Looking for a colorful, creamy Red Potato Salad loaded with flavor? You’ll love this red skin potato salad with green olives. This easy recipe showcases red bliss potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, flavorful chopped veggies, and pimento-stuffed olives tossed in a tangy mayo-based dressing. Perfect for picnics, potlucks, barbecues, and every social gathering!
Southern-style potato salad varies slightly from one Southern home chef to the next, but I think we all agree that if the recipe doesn’t include hard-boiled eggs, celery, onion, relish (or something similar), mayo (preferably Duke’s!), and yellow mustard, then it ain’t Southern.
So it should go without saying that my mother-in-law’s red potato salad recipe is one of the many spins on Southern potato salad, and it’s hands-down the BEST potato salad I’ve ever had (and as a Southern gal myself, I’ve tried A LOT of potato salad over the years).
So what makes my MIL’s Southern red potato salad so unique? Instead of traditional sweet pickle relish, she adds a surprisingly simple substitution that adds incredible flavor: chopped pimento-stuffed green olives!
So in this post, I’m sharing everything I know about Roseanne’s famous red skin potato salad with green olives, so you can indulge in this classic Southern side dish no matter where you are on the map!
Why you'll love this recipe
- A crowd-pleasing dish for any occasion. This green olive potato salad is perfect for Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and summer parties.
- Even better when made ahead. This potato salad is ALWAYS better on the second day, making prep work the day of the party much more manageable.
- Yields a crowd-size portion. It makes 16 servings, but you can always half the recipe for a smaller group of people.
- The delicious flavors and texture. It’s hard not to love the palatability of classic creamy potato salad with a pimento-stuffed green olive twist.
Ingredients you'll need
- Red skin potatoes – These are best for potato salad because they have a firmer texture and hold their shape better than the rest. When picking red potatoes, select small to medium-sized potatoes that are firm, smooth, and free of blemishes or soft spots.
- Hard-cooked eggs – You can buy pre-hard-boiled eggs, of course, but they’re very easy to make. Simply place the eggs in a saucepan, cover them with water, bring it to a boil, and then simmer for 9-12 minutes before cooling them in ice water. Alternatively, cook the eggs in a 250°F preheated air fryer for 17-18 minutes before plunging them into an ice bath.
- Celery – It adds a crisp, refreshing bite while adding nutrients and fiber.
- Green pepper – It provides a crunchy texture, a fresh and slightly sweet taste, and a pop of color.
- Sweet onion – It gives the potato salad a mild, sweet, and slightly tangy taste, plus a crunchy texture. Feel free to use other mild, sweet onions like Vidalia, Walla Walla, or shallots. You can also use red onions or scallions; just know they have a more pungent oniony taste.
- Pimento-stuffed olives – This starring ingredient adds a salty, briny, and slightly tangy element. If you cannot find pimento-stuffed green olives, you can use plain green olives and add chopped pimentos or roasted red peppers for a similar flavor.
- Creamy potato salad dressing – You’ll need mayo, yellow mustard, salt, and pepper. I highly recommend splurging on name-brand ingredients here. Go for Hellman's Real Mayonnaise or Duke's and French’s yellow mustard.
- Paprika and fresh dill (for garnish) – Sprinkling some paprika over the top adds a sweet-smoky flavor and a pop of vibrant reddish-orange color, while sprigs of fresh dill add fresh, herbaceous flavor and enhance the presentation.
How to make Southern red potato salad
Step 1: Boil whole potatoes. Add whole red-skinned potatoes to a large stockpot with a generous spoonful of salt and cover with water. Once the water reaches a full boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Drain, cool, and chop potatoes. Drain the stockpot and rinse the potatoes well with cold water. Then, drain once more and set the potatoes aside. Once cooled, peel (optional!) and cube the potatoes, then place them in a large bowl.
Step 3: Combine potatoes, veggies, and eggs. Add the chopped vegetables, chopped olives, and diced hard-cooked eggs to the bowl and stir until combined.
Step 4: Toss with the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth, then add the dressing to the potato salad and stir until everything is coated.
Step 5: Add garnishes. Garnish the creamy potato salad with a sprinkling of paprika and sprigs of fresh dill.
Step 6: Chill overnight before serving. Cover the bowl, and place it in the fridge to chill overnight. Then, grab it out of the fridge just in time for party time, and enjoy!
