This recipe for German Potato Salad was taught to me by my Bavarian “Mutti”, who was taught by her “Mutti” who was taught… well, this is an heirloom recipe handed down a few generations! She’d make this potato salad every day, at her Bavarian Delicatessen shop, and it was sold out by noon! When my mom passed away, it was my turn to continue making this family favorite recipe.
I have finally made the decision to “sell out” and go against my brothers, niece and son’s desire to keep this recipe a secret– and share my Heirloom Recipe for Bavarian Style German Potato Salad! Trust me, this was something my family said I shouldn’t do. But, you know–all of you readers of my little ole’ blog are my friends. We’re “family”, don’t you think, by now?
I’ve seen versions of “hot potato salad” that has sugar in it. Maybe that’s a regional thing, but my Mutti was from Bavaria. I’m being sincere, when I say that my Mutti’s potato salad is the best I’ve ever tasted. Her customers, from her delicatessen, would buy it freshly made– and it always sold out by lunch time. Are you ready to make real German potato salad?
DISCLAIMER AND TIPS:
I have always made this recipe from memory, without measuring. This time, I did my best to measure what ingredients I put into this potato salad recipe. I still have to tell you, that you need to adjust seasonings to fit your needs. There are a few important things I need to tell you, though–
- Yukon Golds are perfect for this salad. Russet potatoes don’t work for this.
- Unlike other German potatoes salad recipes I’ve seen, this is never served hot! My mother would faint at that thought! I think it’s best served at room temperature.
- Plus, this salad is not meant to have a lot of sugar in it. It is meant to taste savory, with just a slight tartness of vinegar (red wine vinegar works best for me), with a subtle taste of dill– seriously, just a little dill, because it can be overpowering.
- You want the taste of red onion, but again, it shouldn’t dominate the flavor.
- Bacon is essential, but don’t go crazy with it.
- It’s all about “balance” … well, let me show you!
Begin with the prep of your ingredients:
One small red onion, diced (about 1 cup) and 1/2 pound of bacon, sliced thin (lardons). This bacon was sliced, frozen. It’s much easier and it will thaw as it cooks.
Cook the bacon until crispy, drain on a paper towel and reserve about 2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat. Finely chop the bacon and set aside.
… I will show you a cool way to peel potatoes, very fast! Hold a potato in one hand, inside a clean tea towel. With the other hand, grab the end of the towel and rub the peel away– just like that!
In a big bowl, I cut the potato in half, then into fairly thin slices– about 1/4 “. The potatoes are still warm…that’s good!
I add kosher salt (never table salt), fresh cracked pepper and evenly pour the vinegar over the warm potatoes. This will help to absorb all that flavor!
Now, here’s a little secret ingredient my mother added– about 1/4 cup of Japanese Rice Vinegar. Yep! This is definitely NOT an authentic German ingredient, but it really works! (You don’t have to do this, but I’ve grown to like her adaptation.) Add some oil (olive oil doesn’t work well, for some reason….but try it, if you prefer). Start with about 1/2 cup vegetable oil. I add about 1 teaspoon of sugar. Now, gently mix– don’t crush the potatoes. Gentle!
You’re almost there. The trickiest part is getting the oil and vinegar ratio down. I add a little oil at a time– no more than 1 cup. I want to see a sheen on the potatoes, but I don’t want them swimming in oil and soupy. Make sense? Taste, taste and taste some more! I like just a gentle bite of vinegar, and I add a little salt at a time until it tastes right. I like to make this at least an hour before serving.
My mother made this every single morning, when she owned her Delicatessen in downtown Monterey, California. Her regular customers would snatch it up, and it would sell out in one hour! For real!
This is how I love to eat this potato salad– with German Wiener Wurstl. In “American” that would be veal sausages. These are so darn good! This is part of what I served at my annual Oktoberfest Party, but I could eat it any time of the year.
You would honor my mother’s memory if you make this salad and serve it at room temperature. It’s good cold, but room temperature is best. I am going to have to make Mutti’s Pork Roast with au jus gravy that is poured over this. Oh my! It’s been too many years since I’ve made that.
Well, my beloved family– forgive me for sharing Mutti’s secret recipe. I think the whole world should enjoy this. It’s my mother’s signature dish that she passed down to me. Well, Austrian Goulash is also our signature dish.
