Mom's German Potato Salad
Submitted by elizapotts
German potato salad served warm with bacon, vinegar dressing, and eggs cooked right in the bacon grease. No mayo, no mustard. A tangy, smoky, old-world side dish that tastes like somebody’s grandma made it.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
25 minREADY
40 minThis is the no-mayo potato salad that German grandmothers have been making for generations. Warm cubed potatoes get tossed with chopped onion, crispy bacon, and a hot dressing made from bacon drippings, vinegar, and scrambled eggs cooked right in the pan.
The eggs are the surprise here. Most German potato salad recipes skip them, but cooking eggs directly in the bacon grease with vinegar creates a rich, tangy coating that clings to every cube. It’s almost like a warm broken vinaigrette thickened with egg.
Cut the potatoes while they’re still warm. Warm potatoes absorb the dressing much better than cold ones, and they won’t crumble the way a fully cooled potato does when you cube it.
Pro Tips
- Use waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold or red potatoes. They hold their shape after boiling and won’t turn to mush when tossed.
- Save exactly ¼ cup of bacon grease, no more. Too much and the salad is greasy; too little and the dressing won’t coat.
- Add the vinegar to the hot grease carefully. It will splatter and steam.
- Serve warm or at room temperature. This salad doesn’t belong in the fridge.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of whole-grain mustard to the dressing for a sharper bite.
- Toss in chopped dill pickles or capers for extra tang.
- Sprinkle fresh chives or parsley over the top before serving.
Ingredients
Directions
Boil potatoes with salt in water until soft.
Fry bacon until crisp.
Save ¼ cup bacon grease.
While potatoes are warm cut into cubes.
Mix potatoes, onions, salt and pepper in a bowl.
To the frying pan add the grease, eggs and vinegar, cook until the eggs are done.
Add the potato mixture and mix.
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