Recipe tips
- Be sure to use whole potatoes and start them in a pot of cold, salted water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat before reducing the heat to a gentle simmer. This helps the potatoes cook evenly and prevents them from turning mushy and falling apart when mixed with the other ingredients.
- Drain the potatoes as soon as they’re fork-tender but still firm to the touch, and let them cool before mixing them with the dressing. Otherwise, the hot potatoes can cause the dressing to separate and become runny.
- Set the potato salad in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving, but for the flavors to truly meld together, plan ahead so you have enough time to chill the potato salad overnight.
Variations
The beauty of this red skin potato salad is that you can modify the ingredients to suit your tastes. Here are some of the many ways you can change this recipe:
- Stuffed-olives. Instead of using pimento-stuffed olives, try other types like garlic or jalapeño stuffed olives. Black olives also work.
- Relish. If you are hesitant about the whole olives in potato salad thing, you can always substitute them for sweet or dill pickle relish.
- Bacon. Because adding bacon to potato salad is ALWAYS a good idea.
- Greek yogurt. To make a lighter version, try using Greek yogurt instead of mayo, or a blend of the two.
Serving suggestions
Make this Southern red potato salad a meal with a full spread of classic backyard BBQ sides, like:
- Deviled Eggs
- BBQ Ribs
- Smoked Beef Brisket
- Pulled Pork
- Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Baked Beans
- Old-Fashioned Coleslaw
- Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad
- Old-Fashioned Cornbread
Storing
This creamy red potato salad stores well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Do not freeze, as boiled potatoes, mayo, and eggs do not freeze well.
FAQs
It’s best to serve mayonnaise-based potato salad within one hour of removing it from the fridge and keeping it on ice to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Under no circumstances should mayo-based potato salad be left out for more than 2 hours.
This is a matter of personal preference. You may want to cut them into small pieces if the potatoes aren’t relatively the same size so they cook evenly, but otherwise, it really doesn’t make that much of a difference.
More Southern-style recipes you'll love
- Southern Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Southern Style Jalapeno Pimento Cheese
- Southern Style Collard Greens
- Ham Delights
If you love this Southern potato salad recipe, I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!
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The Best Red Skin Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 12 medium red skin potatoes
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 8 hard-cooked eggs chopped
- 3 large stalks celery diced
- 1 large green pepper diced
- ⅓ large sweet onion chopped fine
- 1 5.75 oz jar pimento-stuffed olives drained and chopped
- Dressing:
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon French's yellow mustard
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Garnish:
- 2 sprigs Fresh dill for garnish
- ½ teaspoon Paprika for garnish
Instructions
- Add whole red-skinned potatoes to a large stockpot with a generous spoonful of salt and cover with water. Once the water reaches a full boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Drain the stockpot and rinse the potatoes well with cold water. Then, drain once more and set the potatoes aside. Once cooled, peel (optional!) and cube the potatoes, then place them in a large bowl.
- Add the chopped vegetables, chopped olives, and diced hard-cooked eggs to the bowl and stir until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth, then add the dressing to the potato salad and stir until everything is coated.
- Garnish the creamy potato salad with a sprinkling of paprika and sprigs of fresh dill.
- Cover the bowl, and place it in the fridge to chill overnight. Then, grab it out of the fridge just in time for party time, and enjoy!
Notes
- Be sure to use whole potatoes and start them in a pot of cold, salted water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat before reducing the heat to a gentle simmer. This helps the potatoes cook evenly and prevents them from turning mushy and falling apart when mixed with the other ingredients.
- Drain the potatoes as soon as they’re fork-tender but still firm to the touch, and let them cool before mixing them with the dressing. Otherwise, the hot potatoes can cause the dressing to separate and become runny.
- Set the potato salad in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving, but for the flavors to truly meld together, plan ahead so you have enough time to chill the potato salad overnight.
*This post was originally published on April 24, 2011, and has been updated throughout. The delicious recipe remains the same.
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BRIGITT
OMG, that looks good!
Kai Cross
So I know that this post is 9 years old but I just had to share that my grandmother made her potato salad this way but in addition to the green olives she would also add a huge spoonful of pickle relish. It was delicious!
Amee Livingston
I’m going to have to add pickle relish to mine next time! Sounds delicious Kai!!
Lisa Hayes
By far the best ever potato salad!!
Maggie Phillips
Simply delicious!