German Potato Salad Heirloom Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1 small red onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 pound bacon strips
- 1 tablespoon dill optional, but we like it
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper approx
- 3/4 cup red wine vinegar white vinegar is okay, too
- 1/4 cup Japanese rice vinegar non-traditional, optional secret ingredient
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes, skin on, until fork tender (approximately 20 to 30 minutes) in water. Drain and allow to cool so that they can be picked up, and held into a clean tea towel.TIP: I tested the theory of cutting along the middle of each potato, before boiling or steaming. It works! The peel slips off more evenly. Hold a potato in a tea towel and grip with one hand. Rub the peel off with the towel, and the other hand, and the peels should come right off!
- Once all of the potatoes are peeled, cut each potato in half and then into fairly thin slices (about 1/4″)into a large bowl.
- Pour the vinegar, salt & pepper, to the warm potatoes and wait for a few minutes, so that it absorbs.
- Cut the bacon into "lardons" (thin strips) and cook until crispy. Reserve about 2 Tbsp of the bacon fat.
- Add the bacon, onion, salt and pepper, and dill (if using). Add the reserved bacon fat, and chicken stock.
- Gently stir with a large spatula, being careful not to press the potatoes too much.
- Add about 3/4 cups of the vegetable oil (you can always add more). Gently combine.
- Add 1 teaspoon of white sugar, not too much!
- Taste the salad. Adjust the salt, if necessary. Add a little more vinegar, so that it has a mild tartness to it.
- The potato salad should have a nice sheen to it, but not be too oily. Add a little oil at a time, until you see a very light sheen.
- I like to add the fresh parsley, last.
- It’s best served at room temperature. We love this with German Wiener Wurstl (veal sausages). It’s delicious cold, but ideally, you want to serve it room temp– never hot! That’s Bavarian “blasphemy”!
Notes
Nutrition
Debbie–Thank you so much for sharing the family secret– I promise I won't open a deli 🙂 I love the idea of the vinegar. I am bookmarking this! I'm glad it is not served hot!
I’d like share with you that I have been honoring your mother’s memory with this recipe for several years now, specifically on Christmas Eve! I made a traditional German feast every year to honor my husbands Oma and their heritage. I asked our cousin for her potato salad recipe and she laughed, saying she actually found a better recipe, which is yours! I. Looking forward to our feast this year…. maybe more than others! Prost!!!
Wow! Thank you so much! That’s a great story!
You can't imagine how thrilled I am to read your blog this morning and to find a very favorite dish. We ate this so much when we lived in Germany. For some reason, my mother, even though being German, did not make it. She was born in USA, so something was lost across the ocean! I can't wait…and, hint, hint, the pork roast also sounds wonderful. Thanks.
What a wonderful recipe to share! Can you believe I've never had German Potato Salad? Definitely a must try recipe.
You will love it.
This is great. I am addicted to potato salad..of course, like everyone else, the family secret is kept…grin. I am German too and everyone has their own twists to this wonderful dish…but I like yours very very much!
This potato salad is the best. I was inspired to look for a recipe to go with pork schnitzel. Amazing! It’s so yummy. I used yellow potatoes and I had olive oil on hand. Perfect! The fresh dill and parsley are simply divine and of course the bacon.
Thank you so much! My Mutti would be happy to know that. This recipe is a family favorite.
Debby, this looks like a terrific potato salad! Thanks for sharing… I am sure that we all will give tribute to your Mutti when we serve this treasured recipe.
So glad you gave up the secret family recipe! This salad looks really amazing. The fact that you enjoy serving it with German weiners makes it even better.
Recover quickly from your oral surgery. Unlike, regular dentists the oral surgeon can make you quite comfortable. 😉
Looks and sounds great – thanks for sharing. The potatoes I harvested this spring (just happen to have Yukons) are sprouting and I need uses for them and this looks like a winner.
I'm so excited that you shared this special recipe! It looks absolutely delicious. I can't wait to make it at home!
Wow, thanks for sharing that recipe, I love Potato Salad!
I gotta say it again….my father would follow you to the end of the earth!! Honestly!
