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They’re full of rich, lemony flavour, they’re soft and creamy on the inside and lightly crispy and caramelized on the outside. I rarely claim a recipe is ‘the best’, but I really can’t imagine better Greek potatoes than these!
Potatoes done the Greek way are a mainstay of the average Greek kitchen. If you’ve never tried them, you truly are missing out.
Some of the best Greek dishes are cooked slowly, and these potatoes are no exception.
They take about an hour and a half to cook, but they are EASY. Simply cut potatoes into thick wedges, tip into a baking dish and pour over stock, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano. Bake for 45 minutes, stir well, then bake for another 45 minutes.
Pour garlic, stock, olive oil, lemon juice and oregano over chunky potato wedges and BAKE
An hour and a half later and this is what you get
I think the only other recipe I’ve dared to call ‘the best’ was another potato recipe – cheesy roasted cauliflower mashed potatoes, if you’re interested. They’re a perfect Thanksgiving or Christmas side!
Generally I’m a bit afraid to claim that something is ‘the best’. But these potatoes… wow. I didn’t hesitate.
So what makes them so delicious? One secret is a common one used by the Greeks – olive oil, and lots of it. So don’t be shocked by how much oil is in this recipe. Remember you won’t be eating the whole pan by yourself. But I won’t judge you if you do. And anyway… HEALTHY FATS!
The next little secret is in the stock. Because the potatoes bake in some liquid, they are beautifully soft and creamy inside. But because you don’t completely cover the potatoes with liquid, they still end up quite crispy.
There’s also garlic and lemon juice, and we don’t hold back on these either. Just throw generous amounts of both in. Combined with a bit of salt, all this gives you a gorgeous umami flavour.
Besides these Greek potatoes being the tastiest potatoes you’ll ever eat, they go with so many things as a side. I often make them alongside Greek meatballs (recipe coming soon!), salad and Greek yogurt – just because I’m too lazy to make tzatziki!
Another easy and delicious Greek meal, this time with chicken and potatoes!
BUT the possibilities are endless. Supermarket rotisserie chicken goes really well as does any grilled or baked meat, easy moussaka, fish, or vegetarian options like this favourite baked eggplant.
I also find these potatoes can be casual or fancy. They’re easy to prepare on a busy weeknight, but they also make a fantastic side to serve to guests. Go on, get them on your Thanksgiving or Christmas table!
Oh, and rule number one – don’t forget to scrape the pan to get the super dark and crispy caramelized bits. Trust me, it’s criminal to leave those behind!
Scroll down to below the recipe to watch the handy how-to video (at top of post on desk top!)
The best Greek potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and chopped into chunky wedges (I used 5 medium potatoes)
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 lemon juice of (medium to large)
- 1 tablespoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- parsley for sprinkling at the end (completely optional)
Instructions
- Grease a large baking dish or tray with olive oil and preheat the oven to 400F / 200C.
- Pour the potato wedges into the dish/tray in an even layer.
- Combine the garlic, stock, olive oil, lemon, oregano and salt and pepper. Stir well, then pour over the potatoes.
- Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Then stir well, turning all the potatoes and spooning over the liquid. Bake again for another 45 minutes or until the potatoes are well browned.
- Scatter with parsley (if using) and serve with some of the delicious juices. Don’t forget the burnt crispy bits on the bottom of the pan. Mmmm!
Notes
Nutrition
Brian says
Looks delicious Helen,
I will give this a try on the weekend in Syros .
Helen says
Thank you, Brian! Let me know how you get on! Syros is beautiful!
Louise says
The most insane flavours in my mouth ! Wanted to polish off the whole lot but had to feed the others (rolls eyes) tastes just like the ones I had in Greece !
Helen says
Oh, those pesky family members, hey?! I recommend you make these again when everyone’s out, Louise, and eat the whole pan to yourself.
So happy you enjoyed them!
