Lemon Cilantro Roasted Potatoes are diced potatoes roasted in olive oil, garlic, lemon and topped with fresh cilantro. These potatoes make a nice side dish and be spiced up with cayenne pepper for those that like a little kick!
Today’s Lemon Cilantro Roasted Potatoes are a inspired by Spicy Lebanese Potatoes or Batata Harra, a popular Lebanese side dish.
For my sister Jennifer’s birthday we went to a restaurant called Taza and one of their appetizers was similar to these Lemon Cilantro Roasted Potatoes.
I fell in love with those potatoes and knew I had to recreate them at home.
These also remind me of greek lemon potatoes that Mike and I had when we traveled to Greece years ago.
I love lemon and these potatoes pair perfectly with the lemon and garlic and then are topped off with fresh cilantro.
The creamy inside of the potato and the crisp outside make for the perfect bite.
These are an easy side dish to make with very little prep time! I love pairing them with a protein like these Easy Baked Chicken Tenders, Easy Pan Fried Fish or this Slow Cooker Pork Shoulder Roast Recipe.
We rotate between today’s Lemon Cilantro Potatoes, these Air Fryer Twice Baked Potatoes, Paprika Roasted Potatoes and these Gouda Smashed Potatoes.
Recipe Ingredients You’ll Need
- Potatoes: This recipe uses russet potatoes that are peeled and diced. You also can cut them into wedges if you like. Just adjust the cook time. I find these are a great option when making roasted potatoes. You also can use yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes. Make sure to cut them into the same size so they cook evenly.
- Olive Oil: I like to use extra virgin olive oil for its robust flavor. You can also use avocado oil if you would like to.
- Lemon: The lemon juice adds a sweetness to the potatoes and works nicely with the fresh cilantro.
- Garlic: I love adding fresh garlic to the potatoes. You also can use garlic powder in its place.
- Spices: I like to add cayenne red pepper to these potatoes. This works nicely with the lemon juice. If you don’t like heat you can swap it for paprika or cumin in its place.
- Cilantro: The fresh cilantro is the perfect finishing touch. You also can swap out fresh parsley or fresh dill.
For exact ingredient amounts and instructions, see the full recipe card below.
Ways to Modify these Lemon Potatoes
- Spices: Other spices that work nicely are Italian seasoning, dried oregano, garlic powder, cumin, paprika, or red pepper chili flakes.
- Fresh Herbs: There are a variety of fresh herbs that work with these potatoes other than cilantro. Try fresh dill, rosemary, thyme, fresh parsley or basil.
- Cheese: If you like cheesy potatoes add feta cheese, goat cheese or Parmesan cheese. You can add the cheese after roasting or if you like the cheese to be melted add it the last 5 minutes of roasting.
How to Make Lemon Cilantro Roasted Potatoes
Step 1: Prepare Potatoes: Run the potatoes under cold water and scrub clean. Peel and cut potatoes in small chunks or cubes and put in a large mixing bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper {optional},salt and pepper. Use tongs to toss until the potatoes are coated.
Step 2: Prepare Potatoes: Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer {you may need two baking sheets for this}.
Step 3: Roast: Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes for softer potatoes or up to 1 hour for brown and crispier potatoes. Flip the potatoes two times throughout cooking using a spatula.
Step 4: Serve: Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss with the fresh cilantro and more kosher salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Storage Tips
Store these potatoes in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat you can either add them to the air fryer and quickly reheat them, microwave them or slowly heat them in the oven.
Recipe FAQ
Aside from Russet potatoes I also like baby potatoes, Yukon Gold, or red potatoes. They work best because they hold their shape and get crispy on the outside while remaining tender inside.
Potatoes will sometimes stick to the baking sheet. If you want to avoid this use parchment paper as this helps prevent sticking, but roasting directly on a lightly greased sheet pan gives crispier results.
Yes you can! Lime juice adds a slightly different citrusy tang that pairs well with cilantro.
More Potato Recipes
Lemon Cilantro Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
- 7 cups russet potatoes {about 5 medium potatoes}, peeled and diced
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced {about 1/4 cup lemon juice}
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper {optional}
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Peel and dice the potatoes in small cubes and put in a large mixing bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne pepper {optional},salt and pepper. Use tongs to toss until the potatoes are coated.
- Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer {you may need two baking sheets for this}.
- Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes for softer potatoes or up to 1 hour for brown and crispier potatoes. Flip the potatoes two times throughout cooking using a spatula.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss with the fresh cilantro and more salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
- These potatoes would pair great with an alioli dipping sauce.
- If you aren’t a fan of cilantro try parsley instead.
- You can also use a variety of other spices in these potatoes that would pair nicely with cilantro and lemon including sumac, za’atar or paprika.
ok that’s different roasted potatoes with lemon flavour thanks for sharing your recipe lemon juice will give it unique flavour
Hope you like them! I think it is a nice change to normal potatoes.
This recipe is fantastic! Not too heavy, not too light! I substituted lime for lemon and it was fantastic! When I took them out halfway to flip them, I also poured a little left over mixture on and it was great! Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback! I love these ideas, especially the lime. I actually thought about doing lime so now you have inspired me to make a batch like that!
I love cilantro + lemon flavors.. these potatoes look so good 🙂
These potatoes sound amazing Julia! The combination of lemon and cilantro is perfect on those crispy roasted potatoes!
After too many rich foods over the holidays, a lemony potato dish sounds like a nice change of pace. Thanks for this great idea.