The perfect, traditional Greek lemon potatoes recipe, ideal for your Sunday family roast!!! Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside with a delicious lemony flavour!
Greek lemon potatoes are perfect on their own served with some crusted bread to dig into all the delicious juices or accompanying your moussaka, roast lamb, chicken, pork chops, a juicy burger or steak, and the list goes on.
So how to make the perfect traditional Greek lemon potatoes? It is as simple as 1-2-3 – Select the right potato variety, add the secret lemony ingredient and crisp them to perfection! So lets get started!
The perfect Greek lemon potatoes: start with the right potato variety
Selecting the right potato variety for your Greek lemon potatoes is crucial if you want to achieve that perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside texture. The ideal type is Maris Piper as they are one of the most starchy kind and will become quite crumbly when baked and even Heston Blumenthal recommends them!
There are two ways that you can bake your roast potatoes:
You can parboil them, i.e. cut them up in wedges, boil them in a pan until right before they are ready and then sift using a colander. Then drizzle with some semolina and the lemon sauce.
Alternatively you can cut your potatoes up in wedges, dress and bake them straight in the oven.
The second approach will take a little longer as the potatoes need to bake for longer but I have found that it gives them crispier edges, while the parboiled version allows for more of the lemon sauce to soak in and tend to be flakier.
The secret ingredient for the crispiest Greek lemon potatoes is in the sauce!
The special sauce that we will be using to garnish our favorite Greek lemon potatoes is nothing else than a mix of lemon juice, dried oregano, minced garlic and some semolina.
Semolina is made from ground up durum wheat and is perfect for making roasting dressings. Semolina will coat the potatoes and will harden up when cooking, forming a nice crispy skin around them and adding to the crunchiness of the maris piper potato.
For a large batch of about 7-8 potatoes use:
3 garlic cloves
3/4 of a cup olive oil
equal amount of water (if not parboiled)
1 tsp dried oregano
the juice from 2 lemons
1 or 2 tsps of semolina, depending on how crispy you like your Greek lemon potatoes!
I always make a little extra just in case the potatoes need a little longer to cook and I have to season again mid-cooking.
What potatoes are best for baking?
If you are looking for a crisp edge, firm flesh and solid inside then go for a waxy potato, like Red Bliss, Desiree or similar red skinned potato or even new potatoes if you can cope with the smaller portion size.
If you are looking for a crunchy texture with a soft, fluffy inside, go for a starchy potato, like Maris Piper, classic Idaho or Russet.
Should you boil your potatoes before roasting?
Boiling your potatoes before roasting them (also known as parboiling) will help the potatoes develop a crunchy, crispy skin when baked. Why? Because parboiling them breaks down the starches in the potato and allows for more of the cooking oil and sauce to soak in.
However there are a couple of things to be mindful of to get the best result. Firstly, make sure you pick a starchy potato variety, like Maris Piper, Idaho or Russet. Also, when preparing them, cut them in thick, chunky wedges so they don’t fall apart when boiling.
Secondly, make sure you salt the boiling water. One tablespoon for a medium size pot should be sufficient. You want the water to barely taste salty! Boil them till they are just beginning to flake on the outside, remove them from the pot with a slotted spoon and let them cool down on a dry tray.
Finally, when seasoning, use only oil, seasoning (oregano with a little lemon, mustard with a little orange juice) but do not add any water if you are parboiling them, to avoid them becoming soggy and breaking up in the oven. Heat up the oven as high as it can go and bake them till colored on the outside.
What to serve your greek lemon potatoes with?
Over the years I have thoroughly enjoyed these lemon roast potatoes with a variety of roasts, like roast lamb, chicken, pork and of course beef and they have been the perfect side dish for my large Sunday family meal. So go ahead, give this traditional Greek lemon potatoes recipe a try and roast your potatoes to perfection!
Got a question or comment? Feel free to ask in the comments section below and of course don’t forget to share with your friends on your favorite social network using the buttons above!