Karen says
Hi Helen,
I am doing a Greek theme for my daughters baby shower. We are going to have around 50 people. We are going to have chicken kebabs, salads and I hope Greek potatoes! Would this one be too hard to do for that many people? How many potatoes would I need? Could this be made the day before and still be good? I am not a cook! I actually don’t really like cooking but want this day to be special,. Trying to keep the cost down too.
How would I do this? Thanks for any advice you have.
Do you have other Greek side dishes that are not too hard for 50 people? Probably cold dishes?
Thanks!
Karen
Helen says
Hello Karen. Congratulations on your daughter’s pregnancy! What an incredibly exciting time! I think your ideas for the baby shower are great so far. My biggest advice is to keep things simple, which it sounds like you are doing. I assume you mean you’re going to make Greek salads? If so I think this is a perfect idea. They’re really easy to make loads of, and people are always really impressed if you make them the traditional way. I’ve actually recently republished a post on how to make a Greek salad, so take a look at that recipe and video if you like (link below!)
As for the potatoes, I have reheated them before and they were still delicious. It’s just that you would lose some of that lovely crispiness you get when they’re straight out of the oven, so if you can make them on the day then that would be best. It’s OK if you eat them at room temperature though if you want to make them a bit ahead – Greeks do that all the time! Now this is an estimate, because I’ve never made these potatoes for a lot of people before, but I’d suggest you make about 6 times the recipe for 50. Remember people will only have a few as they’ll have all the other food too! Make them in the biggest baking dishes or baking trays you have! It doesn’t matter if they get stuck to the pan a bit – even tastier!
I have a few side dishes in the Greek food category on my blog. I’d suggest a couple of simple dips, which are very easy to make if you have a food processor. You could also think about making some of the little feta and spinach parcels. You definitely can make these ahead and cook just before (instructions in recipe!).
Lastly, put dishes of Greek yogurt on the table for people to use as a sauce/dip. It goes so well with everything else! You could make tsatziki but that takes longer of course. I just use Greek yogurt!
Here’s the link to my Greek recipes: https://scrummylane.com/category/greek/
Good luck, and if you remember please let me know how you get on!
P.S. Oh and you might need to cook the potatoes a bit longer for a larger amount. Just check before taking out of the oven!
Karen says
Thank you so much! The shower is at 12:30. If I cut all the potatoes the day before and soaked them in water ( does that work?!), and bought two large tin pans from the grocery store, can I cook them the next day? I don’t want soft/soggy potatoes.
I just don’t think I can peel and cut 50 potatoes on the day of the shower. I will be doing other things… But do they need to be peeled? I can probably cut them and cook them. Peeling, no way! Please let me know.
So for 50 people, does that mean taking your recipe and x’s by 10?
I found this one recipe for Greek broccoli salad. I love raw broccoli but do most other people too? I think I am afraid that I won’t have food that everyone likes. I will also have the traditional Greek salad. I am thinking I will have 3 salads. I will also be ordering some chicken skewers from a local restaurant. Thank you so much for your help!
Karen says
One more thing….if I cook them on the day of the shower, I will have to cook them all at the same time. So, can I throw all 50 potatoes into two large pans ( overlapped) and they will still cook okay? Or is that too much? I hate experimenting on the same day… would if it doesn’t work? 🙁
Should I chance it?
Thank again,
Karen
Helen says
Hi Karen! They’ll be OK overlapping a little bit, but not too much. You just don’t want them all piled on top of each other too much. Take a look at the video in my post to see how I do them.
Do you have time for a trial run before the shower? Why don’t you make them just for yourself to see how you like them? You could even reheat some leftovers to see how they turn out.
If you’re really worried about having too much to do on the day and the trial run reheating turns out OK, you could make them the day before the shower after all! 🙂
Helen says
Hi Karen! You know what, I think your buffet is going to be amazing – you shouldn’t worry about everyone liking EVERYTHING. There will be some people who don’t like raw broccoli but that’s OK – they will ALL like the chicken, salads, potatoes etc.! Cut the broccoli up into small pieces and I think that will help.
