Greek-Style Potatoes

One of my absolute favorite things about dining out at Greek restaurants is an order of Greek-Style Potatoes. They are soft and creamy on the inside, and slightly crisp on the edges, and have a rich, lemony flavor with a hint of earthy oregano — it’s just one heavenly bite after the other.

I’d be lying if it said it didn’t take me about 20 tries to get these right. Although the ingredients are minimal, achieving the perfect Greek-Style Potatoes is an art. I can normally taste things in restaurants and get them pretty close in my kitchen but with these, I tried and tried baking them in my oven until I finally reached out to a friend of mine, Erin Vard, whose family owns my favorite Greek restaurant’s in DFW, Platia. If you’re in the metroplex, Platia needs to be on the top of your list to go try! My go-to items are their Gyro Salad, potatoes (of course!), and their avgolemono soup — but you truly cannot go wrong with any of the items on their menu!

Anywho, I finally reached out to Erin and asked what the trick was to perfect Greek-Style Potatoes as my attempts were #FAILS.  This was her response: 

“The trick to a good Greek Potato (crispy on the outside soft on the inside) is just roast them in a a deeper pan (like a pyrex depth) add oil and then fill (just to cover the bottom of the pan) with water, add a few slabs of butter! You could add some chicken base mixted to the water for extra oomf! But then you’ll want to roast them for like ever. Honestly, I put mine in for 1.5 – 2 hours just keeping and eye on them. You can add water as you go if they don’t seem like they are done yet.”

Erin Vard of Platia

Ingredients:

• Large Yukon Gold Potatoes
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Dried Oregano
• Garlic Powder
• Fresh Lemon Juice 
• Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

Step-by-Step:

Step One: Preheat your oven.

Preheat oven to 325℉.

Step Two: Clean and Cut the Potatoes

Scrub potatoes clean and pat dry. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then into 1-inch wide wedges.

Step Three: Add Ingredients to Baking Dish

Spread cut potatoes across a 9×13 glass baking dish. Add the oil, salt, pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, lemon juice, and broth into the baking dish and toss so that the potatoes are evenly coated. Spread potatoes evenly across the dish.

Step Four: Slowly Bake

Bake until potatoes are tender in the center and slightly crisp on the edges, tossing every 30 minutes. This should take about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes total.

Step Five: Serve and Enjoy

Allow potatoes to cool slightly before serving as they will be very warm! Serve as-is or garnish with additional lemon wedges and fresh herbs. Serve alongside your meal, entree ideas below!

That was the trick I needed — low and slow! After that, my Greek-style potato mission was complete! Just a few modifications to Erin’s tips to keep things Whole30, I was on the road to Whole30 Greek-Style Potato heaven and there was no turning back. Since I’ve mastered this in my own kitchen, thanks to advice from my friend Erin, my family has been begging me to make these weekly! I just know your family is going to gobble them up, too!

What to pair with your potatoes:

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Mint Chimichurri

Greek-Inspired Grilled Lamb Burgers

Pan Roasted Greek Chicken Thighs

Mediterranean-inspired Lamb Salad with Harissa Ranch

Greek-Inspired Chicken Wings with Feta Dipping Sauce

Plus, another delicious Greek potato recipe: Greek-Inspired Feta Fries with Romesco Ranch