Definitely a cut above the usual roasted potatoes! The unique thing about Greek Lemon Potatoes is that they are cooked in a heavily flavoured lemon garlic broth so they suck up all that flavour before roasting to golden perfection. They’re utterly addictive!
Greek Lemon Potatoes
Welcome back to the final instalment of GREEK WEEK!!! We started the week with Greek Chicken marinated in the most incredible yogurt marinade, served up a big pan of homemade Greek Baklava on Wednesday and we’re finishing up the week with the much anticipated Greek Lemon Potatoes!
We’re serving all these with a side of fresh Greek Salad and Tzatziki for dolloping (in the Greek Chicken recipe) – and see here for more Greek recipes.
Plate smashing is optional – but loads of garlic in everything is not!
Let’s be clear about one thing up front:
These are not your usual roasted potatoes
Don’t get me wrong. Throw spuds in the oven drizzled with oil, salt and pepper, and I’ll happily munch my way through them.
Make the effort to follow a few extra steps to make the crunchiest roast potatoes you’ve ever had, and it’s like all my Christmases have come at once. Thick, craggy crusts, perfectly seasoned, fluffy insides.
But these roasted Greek Lemon Potatoes….
These are unlike any other roasted potato I’ve ever had because they’re flavoured all the way through. Flavoured with all THIS ↓↓↓
How I cut potatoes for this recipe
We want chunky pieces for this recipe so they hold up to the relatively long cooking time. I cut medium potatoes into 3 pieces, as pictured below, and large potatoes into quarters or thick wedges.
HALF BRAISED, HALF ROASTED
The idea behind Greek Lemon Potatoes is that they are braised in a lemon-garlic flavoured broth so they suck up all that flavour, then you continue roasting them until the liquid evaporates, leaving behind just the oil to roast the potatoes until golden.
The concept sounds easy enough, but actually, it’s quite tricky to do in one pan. I swear, it’s scientifically impossible to roast potatoes until golden without the garlic burning. It’s one or the other – golden garlic or golden potatoes (unless, like I do with my Herb Roasted Potatoes, you add the garlic midway through cooking).
Also, I kept ending up with burnt ridges on the potato from the lemon juice and broth that caramelises on the base of the pan, and a disappointing lack of golden crusts promised by recipes I used.
After two, three, five, seven attempts, I threw every recipe I read out the window (virtually) and settled on an easier, less risky way of making Greek Lemon Potatoes so they come out as golden as possible: Braise in one pan to suck up flavour, transfer to a tray to bake until golden, drizzled with the flavoured oil from Pan 1.
How to make Greek Lemon Potatoes (my safer way)
You can skip the transference step if you want. But just be mindful that you’ll need to keep a super close eye on the potatoes and they won’t be as golden as you see in these photos, you’ll likely end up with thin dark burnt ridges and the garlic with burn (gee, I’m really making this sound appetising! 😂)
In the interest of total transparency …
Because I hate recipes that lie, I want to be 100% clear about expectations: these are not the crispiest roast potatoes in the world. I truly think it’s scientifically impossible to get seriously crispy roast potatoes once they’ve been submerged in all that lemon and broth (believe me, I tried my heart out!).
So if seriously crunchy potatoes is what you are after – and I’m talking seriously thick crunchy crust and they stay crisp for ages – use this recipe: Duck Fat Potatoes or Truly Crunchy Roast Potatoes.
But these Greek Lemon Potatoes do have nice crispy edges and some crispy surfaces (see video and photos) and in any case, you won’t miss major crunch factor because these have so much more flavour than any other roasted potato.
It was actually scary how much of these I was able to consume in one sitting. I just couldn’t stop – they are so darn good!! – Nagi x
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Greek Lemon Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg / 2.5lb potatoes (Aus: Desiree, US: Yukon Gold, UK: Maris Piper) (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 5 garlic cloves , finely grated using microplane (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt (Note 4)
Garnish (optional)
- Lemon wedges, fresh oregano leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180°Cfan).
- Cut potatoes: Peel potatoes and cut large ones into thick wedges – about 3cm / 1.2" thick – and medium ones into 3 (see photo in post).
- Coat potatoes: Place potatoes in a roasting pan with all the other ingredients. Toss well.
- Roast 45 minutes: Roast for 20 minutes. Turn potatoes, roast for a further 25 to 30 minutes until the liquid is mostly absorbed by potatoes/evaporated and you're left with mainly oil in the pan.
- To crisp the potatoes (optional): Transfer potatoes to a separate tray. (Note 3) Tilt the original roasting pan and scoop off as much of the oil as you can (some juices is ok), then drizzle over the potatoes.
- Roast 35 minutes: Transfer potatoes to oven and roast for 35 – 40 minutes, turning once or twice, until potatoes are golden and a bit crispy on the edges.
- Heat pan juices: Return pan #1 with the garlic juices to the oven for the last 5 – 10 minutes or so to reduce down and make the garlic golden. (Optional, Note 4)
- Plate up: Transfer potatoes to serving platter. Drizzle over the reduced garlic pan juices (or toss potatoes in the pan). Serve, garnished with lemon wedges and oregano if desired.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
When Dozer stole a dog treat at the pet shop while I was trying to take cute photos of him eyeing off the treats…..