Debby, Mattie here! I'm so untechie that I had to call my husband to help me figure out how to leave a comment. LOL! Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the recipe. See my MIL is from Germany and makes this all the time. I love it, but had decided that I'd let it be 'her thing'. When I read about your Mutti's recipe I knew I had to have it. I promise I won't open a deli either! BTW, my husband informs me that I'm e-stalking you! Sorry, I really am obsessed with your blog. Actually, I take that back, I'm not apologizing. Come to think of it my husband should be grateful too. He's gotten to enjoy a lot of your wonderful recipes! I'll be making this soon and now that I know how to comment I'll let you know how it goes!
Oh, Mattie! You are just too cute. I don't think you're e-stalking at all. I consider it a compliment!
I have blogs that I read every single day, I comment on and have made their recipes. Many are on my blogroll. The fun part of having a food blog is sharing our love of food. To have someone actually make something you've posted, and then take the time to give feedback…well, that's such a great bonus!
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this family recipe! I can't wait to make it. Looks so delicious! Room temperature is how I will serve it 🙂
Oooo German potato salad! I love this dish of your mom's.
And the PW cooking club sounds like fun.
Laura
P.S. is the amount of rice vinegar a secret, too?
what a great recipe. the best ones are always the ones handed down from mother to daughter.
What a great recipe. I think she'd be pleased that you've shared it with us. It sounds like a real winner.
Debbie.. this sounds terrific. How sweet of you to share it, Im sure it will end up treasured by many..I must try it. Moms recipes are always the best!
I love your family recipes- they're so special and full of memories. Thank you for sharing your prized reviously secret recipe. I hope your family will forgive you 🙂
BTW, room temperature is the ONLY way I eat potato salad. It's the best that way, I think.
I lived in Germany and learned to make potato salad while I lived there. This is the way I make mine except for the addition of a German spice that I have a hard time finding. There are so many Pa Dutch that live around here and they all insist that "real" German potato salad is hot. I too was taught to serve it at room temperature.
Yummers! I was saying to my husband how much I love potatoes in any form and this was one of them! We may have to try your recipe next week along with that cabbage recipe I saw in the sidebar. THX
Wonderful pictorials too.
I just finished making this and oh my gosh, it is delicious! I can't stop eating it! This is definitely a keeper and probably hands down the best potato salad I have ever had. Thanks so much for sharing!!
I just "found" this and can't wait to try it. I've been looking for a great German Potato Salad and I'm already sure I've found it! Thanks for sharing your "secret". 🙂
I was trying to find a comparable recipe that I could do so with my Nana's German Potato Salad, and ohmigosh…I think is almost the exact recipe! My Nana didnt add the rice vinegar and she used a smidge (thats what her recipe says) of mustard. This is neat o!! I am making both to do a side by side taste test with. Cute blog!
Your mom sounds like mine. I had never seen a German potato salad served warm until my husband took me to a German restaurant. Boy was I shocked. The Spaetzle was from a box and the sauerkraut was served cold. I will definitely be trying several of your recipes. Coming from a half German and half Cajun French background I love trying new foods.
Debbie, I just found your blog and I can't wait to dive into it deeper. You've got a lot of great recipes here!
I am going to make your Mutti's Potato salad to serve on Saturday at a big Oktoberfest party we're giving. I know you said that Mutti made it and served it the same day, but how far in advance could I prepare it and it still be decent? It would really help me out time-wise if I could assemble it tomorrow, Thursday, and having it waiting in the fridge until Saturday evening. Would that be too early?
Thanks!
Clark Chesser
Falls Church, VA
Hi Clark! You could make this a couple of days before, and I suggest bringing it to room temperature. No worries, because there isn't any mayonnaise in this potato salad. I'm not gonna lie, though– I much prefer it made fresh, the same day. But, that's just my own preference. My family noshes on it a day or two later, but I think it changes a bit. Have fun at your Oktoberfest. I'm having ours in three weeks.
Wow, Debbie. I doubled your recipe and added a bit more bacon, not much, used fresh dill from my garden..otherwise it was Mutti's Kartoffel Salat. This is great! We're having 40+ people over tomorrow night for an Oktoberfest party, and this will be a big hit! Thank you so much!
Am making your potato salad this afternoon for our 11th annual Octoberfest tonight. I know everyone will enjoy it. Even tho we lived in Germany for two years, I don't remember liking it then.
thanks for sharing.
Dee
Just got done making this and it turned out beautifully. To make it a little healthier, I used 1/2 cup oil, 1/2 cup stock, and turkey bacon. It still has a wonderful flavor profile that I'm confident my co-workers will enjoy. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Dear Anne,
What a great idea, by increasing the chicken stock. My mom added chicken stock to the salad. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.
