Greek Potato Salad

Name: Greek Potato Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 280 min
Ingredients: 3 pounds baby gold potatoes; 1/2 cup olive oil; 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice; 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill; 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 cup crumbled feta cheese; 1/2 cup roughly chopped kalamata olives; 1/4 cup finely diced red onion

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Greek Potato Salad is a mayo-free salad made with gold potatoes, feta, olives, and a bright lemon herb dressing. A fresh, summer side dish!

A Mayonnaise-Free Potato Salad Recipe

This Greek Potato Salad is such a fun and unexpected potato salad recipe that’s busting with flavor! It is a fantastic alternative to a traditional mayo-based potato salad, making it a great for a potluck and the perfect option for people who don’t love mayo or are just looking for a lighter alternative!

A large serving of Greek Potato Salad in a bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Greek Potato Salad?

Greek Potato Salad is a mayonnaise free potato salad made with a lemon and olive oil dressing, feta cheese, olives, herbs, and potatoes. It offers a fresh alternative to traditional potato salad recipes.

I don’t like olives, can I leave them out?

Obviously you can leave out whatever ingredient you don’t like but it changes the flavor. This is a Greek salad and so it pulls from those flavors like olives and feta cheese. I think if you don’t really like Greek flavors, this salad may not be for you. I have only made this salad this way so cannot give you ideas for substitutions.

Can this potato salad be left out?

No matter what food you are making, you never want to leave it out of the refrigerator for too long or in hot conditions or in the hot sun. You are just asking for trouble. Yes, it can be left out for a time but it is highly recommended you put a bowl of ice underneath or put it in a container that has ice packs in it. Don’t ever take chances when it comes to food safety, even if it doesn’t have mayonnaise in it.

Can I make Greek Potato Salad ahead of time?

Yes. In fact, this salad benefits from a few hours in the refrigerator. Making it several hours ahead or even the day before allows the flavors to develop.

Is the tablespoon of sugar necessary?

The small amount of sugar helps balance the acidity from the lemon juice and complements the salty ingredients. The salad does not taste sweet. If you are totally against it, then just leave it out.

How to store leftover Greek Potato Salad?

Store leftover Greek Potato Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Give it a good stir before serving, as some of the dressing may settle at the bottom of the bowl. Freezing is not recommended, as the texture of the potatoes and other ingredients can change after thawing.

Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)

baby gold potatoes– You can use baby red potatoes in place of gold. Fingerling potatoes would also be good.
olive oil – you’ll want to use a good quality olive oil here.
lemon juice– fresh squeezed lemon juice is the ONLY way to go. The stuff in a bottle is just straight acid and isn’t worth it. If you really don’t want to use lemon juice you could use vinegar in place of lemon juice (perhaps a red wine vinegar) but you will lose that brightness in flavor that lemon brings.
fresh dill– Fresh dill provides the best flavor and is strongly recommended for this recipe. If necessary, you can substitute about 2 teaspoons of dried dill, but the flavor won’t be quite as vibrant.
granulated sugar – see my frequently asked questions above concerning this ingredient.
garlic– Fresh garlic makes a noticeable difference in this recipe and is recommended whenever possible. Jarred garlic can be substituted if needed, but the flavor will be less fresh and pronounced. I know jared stuff is super popular these days and for a lot of recipes, it can be used but you really do lost a huge quality in labor by using the jarred garlic here.
dried oregano – fresh oregano could certainly be used if you have it. You’d want to use about 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano (you can adjust this to your taste of course.)
feta cheese – with this being a Greek inspired potato salad, we want to go with feta cheese. If you’ve never had it, it is a very mild crumbly cheese. You could substitute with goat cheese or cotija cheese. I think you could probably even use tofu.
kalamata olives – again, this is a Greek salad so we’re using Kalamata olives. You can use another olive that you like but I think these work best.
red onion – if you don’t like onion, you can leave it out. Or you could even use a pickled red onion.

Baby gold potatoes, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh dill, granulated sugar, fresh garlic, dried oregano, kosher salt, black pepper, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and red onion.

How To Make Greek Potato Salad

Cook the potatoes

In a large stock pot, add the potatoes. Cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and boil for 20-25 minutes until tender. Drain well. Allow the potatoes to cool to the touch. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and place them on a sheet try to cool further, the sheet tray suggestion is optional, it just helps to cool them down a bit faster.

Cooked potatoes in a strainer and cut up potatoes on a sheet pan.

Prepare the dressing

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, dill, sugar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

A bowl with olive oil, lemon juice, dill, sugar, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Combine potatoes with the dressing

Add the potatoes and gently mix until they are coated in the sauce.

Cut potatoes being coated in a sauce mixture.

Again, gently mix in the feta cheee, olives, and red onion.

Feta cheese, red olives, and onions being added to a potato salad mixture.

Allow to finish cooling in the refrigerator

Cover and place in the fridge for 4 hours until cold or until it reaches your desired temperature. Before serving, give it a good stir, some of the dressing will settle on the bottom.