Greek Lemon Potatoes Recipe: Crispy, Golden Roast Potatoes

Greek lemon potatoes (patates lemonates) are what happens when roast potatoes are cooked in lemon juice, garlic, oregano and a generous amount of olive oil instead of goose fat. They come out soft and creamy inside, with crisp, golden edges and a sticky, lemony sauce at the bottom of the tray. They take 15 minutes of work, one baking tray and no parboiling, and they go with almost anything, from a Sunday roast chicken to grilled fish.

Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes | Serves: 6 as a side | Oven: 200°C (180°C fan / 400°F)

What Are Greek Lemon Potatoes?

Greek lemon potatoes are a classic of the Greek home kitchen. Unlike British roast potatoes, they are not parboiled or roasted in hot fat. The raw potato wedges go straight into a tray with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and oregano, then hot stock or water is poured in. The potatoes roast and simmer at the same time, so they soak up the lemony liquid, then it reduces and they brown. Many people also call them Greek roast potatoes, and they are the traditional partner to a Greek roast chicken.

Greek Lemon Potatoes Ingredients

• 1.2 kg (2½ lb) potatoes, such as Maris Piper, Désirée or Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into wedges
• 100 ml (⅓ cup + 1 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 2 large lemons (about 120 ml), plus the zest of 1
• 4 garlic cloves, left whole and lightly crushed
• 2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, and black pepper
• 250 ml (1 cup) hot vegetable or chicken stock, or hot water
• 1 extra lemon, cut into wedges, to roast alongside

How to Make Greek Lemon Potatoes

1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan / 400°F).
2. Cut the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into thick wedges of about the same size, so they cook evenly. Do not rinse them after cutting; the surface starch helps them brown.
3. Season in the tray. Put the wedges in a large, deep roasting tray in a single layer. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, and toss well with your hands.
4. Add the hot stock. Pour the hot stock around the potatoes, not over them. The liquid should come about halfway up the wedges. Tuck in the extra lemon wedges.
5. Roast for 30 minutes. Roast on the middle shelf for 30 minutes, then turn the potatoes over carefully.
6. Roast until golden. Roast for another 35 to 45 minutes, turning once more halfway, until the liquid has reduced to a thick, glossy sauce and the potatoes are golden and tender when pierced with a knife.
7. Finish. Grate over the lemon zest, add a fresh drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of oregano, and serve hot straight from the tray.

Which Olive Oil for Greek Lemon Potatoes?

This is a dish where you use a lot of oil, and you taste it, so use a good extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin is the oil Greek cooks roast with every day, and 200°C is well within its range (our guide to the olive oil smoke point explains why). Use two oils if you like: a mild one for the roasting and a more characterful one for the finish. (Our guide on how to spot a truly great extra virgin olive oil explains what to look for.)

• Memilon Lesvos is our choice for the tray. It is pressed from the rare Kolovi olive from Plomari on Lesvos and is delicate and balanced, so the lemon, garlic and potato stay in front. It is also the best value of our oils for cooking, where you use a lot.
• Memilon BIO Crete, our organic extra virgin olive oil, is a finishing oil first. A spoonful over the hot potatoes just before serving gives them a fresh, grassy edge.

Tips for the Crispiest Greek Lemon Potatoes

• Choose the right potato. A floury or all-rounder potato, such as Maris Piper, soaks up the sauce and crisps at the edges. Waxy potatoes stay firmer and brown less.
• Use a tray that fits. Wedges should sit in a single layer with little room to spare. If the tray is too big, the liquid evaporates before the potatoes are tender.
• Pour the stock around, not over. The tops of the potatoes need to stay exposed to brown.
• Do not skip the turning. Turning twice helps every side take on colour and soak up the sauce.
• Add the zest at the end. Lemon zest roasted for an hour turns bitter, but fresh zest at the end smells wonderful.

Greek Lemon Chicken and Potatoes

To turn this into the classic one-tray dinner, tuck 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs in among the potatoes before roasting, skin side up, and rub them with a little of the oil, lemon juice, oregano and salt. Roast as above, until the chicken skin is golden and the thickest part reaches 75°C (165°F) on a probe thermometer. The chicken juices run into the potatoes and make them even better.

Storing and Reheating

Keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered container. Reheat in a hot oven (200°C / 180°C fan) for about 15 minutes so the edges crisp up again. A microwave works but makes them soft.

Greek Lemon Potatoes FAQ

Do you need to parboil Greek lemon potatoes?

No. They go into the oven raw and cook in the oil, lemon juice and stock. There is no boiling and no draining, which is part of the appeal.

Why are my Greek lemon potatoes soggy?

Usually there is too much liquid, or the tray is too big, so they steam instead of roast. Pour in just enough stock to come halfway up the potatoes and use a tray where they fit snugly in one layer. Let them finish uncovered.

Can I roast potatoes in extra virgin olive oil?

Yes. In Greece it is the everyday roasting fat. At 200°C extra virgin olive oil works well and gives the potatoes a rounder flavour than neutral oil.

Can I make Greek lemon potatoes ahead?

You can cut the potatoes and keep them in cold water for a few hours, but drain and dry them well before they go into the tray. They are best fresh from the oven, though leftovers reheat nicely.

What do you serve with Greek lemon potatoes?

Roast chicken, lamb, grilled fish or a plain omelette, with an authentic Greek salad on the side and a bowl of cool, garlicky tzatziki to spoon over. For a lighter starter, try Cretan dakos, and finish with lemon olive oil cake.

Cook With Great Olive Oil

Greek lemon potatoes are mostly oil, lemon and potato, so the oil matters. You can find our rare Kolovi olive oil from Lesvos and our organic Greek extra virgin olive oil from Crete in our shop, both with free shipping on every order, or browse all of our Greek extra virgin olive oils.