I can confidently say that this was the best potato salad I've ever made/eaten. I had to restrain myself so there's some left for my Oktoberfest party tonight! Vielen dank!
Debby – fixed your German Potato Salad today to take to dinner at the home of friends (Monday Night Football get-together). It was a big hit. I've tried several GPS recipes – this one is far and away the best. Thank you for a great recipe!
Debby, thank you so much! I've been searching for the "right" German Potato Salad recipe like my grandma made. I had a hard time finding anything online that was similar but I found it. Funny, that I also grew up in Monterey, CA and graduated from Monterey High School.
Can't wait to try this recipe!!
Hello first time ever to respond to anything over the internet..I would just like to say I just made this & it is so yummy ..thankyou so much for sharing..its for keeps
I love German food – especially German potato salad. I made this on Christmas Day and it was DELICIOUS! I even impressed my German father-in-law. The directions are very easy and clear. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
I love your recipe collection.. I am a newlywed of 2 years and a mother.. I went into my marriage with no knowledge of cooking. I often have trouble finding new recipes for dinners. I like yours because there's a lot of new things to choose from but they arnt too complicated for a beginner like me. Also, on a budget, it's easy to resort to unhealthy choices.. I will be testing some of your recipes including this one
love, mindy martinez
http://martinezdiaries.blogspot.com/
Hi Mindy! So glad that you are finding recipes that you think you can do. Best of luck and thanks for visiting!
Hi Debby,
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I had a recipe for a German potato salad that I got from a cooking teacher in high school….her mother in law was from Germany. She called it Bondoppa ….it sounds so close to the version I made back then. I have lost the recipe and I will try this one!! I'm sure it will be awesome!
Hi Debby, How many servings does this recipe make? I would like to make some for my family's Easter dinner on Sunday but I'm wondering how much to make.
I would say this could make 8-10 servings. I hope you like it!
I made your recipe today to serve with my Easter dinner , it's almost gone and I don't have much left for dinner. Thank you so much for sharing. I am confident that this will be my favorite potato salad. I loved it and the different vinegar's in it. I always have both the rice vinegar and red wine vinegar in my pantry.
Dear Josette:
I always appreciate it when someone takes the time to leave a recipe review. My Mutti would be very pleased to know that her recipe is a good one. So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.
What!!! No mayo or mustard!! This sounds wonderful!!! My Geman grandmother would be proud of me!! My hubby just threw a brisket on the pit & I am making a grocery list before I hit the store. This is replacing MY famous potato salad today!!!
This is a keeper, for sure!
I am german also. Born and raised in Germany (army brat and proud of it) and moved stateside in 95. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. Sounds a lot like my mothers recipe.
I love German potato salad but only te potato salad my German grandmother made….until now! This must have been her recipe too or close to it! I left out the dill and cut the oil to 1/4 C and FABULOUS! This is so yummy and everyone thinks I am gourmet…..when I just started cooking a year ago due to divorce! This is a MUST try and you will be hooked too! THANK YOU for sharing!
I just finished making this for an Oktoberfest party that we are hosting tomorrow. I liked that this was served cold or room temp so that I don't have to think about preparing it or heating it on party day! I must say, THIS IS DELICIOUS!!! I guess it's the addition of the rice wine vinegar. Thank you so much for posting this! I know it will be a hit!
Thanks, April! So glad you enjoyed it. Guten apetit!
Thanks, Debbie,
My own mother sadly passed away earlier this year and it was my job to make the traditional Kartoffelsalat for Christmas Eve. This is so close to how she made it that I'm sure the family will love it.
Greetings from Australia.
Alf
Dear Alf,
I do hope this potato salad does the trick, and your family loves it. Thank you for the feedback.
Debby
Thank you so much I have searched through so many recipes! This one sounds like the best! Making this will pork ribs tomorrow!
Thank you so much! I will be making this a day ahead of time to make sure it has all those wonderful flavors and having it with pork ribs!
So much like my Oma's. Using it for Superbowl Sunday (Go Broncos!).
Thank you so much for such a GREAT recipe! Reminded us so much of our time in Germany! Amazing, lovely, super-yummy! I posted my results on my page @All Things Food – Cooking with Mary and Friends and tagged you in the post! <3 Mary
Hope you don't mind that I pinned this on Pinterest. I have been searching for something authentic and guess what I found it. Reminds us of our time spent in Bavaria. Husband asks for this often!!
