If you like simple, tangy, and light salads that work well year-round, Patates Salatası (Turkish Potato Salad without mayo) is a great one to try. It’s made with boiled potatoes, fresh herbs, green onions, and a lemony olive oil dressing.
This Mediterranean-style potato salad is flavoured with a little kick from sumac and chili flakes. It comes together quickly and pairs well with grilled meats. It’s an easy, versatile, and flavorful staple in Turkey, perfect as a summer picnic side, a simple lunch, or part of a meze selection.
Jump to:
- Why It Works So Well
- Choosing the Right Potatoes
- Ingredients You'll Need
- How to Make Patates Salatasi - Turkish Potato Salad (No Mayo)
- Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Troubleshooting Common Issues
- Variations & Substitutions
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe FAQs
- Related Recipes
- Patates Salatasi - Turkish Potato Salad (No Mayo)
Why It Works So Well
Light but Flavor-Packed
This mayo-free Patates Salatası stays light and fresh, much like Austrian Potato Salad (Erdäpfelsalat). Olive oil, sumac, and pul biber give it a nice mix of tanginess and gentle heat.
Kid Friendly and Crowd Pleaser
Great for both grown-ups and kids. You can leave out spicy ingredients or eggs for simpler versions.
Make-Ahead Easy
Prepping ahead is a breeze: store dressed or undressed, let it rest for flavors to blend.
Choosing the Right Potatoes
- Waxy potatoes (baby, red, Yukon Gold) hold shape and offer a firm bite.
- Starchy potatoes (Russet) give a softer bite and soak up dressing for a creamier texture.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
- Potatoes - I prefer baby potatoes or waxy potatoes for salad but you can also use red potatoes, Yukon Gold, or starchy potatoes for a softer texture.
- Vegetables and herbs - I use red onions, green onions, flat-leaf parsley, capers, crunchy pickled cucumbers, and fresh dill leaves to mix with the potato salad.
- Olive oil - I always use good quality extra virgin olive oil for salads.
- Lemon juice - Always prefer lemon juice squeezed from fresh lemons instead of bottled lemon juice for a fresher and more delicious taste.
How to Make Patates Salatasi - Turkish Potato Salad (No Mayo)
Wash the potatoes well and boil them whole in salted water until fork-tender. This usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size.
Drain the potatoes and let them cool just enough to handle. Peel them while still warm for the best texture, then cut into bite-sized chunks. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Thinly slice the spring onions and red onion. Dice the pickled cucumber. Roughly chop the parsley and dill. Place them in a large bowl and add the warm potato chunks.
Pour the dressing over and gently toss to coat everything evenly. You can serve it right away, but letting it sit for 15 to 20 minutes helps the flavors come together even more.
Taste again before serving and adjust the lemon, salt, or oil if needed. This salad is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Boil the potatoes whole with the skin on in salted water, then peel them while they’re still warm. It’s easier and helps keep the texture intact.
- If leaving the skins on, scrub the potatoes well, boil until fork-tender (about 15 to 30 minutes depending on size), and cut them right away to help maintain their texture.
- It’s best to dress the potato salad while the potatoes are still warm, as they absorb the flavors more easily at that stage.
- To make this salad ahead, store the components separately and dress it just before serving. Toss everything together with the herbs and a splash of vinegar when ready to serve.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Mushy potatoes | Boil until just fork‑tender; drain and cool quickly |
| Bland taste | Add more acid (lemon or vinegar) or salt; taste after tossing |
| Dry texture | Dress while warm; add extra oil or a squeeze of lemon |
| Wilted herbs | Add greens last minute for freshness |
Variations & Substitutions
You can add some protein to turn this light salad into a full meal:
Hard-boiled eggs: Serve sliced on top.
Cubes of feta cheese add creaminess with a salty punch.
Chickpeas or canned beans make it vegan-friendly yet filling.
You can also add bell peppers (green or red) for crunch and color or Olives (Kalamata or black) for briny pop. Adding a splash of vinegar will add an extra zing to this refreshing Patates Salatasi - Turkish Potato Salad (No Mayo).
Serving Suggestions
This salad fits right into meals like:
- Middle Eastern meze platters: with Kashk e Bademjan - Persian Eggplant Dip, Muhammara, Stuffed Grape Leaves, and Haydari (Turkish Yogurt Dip).
- Outdoor BBQs: side to grilled meats and kebabs such as BBQ Garlic Butter Prawns, Adana Kebap (Adana Kofte), and Patlican Kebabi - Eggplant Kebab.
- Light lunches: serve alongside Greek Pita Bread, Zeytoon Parvardeh - Persian Marinated Olive, feta, or Laffa - Iraqi Flatbread
Recipe FAQs
It’s best kept in the fridge. Freezing changes the texture of cooked potatoes—they become grainy or watery once thawed. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. Stir in a little extra olive oil or lemon juice before serving if it seems dry.
Try chopped green olives, a splash of vinegar, or a few dashes of mustard to add a similar tangy touch.
Soaking thinly sliced onions in cold water for 10 minutes can help mellow their bite. Dry them well before adding to the salad.
Related Recipes
For more delicious and refreshing Mediterranean salad recipes, why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious and tangy Patates Salatasi - Turkish Potato Salad (No Mayo) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
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Patates Salatasi - Turkish Potato Salad (No Mayo)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g potatoes
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 50 ml lemon juice
- 5 green onions (sliced)
- 1 small red onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 small pickled cucumber or gherkin (diced)
- 1 tablespoon capers (chopped)
- ½ cup chopped fresh dill
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes (adjust the amount to your taste)
- 1 teaspoon salt (adjust the amount to your taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash the potatoes well and boil them whole in salted water until fork-tender. This usually takes about 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size.
- Drain the potatoes and let them cool just enough to handle.
- Peel them while still warm for the best texture, then cut into bite-sized chunks.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Thinly slice the spring onions and red onion. Dice the pickled cucumber. Roughly chop the parsley and dill.
- Place the warm potato chunks in a large bowl. Add the spring onions, red onion, pickled cucumber, capers, parsley, and dill.
- Pour the dressing over and gently toss to coat everything evenly.
- You can serve it right away, but letting it sit for 15 to 20 minutes helps the flavors come together even more.
- Taste again before serving and adjust the lemon, salt, or oil if needed. This salad is best served at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Notes
- Boil the potatoes whole with the skin on in salted water, then peel them while they’re still warm. It’s easier and helps keep the texture intact.
- If leaving the skins on, scrub the potatoes well, boil until fork-tender (about 15 to 30 minutes depending on size), and cut them right away to help maintain their texture.
- It’s best to dress the potato salad while the potatoes are still warm, as they absorb the flavors more easily at that stage.
- To make this salad ahead, store the components separately and dress it just before serving. Toss everything together with the herbs and a splash of vinegar when ready to serve.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. Stir in a little extra olive oil or lemon juice before serving if it seems dry.
Laura
I served it with baked salmon, and it went down so well! Very easy to make too.
Ayla Clulee
Thank you so much, Laura!