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Olivye (sometimes spelled olivier) is a potato salad that is ridiculously popular among Slavic people. This salad has been and always will be a staple at our church potlucks. If you’re used to traditional American potato salad, you’re definitely in for a treat with this olivye.
I got the idea to use chicken in leu of kielbasa from a birthday party this past weekend. P.S. Don’t miss our quick and easy method of making the carrots and potatoes. With the right tips and shortcuts, you’ll have this salad done in no time!
Ingredients for chicken potato salad:
1 lb or about 2 medium chicken breasts (or use store-bought rotisserie chicken)
3 medium/large russet potatoes, peeled
3 large carrots, peeled.
2 cups of thawed frozen peas
5 large eggs, boiled and diced (click for quick how-to)
12 baby dill pickles (2 cups diced)
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup mayo, or to taste
1/2 tsp Salt or (to taste)
1/4 tsp Pepper or (to taste)
How to Make Chicken Potato Salad:
1. Place chicken breasts in a medium sauce pan (cut large breasts in half), cover with water, add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-20 min or until cooked through. Drain and let rest until cool enough to handle then dice. If using rotisserie chicken, remove skin and dice the chicken meat. Place in large mixing bowl.
2. Peel and finely dice carrots, then peel and dice potatoes the same size as carrots (we use the “chop wizard” with the smaller blade attachment for the potatoes and dice carrots by hand). Place carrots and potatoes into a medium pot and cover with water. Add 1 tsp salt and bring to boil. Continue cooking uncovered for 10-12 min or until tender then rinse with cold water and drain. Transfer to paper towels to remove any excess water. Transfer to mixing bowl.
3. Add remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl: 2 cups peas, 5 diced eggs, 12 diced baby pickles, finely diced onion, 1/4 cup fresh dill. Stir in mayo, salt and pepper to taste.
Chicken Olivye (Chicken Potato Salad)
Ingredients
- 1 lb or about 2 medium chicken breasts, or store-bought rotisserie chicken
- 3 medium/large russet potatoes, peeled
- 3 large carrots, peeled.
- 2 cups of thawed frozen peas
- 5 large eggs, boiled and diced
- 12 baby dill pickles, 2 cups diced
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 cup mayonnaise, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp Salt or, to taste
- 1/4 tsp Pepper or, to taste
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a medium sauce pan (cut large breasts in half), cover with water, add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-20 min or until cooked through. Drain and let rest until cool enough to handle then dice. If using rotisserie chicken, remove skin and dice the chicken meat. Place in large mixing bowl.
- Peel and finely dice carrots, then peel and dice potatoes the same size as carrots. Place carrots and potatoes into a medium pot and cover with water. Add 1 tsp salt and bring to boil. Continue cooking uncovered for 10-12 min or until tender then rinse with cold water and drain. Transfer to paper towels to remove any excess water. Transfer to mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl: 2 cups peas, 5 diced eggs, 12 diced baby pickles, finely diced onion, 1/4 cup fresh dill. Stir in mayo, salt and pepper to taste.
P.S. Here’s a peek at our classic, original olivye. Is there anything unique that you put into your potato salad?
Hi Natasha! Can this salad be made ahead, or will the dressing become watery over time (I’m wondering if the liquid from the pickles might water it down)? I’ve always wanted to make olivye but never had all the ingredients on hand until now!
Hi Emily, the pickles won’t water it down as long as you drain them well before chopping. Also, my best advice for making this ahead so it lasts, is to make the salad and do not add the mayo until serving. You can stir everything together without adding mayo, cover and refrigerate overnight. We have also kept leftovers of this salad up to 3 days after mixing in the mayo.
Thanks for the advice! Can’t wait to make it!
Love your recipes! We lived in Odessa from 2002-2015 and remember some of these foods! I’m writing a blog post about Christmas and New Years foods, and I’m directing my readers to your blog for your recipe. Thanks a million! 🙂
My pleasure Karen! I’m glad to hear how much you’re enjoy the recipes. Thanks for following and spreading the love! 🙂
Well now, how do I begin? Absolutely brilliant salad! I can only give 5 stars here but this is worthy of 10 stars.
I used two large chicken breast at about 650 grams, made a quart of stock as well.
I seen the photo of your chopper, I used a french fry cutter on the potatoes and carrots, I leave skin on however. Cut them them into ‘fries’ then a knife to cube them. Cooking the potatoes and carrot together, another brilliant idea that I will remember. They were perfect.
When I boiled the chicken, I added a carrot, 1/2 onion, and a stalk of celery (Trinity) and made quart of broth that is is in the fridge for a Vietnamese soup in a day or two. I did let the chicken cool in the water and it is juicy and tender.
I had no peas so I added 4 stalks of celery, diced, perfect addition.
Thank you again for a wonderful recipe.
You’re welcome Lee! I’m happy to hear how much you love this recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
This looks amazing! Do you use sweet pickles or baby dill?
Thanks😊
Hi Janet, sorry I missed that! They are dill pickles. Thank you for asking! 🙂
Are you using dill pickles or sweet?
Hi Darlene, these are dill pickles. I will clarify that in the recipe. Thank you for asking!! 🙂
I plan on making this very soon, sounds and looks very good! After I make it I will come back and rate it.
As a variant, I may dice up a daikon and add that.
One suggestion (I only state this as I am retired so I have plenty of time on my hands) is to let the chicken cool down in the pot and in the water they are cooked in to room temp, results in much juicier chicken.
