Greek Lemon Potatoes

These Greek lemon potatoes are crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and bursting with bright lemon and herb flavor. Inspired by the classic Greek side dish patates lemonates, this recipe uses just a handful of pantry staples and one hour in the oven.

I would be surprised if it didn't make it in to your weekly rotation. While photographing the potatoes, I had to stop myself from nearly eating the whole pan. The fresh lemony herbaceous aroma entices you before you even take a bite. It's the perfect side for almost any entree, and it's really great to have on hand. In the morning, you could add eggs for a quick breakfast. For lunch, have them over greens like a Nicoise Salad, and for dinner you could bake it with chicken all on one sheet pan for easy cleanup.

Any potatoes will do, but yukon gold have a creamy texture that is perfect for this dish. When cooking for the blog, I used a mix of yukon gold, baby red, and Vitolotte purple potatoes that were on sale. Aren't the colors spectacular?

Lastly, a drizzle of Lemon Olive Oil adds an extra layer of brightness and makes the herb flavors pop. This is the one step that takes the potatoes from great to completely irresistible.

Greek Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

• 8-10 yukon gold potatoes, chopped into chunks
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. dried oregano
• few sprigs fresh thyme
• 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 tbps chicken stock (replace with vegetable stock for vegan/vegetarian option )
• 1 tbsp Lemon Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a baking sheet into the oven and bring it to temperature while the oven preheats (you want it hot).
2. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, and garlic cloves. Toss potatoes in and stir to coat evenly.
3. Pour the coated potatoes onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, tossing every 20 minutes to get an even brown on all sides. Halfway through cooking, pour stock evenly over potatoes.
4. Garnish with a light coating of Lemon Olive Oil and fresh herbs for a beautiful presentation.

Best Potatoes for Greek Lemon Potatoes

You can use almost any potato for this recipe, but some work better than others:

• Yukon Gold (recommended): Creamy interior with a naturally buttery flavor. They hold their shape well and develop a beautiful golden crust. This is what we use most often.
• Red potatoes: Waxy texture that holds up to tossing without falling apart. Slightly firmer than Yukon Gold.
• Russet potatoes: Will give you the crispiest edges but can crumble a bit with all the tossing. Cut into larger chunks if using russets.
• Baby potatoes: Cut in half — they cook a bit faster, so check at 45 minutes.
• Mix of varieties: Amy used a mix of Yukon Gold, baby red, and Vitolotte purple potatoes in the photos — the colors are gorgeous and they all roast beautifully together.

Tips and Variations

• On olive oil and heat: Always keep your oven below 410°F when cooking with extra virgin olive oil. At this temperature, EVOO is perfectly stable and retains its nutrients. For more on the science, read our article on [frying with olive oil](link to frying article).
• Shortcut version: toss the potatoes in our lemon garlic marinade before roasting — it's the whole dressing in one bottle.
• For a vegan version: Swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock — everything else stays the same.
• Herb swaps: Try dried rosemary or dill in place of thyme for a slightly different flavor profile.
• Extra lemon: Squeeze half a fresh lemon over the potatoes right before serving for an even brighter finish.
• Crispy garlic: The smashed garlic cloves roast alongside the potatoes and become golden and sweet — don't discard them, eat them right alongside the potatoes.
• No fresh garlic on hand? Our garlic-infused olive oil works as a 1:1 swap.

What to Serve with Greek Lemon Potatoes

These go with nearly everything, but here are some of our favorite pairings:

• Lemon olive chicken (lemon herb roasted, one sheet pan)
• Grilled lamb chops
• Baked fish with olive oil
• Greek salad
• As a brunch with fried eggs on top