The Best Instant Pot German Potato Salad

The BEST instant pot german potato salad is hot, topped with bacon and a tangy dressing. It’s the ultimate side dish that is quickly made in the instant pot with very little prep needed! Make this in the summer or enjoy for Oktoberfest.

This old fashioned german potato salad recipe is a favorite in our home. The authentic flavors of southern Germany come to life in this simple potato salad. It’s tangy, smoky from the bacon, creamy from the dressing and so addicting. When I bring this to potlucks, it’s usually the first one to go. I'm convinced it's the best german potato salad recipe ever.

Typically potatoes are boiled or steamed in a pot but I decided to try this in the instant pot to save time. Doing so was the best decision I’ve made and I won’t be going back. Cooking the potatoes in the instant pot leads to the best results every time. The potato salad prep is also extremely quick and easy, it's basically a dump and go recipe for the potatoes.

Why You’ll Love This Pressure Cooker German Potato Salad

• The potatoes and bacon only take minutes to cook in the instant pot.
• Potatoes cook in the bacon grease making them extra creamy and flavorful
• Instant Pot German Potato salad is the perfect side that can be eaten with almost any dinner any time of year
• You can easily bring the flavor of southern Germany to your home with this recipe.
• It’s a great way to get kids to eat their veggies, you can convince them by telling them there’s bacon!

What’s the Difference Between American and German Potato Salad?

We love german potato salad in instant pot. We have a local german restaurant that we visit frequently and always end up taking extra german potato salad to go because it’s just that good. German potato salad is different than the American version in a lot of ways.

The first difference you might notice is the way it looks. American potato salad is tossed in a mayonnaise based dressing and is served cold. German potato salad has a vinegar based dressing and can be served warm or cold.

The Ingredients to Make Instant Pot German Potato Salad Recipe

Bacon - not every german potato salad has bacon but it adds so much flavor
Baby Red Potatoes - leave the skin on, you can use golden potatoes if you can’t find red
Onion - white or sweet will work just fine for this recipe
Vegetable Oil - to make the potatoes creamy, I'm not a huge fan of this with olive oil because the flavor is too powerful
Apple Cider Vinegar - to add the tanginess we all love and crave from a German potato salad, we use 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar in the dressing, yes that much and no it's not overwhelming. You can substitute white vinegar
German Mustard - you can substitute whole grain, it adds incredible flavor
Salt - seasoned salt or regular salt will be just fine
Parsley and Green Onion - to garnish

What is German Mustard?

So what exactly is german mustard and how is it different than other common mustards? Prepared german mustard is made with various mustard seeds, and is mixed with vinegar, oil, herbs, and sometimes sweeteners. They typically come in spicy, mild, and sweet varieties. The more spicy varieties are commonly found on meats.

German mustard is similar to dijon mustard but it has a little more heat and sometimes the mustard seed is more course instead of smooth and creamy. When I refer to german mustard in this recipe, I typically go for a slightly spicy, whole seeded mustard blend. I love the way it looks and it adds so much flavor.

Can I Make the Instant Pot German Potato Salad Vegan?

Making this into a vegan dish is super easy! The only meat product in the instant pot german potato salad is the bacon. This can easily be taken out. If you are looking for a vegan version of this dish, forget sautéing the bacon just go right into making the potatoes in the instant pot. Don’t worry about missing out on flavor because it tastes great even without the bacon!

How to Make The German Potato Salad

Step 1: It all starts with bacon. Turn the instant pot onto the sauté setting. Add the bacon slices, keeping them from touching and cook. Keep an eye on the bacon because the instant pot will heat very quickly. Flip the bacon after the first side cooks. Do your best to keep the bacon from sticking. If you find that the bacon is sticking too much or cooking too quickly, turn off the sauté setting to let it cool down. The bacon will continue to cook. Once the bacon is cooked and crispy, set aside on a paper towel. After the bacon has cooled, break into small pieces.

Step 2: Add the water and deglaze the pressure cooker. Using a wooden spoon remove the blackened bits from the bottom. Add the potatoes, close the instant pot and turn the seal to the closed position. Cook for 5 minutes followed by a quick release. Carefully drain and set the potatoes aside to cool. Keep in mind the 5 minutes cook time is different than the minutes total time. Give the instant pot 5-10 minutes to come to pressure before the timer starts.

Step 3: After the potatoes have cooled, slice them into coins and place in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and german mustard. Add the onion. Pour the dressing into the potatoes and mix. Add salt to taste and garnish with parsley, green onion and bacon.

What to Serve with German Potato Salad

Try this delicious instant pot german potato salad with these amazing dinners.

The Best Baked Feta Chicken
Caramelized Bacon Wrapped Pesto Chicken
Grilled Herbs De Provence Grilled Chicken

Tips for Making German Potato Salad in the Instant Pot

• Choose the right potato - the potato you choose should be ripe, not green, not sprouted and not wrinkled.
• Don’t over or undercook the potatoes - this is easy to do in the instant pot. 5 minutes followed by a quick release is perfect. They’re fork tender but don’t turn to mush when you cut into them.
• Consider salting the water in the instant pot before adding the potatoes to give the potatoes that much more flavor.
• Let the potato sit for an hour before serving so all the flavors can be released and the potatoes will absorb the dressing.
• Choose potatoes that are about the same size for the best results.

How Long Does German Potato Salad Last?

This instant pot potato salad will last in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Simply eat out of the container or reheat by placing in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time and continue until the potato salad is fully reheated. This is not a recipe I recommend freezing because this could result in an undesirable texture change as it thaws.

Can I Meal Prep This Instant Pot Potato Salad?

Yes! Meal prepping the salad is extremely easy. If you're looking for an authentic German lunch to take to work or school, consider pairing this with a red cabbage salad and an instant pot sauerbraten. It's easy to put together and your house will smell amazing as you're making it.

The Best Instant Pot Potato Salad

Kate

The BEST instant pot german potato salad is hot, topped with bacon and a tangy dressing. It’s the ultimate side dish that is quickly made in the instant pot with very little prep needed! Make this in the summer or enjoy for Oktoberfest. 

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Side Dish

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 slices of bacon
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ 1.5 lb baby red potatoes
• ▢ 1/2 small onion chopped finely
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ▢ 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons german mustard or whole grain mustard
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ parsley
• ▢ green onion

Instructions

 

• Turn your instant pot on sauté setting. Add bacon and cook until completely cooked through. Flip the bacon half way through. May take about 5 minutes. Once cooked remove the bacon and set aside to cool. Once cooled, break into small pieces.
• Add 1 cup water and with a wooden spoon remove the blackened pieces sticking to the bottom. Once done add the red potatoes. Close the instant pot lid and cook for 5 minutes followed by a quick release.
• Once done strain the potatoes and let cool. Slice the cooled potatoes into small coins. Place in a bowl.
• In a small bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, cider vinegar, and german mustard. Add onion. Stir the dressing and onion into the potatoes. Add salt to taste. Garnish with parsley, green onion, and bacon.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!