Best Greek lemon potatoes recipe! Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside with yummy lemon-y flavor. All the secrets to roast the perfect Greek potatoes
To prepare these extra crispy Greek lemon potatoes, cut the potatoes into wedges and place them on a large metal roasting pan. Into a bowl add the remaining ingredients (including the semolina and the 150ml of water) and blend; pour the semolina-lemon mixture over the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper.
Bake for 40 minutes, until a nice golden crust has formed on the potatoes; turn them out of the oven, toss them a little bit to bring them upside down, sprinkle with a pinch of oregano and put back into the oven for another 30-40 minutes. If all of the liquid has been absorbed and the pan appears to be getting dry, add 1/4-1/2 of a cup hot water into the pan or some extra lemon mixture, before they have fully browned
The secret for these extra crispy Greek lemon potatoes is to sprinkle the potatoes with some semolina, as it helps to form a nice golden crust around them. Don’t be afraid of over baking them- they will become even more delicious!
We’ve updated the instructions to clarify this point. Thank you for your feedback! Basically mix all the seasoning ingredients including the semolina in a bowl and then pour over the plain peeled and cut potatoes.
So even though it says that sprinkling with semolina is the key to crispness, you don’t actually sprinkle on semolina? You just include it in the liquid mixture? In spite of the update, I’m still confused! 🙂 Also I was wondering whether semolina flour is the same as just “semolina.” Semolina flour is all I could find in the grocery store (and no one at the store knew the answer to this question), so I bought that and hope it will work!
There are two ways of making them. The traditional Greek recipe does not require the potatoes to be pre-boiled. This will result in crisp potato skins and sharp edges.
We have experimented with pre-boiling and using a colander to “flake” them (shake about for a few seconds) and then roasting. That results in flakier potatoes and a different kind of crisp to the crust, more blunt edges and more intense flavor as they absorb more of the oil/sauce. Also cooking time is cut down since the potatoes are pretty much done by the time you put them in the oven.
Its a matter of personal preference really, I personally like the clean and sharp look and crispy edges hence I do not pre-boil. Let me know if you try pre-boiling them as I’m keen to hear your thoughts!
Hi I want to try this but would like to pre-boil the potatoes first – it’s just no clear how much water I put in the lemon sauce if I do pre-boil them? You’ve just sail3/4 cup of olive oil and equal amount of water (if not pre-boiled) so how much water if it’s boiled?
Hello and what a great website! I want to learn how to cook original Greek dishes and will be paying lots of attention to this website !!! I have a few questions if you don’t mind my asking, I am quite new to Greek fare so I may sound really dumb here- what do you mean by “minced meat” ? And, if I can’t find some of the authentic Greek ingredients, can you suggest some substitutions that would still make it as close to the original as possible ? Thank you so much for your patience, I am going to love making this type of food 🙂
Hi Irene, thank you for your great feedback! Hope you find lots of dishes that you like 🙂
Minced meat is probably a spelling mistake from our side, its beef mince, but depending on the recipe might be pork. Would you mind posting the link where you found it so I can clarify it?
Semolina is the coarse, purified wheat middlings of durum wheat used in making pasta, breakfast cereals, puddings, and couscous. You can usually find it in powdered form at various supermarkets.
Have you had any success with cooking these ahead of time and reheating? Or maybe I should half cook, and then complete near to the necessary time of serving?
Unfortunately I don’t think that it will work – roast potatoes are one of those things that you need to eat fresh out of the oven as the oil/sauce will end up soaking in them too much making them soggy. Your best bet if you would like to have them pre-made would be to half bake, cool immediately and finish off closer to the time of serving.
Hi Alison, I would suggest gluten free white flour as the best alternative. Try sprinkling over the potatoes after you’ve covered them with the sauce and then mix with a spatula to avoid the mixture becoming too gloopy
This may be way too late now, but I’ve made completely omitting semolina and they’ve turned out still crispy, but I shall also be making them tonight and will be using rice breadcrumbs. I’ve used it on normal roast potatoes and they’ve turned out nice and crispy, so should work here 🙂
I think there is a misprint in the recipe for Greek lemon potatoes, it say to preheat oven to 200 ? That’s to low, it needs to be at at least 350 or more?
