These Greek potatoes are crispy-meets-tender, easy to throw together on a weeknight, and pack all the lemony, garlicky flavors of Greece with my little twist: melty Parmesan cheese!
This easy recipe is my take on Patates Lemonates, the golden potatoes you find at just about every Greek restaurant. They’re crisp on the outside, fluffy inside and burst with garlicky, lemony flavor.
My version of Greek potatoes starts with the classic heavy hitters: garlic, oregano, lemon, and stock (you can use vegetable broth for a vegetarian option). The potatoes bathe in this fragrant broth before roasting. Then, just when they’re tender and the edges are turning golden, I sprinkle on Parmesan so it melts, bubbles, and creates a caramelized crust. They may not be traditional, but they are irresistible!
Bold and yet so versatile, they’re the perfect side to so many Greek feasts, from a simple Greek salad to grilled Chicken Souvlaki. Plus, they are so easy to make. They only take about 10 minutes of hands-on time, then pop them in the oven while you get the main course ready.
Table of Contents
Greek Potatoes Ingredients and Substitutions
My secret ingredient to these roasted Greek potatoes is a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese added midway through baking. This isn’t necessarily traditional, but it adds both flavor and texture.
- Spices: Dried Greek oregano, dried rosemary, and sweet paprika bring decidedly Greek-style flavor to the party. Kosher salt and black pepper perk up the flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The olive oil flavors the broth and the potatoes soak up all that flavor as they roast, so a high quality oil is essential. I recommend our rich and peppery Private Reserve Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil with this recipe.
- Parmesan cheese: I love how the Parmesan gets melty, bubbly, golden brown, and delicious, but it’s not traditional. Feel free to leave this off for a dairy free option. Or take a page from our Greek fries and swap with crumbled fresh feta after roasting.
- Baking potatoes: Russet, Idaho, or Yukon gold work best.
- Garlic: And lots of it! Garlic and salt are a potato’s best friend.
- Lemon: A fresh squeeze of lemon juice gives these roasted potatoes just the right amount of zing.
- Vegetable or chicken broth: I like to use low sodium so I can control the seasoning, but potatoes can handle a lot of salt, so standard broth would also work.
- PRO TIP: Did you know that chicken stock and chicken broth are (almost always) interchangeable, and that you can make your own vegetable broth with leftover food scraps?
- Parsley leaves: Adds herby freshness to this dish, but they’re not crucial. If you have all the ingredients except parsley, you don’t need to make a special trip.
How To Make Greek Lemon Potatoes
Cheesy, crispy, lemony Greek Potatoes is a side dish recipe all home cooks should keep up their sleeve. It’s inexpensive, easy, goes with everything, and is sure to be a big hit at your table. Here are all the tricks for how to roast potatoes in the oven so they’re tender on the inside and crispy on the outside:
- Get ready: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a large, 9”X13-inch baking dish in a thin layer of olive oil.
- Make the spice mix: In a small bowl, mix together 1 teaspoon each salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, oregano, and dried rosemary.
- Cut the potatoes into wedges: Peel and scrub 4 potatoes. Put one on your cutting board and slice it in half lengthwise. With the cut side facing down, slice each half lengthwise once more, then slice each piece in half lengthwise one more time to make 8 wedges. Repeat with the remaining 3 potatoes, slicing each one into 8 wedges.
- Season the potatoes: Place the potato wedges in the oiled baking dish and sprinkle with the spice mix. Toss to evenly to distribute the spices.
- Season the broth: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 8 chopped garlic cloves, 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and 1 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken broth. Pour over the potatoes.
- Bake the potatoes: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Give the potatoes a cheesy crust: Remove the potatoes from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle on 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, and roast until the potatoes are cooked through and have turned a nice golden brown with a little crust forming, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and serve. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Greek Potatoes
With all the classic Greek flavors of lemon, herbs, and garlic, these Greek-style potatoes make for the perfect side dish to so many recipes. Serve:
- As a mezze: Serve with a punchy dip, like 5-minute Creamy Whipped Feta or Spinach Greek Yogurt Dip.
- Alongside meat: I love a good Mediterranean meat and potatoes situation! Serve with anything from Greek meatballs to grilled chicken thighs–you really can’t go wrong!
- With fish: I particularly love them Greek tavern-style with a pan of garlicky seared shrimp or salmon burgers
- For a hearty vegetarian dinner: Opt for vegetable stock and serve with a hearty salad, like Lentil Salad with Roasted Eggplant.
