These German potato recipes are packed with rich flavors and make the perfect side dish (or main course)!
Did you know that Germany is one of the top 10 potato harvesters in the world? Aside from sausage, Germany knows a thing or two about potatoes!
From hearty potato soup, fried potatoes (with bacon!), and classic German potato salad, these German potato recipes are sure to appear at your next holiday party or weeknight dinner.
Get that sour cream ready – nothing pairs better with German potatoes than a dollop of sour cream.
Guten Appetit!
1. German Potato Salad
In America, classic potato salad combines mayo, celery, eggs, and mustard. In Germany, potato salad changes as you travel across different regions.
This smokey and slightly acidic warm German potato salad hails from Bavaria. It ditches mayo and eggs and replaces them with bacon, bacon drippings, and vinegar.
It’s served best warm and makes a killer side dish!
2. Bratkartoffeln
It may be difficult to pronounce (brat-kah-toff-len), but it is easy to whip together in a flash! Bratkartoffein translates to ‘fried potatoes’ and infuses fragrant herbs and plenty of bacon.
Caraway seeds and marjoram offer a bitter and slightly sweet flavor profile that perfectly pairs with the richness of potatoes and bacon.
This dish in Germany often accompanies fried eggs, fresh greens, and pickles. While it makes a great accent to the main course, it’s so satisfying that you can also serve it up as a complete meal.
3. German Fried Potatoes
Are you looking for a quick side dish to throw together in a hurry? Fried German potatoes are easy to prepare and require only a few ingredients.
If you have leftover boiled potatoes, it cuts the prep time in half! With only a few ingredients (potatoes, bacon, and onion), every aspect of this dish shines on its own.
The potatoes are rich and tender and, when fried in bacon drippings, are insanely flavorful.
If you don’t have bacon (or want to keep this recipe vegetarian), swap out bacon for butter. Even without bacon, butter makes for golden potatoes that are hard to resist.
4. German Potato Dumplings
German potato dumplings (aka Kartoffelkloesse) are perfect little potato balls with a delicious surprise inside!
Think of these delicious potato balls as the ultimate twice-baked potato. For the secret surprise inside, stuff each potato with a mixture of fried bacon and croutons for a kick of salty flavors.
Top each delicious potato ball with the remaining bacon and crouton filling, and drizzle with nutty brown butter.
It makes a great appetizer, main course, or side dish paired with sausage or a fresh salad.
5. German Potato Soup
Kartoffelsuppe, also known as German potato soup, is the chicken noodle soup of Germany.
This recipe is worth checking out if you need the ultimate comfort food to get you through the winter. Or a Wednesday.
It earns its impossibly creamy texture butter, double cream with a touch of lemon zest to lift all of the hearty flavors.
In addition to potatoes, it infuses other hearty root veggies such as carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.
This impossibly filling soup works as a complete meal or with grilled sandwiches or crusty bread.
For added color and bright herbal flavors, garnish with fresh spring onions right before serving.
6. Potato Pancakes
German Kartoffelpuffer is so versatile you can serve it as a dessert or savory side dish with sausage.
It incorporates shredded potatoes (squeezed of excess moisture) with egg and onion and fried until golden and delicious.
Top each pancake with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt as a savory side dish. You can even top things up a notch with a slice of prosciutto for added protein and saltiness.
Pair your potato pancakes with applesauce and fresh fruit or dust with powdered sugar for dessert.
The best part of these potato pancakes is that they come together in under 30 minutes. They’re the perfect last-minute side dish that won’t disappoint.
7. German Boiled Potatoes With Butter and Parsley
These boiled German potatoes make an impressive side dish at your next potluck or holiday meal.
They’re simple to prepare (no tedious chopping required) and deliver rich buttery and fragrant herb flavors to mealtime.
What’s great about this recipe is that it’s so simple. Boil whole peeled potatoes in heavily salted water until cooked and toss in a buttery herb sauce. That’s it!
It’s a dish that looks impressive and comes together in under a half hour.
8. German Potato Soup with Vienna Sausages
Classic German potato soup earns a salty sausage kick from Vienna sausages.
This recipe includes all the bone-warming ingredients of a traditional German potato soup, including robust herbs, root veggies, and smokey bacon.
Adding chopped Vienna sausage adds a punch of meaty flavors and saltiness and dials up the protein content in this traditional wintertime soup.
The best part? Vienna sausages are affordable and have a shelf life of up to 5 years (so you will never be without them).
9. Schupfnudeln
Schupfnudeln is Germanys take on gnocchi. It’s a cross between a dumpling and a potato noodle and incredibly addictive.
Marry mashed potatoes with flour and egg for a noodle-like consistency that’s the perfect vehicle for sweet or savory additions.
Cut your potato noodles into long strips, and boil until tender and delicious. To dial up the flavors, fry in a pan with a bit of butter, and garnish with fresh herbs.
For a sweet treat, skip the herbs and pair buttery potato noodles with a sprinkling of cinnamon, sugar, or applesauce.
10. German Sauerkraut and Potato Balls
It’s not a German recipe party unless sauerkraut makes an appearance! They’re like classic sauerkraut balls made better with potatoes.
Instead of a basic sauerkraut mixture, blend sauerkraut with mashed potatoes, caraway seeds, and black pepper as your base.
They earn a crunchy kick from breadcrumbs and fry up golden and delicious.
While they’re perfect on their own, you can also amp up the flavors with your favorite dipping sauces.
10 Popular German Potatoes
Add a European flair to your meals with these hearty and mouthwatering German potato recipes! Here we’ve got potato soup, dumplings, pancakes, and more.
Ingredients
German Potato Salad
Bratkartoffeln
German Fried Potatoes
German Potato Dumplings
German Potato Soup
Potato Pancakes
German Boiled Potatoes With Butter and Parsley
German Potato Soup with Vienna Sausages
Schupfnudeln
German Sauerkraut and Potato Balls
Instructions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a delicious recipe in 30 minutes or less!