As for the potatoes, I think you’ll be absolutely fine to prepare them the day before and keep them in water in the fridge. Just dry them off well with tea towels or paper towels before you put them in the baking pans. I also think you’ll be fine not peeling them. They’ll be a bit different to mine, but that’s OK! Honestly, these always seem to come out well. They might be a little more or less crispy, but they aren’t supposed to be SUPER crispy anyway, you just have a few crispy bits where the potatoes have stuck out of the liquid. Just make sure they’re done before you take them out of the oven of course (just because there will be more than in my original recipe). I think you could times my recipe by about 5 or 6 and you’ll be fine with that. Remember this is just going to be a side dish. So long as everyone gets a few bits of potato, and you have some bread on the table too, you’ll be fine!
Good luck!! Don’t worry too much – it’s going to be delicious!!
Karen says
Thank you! Yes, no worries. I will try and do a trial run. Thanks for your encouragement. Much needed. I just really want to celebrate this beautiful day! And I want to have fun!
I will let you know how it goes!
Helen says
Please do, if you remember (no worries if you don’t!). I really hope everything turns out as you’d hoped and you have a wonderful day. Don’t hesitate to ask anything else you like!
jade says
Do you think they would still be as good if baked ahead of time the night before as per your directions and then reheated the next day ?
Helen says
Hi Jade! We do sometimes reheat leftovers and the potatoes still taste absolutely delicious. You do lose some of the crispiness though so for the best results it is best to cook them just before eating. Let me know how you get on!
Cori Herren says
I’m part Greek and make Greek dishes all the time, but have never made Greek potatoes on my own. I’ve had them, of course. I’m making Greek style (lotsa lemon and herbs!) Cornish hens tomorrow night and potatoes. I’m only making a small version of my favorite Greek salad (Horiatiki, Greek village salad, always have feta, kalamatas and peperoncins on hand), since I only have tomatoes and cucumbers, no green bell pepper yet 🙁 and I dislike raw onion, currently fresh from my garden.
Helen says
Good luck with the recipe, Cori! It sounds like you like Greek food as much as I do!
Amie Ange says
I cannot wait to try all your Greek recipies!!! My fathers grandparents came to US from Greece, but as they passed on before i was born, I never got any old family recipies or anything & I absolutely love Greek food (I guess it’s in my genes, I’m supposed to like it!) . Until now all I’ve ever come across were recipies for very americanized versions of Greek food & not good. I will comment back after I get a chance to make these delish looking tatos!
Helen says
Hi Amie! Yes, definitely in your genes to like Greek food, by the sounds of it! I absolutely LOVE Greek food. I love the simplicity, and the fact that the recipes feature a lot of healthy veggies. I really hope you like the potatoes! Please do pop back and let me know!
grace says
omg never rate recipes but this was awesome.I did fresh dill, parsley, oregano (and some dried ), and lime because it was what I had on hand. so good
Helen says
Hi Grace! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate this recipe. They really are good, aren’t they? I love what you garnished them with – I’ll have to try that.
I may be making these again for Easter!
Christina says
YUUUUUUM! Forget about eating these potatoes as a side dish, I want them as the main dish! I adore greek flavors so I’m all over this recipe! It looks and sounds so freaking amazing!
Helen says
My thoughts entirely, Christina! Thanks for popping by and I hope you try these yummy potatoes soon. Once you do you’ll never look back 😉
Janette | Culinary Ginger says
You had me salivating at the ‘scraping of the crispy bits off the bottom of the pan’ because I am the cook who will eat those as I’m serving. These potatoes look so good, I have to try them.
Helen says
Cook’s privilege!
mira says
Love Greek foods and these potatoes look fantastic! Great video, definitely going to try them!
Helen says
Thank you, Mira. I think you’ll love them!
Marissa says
These potatoes look absolutely delicious! Your video was helpful to show the stages of cooking and what they should look like when they’re done. YUMMY!
Helen says
Thanks, Marissa. And nice to have some feedback on the video! 🙂