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Easy Slow Cooker German Potato Salad with Bacon

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A warm, tangy German potato salad made effortlessly in the slow cooker with crispy bacon, red potatoes, and a savory vinegar dressing. Perfect for potlucks, family dinners, or any night you want a comforting side dish that practically cooks itself.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled (reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth (low-sodium)
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery seed (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
  • Extra crumbled bacon for topping

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon: Place bacon slices in a cold skillet. Turn heat to medium and cook, flipping occasionally, until crispy (8-10 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cool, crumble or chop into bite-sized pieces. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in a small bowl.
  2. Prep the potatoes: Scrub potatoes well (no need to peel). Cut into 1-inch chunks, keeping them uniform for even cooking.
  3. Layer in the slow cooker: Place potato chunks in a 6-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle diced onion and minced garlic over the top. Add crumbled bacon (reserve a handful for garnish). Gently stir to distribute.
  4. Make the dressing: In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together apple cider vinegar, chicken broth, sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, celery seed (if using), and reserved bacon fat until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust salt or sugar if needed.
  5. Pour and stir: Pour dressing evenly over potatoes. Use a wooden spoon to gently toss, ensuring all potato chunks are coated.
  6. Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours, until potatoes are fork-tender. Check at the 3-hour mark on low.
  7. Stir and adjust: About 30 minutes before serving, gently stir the potato salad. Taste and adjust seasoning (more salt, vinegar, or broth if needed). If too soupy, leave lid off for last 15 minutes to let liquid evaporate.
  8. Garnish and serve: Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with reserved crumbled bacon and fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Notes

This recipe is forgiving and tastes even better the next day. For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon and use 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter in the dressing, plus 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. To keep bacon crispy, reserve some for garnish. If you don’t have a slow cooker, boil potatoes until tender and toss with dressing on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker German potato salad, warm potato salad, bacon potato salad, easy potato salad, German potato salad with bacon, crockpot potato salad

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