Ingredients
For the Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Potatoes
- 4 large baking potatoes (like Russet, Idaho, or Yukon gold), peeled, washed, and cut into wedges
- 8 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for coating
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth, if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Get ready: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a large, 9”X13-inch baking dish in a thin layer of olive oil.
- Make the spice mix: In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, oregano, and dried rosemary.
- Prep the potatoes: Place the potato wedges in the oiled baking dish and sprinkle with the spice mix. Toss to evenly to distribute the spices.
- Season the broth: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and broth. Pour over the potatoes.
- Bake the potatoes: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Give the potatoes a cheesy crust: Remove the potatoes from the oven, uncover, and sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, and roast until the potatoes are cooked through and have turned a nice golden brown with a little crust forming, about 10-15 minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from the oven, garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- Make it spicy! Feel free to throw in a pinch of cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or Aleppo pepper with the spice mix.
- If you want to add a touch more browning and color to the potatoes, finish them under the broiler. Just be sure to keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn!
Nutrition
Try Our Greek Oregano!
This dried herb straight from Greece is lemony, fragrant, and perfect for everyday use.
*This post has recently been updated with new information for the readers’ benefit.
Suzy have you made these using sweet potatoes?
Hey Valerie. I have not tried this very recipe with sweet potatoes. But I imagine it would be great! I would use fresh orange juice instead of lemon or lime. Let me know if you try it!
These look great and I’d like to cook them to accompany the cilantro chicken. However the European in me is confused by:
11/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
Can you explain the 11/4 or convert to metric ?
Love your site!
Ah – I see its 1.25, the website shows it ass 11 / 4. Sorry!
You are correct, Paul! It is 1.25 cup veg. or chicken broth! I fixed the formatting issue. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
They were amazing BTW Suzy !
Awesome to hear, Paul!
Hi – Can’t wait to make these. Have you ever cooked them ahead of time and finished day of? I wonder what would happen if I baked them for the 40 minutes, refrigerated over night and then cooked them the remaining 15 minutes the night I am planning to serve them. Would love your thoughts! Thanks!
Tina, I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it should work!!! I hope you love it!
Thanks for the recipe! These potatoes were a hit and went really well with my fresh Greek salad and baked chicken w lemon, garlic and oregano. I will be making these again for sure.
Looking forward to trying more of your great recipes!
Awesome, Angela! So glad you liked these Greek potatoes. I def. make this often!
These look good, but my mother has never used Parmesan cheese when I was growing up. I will certainly try these out, thanks.
Thank you for stopping in, Nikko! I know the Parmesan is a bit of a twist, but it is soooo good! I’ll be eager to hear if you try this recipe.
I no longer have children at home and I can’t keep up. The kitchen is clean but I can’t say much after that. The Christmas tree is up but the laundry’s not done. The lights are up outside but the patio hasn’t been swept all summer. Ahh, the life of a food blogger. But… we do eat well!
Your potatoes will be on my table this week. My husband will gobble them up.
Thank you for sharing, Maureen. You made me feel soooo much better! I hope your hubby likes my potatoes 🙂
I love thick fries like this! These parmesan fries are definitely all I am craving right now…
Thalia, these are super yummy. Hope you get to try them soon. XO
Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who always jam-packs her day, life is too short! How did I get here?? I need to go back to last year to finish up some projects still lying around >.< But these potatoes are divine, you just gave me an idea for dinner tonight 😉 Love the photos too, and your backgrounds 🙂
These look delicious, and your photography is gorgeous – I want to reach into the screen and eat them they look so yummy! x
Isabella, hi! You are so kind. My hubby took this picture. I’ll pass on the compliment. Thanks for staying in touch.
I love roasted potatoes, much healthier and clean to make! Like the Greek flavors! Pinned!
Mira, I am totally with you on roasted potatoes. I’m a big fan of this recipe; tried it a bunch of times, and loved it every time. Thanks for the pin, girl!
Awesome! Let me know how you all like these potatoes. My family loves them!
I love how you serve these in the cute little cups. I want to try this.
Looks yummy! Another M.D. recipe to try!
These look delicious! I’ll definitely be trying them soon. I used to go to a fabulous Greek diner, with the best lemon potatoes, but haven’t thought to make them myself. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hey Karen! I am a fan of Greek food, but you’re right, sometimes we don’t think of making it ourselves. This is one of the simplest recipes I made, and the family was so pleased with it. Glad you stopped in!
Those look yummy!
Yum!