Instant Pot German Potato Salad. After a visit to the Rhine River, I had to make German potato salad - it was one of the best things I ate on the trip. It is a simple potato salad with a sweet bacon vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise as the dressing.
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One of the best things I ate on my trip down the Rhine River was a simple side dish. We were in the town of Bacharach, and I was looking for bratwurst and sauerkraut. The winestube (wine tavern) had wurst and kraut with either boiled potatoes or homemade potato salad. "Which should I get?" I asked our chatty waitress. She went still and looked me straight in the eye. "Homemade potato salad," she said, continuing to stare at me. I ordered it, and she was smiling again, taking our menus, and heading off.
Tasting that potato salad, I can see why she was so serious about it. It was one of the best things I had on my trip, with creamy potatoes, smoky bacon, and a sweet and tangy dressing. Not like the mayo-based potato salads we have at home. (Not that there's anything wrong with American potato salad; I make lots of mayonnaise-based potato salads, like my Classic Potato Salad or Mustard Potato Salad).
Potato Salad Safety
While this is a hot potato salad - you can serve it right away - potato salad should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. After 2 hours, refrigerate the potato salad. Why? It's not the dressing, it's the potatoes themselves. They have bacteria that will start to grow if left at room temperature for too long, so for food safety, refrigerate that potato salad!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Baby potatoes: I like to pressure cook baby potatoes; the skins help them hold up to pressure cooking better. Any waxy potato will do - red potatoes, white potatoes, or Yukon Gold potatoes all work in this recipe. (Russet potatoes don't hold their shape as well as waxy potatoes.) If you want peeled potatoes, buy large potatoes, peel them, then cut them into 1-inch-thick rounds. The pressure cooking time stays the same.
- Bacon: I like a lot of bacon with these potatoes, but if you want to cut back, use 4 ounces of bacon and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to make up for the missing bacon grease. To be fancy, scoop some of the cooked bacon out of the pot before stirring in the vinegar and other ingredients, then sprinkle these bacon bits on the potato salad after you toss it.
- Green onion: Green onions (aka scallions) add a burst of fresh onion flavor to the salad, but they are optional. Chives are a good substitute if you don't have green onions available.
- White wine vinegar: I had this recipe in the wine region of the Rhine river, with rows of riesling grapes growing on the hills just outside of town. White wine vinegar is the obvious choice for the recipe. Apple cider vinegar is a good substitute, and white vinegar will also work, but will bet a little more tangy.
How to make Instant Pot German Potato Salad in pictures
Pressure cook the baby potatoes for 6 minutes with a natural release. Remove from the pot.
Wipe out the pot and sauté the bacon for 5 minutes, until it has rendered a lot of bacon fat, then add the onion until it softens. (Not shown: stir in the vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper once the onions soften to make the vinaigrette.)
Halve the cooked baby potatoes, then stir them into the pot, coating with the bacon vinaigrette. Stir in the green onions and serve.
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Instant Pot German Potato Salad Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart of potato salad 1x
Description
Instant Pot German Potato Salad. After a visit to the Rhine River, I had to make German potato salad - it was one of the best things I ate on the trip. It is a simple potato salad with a sweet bacon vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise as the dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds baby red or white potatoes
- 8 ounces thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 green onions, minced (or chives, or parsley)
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes: Pour 1 cup of water into an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker. Add a vegetable steamer basket, then fill the basket with the baby red potatoes.
- Pressure Cook the potatoes for 6 minutes with a quick pressure release: Lock the pressure cooker lid. Cook at high pressure for 6 minutes in an Instant Pot, electric pressure cooker, or stovetop PC. (Use Manual, Pressure Cook, or Pressure Cook - Custom mode in an Instant Pot). Quick release the pressure. Once the pressure is released, unlock the pot, opening the lid away from you to avoid the hot steam. Carefully lift the vegetable basket of potatoes from the pressure cooker and set it aside.
- Make the bacon vinaigrette: Pour the water out of the pressure cooker and wipe it clean, then set it to sauté mode - high. (Or, do this in a medium pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat while the potatoes are cooking.) Spread the diced bacon over the bottom of the pot and cook until it is rendering fat and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the minced onion and continue to cook until the onion is translucent and the bacon is crispy, about 5 more minutes. Slowly add the vinegar and bring it to a simmer, about 1 minute. Stir in the sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper, and bring to a simmer, about 2 more minutes.
- Slice the potatoes and add to the vinaigrette: Halve all of the baby potatoes (watch your fingers, they will still be warm). Put the halved potatoes in the pot with the vinaigrette, add the minced green onions, and toss until the potatoes are well coated.
- Serve and enjoy: Pour the potatoes into a large serving bowl. Serve immediately for warm potato salad, or refrigerate and serve cold. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: German
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German Potato Salad tips and tricks
- Scaling the recipe up or down: You can halve or double this recipe - just halve or double all the ingredients, everything else stays the same.
- Use a plate as a drip tray: I put the steamer basket of cooked potatoes on a dinner plate so it doesn't drip all over my counter while I make the vinaigrette.
What to Serve with German Potato Salad
German potato salad is a great side dish; you can use it wherever you use potato salads, not just with German food. I'm going to make it a regular in my summer side dish rotation. That said, I plan on serving it with my Brats and Sauerkraut or Brats and Peppers and Onions.
Related Posts
If you're looking for other potato salads, try my Classic Instant Pot Potato Salad, Instant Pot Mustard Potato Salad, or Instant Pot Ranch Potato Salad.
For other potato recipes, check out my Instant Pot Potato Soup, Pressure Cooker Baby Potatoes with Butter and Parsley, Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, or Instant Pot Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes and Kale).
If you're looking for something else, here is my index of Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes.
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Mike Vrobel says
Want a new take on Potato Salad? Try this recipe!