Silly question but our “large” potatoes seem to range all over the weight scale…do you have a weight recommendation for the potatoes? Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try these!
These look delicious! This is the way my family makes them too, but without the semolina. Now with that trick I can make them even better (don’t tell my Thia). The only thing that would improve this recipe is cooking the potatoes in the pan you just roasted a chicken in, using the chicken juices as part of the liquid.
I love this recipe and your whole site – great job!
Haven’t tried making them with nugget potatoes, but I am presuming that it will be ok – wash them thoroughly and quarter them then bake with the sauce. As the skin will still be on, the sauce will not penetrate the potatoes as much but should still taste delicious!
Thank you for the recipe Eli. Question in the write up you mention “1 tsp” of oregano, but in the ingredients list, it states “1 tbsp”, I’m thinking a tablespoon… with this amount of potatoes. Right?
Semolina is not cornmeal even though it has a very similar end result. You can substitute one for the other or use together, even though my recommendation would be just using fine grained semolina only.
I used small golden honey potatoes. Halved them and then voiled in microwave for 17 mi. (High).
Then drained is sieve and then solutiin added and put into a baking pan and into oven preheated to 400 degrees F.
Baked for approx 12 to 15 minutes. Then i pulled them out, placed them in hot skillet on stove.
Splashed with olive oil and turned periodically over med high heat during those 12 to 15 min.
Did salt to taste and also added a couple of pimches of semolina. Its the semolima that really pulls the potatoes together for the authentic greek texture and flavor.
Awesome recipe.
Btw, i used Real lemon juice approx 1/2 cup.
Enjoy. We did!
U.S. here. A friend mentioned this recipe on a mutual website and I’m anxious to try it.
A Question: If you are looking to use a starchy potato, wouldn’t a Russet (baking) potato, which is a high-starch potato be more in keeping with the recipe than a Yukon Gold, which is a medium-starch and good all-purpose potato? A Russet would provide a nice, fluffy interior.
Now I’m off to investigate the rest of your website.
Please try to keep in mind that your site isn’t just shown in the UK. Maris Piper potatoes aren’t available or even known about outside of your area. Please give alternatives for “specialized” ingredients. It would save the rest of us alot of time researching just to make a simple recipe & encourage people to return to your site.
The recipe recommends Maris Piper “as they are one of the most starchy kind”. So perhaps you could find a starchy variety of potato in whichever country you happen to be. Or failing that perhaps boil your brain as it is clearly as much use as a potato.
I’m half Greek and half American Hill Billy. Just learning how to cook “Greek” and love your web site. My mother (the Hill Billy) used to make the most amazing lamb meat balls and lemon potatoes. Nothing I’ve tasted so far has come close to hers but your lamb meatballs sound “right” so do the potatoes. I’ll be cooking them up soon. Thanks for a great web site!
I have a recipe that’s very similar and these are the most delicious, addicting potatoes ever. I also garnish with fresh, chopped Italian parsley before serving. And the very best potato to use is Yukon Gold. Russets are too mealy. Making this tomorrow night with lamb chops marinated all day and grilled and served with tszaki (sp) sauce, grilled asparagus and a Greek salad
Simply peel potatoes, put in water and squeezed lemon juice and oil. that is the basis of lemon greek potatoes. everything else is .. however you like it. dont be afraid to experiment. I cover the potatoes first.. let them cook up like that covered and also soak up the lemon water. then i take off the cover and let them get crispy. Its ok . just go for it.
I had this question as well. “Semolina flour” is all I could find. No one at the grocery store knew the answer to whether this is the same as semolina. I bought some anyway and hope it will work.
