Lemony potatoes with garlic & oregano

One of the great strengths of potatoes is how they can absorb flavors. Add some lemon juice, minced garlic, broth, salt, pepper, and oregano. Then let those potatoes soak up all of the seasonings like a sponge.

Lemony potatoes are a wonderful weeknight side dish. But they work just as well for holidays and dinner parties. Vegan and gluten-free.

Eye-catching lemony potatoes aren’t just bright in their appearance. That vibrance continues to the flavor. They have deeply embedded tastes of lemon, garlic, oregano, and broth or bouillon.

The potatoes are soft enough to feel totally pleasing and done, while still keeping some of their al dente-style shape as you cut into them with a fork.

This recipe was inspired by Greek lemon potatoes (ellinikos lemoni patatas).

I love getting them at Greek restaurants, but those are hard to come by in my area. Luckily, they are easy to make at home. 

What kind of potatoes should I use?

I recommend Yukon gold potatoes, a type of yellow potato. They have a thin skin that doesn’t need to be peeled. And they keep their shape nicely when roasting.

If you don’t have Yukon gold, you can use a different variety of yellow potatoes, or another thin skinned potato like white or red skinned.

(If you decide to opt for a potato with a thick skin like Russet potatoes, I recommend peeling them first. Keep in mind that they won’t hold their shape as well.)

For this recipe, I recommend choosing smaller potatoes to quicken the cooking time. Then they’re cut into quarters.

The size of the potato pieces will affect the baking time. So if you’re using larger potatoes, cut them into smaller wedges, like steak fries.

And if necessary, bake them a little longer. You can check by sticking a fork into one of the potato pieces. If it goes in easily, you can remove the aluminum foil, and continue cooking the rest of the way. If not, leave the aluminum foil for at least five minutes more.

Use freshly squeezed lemon juice

I know there are folks who like to keep a bottle of store-bought lemon juice in the refrigerator. But don’t use it for this recipe. Buy lemons instead. Then squeeze them.

The dominant flavor of this dish and what makes it so magical is that fresh lemon flavor. So make sure it’s the best lemon flavor it can be.

How to make lemony potatoes

Cut small to medium-sized yellow potatoes into quarters.

Put them in a glass baking dish along with:

• Water
• No chicken-style Better Than Bouillon
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Tomato paste
• Dried oregano
• Salt
• Pepper
• Minced garlic

Cover with aluminum foil & bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Stop once to stir about halfway through.

During the last 15 minutes of cooking time, remove the aluminum foil, so that the liquid can reduce and thicken.

Remove from the oven. Garnish with minced chives.

Make them your own

You can make these lemony potatoes your own with these variations.

If you don’t have Better Than Bouillon, you can replace it by using vegetable broth instead of water + bouillon.

For even more lemony flavor, add an additional ½ Tablespoon of lemon juice.

For softer potatoes, add an extra Tablespoon of water or broth. Then bake for 50 minutes in total. For the first 40 minutes, have them covered with aluminum foil. Then remove it for the final 10 minutes.

Instead of chives, you can garnish the potatoes with a sprinkling of fresh or dried oregano, or chopped parsley.

Can I make a double batch?

Absolutely!

If you’re serving this side dish for the holidays or if you’ve got a lot of potato lovers in the family, I recommend making a double batch.

Simply double the ingredients. Then bake the potatoes in two 8 x 8 glass baking dishes or a 9 x 13 glass casserole dish, like you’d use for lasagna.

What to serve with lemony potatoes

Roasted potatoes are a terrific addition to holiday meals with cauliflower steaks or chickpea cutlets.

But they’re also very welcome at an ordinary weeknight dinner, alongside a tomato cucumber salad, spinach salad with strawberries, or kale salad with roasted chickpeas.

Serve them as a side dish with a wrap or sandwich – like veggie wraps with vegan chick’n, double hummus wraps, or a vegan chicken salad sandwich.

Lemony potatoes with garlic & oregano

Thin-skinned Yukon gold potatoes soak up the flavors of lemon and garlic masterfully. These succulent potatoes make a wonderful side dish, or a flavorful addition to a holiday meal.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek, Vegan

Keyword: easy side dish, greek potatoes, holiday food

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 125kcal

Author: Cadry Nelson

Ingredients

• 1 pound yellow potatoes small to medium sized
• 3 Tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, no chicken base
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 Tablespoon minced chives garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cut yellow potatoes into quarters.
• In an 8 x 8 glass baking dish, combine water, bouillon, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, tomato paste, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Toss the quartered potatoes in the mixture.

  (If the bouillon or tomato paste don't immediately dissolve, don't worry about it. That will happen naturally during the roasting.)
• Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Stop once halfway through to stir.

  During the last 15 minutes of baking time, remove the aluminum foil, so that the liquid can thicken and reduce. (Before removing the foil, stab a potato with a fork. If the fork goes in easily, it's fine to remove the foil. If not, keep it covered for at least another five minutes.)
• Remove from oven and top with minced chives for garnish.

Notes

Yellow potatoes have a thin skin that doesn't need to be peeled. However, you can peel if you'd like.

You can also make this recipe with other thin skinned potatoes. But if they have a thicker skin like Russets, you should peel them.

Also keep in mind that the baking time is affected by the size of the potato pieces. If you have larger potatoes, cut them into steak fries or wedges for faster cooking.

If you'd prefer, you can replace the water + bouillon with 3 Tablespoons of vegetable broth instead.

For even more lemony potatoes, add an additional 1/2 Tablespoon of lemon juice.

For softer potatoes, add an extra Tablespoon of water or broth. Then bake for 50 minutes in total. For the first 40 minutes, have them covered with aluminum foil. Then remove for the last 10.

If you'd like to make a double batch of potatoes, use two 8 x 8 baking dishes or a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Instead of chives, you could garnish with a sprinkling of fresh or dried oregano.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 131mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

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