Alma Bax 
This is a classic German potato salad that I started learning how to make some time ago. I love this recipe because it’s so simple and classic, but you can add so many flavors to it depending on your preference. I love it with fresh herbs, but if you want a sweeter salad you can do that instead or it can also have sour cream in it. This is a great recipe that you can adjust to your tastes and it will go well with any food you have on you.
Potato salad is the best side dish ever! Made with potatoes, onions, and a bunch of seasonings, it’s perfect for a summer picnic or a big family meal. When you’re looking for a great recipe to try, you might want to start with this traditional German potato salad recipe.
This creamy German Potato Salad tastes amazing and it’s very simple to make. You can serve it with any kind of meat, but I like to eat it with some nice grilled steak.
One of our favorite side dishes is this German potato salad!
Are you looking for a tried-and-true German potato salad recipe? You may like our creamy German potato salad, known as Kartoffelsalat in German.
The addition of German meat salad (Fleischsalat), onion, pickles, and the dressing to this traditional cold German potato salad pushes it over the top on the wonderful meter.
This is a hearty German-style potato salad that can be served as a side dish or eaten on its own.
Our creamy German potato salad, topped with another egg, was delicious!
Salads with German Potatoes in Various Forms
Of course, we can’t discuss creating genuine German potato salad without recognizing that there are many German potato salad recipes available.
Many of the variations in recipes are due to geographical variances. This potato salad, for example, is creamy, while our Swabian potato salad is more vinegary.
Some potato salads in Germany are served warm, while others are served cold.
Lisa’s version of creamy potato salad is the one she grew up with and has prepared throughout the years. It’s the finest German potato salad, in our opinion – but we’re a bit prejudiced!
On our creamy German potato salad, a little chopped parsley goes a long way!
Recipe Suggestions
We recommend not using starchy potatoes in this dish. Use all-purpose white or waxy potatoes in the salad since they cook faster and retain their form better.
Another important feature of this Kartoffelsalat is the use of German meat salad. Although Lisa’s family adds this in their potato salad, not everyone does.
It may be difficult to get genuine Fleischsalat in North America, which is why we generally create our own.
If you don’t want to create Fleischsalat, you may always add additional mayo, pickles, sliced ham, and/or chopped fried bacon to this potato salad recipe.
Another important aspect of this potato salad is to chill it for at least two hours before serving. This enables the flavors to mix, resulting in a much superior salad.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making German Potato Salad
You’ll find the recipe card at the bottom of this article if you wish to prepare this creamy German potato salad.
If you are a visual learner and would want to view the potato salad recipe process pictures, they may be found below.
Boiling potatoes and hard-boiled eggs are a good place to start.
Peel the boiled potatoes and hard-boiled eggs first. Make the boiled potatoes and eggs first if you don’t already have them.
Simply crack four raw eggs into a small saucepan, fill with enough water to cover the eggs, and bring to a boil on the fire.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, drain the water, and immediately add extremely cold water to the pot to “shock” the eggs.
Place the potatoes in a medium-large saucepan and fill with enough water to completely cover them.
Add a bit of salt, bring the water to a boil, and cook the potatoes until they are cooked, about 20-25 minutes. To check whether they’re done, poke them with a fork; if the fork slips in easily, they’re ready.
Potatoes should be cut into cubes.
Cut the potatoes into tiny cubes and put them in a big mixing bowl once they have been cooked and skinned.
Toss in the Fleischsalat.
Add the German meat salad to the mixing bowl (Fleischsalat). It’s very simple to build your own at home.
If you don’t want to do that, just add a little extra mayo, a few more baby dill pickles, and a smidgeon of cooked bacon or chopped up ham.
Cut the pickles and eggs into small pieces.
Remove the peeled eggs and chop them into tiny pieces. Remember to save aside one egg for subsequent decorating.
Cut the baby dill pickles and combine them with the potatoes and meat salad in a mixing dish.
Mix it up, mix it up, mix it up, mix it up, mix it up
Stir everything together and then make the dressing.
Make the dressing ahead of time.
Combine the mayo, yogurt, pickle juice, mustard, salat, and pepper in a small bowl.
Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, then pour over the potato mixture and whisk well.
Combine all of the ingredients.
Taste the potato salad and season with more salt, pepper, and/or mayonnaise as desired.
Place the bowl in the fridge for at least two hours, covered with a lid or cling film.