Thanks for this recipe. Sounds delicious! I am, however, slightly confused. The recipe lists water and the directions in one place say to use water in the seasoning “including the semolina and 150 ml of water”……and in another place you say “do not add water ….only oil” to the seasoning. Am I misunderstanding? Please clarify.
Thanks
Hi Kathie! If you’re parboiling them (i.e. boiling them before baking them) you should skip the water in the seasoning. If you’re not parboiling them then the water is needed 🙂
Hi, There was a comment awhile ago, but I don’t see the reply. I have the same question; By “semolina” do you mean semolina flour? That is all I could find in the supermarket. Please advise if I am to use semolina flour. Need an answer ASAP please making this for Greek Easter in 3 days
I noticed in the photos that you lined the baking sheets with Parchment Paper. Does that interfere with the amount of crispiness? Would prefer to use parchment paper since it makes the clean up so much easier.
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Going to try this one tonight. *Not* clear from the recipe above when to sprinkle with the Semolina (after pouring the liquid over, or 1/2 way thru…
Hello M.Collins,
We’ve updated the instructions to clarify this point. Thank you for your feedback! Basically mix all the seasoning ingredients including the semolina in a bowl and then pour over the plain peeled and cut potatoes.
Enjoy!
So even though it says that sprinkling with semolina is the key to crispness, you don’t actually sprinkle on semolina? You just include it in the liquid mixture? In spite of the update, I’m still confused! 🙂 Also I was wondering whether semolina flour is the same as just “semolina.” Semolina flour is all I could find in the grocery store (and no one at the store knew the answer to this question), so I bought that and hope it will work!
do you cook the potatoes prior putting in oven – example you boil them peel them then follow your receipe
Hi Sandra,
There are two ways of making them. The traditional Greek recipe does not require the potatoes to be pre-boiled. This will result in crisp potato skins and sharp edges.
We have experimented with pre-boiling and using a colander to “flake” them (shake about for a few seconds) and then roasting. That results in flakier potatoes and a different kind of crisp to the crust, more blunt edges and more intense flavor as they absorb more of the oil/sauce. Also cooking time is cut down since the potatoes are pretty much done by the time you put them in the oven.
Its a matter of personal preference really, I personally like the clean and sharp look and crispy edges hence I do not pre-boil. Let me know if you try pre-boiling them as I’m keen to hear your thoughts!
Hi I want to try this but would like to pre-boil the potatoes first – it’s just no clear how much water I put in the lemon sauce if I do pre-boil them? You’ve just sail3/4 cup of olive oil and equal amount of water (if not pre-boiled) so how much water if it’s boiled?
use the about 1/4 of water as the potatoes are already boiled. Even though my personal favorite is with them not pre-boiled…
Mmmmm yes, that looks gooooood
Do you serve these in Asda restaurants ?
Nope, only home-made 🙂
Hello and what a great website! I want to learn how to cook original Greek dishes and will be paying lots of attention to this website !!! I have a few questions if you don’t mind my asking, I am quite new to Greek fare so I may sound really dumb here- what do you mean by “minced meat” ? And, if I can’t find some of the authentic Greek ingredients, can you suggest some substitutions that would still make it as close to the original as possible ? Thank you so much for your patience, I am going to love making this type of food 🙂
Hi Irene, thank you for your great feedback! Hope you find lots of dishes that you like 🙂
Minced meat is probably a spelling mistake from our side, its beef mince, but depending on the recipe might be pork. Would you mind posting the link where you found it so I can clarify it?
In the US, beef mince is ground beef.
If you avoid wheat could you use tapioca for instead of semolina?
what is semolina
Hi Mary,
Semolina is the coarse, purified wheat middlings of durum wheat used in making pasta, breakfast cereals, puddings, and couscous. You can usually find it in powdered form at various supermarkets.
Have you had any success with cooking these ahead of time and reheating? Or maybe I should half cook, and then complete near to the necessary time of serving?
