If you ask me, Greek potato salad is comfort food at its finest.
This Mediterranean-inspired side dish brings together tender potatoes with fresh herbs and a tangy olive oil dressing. Crisp red onions and briny olives add just the right amount of bite and flavor.
It’s tossed with crumbled feta cheese and plenty of fresh parsley and oregano that make every bite taste like summer. A simple lemon and olive oil dressing keeps everything light and refreshing.
It’s the kind of dish that works great at barbecues or family dinners, and it actually tastes better after sitting for a while.
Why You’ll Love This Greek Potato Salad
- Mediterranean flavors – The combination of kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, and fresh dill brings authentic Greek taste to your table that’s way more exciting than regular potato salad.
- Perfect for meal prep – This salad actually gets better as it sits, making it ideal for making ahead for parties, potlucks, or weekly meal planning.
- No mayo needed – The olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing means you don’t have to worry about keeping it super cold at outdoor gatherings, plus it’s naturally lighter and fresher tasting.
- Quick and easy – With just 30-40 minutes from start to finish, you can have this flavorful side dish ready without spending all day in the kitchen.
- Crowd-pleasing side dish – Whether you’re serving it at a barbecue, family dinner, or potluck, this colorful salad always gets compliments and recipe requests.
What Kind of Potatoes Should I Use?
For Greek potato salad, you’ll want to stick with waxy potatoes like petite white or red potatoes, which hold their shape beautifully after boiling and won’t turn into mush when you toss them with the dressing. These smaller potatoes are perfect because they cook evenly and have a creamy texture that soaks up all those Mediterranean flavors. If you can’t find petite potatoes, regular red or white potatoes work too – just cut them into bite-sized chunks before cooking. Avoid russet or baking potatoes for this recipe since they’re too starchy and will fall apart when you mix everything together.
Options for Substitutions
This Greek potato salad is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some easy substitutions:
- Kalamata olives: If you can’t find kalamata olives, green olives or black olives work fine. You could even use a mix of both for extra flavor variety.
- Oil-packed sun dried tomatoes: Regular cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes can step in here. Just halve them and add a pinch of extra salt since they won’t have that concentrated flavor.
- Capers: No capers? Try chopped green olives or pickled onions for that briny pop. You can also just leave them out if needed.
- Fresh dill: Fresh parsley or fresh mint work great as substitutes. If you only have dried dill, use about 2 tablespoons instead of the ½ cup fresh.
- Feta cheese: Goat cheese or ricotta salata make good swaps. For a dairy-free version, just skip the cheese or try some crumbled tofu seasoned with lemon juice.
- Red wine vinegar: White wine vinegar or even lemon juice work well here. Start with a bit less and taste as you go since lemon juice can be more tart.
- Dry mustard: Regular Dijon mustard works too – just use about 1 tablespoon instead of the 2 teaspoons of dry mustard.
Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking
The biggest mistake when making Greek potato salad is overcooking the potatoes until they’re mushy – aim for fork-tender but still firm, and always start them in cold salted water to ensure even cooking throughout.
Another common error is dressing the potatoes while they’re still hot, which can make them fall apart, so let them cool for about 15 minutes before adding your olive oil and vinegar mixture.
Don’t forget to reserve some of that flavorful caper brine when you drain the capers – a tablespoon or two mixed into your dressing adds an extra punch of briny flavor that really makes this salad shine.
For the best results, make this salad at least an hour before serving so all those Mediterranean flavors have time to meld together, and always taste and adjust your seasoning at the end since feta and olives can vary in saltiness.
What to Serve With Greek Potato Salad?
This Greek potato salad is perfect alongside grilled meats like chicken, lamb, or pork – the Mediterranean flavors really complement each other nicely. I love serving it at summer barbecues with grilled chicken souvlaki or lamb kebabs, plus some warm pita bread on the side. It also makes a great addition to a mezze spread with hummus, tzatziki, and dolmas for a complete Greek feast. Since it’s packed with olives, feta, and herbs, it pairs beautifully with simple grilled fish or even as a hearty side for roasted vegetables.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate: This Greek potato salad actually gets better after sitting for a while! Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors really meld together overnight, so I always think it tastes even better the next day than when I first make it.
Make Ahead: You can prep this salad up to 2 days before serving, which makes it perfect for parties or meal prep. Just hold off on adding the feta cheese until right before serving to keep it from getting too soft. Give it a good stir before serving since the dressing might settle.
Serve: Let the salad sit at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes before serving if it’s been chilled. This helps bring out all those Mediterranean flavors and makes the olive oil less thick. A quick toss with a spoon will redistribute everything nicely.
| Preparation Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 15-20 minutes |
| Total Time | 30-40 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 2750-3000
- Protein: 34-40 g
- Fat: 180-200 g
- Carbohydrates: 260-280 g
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 2 lb petite white or red potatoes
- 1-2 tsp kosher salt, for boiling
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 7 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 4 oz capers, brine reserved
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup rough chopped fresh dill
For serving:
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Step 1: Boil the Potatoes
- 2 lb petite white or red potatoes
- 1-2 tsp kosher salt, for boiling
Add the petite white or red potatoes to a medium pot and cover them with water by 1 inch.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then add 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
Reduce the heat to maintain a rolling simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork or skewer, about 15 minutes.
Step 2: Prepare the Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing.
In a jar with a lid, combine extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced or crushed garlic, dry mustard, dried thyme, dried oregano, kosher salt, and ground black pepper.
Secure the lid and shake well until the dressing is emulsified.
Set aside until ready to use.
Step 3: Cut and Dress the Potatoes
- cooked potatoes from Step 1
- brine reserved from 4 oz capers
Once the potatoes (from Step 1) are done, drain them and let them cool until comfortable to handle.
Cut the warm potatoes in half or into bite-sized pieces, depending on their size.
While they are still warm, drizzle the reserved caper brine over the potatoes and toss gently to coat.
Set aside to cool slightly.
Step 4: Assemble the Salad
- cooked and dressed potatoes from Step 3
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 7 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 4 oz capers
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup rough chopped fresh dill
- prepared dressing from Step 2
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Once the potatoes have cooled slightly, add the pitted kalamata olives, thinly sliced red onion, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and roughly chopped fresh dill to the potatoes.
Pour the prepared dressing (from Step 2) over the ingredients and gently toss everything together until well combined.
Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
Top with crumbled feta cheese just before serving.
I like to let the salad rest for at least an hour before serving so the potatoes really soak up all the tangy dressing.
Olive Greek Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the potatoes:
- 2 lb petite white or red potatoes
- 1-2 tsp kosher salt, for boiling
For the vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
For the salad:
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 7 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 4 oz capers, brine reserved
- 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup rough chopped fresh dill
For serving:
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Add the petite white or red potatoes to a medium pot and cover them with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then add 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Reduce the heat to maintain a rolling simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork or skewer, about 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the dressing. In a jar with a lid, combine extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, minced or crushed garlic, dry mustard, dried thyme, dried oregano, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Secure the lid and shake well until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside until ready to use.
- Once the potatoes (from Step 1) are done, drain them and let them cool until comfortable to handle. Cut the warm potatoes in half or into bite-sized pieces, depending on their size. While they are still warm, drizzle the reserved caper brine over the potatoes and toss gently to coat. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Once the potatoes have cooled slightly, add the pitted kalamata olives, thinly sliced red onion, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and roughly chopped fresh dill to the potatoes. Pour the prepared dressing (from Step 2) over the ingredients and gently toss everything together until well combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Top with crumbled feta cheese just before serving. I like to let the salad rest for at least an hour before serving so the potatoes really soak up all the tangy dressing.