Great recipe—been searching for the taste from my childhood a long time—most recipes were missing the dill. The only thing I did different was to boil the potatoes with 1/3 of a yellow onion–out of tradition. Thanks so much!!
This post brought a tear to my eye. My own Mutti passed away 2 years ago. It was very sudden and I never got a chance to write down her favourite recipes which she always prepared from memory. My Papa is coming to stay with me for a few days and I wanted to recreate her kartoffel salat. This will make my Papa very happy. thank you. Any chance you have a semmel knoedel recipe, too??? 🙂
Happy Father's Day! My Dad requested German Potato Salad as a part of his Father's Day Supper. I have never made it before but I wanted to to be perfect as he remembered it as a child! This recipe nailed it! Wonderful in every-way, I can't wait for him to taste it!
Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe. I made it for our Father's Day celebration. Everyone loved it, especially my 89.5 year Dad. I thing I'll cut down on the oil and increase the chicken stock and dill next time. Tell your siblings we are glad you shared the recipe.
Thank you for your review on the potato salad, Ryan and Pat. I always caution to add the oil a little at a time. You don't want a LOT of oil, but just enough to give a shimmer to the potatoes.
This is the closest recipe I've seen in a very long time! I am of German heritage and I have a recipe that is generations old too! And you are right, it MUST be red wine vinegar! I never tried the rice or dill, but I think I will try the dill next time! Maybe even today!
Funny, my granny was straight off the boat from Munich, and while this is close to what she made (and what we still make), it's still so different. For one thing, she would never, ever, ever put bacon in it. (Just about everything else she made used bacon or bacon grease, though! lol). she always used red potatoes but she did prepare them the same way you do. She also put VERY thinly sliced onion and cucumber in it. The cukes are salted and set aside for a while then squeezed to draw some of the water out. Sounds weird, but it works. And no oil – just chicken broth and white vinegar, salt & pepper. It is always served warm topped with sliced hard boiled eggs and paprika. Might have to make a batch of our version this week, you've given me a craving for it now! 🙂
Dear Anonymous:
My Mutti arrived straight from the boat of Bad Reichenhall…which is just a yodel away from Munich. 🙂
I have no idea when she started adding bacon, but we love it that way. On occasion, she would add the cucumber that you describe. But, we kids, refused to eat it. Green veggies, you know. She always added oil, but never too much. I'm sure there are plenty of variations, but this is a salad that my family begs me to make, when we get together.
OMG, that's so funny, straight off the boat from Bad Reichenhall :). I'm from a little further north, grew up around Nuernberg, and the "real" German potato salad is spot on!
Always thought the (seasoned) rice vinegar like Nakano was my own personal trick. It is actually a tasty shortcut from the original recipe which calls for a bit of white vinegar, a bit of water and a bit of sugar. So if you don't have it, or can't find it, you make your own. With regard to the cucumber slices, they should be very thin and this is usually eaten with the chilled version. There is also a variety that calls for thinly sliced pickles, which goes better with the warm, but not hot version. The trick is to let the potatoes absorb the broth for a little while before adding onions, pepper, vinegar and oil. And as many readers have mentioned, it should not be a lot of oil; just enough to make the potatoes glisten. Olive oil alters the taste but Mazola works well.
This certainly a make-ahead dish, but don't keep it too long in the fridge, as the potatoes will continue to absorb the flavors, until they can no longer be distinguished. And this is the reason why young waxy potatoes are more suitable for this dish. The mealier the potatoes, the more they neutralize the flavor.
Instead of dill or flat parsley, we would often serve this dish with chopped chives. If you don't have any, try chopped spring onions.
Can't wait to make this with fried, steamed or smoked sausages, schnitzel, rotisserie chicken, Fleischkaese, Bavarian Sauerbraten, rouladen or the ubiquitous Bavarian veal roast (bone-in), also known as Kalbshax'n, and a nice helping of Bavarian kraut or red cabbage. Mmmmmmm!
Wow, Barbara. I wish we could have a potluck German dinner. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your recipe versions. It was hard for me to adapt this recipe into written form, because I learned how to make this when I was my Mutti's free labor at her delicatessen. She made it every single day, for several years, and it would sell out every single day.
