Soft and tender on the inside and crispy and crunchy on the outside and edges, these Oven Baked Potato Wedges are restaurant quality and so easy to make. They’re great for snacking or make the perfect side dish to any meal!
If you’re like me, then you love a good potato side dish. Whether it’s french fries, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes or these perfectly crispy oven baked potato wedges, there ain’t no denying that they’re always reliably delicious. Am I right?
And what’s better is when they’re easy to make, taste like something you’d get outta a restaurant kitchen and are baked to crispy perfection every single time. These potato wedges are easily customizable with all your favourite seasonings and dipping sauces. And they’re a great appetizer, side dish or snack, for anyone, any time of day!
Potato wedges are one of those classic things you just knnnow everyone is going to love. With minimal effort and ingredients, you can elevate a single potato into something truly magical. The crisp outer edges are nothing short of a match made in heaven for the soft and pillowy insides. And hey, you really don’t even need to get fancy or crazy with it. Salt and pepper will do jusssst fine.
On that note, though, I ain’t ever met a seasoning combo that a potato didn’t like. And trust me when I say that the options of getting crazy or fancy with it, if you wanted to, are actually endless. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get cookin’.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THESE SIMPLE BAKED POTATO WEDGES
The list is short and sweet as you really don’t need many ingredients to achieve restaurant quality potato wedges at home. Let’s discuss them in a little bit more detail down below:
- Potatoes: My favourite potatoes to use for this recipe for potato wedges is russet (also known as Idaho) potatoes. They have dark brown skin with a meaty, white flesh making them perfect for potato wedges. PRO TIP: When choosing your potatoes, try and go for long/tall wide ones rather than short and stubby ones to give you the best results.
- Salt/Pepper: Even the basic of the basic seasoning blend such as salt and pepper will make these babies come to life. Since this is where most of the flavour comes from, feel free to add any other spice or seasoning you want to the mix. Don’t be shy, get creative with it!
- Oil: Helps the seasonings stick to the potatoes and helps them crisp up in the oven as they bake. Since the oil also adds flavour to the potatoes, I like using olive oil or avocado oil for this.
- Fresh Parsley: Optional but adds freshness and a pop of colour to the dish. Makes for a nice garnish. However, you can use other fresh herbs instead (such as thyme or basil) or omit completely, if you prefer.
HOW DO YOU WEDGE A POTATO?
I know the first time I ever laid my eyes on a potato wedge, I was all “but hoOoOWwwwW do they cut them into such perfect wedges?!?!!?” Cutting a potato into wedges might seem a little bit intimidating or tricky at first but trust me, it could not be any easier. And once you have this simple method down pat, you’ll be a potato wedge making pro in no time.
The easiest way I find for cutting potatoes into wedges is by first starting out with the proper potato. If you can swing it, try and go for long/tall potatoes that are round and wide in size. Medium to large sized ones. For this particular recipe, I prefer russet or Idaho potatoes with the skin left on. However, you do you, boo.
To cut a potato into wedges, you first want to ensure that you’re making all your cuts lengthwise (from top to bottom of the potato) and not through the width (from side to side). Start by cutting it in half directly down the center and then cut those halves in half again. I know, so many halves! But if you just remember that one rule (half, half, half) then you’ll always end up with perfect potato wedges. Depending on how big your potatoes are, 4-6 halves per potato are generally enough to get the job done.
HOW TO MAKE POTATO WEDGES COME OUT PERFECTLY CRISPY EVERY SINGLE TIME (KEY TIPS)
You can find full instructions for how to make these crispy baked potato wedges in the recipe card down below, but here are a few quick tips to keep in mind:
- Cut the potatoes into even size wedges to ensure even cooking in the same amount of time. See the section above for my tips on how to cut potatoes into wedges.
- Soak the potato wedges in cold water for 30 minutes prior to seasoning and baking. This will release some of the potato starches and is an essential step to achieving that extra crispy potato wedge.
- Pat the potato wedges dry with paper towel after soaking and before seasoning. This will ensure no moisture remains prior to baking, giving you the best and crispiest results.
- Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Not only does this help with easy clean up but it also helps prevent the potato wedges from sticking to the baking sheet. EXTRA TIP: If you notice that the potato wedges are in fact sticking to the pan after baking, simply allow them to cool down for a few minutes before attempting to flip or move them. Once slightly cooled, they should easily be able to release from the pan without any issue.
- Season the potato wedges with salt and pepper and/or other seasonings of choice before baking. This is where most of the flavour comes from. So, be generous with the seasonings and ensure all the wedges are nicely coated for best results. EXTRA TIP: Don’t be afraid to use your hands to toss. You want to really ensure that the potato wedges are completely covered in the oil and seasonings!
- Place the potato wedges flesh side aka cut side down on the baking sheet and avoid lining them up with just the bottom (skin) touching. Since you flip them once throughout baking, both sides of the exposed flesh will have a chance to evenly crisp up as they bake in the oven. EXTRA TIP: Ensure there is enough room around each wedge so air can circulate as they bake making them extra crispy. This means no touching or overlapping the potato wedges on the baking sheet at any time.
- Flip the potato wedges halfway through baking to ensure even cooking on both sides.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Aside from the above mentioned rules you should follow if you want to avoid a soggy potato, soaking your potato wedges in cold water before cooking will give you the best and crispiest results. They’ll release some of their starches as they soak which in turn will help them cook up evenly with no gummy texture. Avoid using hot water as it reacts with the starch making it harder for it to release from the potatoes. A soak time of about 30 minutes is good enough for this homemade potato wedge recipe.
There are a few reasons why you could have ended up with soggy wedges. First, you didn’t pat them dry enough after soaking. You want to really get in there and use the paper towel to absorb as much of the leftover moisture as you can before seasoning and baking. Moisture will really affect the potato wedges’ ability to crisp up in the oven.
Second, you added too much oil before baking. You don’t want to douse them in oil before baking. You simply want to coat them enough so the seasonings stick and that they crisp up in the oven as they cook.
And finally, you didn’t give the potato wedges enough room to breathe on the baking sheet. No overlapping or touching here as air needs to circulate in order for them to come out nice and crispy as they bake up in the oven.
zPotato wedges make an amazing side dish to so many meals that I think the better question is what doesn’t go well with potato wedges? Try them next to some jerk chicken or oven baked chicken drumsticks, some grilled pork souvlaki skewers, or these mini zucchini pizza bites.
Or, serve them up as is with these favourite dipping sauces: 5 minute garlic aioli, easy homemade mayo, smokey chipotle mayo, tzatziki sauce or ranch dressing.
LOVE POTATO WEDGES? Try my crispy air fryer sweet potato wedges next!
MORE GREAT POTATO RECIPES
CRISPY SMASHED POTATOES WITH SOUR CREAM
CREAMY SPINACH MASHED POTATOES
LOVE THIS RECIPE? PIN IT FOR LATER!
CRISPY BAKED POTATO WEDGES
Ingredients
- 2 large Russet Potatoes
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley chopped, optional
- Generous amount of Salt and Pepper (or other seasonings of choice)
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into wedges. The best way I find to do this: Cut the potato in half lengthwise.
- Then cut that half in half again lengthwise.
- If you find the wedges still pretty big at this point, you can cut them in half again to get your desired size. But sometimes, depending on how big your potatoes are, 4 simple halves is all you need.
- Add the potato wedges to a large bowl and fill it with cold water. Soak the wedges for a minimum of 30 minutes which releases some of it's starches and is an essential step in making them extra crispy.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and preheat the oven to 450°F. Drain the potato wedges from the water and pat them dry with paper towel trying to absorb as much moisture as you can.
- Add the oil and salt and pepper and/or your seasonings of choice and toss well to coat. I like to use my hands for this just to ensure that all the wedges are really nicely coated.
- Place the potato wedges in a single layer on the rimmed baking sheet with enough room between each to breathe (no touching or overlapping).
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are crisp on the outsides and soft in the middle, flipping halfway through.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with all your favourite dipping sauces, if desired. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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