Hi PeachyTO
Unfortunately I don’t think that it will work – roast potatoes are one of those things that you need to eat fresh out of the oven as the oil/sauce will end up soaking in them too much making them soggy. Your best bet if you would like to have them pre-made would be to half bake, cool immediately and finish off closer to the time of serving.
Hi there! looks great! Is there anything else I can use instead of Semolina? My hubby is gluten free….
Hi Alison, I would suggest gluten free white flour as the best alternative. Try sprinkling over the potatoes after you’ve covered them with the sauce and then mix with a spatula to avoid the mixture becoming too gloopy
This may be way too late now, but I’ve made completely omitting semolina and they’ve turned out still crispy, but I shall also be making them tonight and will be using rice breadcrumbs. I’ve used it on normal roast potatoes and they’ve turned out nice and crispy, so should work here 🙂
I think there is a misprint in the recipe for Greek lemon potatoes, it say to preheat oven to 200 ? That’s to low, it needs to be at at least 350 or more?
Hi Faye
Thank you for pointing out! It is 200C, I have added the F measurement (400F).
Think it means 200 C if you’re in the US this will be about 425 F
Are the potatoes in a shallow roasting pan in a single layer or are they a couple layers?
Hi Cheryl
They are in a single layer, to make sure they are all crispy!
Eli x
Silly question but our “large” potatoes seem to range all over the weight scale…do you have a weight recommendation for the potatoes? Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try these!
Not really, I judge them by size, a large potato is about the size of a man’s fist. Best of luck and let us know how it goes 🙂
These look delicious! This is the way my family makes them too, but without the semolina. Now with that trick I can make them even better (don’t tell my Thia). The only thing that would improve this recipe is cooking the potatoes in the pan you just roasted a chicken in, using the chicken juices as part of the liquid.
I love this recipe and your whole site – great job!
Do you peel the potatoes first?
Hi Claire
Yes, peal them first and then bake/parboil
Love
Eli
For the lemon potatoes, can I use little nugget potatoes and not peel them?
Hi Lisa
Haven’t tried making them with nugget potatoes, but I am presuming that it will be ok – wash them thoroughly and quarter them then bake with the sauce. As the skin will still be on, the sauce will not penetrate the potatoes as much but should still taste delicious!
Thank you for the recipe Eli. Question in the write up you mention “1 tsp” of oregano, but in the ingredients list, it states “1 tbsp”, I’m thinking a tablespoon… with this amount of potatoes. Right?
yeah its tablespoon, I’ve updated the recipe! Great catch, thank you
Love
Eli
For me semolina + cornmeal. Right?
Hi Debbie
Semolina is not cornmeal even though it has a very similar end result. You can substitute one for the other or use together, even though my recommendation would be just using fine grained semolina only.
Love
Eli
I make big batches of potatoes similar to this. Par bake and freeze for later. I’ll have to try the semolina tip…. I love crispy edges!
You’ll love them with semolina, it adds a very nice crisp to them!
Does the water go in the original mixture or is it for later?
is the 200C for a standard oven or Fan oven?
Thanks – looks good!
I used small golden honey potatoes. Halved them and then voiled in microwave for 17 mi. (High).
Then drained is sieve and then solutiin added and put into a baking pan and into oven preheated to 400 degrees F.
Baked for approx 12 to 15 minutes. Then i pulled them out, placed them in hot skillet on stove.
Splashed with olive oil and turned periodically over med high heat during those 12 to 15 min.
Did salt to taste and also added a couple of pimches of semolina. Its the semolima that really pulls the potatoes together for the authentic greek texture and flavor.
Awesome recipe.
Btw, i used Real lemon juice approx 1/2 cup.
Enjoy. We did!
it would be nice if we can print the recipe only.
U.S. here. A friend mentioned this recipe on a mutual website and I’m anxious to try it.
A Question: If you are looking to use a starchy potato, wouldn’t a Russet (baking) potato, which is a high-starch potato be more in keeping with the recipe than a Yukon Gold, which is a medium-starch and good all-purpose potato? A Russet would provide a nice, fluffy interior.