Hey thanks, Debbie! I know you do your Mutti proud. That must have been a true labor of love for her.
Just like her, I am "cooking my memories" 🙂
Debby – I am making your Mutti's potato salad for our Oktoberfest. I will give her (and you) the appropriate credit. Come join us on the 27th!!! I hope you are feeling better – you can come over and demonstrate the Chicken Dance with your crutches, and admire Chris' lederhosen 🙁 Nancy
Debbie, your recipe is spot on! I have a German husband and he was the one very skeptic on me researching on google for a authentic recipe. The first time I made it, we couldn't stop eating it. What a hit!! The second time, we realised we bought the wrong type of potatoes (in the Philippines where we live you only have two types, white and red period!) and these ones would not absorb anything 🙁 or maybe I should have overcook them a bit, don't know. Anyways, thank you so much for sharing this wonderful family recipe, will definitely continue trying !!!!
That is truly a great compliment, when a German says that my salad is the real deal. My Mutti was the real deal– dirndl, yodel and all!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe and the warm thoughts of your Mutti. Thinking of your Mutti made me happy when I was making this for my family and friends
Looks delicious. I love potato salad I just don’t make very often.
THANK YOU!!! I had a German potato salad once when I was a kid that I LOVED when I attended a funeral potluck dinner, but every time I've tried one since then it didn't taste right to me. This recipe is a definite keeper. The only change I make is to use sliced all-natural no-preservative cooked beef brats that I get from an independent distributor, and that's only because my body wages war on all pork. Thank you!!!
Debby, I have no potato salad story to tell and just want to thank you for sharing your family's recipe and traditions. Your photo tutorial and attention to detail certainly honor your ancestors and their expertise. Your gift to us continues their legacy of seasoning food with love. By reading all of the comments, I hope the family dissenters see how much joy you're bringing to many others.
This is quite different than the salad I usually make. Mine had a wee bit mustard and some dill pickle relish. I'm going to try your Muttis recipe at this weekend's bbq. My daughter's boyfriend hates mayonnaise with a passion, lol…. So, gonna give this a try along with a veggie-pasta salad with Italian dressing. Intrnational bbq, lol…
I love German food even tho I'm Irish and loved cooking it for my late M-I-L who was German… I'm off now to check out the rest of your blog.
Thanx
Maureen
Thank you for blogging. My Mutti is from Bavaria too and just reading this makes my eyes tear up thinking of her, her cooking, and Germany! Can't wait to try this recipe, although my mom usually made it vegetarian & withheld the bacon, but who doesn't love bacon? 🙂 Thank you again!
I just joined your site because I was looking for a cold German potato salad recipe. Yours sounds like exactly what I want to make, and has great reviews and comments. I went through it all twice, but have a question. I noticed the 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar, but must have missed the amount of red wine vinegar that you use. Can you please clarify that for me? I love to cook – make my own sauerkraut, sourdough bread and yogurt, so I am looking forward to checking out some of your other recipes.
Thank you, Mike
Hi Mike. For a moment I thought I had lost my mind. Thank goodness, some of it is still working. The recipe states 3/4 cup red wine vinegar. Did you print my recipe card? Email me foodiewife@gmail.com if you need more help. Thanks!
Dear Debbie, Hello; I found your recipe after an extensive search for German potato salad. I looked and looked for something similar to my beloved Nana Rose's salad. I found dozens of versions, but the ingredients and measurements just didn't sound "right"; a cup and a half of sugar for three pounds of potatoes? Seriously? I followed your recipe to a "T"; and I can't tell you how delicious it was. The flavors and aroma took me back to my beloved Nana's kitchen (she was German, and her older siblings were born in Germany before her family emigrated to the Chicago area). At one point, tears sprang from my eyes while I made your salad; I told my husband, "the kitchen smells like Nana's." Memories of long-lost tastes and smells can trigger strong emotions. My search is over; I will never make another Bavarian potato salad but yours. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
This sounds lovely. Going to give this a go. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
Great recipe simplicity in itself! Thanxxx
So close to my Mom's, like her Mom's! We're Bavarian stock as well! Will try the secret ingredient tomorrow at our first grillfest of the season! thanks for sharing… Nice to have a written version… Guten tag! Marie Beichert.
