Greek Lemon Potatoes Recipe (Roasted Patates Lemonates)

These Greek lemon potatoes are the ultimate teaser for your taste buds and an easy, perfect side dish to roast alongside your favourite main course! These potatoes are golden, soft, tender, and infused with all those lemon and garlicky flavours.

If you’re looking to try another potato side dish, give my patates antinahtes a go! This traditional Cypriot recipe takes baby potatoes and shakes them in red wine and coriander, creating a rich, aromatic flavour that’s completely different but just as delicious.

Or, if you’re looking for mains and love these flavours, check out my Greek lemon lamb or Greek chicken dishes.

Jump to:

• Why you will love this recipe
• Overview of the key steps
• Ingredients
• Preparation
• Step-by-step cooking instructions
• Top Tips
• Serving Suggestions
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Why you will love this recipe

• Melt-in-your-mouth potatoes: These potatoes are roasted to perfection, becoming beautifully soft and tender as they soak up the rich marinade.
• Zesty and garlicky goodness: The perfect blend of fresh lemon juice, garlic, onion, oregano, and a touch of mustard creates a flavour explosion that’s bold yet perfectly balanced.
• Perfect for any occasion: Roast these alongside your favourite meats for a simple, no-fuss side dish that can be thrown into the oven with just about anything else.
• Simple, everyday ingredients: You likely already have most of what you need in your kitchen, and you can even prep the potatoes the night before to save time!

Overview of the key steps

Here’s a quick look at how to make these Greek lemon potatoes in the oven, otherwise known as patates lemonates:

1. Prepare the potatoes: Start by peeling and chopping them into wedges, getting them ready to soak up all the flavours.
2. Make the marinade: Next, blend all the ingredients into a smooth, flavourful mix that will coat the potatoes perfectly.
3. Roast in stages: Bake the potatoes covered first, then uncovered for a golden finish.
4. Serve and enjoy: Toss the potatoes in the pan juices and bring them to the table!

Ingredients

Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make these Greek potatoes so special! The exact amounts are listed in the recipe card below.

• Potatoes: Starchy potatoes, like Sebago, Kestrel (like mine), Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, are great choices. They soak up the marinade beautifully and cook to that perfect, soft texture. Go for large/ medium potatoes to make nice 1-inch wedges.
• Lemon Juice: Lots of lemon juice, is key for that bright, tangy flavour and the delicious, lemony broth. Feel free to add some lemon zest if you'd like, but it's not something I add.
• Olive Oil: A good-quality extra virgin olive oil not only brings richness but also enhances the flavours, making it an essential ingredient in Mediterranean cooking.
• Garlic and Onion: Loads of garlic and a generous amount of onion add incredible flavour. By using fresh ingredients instead of powders, you get small bits in the sauce that add texture and depth to the dish.
• Oregano: Dried oregano is essential for authentic Greek recipes, adding a distinct, herby flavour, and these lemony potatoes love it.
• Mustard: A tablespoon of Dijon or American mustard helps add to the tangy flavour profile and is also loved in a lot of Greek dishes.
• Salt and Pepper: Essential for enhancing all the flavours, as potatoes need plenty of seasoning. Black pepper adds just the right touch of warmth and spice.
• Chicken Stock: The stock not only helps the potatoes cook evenly but also infuses them with rich, savoury flavours. Swap for vegetable stock or even water if you prefer a lighter option. If you have a homemade chicken stock, now is definitely the time to use it!

Preparation

Here's how to get set up and make sure you have everything ready to go for these roasted potatoes:

1. Prepare the potatoes: Peel and chop your potatoes into nice-sized wedges. If you’re preparing the potatoes the night before, simply place them in a bowl, cover with cold water, and refrigerate. This is the best way to prevent browning and keep them fresh.
2. Clean and chop: Clean the onion and garlic cloves, then chop the onion into chunks so it fits easily into the blender.
3. Gather the rest of your ingredients: Measure out the chicken broth/ stock, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice. Have your oregano, mustard, salt, and pepper ready to go.
4. Check your roasting pan: Ensure you have the right size pan for an even cook. Mine is 34 cm x 23 cm, which fits the potatoes perfectly in a single, even layer across the bottom.
5. Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 180°C fan-forced, so it’s ready when you are.
6. Final tools: Grab your blender, some aluminium foil, and you’re all set to get cooking!