Now I’m off to investigate the rest of your website.
Please try to keep in mind that your site isn’t just shown in the UK. Maris Piper potatoes aren’t available or even known about outside of your area. Please give alternatives for “specialized” ingredients. It would save the rest of us alot of time researching just to make a simple recipe & encourage people to return to your site.
You’re being very rude to the person sharing this recipe. How about you google “ maris piper substitute.” It should take you about a minute.
Agreed!
The recipe recommends Maris Piper “as they are one of the most starchy kind”. So perhaps you could find a starchy variety of potato in whichever country you happen to be. Or failing that perhaps boil your brain as it is clearly as much use as a potato.
Can you not just search it on the internet like everyone else did?
Over the last year I’ve expanded the recipe with some FAQ’s in the end to clarify what potatoes to use based on your location 🙂 Hope this helps!
Exactly my thoughts
I’m half Greek and half American Hill Billy. Just learning how to cook “Greek” and love your web site. My mother (the Hill Billy) used to make the most amazing lamb meat balls and lemon potatoes. Nothing I’ve tasted so far has come close to hers but your lamb meatballs sound “right” so do the potatoes. I’ll be cooking them up soon. Thanks for a great web site!
these sound amazing. Thanks for putting up this recipe. Simon
I have a recipe that’s very similar and these are the most delicious, addicting potatoes ever. I also garnish with fresh, chopped Italian parsley before serving. And the very best potato to use is Yukon Gold. Russets are too mealy. Making this tomorrow night with lamb chops marinated all day and grilled and served with tszaki (sp) sauce, grilled asparagus and a Greek salad
Hi there, is it possible to make the sauce and marinate the potatoes overnight but only make before you serve them?
Thanks for your help! I’m planning to make for Easter 🙂
Simply peel potatoes, put in water and squeezed lemon juice and oil. that is the basis of lemon greek potatoes. everything else is .. however you like it. dont be afraid to experiment. I cover the potatoes first.. let them cook up like that covered and also soak up the lemon water. then i take off the cover and let them get crispy. Its ok . just go for it.
Good advice. I’ll try that
The way I was taught is to add chopped garlic too, no semolina but everything else the same.
By “semolina” do you mean semolina flour? That is all I could find in the supermarket.
Thanks.
I had this question as well. “Semolina flour” is all I could find. No one at the grocery store knew the answer to whether this is the same as semolina. I bought some anyway and hope it will work.
Thanks for this recipe. Sounds delicious! I am, however, slightly confused. The recipe lists water and the directions in one place say to use water in the seasoning “including the semolina and 150 ml of water”……and in another place you say “do not add water ….only oil” to the seasoning. Am I misunderstanding? Please clarify.
Thanks
Hi Kathie! If you’re parboiling them (i.e. boiling them before baking them) you should skip the water in the seasoning. If you’re not parboiling them then the water is needed 🙂
Hi, There was a comment awhile ago, but I don’t see the reply. I have the same question; By “semolina” do you mean semolina flour? That is all I could find in the supermarket. Please advise if I am to use semolina flour. Need an answer ASAP please making this for Greek Easter in 3 days
Hi Ellice, If you are in the USA, try Cream of Wheat cereal.
I FOUND YOUR RECIPES EASY TO FOLLOW….READING ONE OF THE LETTERS YOU RECEIVE I FIND ITS SILLY NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT MINCED MEAT MEANS.QUERINO
Did you use parchment paper on the bottom of the pan?
Thanks
I noticed in the photos that you lined the baking sheets with Parchment Paper. Does that interfere with the amount of crispiness? Would prefer to use parchment paper since it makes the clean up so much easier.
Your needs come first! Purplewaveindia has no agendas, and no loyalties to anyone other than you, our client. Purplewaveindia was established in 2018. And in a short span of 4-years, Purplewaveindia has become one of the prominent players in the Indian Audio Video Manufacturing and Integration Industry.
https://www.purplewaveindia.com/