My husband and brother-in-law loved these! After eating dinner, they waited about 45 minutes for their "food to go down" before having more. My husband got up in the middle of the night to eat the rest! He debated eating them as he wouldn't have any for lunch. His solution? "I'll make more!"
One word AWESOME!!! I'm already thinking of things to try though it's great just the way it is. Thinking instead of bacon using Leberkase. Also added a little mustard to a sample for added zing which also tasted great. My Oma always used mustard aka Snef. Thank you.
One Word AWESOME!!! I'm already thinking of changes to make it a bit different though it's great by itself. Maybe changing bacon and using Leberkase instead. Also put in a little mustard to add a bit of zing. That's the way my Oma made it. Ein bissen snef.
I also wanted to share my thanks dir this recipe. I've been making it for a few years now for Oktoberfest, and sometimes just because. It's requested and always the first thing to run out.
Thanks so much for the recipe. I spent 10 of my first 18 years in Germany. I noe live in Carmel Valley next to Monterey, Ca. Which Deli did your mom have? I am looking forward to viewing your other recipes.
Hi Tracy! I'm a graduate of Carmel High School, and grew up in Mission Fields and also lived in Carmel Valley Village. I now live in Corral de Tierra. My mother owned "Bavarian Delicatessen" for about 20 years. I miss her still…
I'm currently making this for the 3rd time!! It is always a hit! I cook from the heart and never follow recipes, just like you! I can't stand regular potato salad, but your mom's is so special!! Thanks so much for sharing her recipe!
Love this potato salad! I've made it several times and people just rave about it. I was born in Germany and this recipe is spot on. The only thing I add is celery which adds a lovely crispness to counteract the softness of the potatoes and the fat. Thanks for sharing Mutti's recipe. My Mutti loved it. 🙂
Just found this! I always use rice wine vinegar in my potato salads and red cabbage! You don't need to use tha much sugar. It's all about balance. I also saw that you said your mom owned a German delicatessen in Monterey CA. We live on Fort Ord in Seaside! Thank you for this recipe!!
Just made this tonight. THANK YOU! It is delicious! Served it on the side with grilled bratwurst. I'm SO happy!
My Oma and Mutti are from Heilbronn. Which is South and made it like u! Thanks for the recipe. N ur correct in the US they make it more sweet and same w sauerbraten. I asked the restaurant owner why so sweet!!! She said Americans like it sweet and so savory. I'm an American although born in Germany but My friends love my savory flavors. Sweet is too much. A little vinigar is awesome. Thanks!
I didn’t have the Japanese rice wine, used red instead as that was all I had on hand. The fragrance of the dish watered my mouth and teased my tastebuds. My mom used to make German Potato Salad every so often so this was going to be a real treat for me. Peeling with the towel method was tricky and hot but it did the trick. A quick slice around the middle before boiling would help the skin slide right off. That’s from past experiences with sweet potatoes. Yukon golds may have a mind of their own though. The potatoes are delicate and will mush if Over worked. The moment of truth came together when my lips curled around the fork and the warm potatoes slide into my now impatient palette. This may seem dramatic but it brought me back to my youth where I had to wait until everyone had their seconds before I could finish off the bowl. An excellent authentic recipe. Not too sweet and not too tangy. Perfect. Ps. I added boiled eggs because my mom always did.
I didn’t have the Japanese rice wine, used red instead as that was all I had on hand. The fragrance of the dish watered my mouth and teased my tastebuds. My mom used to make German Potato Salad every so often so this was going to be a real treat for me. Peeling with the towel method was tricky and hot but it did the trick. A quick slice around the middle before boiling would help the skin slide right off. That’s from past experiences with sweet potatoes. Yukon golds may have a mind of their own though. The potatoes are delicate and will mush if Over worked. The moment of truth came together when my lips curled around the fork and the warm potatoes slide into my now impatient palette. This may seem dramatic but it brought me back to my youth where I had to wait until everyone had their seconds before I could finish off the bowl. An excellent authentic recipe. Not too sweet and not too tangy. Perfect. Ps. I added boiled eggs because my mom always did.
This is genuinely the best recipe for Kartoffelsalat I’ve ever made. My entire family begs me to cook this up whenever I’m free from work. The mirin is an absolutely fantastic ingredient to add.
