after She passed, I felt like I just couldn’t get the right balance of flavors. Thank you so much for your recipe WITH measurements. I can now make it almost as good as She did.
Thanks for stopping by Anne. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
What oil? Olive, safflower, other?
Vegetable oil is listed in the ingredients.
Loved this! It was simple and easy to make and I’ll be making it quite often in the future:)
Awesome feedback Vanessa! Thanks for stopping by.
My mother is from the swabisch area of Germany and she would add some cucumbers ( outer skin peeled) into our potato salad to mix it up every now and then.
I never liked the creamy mayonnaise type of potato salad so was interested in this type of recipe. It was excellent. I love the tanginess so would maybe add another splash of apple cider vinegar next time.
This is the way my mom (now 98) made her German potato salad. Simple but delicious. We add some bacon crumbles sometimes…..served cold.
Nice! Thanks for the awesome comment Judy.
By far the best oil and vinegar based potato salad recipe. My parents are Croatian and this is the way we always had it with summer BBQs etc. Perfect with fish as well.
Thanks Kristin for sharing your recipe. This looks very similar to the way my German Grandma made hers’. But, after peeling and ‘chunking’ (not slicing or cubing) the still warm potatoes, she’d add diced onion, vinegar, salt, and sour cream (not oil). Lightly mix, then add chopped chives and/or green onion. Tastes best after chilling for a few hours.
I want to make some….but I need to get some Yukon gold potatoes first!…
-Lisa
I could totally see this being delicious with sour cream! Love that it brought back memories for you.
This is the way my mom always made her potato salad. Everyone loved it! They looked forward to coming to our place..they knew they would get potato salad.
I don’t think you were mistaken, I do think your grandma put green onion in hers….mom always did in the summer when she had them in the garden.
I have been looking for a recipe like this Germany. We lived in Bamberg for 6 years and I remember the wonderful Potato Salad served at many Guest Houses. Recipes in the USA call for bacon and I don’t remember that ingredient. Thank you for sharing this family recipe. Tonight we will enjoy an at home Oktoberfest in November!
You are so welcome Mary Jo! Thanks for stopping by.
k.
This recipe is so close how my mom made it. Slight differences, I use red potatoes, I create onion juice rather than mincing the onion, the oil I use is corn oil (prefer Mazola corn oil) and a pinch of sugar and of course salt and pepper. I only serve this at room temperature. .
Hi Bernie, yes it does sound very similar! Your tweaks sounds delicious though!
I’m going to make this. It took me awhile to find the recipe I’m familiar with. I don’t remember garlic nor mustard and bacon so I’m really glad I found your recipe. Thanks for posting this recipe.
You are so welcome Sarah! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
Thank you for the recipe. Easy to make and my family loved it!
You are so welcome Mickey! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
Thank you for sharing this, I have made this many times and it is always a hit!
You are so welcome Jason! Thanks for stopping by.
I made this and it was really, really good. If I wanted to try making it with the broth do you know when abs how much to add in?
Hi Christina, I’ve never made it that way personally, but it’s my understanding that you would boil the potatoes in broth instead of water.
Thank you, I’ll give it a try!
Thank you so much! My grandmother made this potato salad she learned from her German grandmother and I just made it for a family reunion tomorrow. When I left my home state of Connecticut and moved to Texas, German potato was warm and had bacon in it. I was disappointed and confused as were my children who were used to cold German potato salad!
I know what you mean! When I first saw warm potato salad I was very confused as well! I hope everyone enjoys it.
Looks so lovely
This is exactly what I remember having growing up
Thank you !
You are so welcome A Anderson! Thanks for stopping by.
K.
Could the green specs in the salad have been diced pickles? That’s what my mom used and also some pickle juice instead of some of the vinegar.
My mom swears they weren’t onions but I know they weren’t pickles. Great thought though! I think I might just remember it being served next to a green salad, but I prefer the green onions anyway!
My Mother in Law taught me to make this & I love it. She always put minced green peppers ( not a lot ) in to give it color. We only use white onion. She was Croatian & loved to cook & bake. Now I’m teaching the granddaughters how to make it. We miss her.
Thank you for sharing your story, Josie.
Can this be made the day before serving?
Yes – it’s even better the next day!
Hello!! My oma and my mom make this potatoe salad. You are right– green onions are used. Love your recipies!!!!
Hi Marion, thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing your feedback.
Easy and delicious!
Thank you Esther!
I made this for company and it was really good. It was fairly easy to make. I used new potatoes and left the skins on. Very tasty. The ingredients stated were the right amount.
That’s awesome Lisa! Thanks for the positive feedback.
Hi Kristin…it was fun to stumble upon your blog and this recipe! This Swabisch style potato salad has also been a favorite in our family. We learned how to make it from my Grandma who came to America from Germany when my Father was able to send for her and his younger sisters in the 1950’s. None of us can make it quite like she used to, but it is still one of our best “throw-back” recipes. The chives are a fundamental part for our family, and I also like to sprinkle on some ground mustard powder for an extra kick. I love that you mentioned the addition of broth because I’m convinced that was the step which took Grandma’s salad to the next level! Thanks for sharing your traditions…we have a unique connection with this recipe!! Be well
Hi Sue, Thank you for your sweet comment! Yes it’s tru no one can make potato salad quite like my Oma could!My grandparents also came to America in 1955 when my mom was 3 years old. Thanks for sharing a bit of your story!
My grandmother used to make this, it was the only thing we asked for when we went to her house. She always added yellow food coloring to make it a bright yellow… Keeping traditions alive. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome Nina, thank you so much for taking the time to leave some positive feedback.
I’m looking at the nutrition values for this German Potato salad and wondering what the serving size is that the nutrition numbers represent.
We had a sweet German lady at church that introduced us to this recipe over 50 years ago only she added in torn iceberg lettuce right before serving and a little sugar to the vinegar. This was by far my favorite salad if all time when growing up. My brother just asked me to make it this week for our 4th celebration. I had completely forgotten how to make it, it’s unfortunately been so long. Thanks for the reminder!!
I’m so glad you found us, Betsy! This was my German grandma’s recipe so I’m happy to be able to pass it along!
This is very close to my grandmother’s recipe. One difference is she grated the onion… and another is she added a pinch or two of sugar to the dressing… i make it for parties or family dinners… everyone loves it!!!
Hi Emily, thanks for sharing your experience!
I tasted this recipe earlier this year because a German exchange student living in my home was looking for a recipe for potato salad that was like what he would have at home and he made this one! We loved it. My question is: why do you peel the potatoes after cooking them? My instinct would be to peel them before they’re cooked, when it would be less messy and easy to use a vegetable peeler. Thanks for the info!!
I’m so glad you all loved it!! The reason we peel the potatoes after is because they will hold their shape better. When potatoes are peeled first, the potatoes tend to get mushy and fall apart.
Thanks! That makes sense. I made the potato salad again this week and took your suggestion of boiling the potatoes in advance and then keeping them in the refrigerator, unpeeled, overnight. When they were cold, I was still able to use a vegetable peeler on them. Great tip!
The Easy German potato salad lists onions in the ingredients but doesn’t mention them in the instructions.
You add those just before the vinegar. The recipe has been updated – thanks!
hi my name is ms, lynette a miller and i was just wonding if you could give me the ingredients for if you where going to make it for one person i would like to make it for me but i don,t know what i need for the ingredients for one person could you please help me ok thankm,s for your time ms, lynette a, miller.