Ultra Crispy Baked Potato Wedges

Let’s make homemade crispy potato wedges. Yessss. These potato wedges are impossibly crispy and crackly on the outside, with tender, pillowy potato insides. They’re the perfect homemade solution any time the French fry craving strikes.

These wedges are generously seasoned with pepper, garlic powder and onion powder before baking, which makes them mysteriously and utterly irresistible.

Since these potato wedges are baked in heart-healthy olive oil, rather than deep-fried in canola oil, they are far more redeeming than your average French fries. They’re as healthy as fries can be, basically.

Here’s the secret to making ultra crispy potato wedges: Soak your raw potato wedges in hot water for 10 minutes before baking. This step releases some of the starch in the potatoes and lets them absorb moisture, which leads to crisp outsides and moist interiors.

In fact, with this method, the outsides almost seem to have a double layer of crispness. It’s magical. Granted, you could skip the soaking step if you’re in a hurry, but your potato wedges will be about 80 percent as awesome. (I’ve tried.) We owe a thank you to the geniuses at America’s Test Kitchen for this little trick.

Tips to Make the Best Potato Wedges

Start with quality Russet potatoes, preferably organic since they’re on the dirty dozen list for produce highest in pesticide residue. Look for smooth, firm potatoes. You’ll need about four medium potatoes.

Slice the potatoes into even wedges so they bake evenly. You’ll find instructions below. The last cuts are the most important, when you’re slicing the quartered potatoes into wedges.

Soak the potatoes for 10 minutes. I’ve used hot tap water, but readers warned that pipes leach impurities into hot water, so you maybe better off using water warmed on the stove, or in your tea pot. (Warm it just until it’s hot to the touch, not boiling.)

Season generously with garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper. Garlic and onion powder are magical with potatoes, offering a more complex but subtle flavor. I’ve used them in my recipes for mashed potatoes, roasted breakfast potatoes and hash browns.

Arrange the potatoes evenly across the pan, so each wedge has a flat side against the pan. You’ll need a legit half-sheet pan (affiliate link) to make them all fit. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to divide them across two pans.

Flip halfway through baking. This is a little tedious, but essential to achieving evenly golden, crispy edges all over. You should be able to flip a few wedges at once with a spatula, then scoot them around a bit so they’re in an even layer again.

Don’t pull them out of the oven too early. They should be deeply golden. Crispy potato wedges or bust!

Sprinkle with parsley for bonus points in the looks department. And don’t forget the ketchup. Or mayonnaise, mustard, cheese sauce, whichever strikes your fancy.

Watch How to Make Potato Wedges

Potato Wedge Serving Suggestions

Potato wedges are a great snack on their own, with ketchup, mayonnaise or aioli. Or, serve them as a side with:

Burgers: You have to try these sweet potato and black bean veggie burgers.
Chili: My go-to vegetarian chili or butternut chipotle chili.
Falafel: Serve crispy homemade falafel on sandwiches or salads. Just be sure to soak your chickpeas for 4 to 24 hours in advance.
Grilled cheese sandwiches: My go-to grilled cheese, or balsamic roasted veggie-stuffed grilled cheese.
Mac and cheese: Classic stovetop mac and cheese or creamy vegan mac and cheese.

Please let me know how these potato wedges turn out for you! I always work so hard on my recipes and I’m so eager to hear how they turn out for you. If you get a chance, share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cookieandkate!

If you love this recipe, you definitely don’t want to miss my crispy baked sweet potato fries. If you’re trying to use up your full bag of potatoes, you’ll find more potato recipes here.

Ultra Crispy Baked Potato Wedges

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Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Side Dish
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American

★★★★★

4.8 from 174 reviews

Everyone loves these ultra crispy baked potato wedges! This recipe is easy and turns out perfectly every time. Make these potato wedges whenever the French fry craving strikes! Recipe yields 6 servings.

Scale

Ingredients

2 pounds Russet potatoes (6 smallish or 4 medium), scrubbed clean (I didn’t peel mine)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
Cut each potato in half lengthways, then in half lengthways again to make quarters, and then cut each half in half lengthways on the diagonal to make two wedges (you’ll end up with 8 wedges per potato; make sure they are about the same thickness and size).
Place the sliced potatoes into a large bowl and cover them with hot water (I used hot water from the tap, but others have suggested that pipes can leach impurities into hot water, so it may be best to use cool tap water that has been heated on the stove). Let them soak for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and lightly pat them dry with a lint-free tea towel. Place the potato wedges on the prepared pan and drizzle them with the olive oil. Sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and a generous amount of pepper on top.
Toss until the potatoes are evenly coated in oil and spices, then arrange them in even columns across the pan so each wedge has a cut side against the pan. (If they don’t all fit in an even layer across your pan, you’ll need to use two pans for this recipe—divide them evenly across both pans, and rotate the pans when you flip the potatoes halfway through baking. They may be done baking earlier than specified below so keep an eye on them toward the end.)
Bake for 30 minutes, then flip the wedges over (use a spatula and you should be able to flip several at a time). Arrange them in an even layer and return the pan to the oven.
Bake until the wedges are deeply golden, crisp and easily pierced through by a fork, about 25 to 30 more minutes (the fries near the outside of my pan were done at 25, so I removed them and put the pan back in the oven for 5 more minutes to finish off the rest).
Sprinkle with parsley, if desired, and serve while hot.

Notes

Recipe adapted from my crispy baked French fries.

Change it up: These potato wedges make great cheese fries, too. Once they’re done baking, sprinkle generously with shredded cheddar cheese. Return them to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until golden and bubbly on top. I like to sprinkle them with thinly sliced green onion before serving.

▸ Nutrition Information

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Ultra Crispy Baked Potato Wedges