If anybody makes this regularly and wants to experiment further, some awesome additions that stay in line with the recipe are as follows:
1. Replace a quarter of the Red Wine Vinegar with Rice Vinegar. It kicks up the Koji taste slightly without adding sweetness. (Not the Mirin Rice WINE, they are different. The Rice Wine must be added too- it’s sweeter and is the base of the Koji flavor)
2. When adding the Kosher salt, I add a dash of top shelf Yuzu Ponzu instead of the full amount of salt. You can buy this at any Japanese market. The more expensive, the better the flavor.
3. I try to find Bourbon Smoked Bacon, or if I’m feeling like a complete legend, I’ll further reduce the Kosher salt and I’ll replace a quarter of the bacon with Tyrolean Ham/Pancetta/Guanciale.
These 3 changes keep the same overall flavor profile, but magnify each individual taste.
It takes an already perfect recipe, somewhere close to the divine.
Please try the standard version first!!
What great variations! I love it. Thank you for the positive feedback 💕
The best! I used Surig Essie-essence vinegar. Worth the price real vinegar with no burn. I added the red wine and rice vinegars as you suggested.
My Mutti would be so happy to know you like her recipe. Thank you for the positive feedback.
I am from Bavaria and let me assure you this is not Bavarian Kartoffelsalat
People might like the recipe but it’s not original. Most people in Bavaria use the pickle juice instead of vinegar,also no one ever has heard of rice vinegar in a Bavarian potato salad, just thought I mention this because you called it Bavarian.
I’m always amazed when people feel they need to criticize a recipe as not being authentic. I can assure you that my mother was born and raised in Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria. She learned to speak English. When she moved to California, after marrying my American father, she owned a Bavarian Delicatessen. So, she used rice vinegar! She adapted the recipe and it sold out every single day. Did I commit a crime by calling this Bavarian? No. It’s my Mutti’s recipe and it’s one that gets rave reviews every single time.
BAVARIA is not the only place in the country of Germany.
“at her Bavarian Delicatessen shop” …IN CALIFORNIA
She Americanized it don’t get heated. I’m sure it’s fine.
3 whole generations? Aww that’s sweet.
My great great grandmother born 1892 came here in 1902 and lived in the heart of Phila German community. Right by the Cannstatter social club.
“The oldest and largest of the German-American clubs in Philadelphia, the Cannstatter Volksfest-Verein was founded in 1873 for the purpose of celebrating the customs and traditions of their homeland, especially the annual harvest festival held in the town of Bad Cannstatt.”
From a specific section of Germany, in this case, the area of Southwestern Germany, generally known as Schwabenland, Represented today by the political subdivision, Baden-Württemberg.
CANNSTATTER VOLKSFEST-VEREIN
Celebrating German Heritage Since 1873
Philadelphia, PA
https://www.cannstatter.org/about-us/
Hers?
red potatoes
bacon
white distilled vinegar
salt, pepper, sugar
celery seed.
That’s it.
Yours is like a STEW. Chicken Stock? RED & rice wine vin? A CUP of oil omg. Dill AND Parsley?
Cannstatter’s is a little thick like yours, too because they’re serving the public like your mother.
Interesting comment. Bavaria is a state in the Federal Republic of Germany by area, thank you very much. The capitol is Munich. Say what you will, but there are many versions of potato salad, in Germany. Trust me, I’ve tried many of them. This recipe is my family recipe, and so I will attest that it’s delicious as I’m sure your great grandmother’s is. Thank you for the THREE STAR rating, given that you haven’t made this recipe. I should take into consideration, that you are an expert in Bavarian cuisine. Have you ever been there? I have! Lived there, and visited several times since.
It amazes me how territorial people become, on Social Media, about international recipes. They swear I’m wrong and theirs is better. Whatever floats your boat.
I agree with you that this may not be “old fashioned Bavarian” kartoffelsalat, but you know, people HAVE learned to use more than just pickle juice as we have evolved 😉 Recipes are meant to be perfected, and this one does a German Kartoffelsalat justice.
Thank you! Heirloom recipes all have their own versions. This recipe goes back for three generations, and we love it!
This is a delicious potato salad! My whole family loves it. I much prefer German-style potato salad to American-style potato salad. We lived in beautiful Bayern for almost 6 years and ate a LOT of Kartoffelsalat. Thank you for sharing your mother’s recipe. I’ve made this potato salad many times and will continue to do so.
Thank you so much for the positive feedback!