Step-by-step cooking instructions

Follow these simple steps along with the images to make each step of the cooking process as easy as possible!

Preparing the potatoes

1. Prepare the baking dish: Start by arranging the potato wedges in your roasting pan, ensuring they are in a single layer at the bottom of the dish.
2. Make the marinade: Next, combing the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic cloves, onion chunks, oregano, mustard, salt, and pepper to your blender. Blend until smooth to create a rich and flavourful marinade.

3. Coat the potatoes: Pour the marinade over the potatoes, making sure to get an even coating. Massage the marinade in with your hands to ensure every wedge is well covered.
4. Add the stock: Gently pour the chicken stock (or water) into the pan. The liquid will help the potatoes cook evenly and infuse them with flavour.

• Note: The liquid will wash off most of the marinade, but don’t worry. This is part of the process, as we are creating a flavourful broth. As the liquid reduces and evaporates, the marinade will reapply to the potatoes, infusing them with rich flavour.

Roasting the potatoes

1. Bake covered: Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminium foil, ensuring there are no gaps for steam to escape. Bake in your preheated oven at 180°C fan-forced for 60 minutes.
2. Roast uncovered: Remove the foil and roast for another 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden, tender, and most of the liquid has evaporated.
3. Toss and rest: Gently toss the potatoes in the dish to coat them with the leftover juices, then allow them to rest for 10 minutes.
4. Serve and garnish: Transfer the lemony roast potatoes to a serving dish and drizzle the pan juices over the top for extra flavour.

• Note: For extra slightly extra browning, increase the oven to 200°C fan-forced after roasting uncovered, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Top Tips

• Use the right potatoes: Starchy varieties like the ones listed above in the ingredients work best. They absorb the marinade beautifully and result in the soft, tender texture this dish is known for. If you only have waxy potatoes, they may not soak up as much of the marinade.
• Get a good size: I don’t recommend using baby potatoes for this recipe. Stick to medium to large potatoes, which are perfect for cutting into thick wedges.
• Don’t skip the foil: Covering the dish tightly with foil during the first bake stage traps steam, ensuring the potatoes become fork tender, absorb the marinade, and cook through before going golden brown.
• Single layer is key: Arrange the potatoes in a single, even layer in your roasting pan. This helps them cook evenly as they are coated in the liquids, and then, as the liquid reduces, continue to cook evenly while absorbing all the flavours.
• Watch the liquid: The marinade may seem to wash off initially, but as the liquid reduces, the flavours will concentrate and coat the potatoes again. The final result will be just like what you’d expect from Greek restaurants.
• Stick to this method: Many recipes call for a shorter cooking time, but to keep this dish fuss-free and allow it to cook alongside any other big roast you have going, stick to this method. Without really increasing the cooking temperature, you’re always going to need at least 1.5 hours if you want the potatoes truly soft!

Serving Suggestions

What I love about these little golden potatoes is that they’re incredibly versatile and pair beautifully with a variety of dishes. Here are some ideas inspired by how I cook them at home:

• Cook alongside other sides: These potatoes are perfect for multitasking in the oven. Cook Greek pilafi, Greek lemon rice or peppers stuffed with feta cheese as a meze (appetizer) to round out your meal. Both can bake on the same rack while your roast cooks away.
• Classic Greek mains: I love popping these in the oven with biftekia, papoutsakia, or even gemista. Because of their simplicity and ease of cooking alongside other favourite Greek dishes, this is our family’s go-to side dish recipe.
• Greek salads: Add some colour to the table by quickly whipping up a fresh salad! Try this maroulosalata, Greek tomato salad, or a classic Greek salad. All can be prepared in just a few minutes!
• Add a dip: Need to elevate the spread further for a big feast? Try one of my classic dips, such as tzatziki, melitzanosalata, tirokafteri, or even alongside skordalia for a bold twist.
• Garnish to impress: Put a few fresh herbs on top, like oregano leaves or fresh parsley, a little crumble of feta cheese, and serve with a wedge of lemon for extra zest!

FAQ

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