THE Creamy German Potato Salad with Dill (Oma's Kartoffelsalat)

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares German recipes rooted in family tradition.

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Oma's best German potato salad recipe with dill is traditional in northern Germany. Yes, it's with mayonnaise. In the South, it's without mayo. Both authentic and wunderbar!

Oma's yummiest German potato salad recipe with dill is traditional in northern Germany. Yes, this kartoffelsalat is made with mayonnaise. In the south, it's often made without mayo, and the link for that one is down below. Both are authentic and wunderbar!

This creamy dill potato salad recipe comes from my Mutti's handwritten cookbook. Its tangy dill flavor comes from the chopped dill pickles and pickle juice mixed right into the salad.

She usually kept this classic potato salad as a perfect side dish when company came. Now we have it for a summer cookout, family reunions, or just because! It's always a treat.

Mutti's signature presentation for this creamy potato salad included crumbling cooked egg yolks over the top with finely chopped cooked egg whites as an outer ring. A sprig of parsley finished it off.

People hesitated to dig into the serving bowl because it always looked so pretty. They didn't hesitate long, though. After all, this is German food at its best!

And yes, this one is German. In fact, the mayonnaise in this tells me it's from the northern part of Germany. Southern Germany's salads rarely have mayo. Looking for the yummiest potato salad without mayonnaise? Take a look at this non-mayo bacon and vinegar potato salad.

It seems like there are as many traditional recipes for German potato salad as there are German Omas (grandmothers). Each has just a slight difference, meaning there's no ONE way of making this very traditional German food.

Above, I've served this flavorful potato salad with a very German knackwurst, aka knockwurst, which comes from the northern part of Germany. A perfect pairing.

Add some German or Dijon mustard, and this is real German food! You can even make your own homemade mayonnaise for this with lemon juice and olive oil. Easy breezy!

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6 Tips For Potato Salad Recipes

1. Use new potatoes or regular ones. Scrub them and cook unpeeled in a large pot with enough water to cover until tender on medium-high heat (gently pierce with a knife to check). Depending on their size, this can take from 15-30 minutes. Do not overcook, or they may fall apart.
2. To make peeling the hot potatoes easier, drain potatoes in a colander or sink; briefly pour cold water over them. Let cool slightly before peeling. You can cook them the day before, but I find peeling slightly cooled potatoes a bit easier.
3. Mutti always sliced her potatoes. Sometimes I'll cube potatoes instead, not big chunks though.
4. I often double this recipe because it is a crowd-pleaser and it's great for a large group gathering.
5. Although Mutti usually used mayonnaise for this salad, there are times she substituted with Greek yogurt or sour cream.
6. This is a traditional recipe done in a traditional way, but when I follow an "assembly line" method, it goes fairly quickly. Having everything chopped, checking off the ingredient checklist, and being ready to go helps make the preparation of this traditional potato salad go fairly quickly.

Lydia Remembers,

I have so many wunderbar memories in the kitchen with my Oma, and I've had MANY of her most popular and traditional recipes, like this German potato salad! 

I love Oma's German potato salad! I ALWAYS request this one. Especially during summertime, it's the perfect accompaniment to a fresh bratwurst from the BBQ. 

Want to make sausage just like that beautifully cooked one below to pair with your potato salad? Here's the recipe for Oma's bratwurst sausage!

Go to Bratwurst recipe >

My favorite part of Oma's potato salad is the pickles. They give it a nice extra crunch and punch of flavor! Pickles are also my favorite food ... so it really is a treat for me. When I make this potato salad at home, I always add quite a few pickles in there, just because. :) 

Learn a little bit about me, Lydia, and my kitchen adventures with Oma!

Mutti's traditional potato salad is also what I'm usually asked to bring to parties, especially when it's a summer event. It always brings rave reviews, and I've learned to have the recipe ready to give out. 

If you want an even easier and quicker recipe, try this adaptation of my easy potato salad recipe. It's an easy recipe for a really, really good potato salad.

But first, here's the salad just like my Mutti used to make ...

Ready to make THE German Potato Salad?

What goes with northern German potato salad? Click to expand... +

What Oma serves this alongside

Three recipes that finish the meal

• Serve it with Bratwurst and Sauerkraut
• Or with Grilled Bratwurst
• Or with Breaded Pork Chops (Schweinekoteletts)

See the full bratwurst spread ›

Print Recipe

THE Creamy German Potato Salad Recipe with Dill: Omas Kartoffelsalat

Learn how to make potato salad that tastes just like it does in northern Germany. This cold German potato salad, aka Kartoffelsalat, comes from my Mutti's handwritten cookbook. I've also simplified it in this easy version.

And yes, this one is German. In fact, the mayonnaise in this tells me it's from the northern part of Germany. Southern Germany's salads rarely have mayo.

Prep Time:

40 minutes

Cook Time:

20 minutes

Cool Time:

20 minutes

Total Time:

1 hour 20 minutes

Servings:

Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (908 grams) potatoes, washed and peeled
  
• 1 cup (230 grams) mayonnaise
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) juice from a jar of dill pickles
• 1 small onion, finely diced
  
• 2-3 dill pickles, diced
• 3-4 large eggs, hard-boiled and sliced
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Put the potatoes in a large pot, cover them with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20-40 minutes, depending on their size. The potatoes are done when they can be pierced easily with a knife, but do not overcook them. Drain, cool, peel, and set them aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise with enough pickle juice to get a nice creamy dressing.
3. Pour a little dressing in the bottom of a large serving bowl.
4. Slice or cube the potatoes and place a layer on top of the dressing. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Next, layer some of the diced onions, diced dill pickles, and egg slices. Pour some of the dressing over top.
5. Repeat with more potatoes, salt, pepper, diced onions, chopped pickles, egg slices, and dressing until all the potatoes have been used.
6. Gently toss all together. Either serve immediately or let stand to improve the flavor. Keep refrigerated to store.

Notes/Hints:

• Adding extra fresh dill weed or dried dill adds extra flavor. (The flavor of fresh dill can't be beat. In fact, fresh herbs are always best.) You can add this to the dressing or sprinkle on each layer.
• Depending on the 'dryness' of the potatoes, you may need more dressing. Just mix extra as you need it.
• Make your own homemade mayonnaise for extra flavor.
• Once you know how much salt and pepper you like, add them to the dressing ingredients at first, instead of sprinkling on each layer. In fact, adding all the ingredients to a mason jar and shaking to mix is easy.
• Add more or less eggs, according to your own taste.
• For the type of potato, you can substitute with red potatoes or other waxy potatoes. Fingerling potatoes would be interesting.
• Adding celery seed or celery salt to the creamy dressing is yummy.
• Adding green onions or using red onion looks extra special.
• Adding some chopped apple (leaving the skin on for color), adds flavor and a nice crunch.
• .This should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. However, do serve this at room temperature.
• If you're wanting a quicker and easier version of this, check out my easy German potato salad. 

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Updated: September 16, 2026

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.