Turkish Potato Salad: Patates Salatasi with Sumac and Lemon

Name: Turkish Potato Salad (Patates Salatasi)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 2 lbs Yukon Gold or waxy potatoes, boiled whole; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1½ teaspoons sumac; ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red chili flakes; Salt and black pepper to taste; ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped; 4 green onions, thinly sliced; ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced; Fresh dill or mint, optional

Posted on July 6, 2026

Turkish potato salad made with tender potatoes, fresh herbs, onions, and a zesty olive oil and lemon dressing.

Mediterranean & Middle East Recipes

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⏱ Prep: 10 min 🔥Cook: 20 min 👤Serves: 4–6 🌿Diet: Vegan, gluten-free

Turkish potato salad, patates salatasi is nothing like the mayonnaise-heavy version most Americans grew up with, and that’s entirely the point. Tender potatoes tossed while still warm in a dressing of good olive oil, fresh lemon juice and sumac, scattered with green onion, flat-leaf parsley, red onion and a pinch of chili flakes. Light enough to sit on a mezze table in summer heat without anyone worrying about it, and honest enough to serve as a side dish all year.

Ingredients

2 lbs Yukon Gold or waxy potatoes, boiled whole in their skins; they hold their shape and absorb the dressing better than pre-cut potatoes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, use a good one with no heavy sauce to hide behind, the olive oil matters
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1½ teaspoons sumac, the defining spice of this salad; adds a citrusy tang that lemon alone can’t replicate. If unavailable, add extra lemon juice, though the flavor will differ.
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red chili flakes, adjust to taste
Salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
4 green onions, thinly sliced
½ small red onion, very thinly sliced, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes to mellow the sharpness, then drained and dried
Fresh dill or mint, optional, a small handful of either adds a nice lift

Step by step

Boil the potatoes whole. Place the unpeeled potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook until completely fork-tender all the way through, about 20–25 minutes depending on size. Drain well.Boiling whole in their skins keeps the potatoes from becoming waterlogged and falling apart. They hold their shape far better than pre-cut potatoes, and they’re easier to peel while still warm.
Soak the red onion. While the potatoes cook, place the thinly sliced red onion in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry. This mellow the raw sharpness without losing the flavor entirely.
Peel and cut while warm. As soon as the potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, peel them, the skin slips off easily at this stage. Cut into rough chunks or thick rounds, about 1 inch.
Dress while warm. Transfer the warm potato chunks to a large bowl. Immediately pour over the olive oil and lemon juice, and sprinkle with sumac, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Toss gently to coat, the warm potatoes will absorb the dressing rather than just being coated on the outside.Dressing warm potatoes is not optional for this salad. Cold potatoes won’t absorb the oil and lemon the same way, and the result tastes flat rather than richly seasoned all the way through.
Add the herbs and vegetables. Add the green onions, soaked red onion, parsley, and dill or mint if using. Toss gently, using two spoons to lift from the bottom rather than stirring vigorously, the goal is to keep the potato pieces intact.
Rest and serve. Let the salad sit at room temperature for at least 20–30 minutes before serving so the flavors come together. Taste and adjust lemon, sumac or salt just before plating.

What sumac does that lemon can’t

Both are acidic. Both are tart. But sumac brings a deeper, earthier, slightly fruity tang on top of the acidity, closer to tamarind than citrus, and it clings to the surface of the potatoes in a way that lemon juice alone doesn’t.

It’s also what gives the salad its characteristic faint reddish-purple tint. You can make this without sumac, and it will still taste good. But it won’t taste Turkish.

Make it your own

Claire’s note
Hard-boiled eggs quartered on top turn this into something closer to a full mezze dish. Kalamata olives or pickled cucumbers add a briny depth that works well with the lemony dressing. For a heartier version, toss in a can of drained chickpeas. The salad keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days, before serving, let it come back to room temperature and refresh with a small drizzle of olive oil and an extra squeeze of lemon, since the dressing tends to get absorbed further as it sits.

Serve with

Turkish potato salad is a classic part of a mezze spread, a side to grilled meats, or part of a Turkish breakfast table, where almost anything edible is considered a fair addition. For more from the Turkish collection the Middle Eastern recipes collection have it all.

Add Turkish potato salad to your weekly meal planner, make a double batch and it keeps for days, improving as it sits. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.