Bavarian Kartoffelsalat with Bacon Recipe
Warm Bavarian potato kartoffelsalat with bacon is a classic of Munich beer gardens. Instead of mayonnaise it has a slightly tangy dressing made with stock and vinegar, which makes it lighter yet very filling. It’s perfect with grilled sausages, but disappears just as quickly eaten on its own.
Bavarian kartoffelsalat is traditionally served warm or at room temperature in beer gardens, as a side for white sausages, roast chicken or schnitzel. Unlike the North German mayonnaise-based versions, this variant is lighter and more tangy.
Bavarian kartoffelsalat with bacon stands out because it’s served warm and seasoned with stock and vinegar instead of mayonnaise, making it both hearty and surprisingly light. It captures the flavour of typical Munich beer gardens – potatoes soaked in a tangy, salty dressing, crispy bacon and aromatic onion create the perfect snack to go with beer. Fresh herbs add brightness and cut through the richness of the bacon.
Why this version works
- Boiling the potatoes in their skins keeps the slices from falling apart when mixed with the hot dressing.
- Pouring hot dressing over warm potatoes lets them absorb the stock and vinegar instead of just being coated.
- Frying the onion in the bacon fat gives a meaty, deep flavour without extra ingredients.
- A short rest after mixing lets the dressing thicken and coat the potatoes evenly.
Chef's tips
Use waxy salad potatoes with firm flesh that won’t fall apart when mixed; cook them in their skins and peel while still warm. The key is pouring the hot stock and vinegar mixture over warm potato slices – that’s when they absorb the flavour best and the salad doesn’t turn out dry. Fry the bacon over medium heat until really crispy but not burnt, as any bitterness will immediately spoil the dish.
How to serve
Serve the salad right after making it, still slightly steaming, with grilled sausages, roast chicken or simply with a chunk of crusty bread for dinner. It pairs beautifully with a pale, light Bavarian-style beer or homemade lemonade with lemon and mint. It’s the dish I always make for the first May barbecue at the allotment – it disappears faster than the sausages from the grill.
Watch out for
- Don’t overcook the potatoes – if they start to crack when you pierce them, drain them immediately.
- Don’t brown the onion too darkly, as its bitterness will be very noticeable in the tangy dressing.
- Mix the salad gently, lifting from the bottom, so you don’t turn the potatoes into a mash.
Substitutions
- You can replace the bacon with smoked tofu or omit it, and swap part of the oil for rapeseed oil with a buttery flavour.
- You can use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock if you don’t need a vegetarian version.
- Wine vinegar can be replaced with apple cider vinegar for a milder, fruitier acidity.
Ingredients
- potatoes preferably waxy salad potatoes that stay firm after cooking - 800 g
- bacon smoked, in thin slices or diced - 120 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- vegetable stock hot - 150 ml
- wine vinegar light, e.g. white wine vinegar - 3 tablespoon
- vegetable oil e.g. rapeseed oil - 3 tablespoon
- mustard mild, e.g. Bavarian or Sarepska style - 1 tablespoon
- sugar - 1 teaspoon
- salt to taste
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- chives chopped - 3 tablespoon
Preparation
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly, place them whole in a pot, cover with cold water and lightly salt. Cook for 15–20 minutes from the moment they start boiling, until a fork slides in easily but the skin still holds its shape; as soon as they start to crack around the edges, drain them right away.
- Set the drained potatoes aside for 5–10 minutes so they can steam off a little and cool to a temperature at which you can peel them. Peel them while still warm, then cut into slices or half-slices about 0.5 cm thick – they should be springy, not falling apart.
- Transfer the warm potatoes to a large heatproof bowl. For now, don’t mix them too much so the slices keep their shape – the hot dressing will gently “relax” them later.
- Cut the bacon into strips or cubes. Place the bacon in a cold, dry pan and only then turn on medium heat. Fry for 5–7 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the pieces are golden and crisp but not dark brown.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried bacon to the bowl with the potatoes, leaving the fat in the pan. The potatoes will start to shine slightly from the warm fat, but for now just nudge them gently, without vigorous mixing.
- Peel the onion and dice it finely. Add it to the pan with the bacon fat and fry for 3–4 minutes over medium heat, until it softens and turns translucent, without dark, burnt edges.
- Pour the hot stock into the pan with the onion, add the vinegar, mustard, sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and heat for 1–2 minutes, until the dressing is hot, lightly steaming and homogeneous, but not boiling hard.
- Immediately pour the hot dressing into the bowl with the potatoes and bacon. Add the oil and very gently mix from the bottom with a large spoon or spatula so that the potato slices are coated with the dressing but still hold their shape.
- Taste the salad and season with salt and freshly ground pepper – at this stage it should be distinctly tangy and salty, as the flavour will mellow after a while. Add finely chopped chives, mix and leave for 10–15 minutes until the dressing thickens slightly.
- Serve the salad slightly warm or at room temperature. The dressing should no longer pool much at the bottom of the bowl, and the potatoes will be springy, glossy and clearly infused with the dressing.
Storage
Store the salad covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently or bring to room temperature before serving, loosening with a little warm stock and oil if needed.
This kartoffelsalat has saved more than one barbecue gathering for me when the sausages were still cooking and everyone was already hungry – a bowl of warm potatoes with bacon solves the problem in a minute. I always set aside a small portion for later, because it tastes even better the next day for breakfast.