Great suggestion Lee! Please let me know what you think!
this is really good .i usually make it when i make chicken soup .that way i can use the chicken meat that i boil for the soup.i also boil the carrots and potatoes whole then i diced them.i also put canned peas .i totally love the taste of canned peas .and i use homemade mayonnaise..yummy
Great idea Emilia! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Hi Natasha!
I was going to make a regular basic chicken salad, but realized I had all the ingredients to make olivye so I opted to make that instead. Yay! Although I didn’t have fresh dill 🙁 the Trader Joe’s dried dill seasoning worked just as good! I added a can of the Costco canned chicken rather than all the work of the chicken breast and it that worked out PERFECTLY! I also had diced up radishes as a side, and that tasted great. All in all I absolutely love this Russian/Ukrainian/Slavic chicken salad. Thank you!
I used mayo, and small cornichons pickles from Trader Joes’s. What do you use?
💛
You are welcome Tami 😀. I used mayo and dill pickles from Costco.
Hello Natasha! Happy 4th July and Happy Birthday to your husband! I made your Chicken potatoe salad, using your shortcut, and it was so easy and turned out absolutely delicious. Thank you for taking your time and add every little detail to all of your wonderfull recipes. I trust all off your recipes and my goal is to try them all. I also shared your potatos and carrots cooking trick with my mom and she was quet amazed since she was cooking them the old fashion way for past 30 years, but your way is so much better. No more mushy potato salads for us😊Thank you again! Happy cooking!
Thank you so much, I hope you enjoyed the holiday as well! It really is my pleasure to be able to share my recipes and tips! Thanks for following Saniya and sharing your thoughtful comments!
I had never eaten this with chicken before, and I had never made any version of it. I will certainly make it again, though, as we loved it!
Angie, I’m so glad you gave it a try and thank you for the wonderful review 😬
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Looks like the potato salad we ate in Kazakhstan.
Stephanie, let me know how it turns out 😀
I made the Chicken Olivye (Chicken Potato Salad) over the weekend.
I had been looking at this recipe for several days, possible weeks, wondering how my family would like this. I knew I would but, was not sure of the rest of the crew.
Well, I am here to tell you, they loved it!! We all thought it was really good.
Did not deviate at all from the recipe and it made a huge batch. Interesting combination of ingredients that really go well together. My only correction I would use for next time is maybe add just one more chicken breast. That was a nice touch to this salad.
Loved the flavors and how easy it was to make and prepare.
Thank you for your great recipes and very simple and understandable directions. Can’t wait to keep cooking/baking, etc.
You’re welcome Cindy! I’m happy to hear how much you love the recipe! Thanks for the tip 🙂
Hi Natasha. I’m thinking to make this salad tomorrow and I was wandering if it’s ok to use fresh peas… ? The nearby Trader Joe’s has fresh peas but I never used fresh peas in salads. Back in my Country we maked Olivye slitely different… But I like your version… So want to give it a try. Thanks.
Hi Michelle, as long as they are younger peas (not overly ripe/too large/hard and no longer sweet). If they are sweet and tasty, they will taste great in the salad 🙂
I haven’t yet made this salad, but my husbands mom always added diced cucumber and sliced radishes to the potato salad.
I haven’t tried those add-ins. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I love the idea of dicing the potatoes and carrots prior to cooking! So much easier and cleaner, thank you!
You’re very welcome! It is definitely a time saver 🙂
I’ve made olivie salad before but never cooked carrots and potatoes this way. I have to say it is much easier then trying to cut cubes with cooked potatoes which usually sticks or breaks. I loved how much easier it was to make olivie this way and family loved it so this is definitely going to be my to go recipe for my olivie salads from here forward. Thank you Natasha, so much for sharing this trick and all your hard work as it is much appreciated:).
Oksana, you are very welcome. I love how this method simplifies the process and cuts down on the prep.
I love trying new variations of potato salads. Love the idea of adding chicken too.
I hope you love it! 🙂
I’ve never made the Olivie with chicken before. I usually make it without any meat, and my mom also makes it meatless but adds apples. Adding chicken makes this a meal. My husband and I both took it to work for lunch. I had mine with bread, and he had his with crackers. Very satisfying, and you can’t eat too much because it is so filling. This recipe makes a huge bowl, enough for a party, but we have been eating it for a few days now and it tastes as good as the first day i made it.
Love the fresh green peas in it, instead of the traditional canned peas. Adds such a beautiful bright green color, and the peas are less mushy.
Love the shortcut of chopping veggies before cooking! I made it even faster by using baby carrots and chopping them in my chopper whole. (My chopper is not Wisard, but just as good). Great time saver not having to peel/ slice carrots by hand !
Also, i added the chopped onions to the potatoes and carrots for the last minute of cooking. It made them soft and took the raw onion taste out (my family does not like raw onions).
Excellent recipe, 5 stars !
Hi Marina, thank you so much for your awesome and detailed review! I’m so happy you like the recipe. It really is like a meal and I also love that it just lasts and lasts for several days without losing flavor. 🙂
What type of pickles are the baby ones? Are they dill? Or sweet Gherkins? Or something else? I’d like to try making this salad but want to make sure I’ve got the correct ingreds. Thanks!
I used baby dill pickles. I hope you’ll like it 😀.
I finally made this with chicken. It was amazing. I cooked the potatoes and carrots using the usual boiling method, I completely forgot to try it your way. My husband and two little ones ate the whole thing in two days. Will definitely make it again. It’s even better with home made mayo. 5 stars.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! We did it that way (boiling the carrots and potatoes) for years and it works great. We only recently discovered this shortcut. 🙂