Authentic German Potato Salad

Name: Authentic German Potato Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 servings.
Cuisine: German Recipes, German Salad Recipes
Ingredients: 3 pounds medium red potatoes; 5 bacon strips, diced; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1/4 cup all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 teaspoon celery seed; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1-1/4 cups sugar; 1 cup cider vinegar; 3/4 cup water; 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

This authentic German potato salad recipe came from Speck’s Restaurant, which was a famous eating establishment in St. Louis from the 1920s through the ‘50s. I ate lunch there almost every day and always ordered the potato salad. When the owner learned I was getting married, he gave me the recipe as a wedding gift! —Violette Klevorn, Washington, Missouri

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Ingredients

3 pounds medium red potatoes
5 bacon strips, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions

Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 4 tablespoons drippings. In the drippings, saute onion until tender.
Stir in the flour, salt, celery seed and pepper until blended. Gradually add the sugar, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Cut potatoes into 1/4-in. slices. Add potatoes and bacon to the skillet; cook and stir gently over low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm.

Test Kitchen Tips

I buy several pounds of bacon when it’s on sale. I put the strips in a single layer on jelly roll pans and pop them in the oven to bake at 350° until crisp. I then place the strips on paper towels to drain before storing them in single layers in a freezer container. It’s easy to remove only the number of strips I need for a quick breakfast, sandwich or salad. A short time in the microwave reheats the bacon. —Dale H. Holland, MI

Celery seed is a classic addition to seafood dishes, slaws and pickles. The seeds are herbaceous, crunchy and slightly bitter. They come from a type of flavorful Asian celery.

Check out our 10 best potato salad recipes.

Nutrition Facts

3/4 cup: 349 calories, 8g fat (3g saturated fat), 9mg cholesterol, 706mg sodium, 65g carbohydrate (35g sugars, 3g fiber), 5g protein.

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Kardendia

Jan 8, 2020

Don't waste resources making this. It is horrible. My husband
Don

Nov 13, 2019

I come from a very German background and that recipe is close, but the sauce is way too thin!
Patty

Oct 7, 2019

I'm making it right now, but already my hubby is loving the smell. I think it is really wonderful sharing the recipe, and what an awesome restaurant owner to give you a great gift like that!!! God Bless him. The best gift ever!
Carl_in_OH

Aug 11, 2019

I used a similar recipe designed for Crock Pot. Wow. Mine used 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of cider vinegar. Next time I'll use white vinegar and my red potatoes were full of eyes :-)
Barbara A

Jul 10, 2019

I have used this same recipe since 1967. the only difference is 1/4 cup sugar and chopped celery instead of celery seed.
Peg

Jun 4, 2019

Wow this one is GREAT! But DO NOT USE 1.5 C SUGAR!! Use only 1/4 cup.
Margaret

May 21, 2019

Maybe this recipe has a misprint, but it is terribly sweet, and I will never use it again.. The consistancy was very nice, but flavor was sickeningly sweet....I, after making it, compared other recipes and they overall called for no more than 1/4 cup sugar, not 1 and 1/4!....I am a seasoned cook and , in retrospect, should have questioned the amount of sugar!
scotland1

Feb 5, 2019

My mom use to make German Potato Salad. YUMMY! I just might make them for this weekend. Suppose to be rather cold this Thursday through Sunday. I give this this 5 stars. If it had 1,000 stars, you betcha I would click on all of them.
Eric

Jan 16, 2019

I was also wary when I saw the amount of sugar, so I read the reviews and used half of the amount of sugar called for. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. I made the mistake of simmering the potatoes for the full 25 minutes and they were over cooked and crumbling. My error for not checking doneness. I tried to salvage the dish as a “smashed potato”, but I found it to be WAY to sweet. Disappointed.
Daisy3333

Dec 30, 2018

This is the real recipe that my German grandmother used to make. One of my favs.

Authentic German Potato Salad

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