Michelle says
MMMMM!! 😋A tasty alternative to regular roast potatoes. Thumbs up and empty plates from all of members in my family.
Thank you Nagi… again, a winner recipe from your website!
Rhi says
We love this! Even my 1 yo destroyed this thing! That’s the only one he would pick from his table!
Sandra Alfonso says
BEST POTATOES EVER
Nagi says
Thanks so much Sandra! N x
Sandra Alfonso says
OMG!!! BEST potatoes ever. I have always struggled baking potatoes as I did not want to use a lot of oil. Down side not crispy. But these are amazing. Thank you!! New staple in my repertoire. Every recipe I have made from you tastes amazing. I am so happy I found you!
Nagi says
I bet the flavour was amazing though Sandra! N x
Laura says
Hey Nagi, just put these potatoes in the oven and soooo excited how these will turn out. I really love your recipes, keep making some over and over again, but also keen to try new ones, as they’ always turn out delicious 🙂
Nagi says
You’ll love them Laura! N x
Desiree Gibson says
I made these tonight Nagi, with the Greek chicken and some steamed greens. Oh. My. God! These are the best potatoes ever! So flavoursome. I was sorry that I didn’t do more. Thank you x
Naomi says
Seriously Nagi, how do you do it?? Every recipe of yours that I try is A* D-E-LICIOUS!! I love this summery take on roast potatoes. YUM!!
Nagi says
Thanks so so SO much Naomi!! N x
Tory says
Amazing…. I did these tonight with the slow cooked lamb from this site and they were a huge hit ( as was the lamb). Will do again.
Nagi says
Perfect Tory! N x
Alina says
This was my first time making these potatoes. So glad I went with your receipt because they were a huge hit at home! Thank you
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Alina! N x
Sue says
Fab! Amazing flavour. Will be making again & again!
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Sue! Thanks so much! N x
Lois Demers says
Oh yeah! This is the second time I’ve made these. We truly love a couple of Greek restaurants in the Niagara Peninsula, but being in lockdown, we are doing our own thing. Made these along with pork souvlaki, Nagi’s Greek rice recipe (because you have to have the potatoes AND the rice), tzatziki, and a greek salad. Didn’t do the transference thing, most times I’ve had Greek potatoes they weren’t super crispy, but the flavor is WOW. And who’s a smart girl? Made enough for lunch leftovers! Mmmm second day Greek food…Thanks Nagi, and your Greek rice is also my go to. I’ve eaten enough garlic over the last 2 days to stave off a vampire invasion! Good thing we’re isolating!
Nagi says
Definitely agree on potatoes AND rice!! I’m so glad you loved them Lois! N x
Stanley Weinberg says
I’m making this now and I think it’ll come out good based on the way it smells at a half hour of cooking time. However the recipe notes confuse me. They Don’t Really correspond with the instructions. Love your dog.
Nagi says
Hi Stanley, which instructions are you unsure of ❤️
Stanley Weinberg says
Note numbers under the recipe don’t match up with the notes in the recipe instructions
Stanley Weinberg says
I was confused by the note numbers in the recipe instruction not matching up with the note numbers in the notes section underneath. Potatoes were good though. Thanks.
Christie says
These potatoes were so good, exactly like the potatoes at my favorite greek restaurant. I did do the browning technique and it took them over the top! Thank you for sharing!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you loved them Christie – they are definitely addictive! N x
Norm says
I made this and it is excellent. Thank you!
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Norm! N x
Tony Britton says
I eat these every time I go to Crete or any of the Greek Islands. They are truly the best roast potatoes you can get. I’m about to try your recipe, hope it’s as good as the recipe that I was given by an old Cretan lady. She didn’t use any stock, but used olive oil and half a slab of butter, she also insisted on using only Cyprus potatoes.
Nagi says
I hope so too Tony – please let me know how it stacks up!! N x
Michele says
Oh My Gosh were these potatoes good!! I didn’t do the crisping technique at the end, I just left them in until most of the broth was absorbed. I couldn’t stop eating them. My son and I were fighting over them! Lol SOOO GOOD. Thank you for this recipe! Will be making again.
Nagi says
They are so addictive Michele!!!! N x
jacqueline Hadj Hamou says
These were amazing Nagi!! My family were literally fighting to scrape out the roasting dish
Nagi says
Yes – luckily when testing these I didn’t have to fight anyone (just restrain myself 😂)
Angelina Khong says
This was really good, will definitely make it again.
Nagi says
Awesome Angelina 🙂 N x
Jody Rowley says
Simply the best, my family loved these. A huge hit, once again recipe tin!!
Nagi says
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Jody! N x
Brian Smith says
Hi Nagi!
My family & I are in lockdown in Colombia and I tried your Greek Lemon Potatoe recipe (with lime as not much lemon here).
The dish was a huge hit! My wife loved the fact that I cooked plus for me it was a lot of fun, especially with a couple glasses of wine.
To crisp up the taters I broiled them for 5 min or so.
To die for!!
I’m up to receive more recipes of yours please.
Abrazos de Colombia!
Brian.