Ready to serve: one dish of creamy German potato salad
Garnish the salad with the final hard-boiled egg (cut into quarters) and some chopped parsley and/or paprika just before serving.
Storage Suggestions
Due to the mayo and beef in the potato salad, we suggest eating it all on the same day if it has been hanging out in the heat for a long (e.g. as a side dish for a potluck).
If the salad has just been out of the fridge for a few hours before being served for lunch or dinner, leftovers may be stored in the fridge for up to two days in a container with a cover.
FAQ
What’s the difference between potato salad in the United States and potato salad in Germany?
To be honest, there aren’t many distinctions between potato salads in the United States and Germany.
There’s a misunderstanding that American potato salads are usually prepared with mayonnaise and are creamier, while European (or German) potato salads are lighter and vinegar-based.
Of course, vinegar-based potato salads are more European in nature, but there are genuine German potato salads that are creamy.
As previously stated, potato salads come in a variety of regional variants in both Germany and the United States.
Is it possible to make potato salad the night before?
Yes, but it all depends on the kind of potato salad you make. It’s ideal to prepare a warm potato salad (like our Swabian potato salad) just before serving. This is because preparing it, chilling it, and then reheating it may result in the potatoes being overly soft.
Potato salads with a creamy base, which are often served cold, may be prepared the night before and kept in the refrigerator. After cooling for a few hours and allowing the flavors to mix, they serve nicely the following day.
What is the finest potato to use for potato salad?
A waxy or all-purpose potato is ideal for potato salad. This is due to the fact that waxier potatoes tend to remain together and do not crumble as readily when cooked. A yellow potato is an example of a waxy potato.
What do you serve with German potato salad?
In general, German potato salad is a wonderful salad to serve with grilled meats like steak during a barbeque (or plant-based substitutes). German potato salad may be served as a side dish with meat meals such as Schnitzel or eaten on its own.
Recipes that are similar
If you like German potato salad, we have a variety of additional potato-based dishes for you to try:
Ingredients
- 2 pounds waxy, all-purpose potatoes, boiling
- 2 cups beef salad (German) (see notes)
- 1 onion, tiny (optional)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs
- 2 dill pickles (baby)
- 2 tsp mayonnaise (more to taste)
- a couple of teaspoons of yogurt
- 2 tblsp. pickling liquid
- 1 tablespoon mustard (dijon)
- season with salt to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley, chopped for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the cooked potatoes into tiny pieces after peeling them. In a large mixing basin, combine the cubes.
- Chop the onion (optional) and baby dill pickles finely. Add them to the bowl, along with the German meat salad (recipe below), and mix everything together. See the notes below if you don’t want to prepare the German meat salad first.
- Three hard-boiled eggs should be peeled and chopped into tiny pieces. The final one may be used as a decoration. In the same dish as the potatoes, crack the eggs into cubes.
- Combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, pickle juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour the mixture over the potatoes and give them a good toss.
- Taste the potato salad and season with additional spices or mayonnaise as desired. Before serving, chill the salad for at least 2 hours.
- Quarter the final hard-boiled egg and put it on top of the potato salad for decoration. On top, you may add some chopped parsley and/or paprika.
Notes
- There are many various kinds of German potato salad; this is simply the one Lisa’s mother’s side of the family served. We enjoy how simple it is to create (in Germany, you can buy meat salad in every grocery store or at the butcher).
- If you don’t have or don’t want to prepare Fleischsalat, just add a little extra mayo, a few more baby dill pickles, and a smidgeon of fried bacon, for example.
- You may keep leftover potato salad for up to two days if it hasn’t been hanging out in the heat. We don’t suggest storing leftovers if they’ve been sitting outdoors in the heat for a long time.
Information about nutrition:
Serving Size: 4 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size 515 calories 19g total fat 6g Saturated Fat 0g trans fat 12 g of unsaturated fat 251 milligrams of cholesterol 796 mg sodium 54 g carbohydrate 6 g of fiber 7 g sugar 32 g protein
An online nutrition calculator was used to determine this nutritional information. It should only be used as a guideline and not as a substitute for expert dietary guidance. Depending on the particular components used, the exact values may vary.
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Creamy German Potato Salad (Kartoffelsalat) | This potato salad recipe is really easy to make and so tasty. It goes well with bread or just with a bowl of soup. You can keep the salad for a few days in the refrigerator. You can use the salad dressing for other recipes too. For example, you can use it for a chicken or a rice salad.. Read more about authentic german potato salad and let us know what you think.
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