These Baked Potato Wedges are seasoned with zesty blend of spices and baked until gloriously crispy on the outside, and soft and fluffy inside! They’re the perfect side dish!
This is one of my Side Dish recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
If you love crispy fries, then this post is for you!
I can’t stand soggy or wimpy fries/wedges, so you know I had to bring you the crispiest baked potato wedges around.
These wedge fries are packed with flavor, and baked to crispy perfection… no deep frying needed.
I use a couple of fun tricks to crisp up the potatoes, and share a method for getting even crispier potatoes in the “chef tips” section below the full recipe.
So grab some potatoes and your favorite dipping sauce (Cajun remoulade or homemade ranch anyone?), and let’s make some baked potato wedges that will knock your socks off!
How to make baked potato wedges?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Slice potatoes. Make sure you use a sharp knife for this, and be careful!
- Toss with oil and garlic. Tossing the potatoes with these first helps all the other seasonings stick.
- Toss with seasonings. I like to use my hands to really rub the seasonings into the potatoes.
- Bake. The two-step baking process gets these potato wedges nice and crisp!
Helpful Tip!
The secret to getting super crisp baked potato wedges (well one of them anyway), is to make sure the wedges are spread out a bit on the baking sheet. If you pile them all up on the baking sheet, there won’t be enough room for the hot air to circulate, and they’ll end up sort of steaming, instead of getting golden brown and crispy. So for that reason, I like to bake these on several baking sheets, and they all end up beautifully crisp.
Variations of this recipe
- Oil – you can use just about any oil you’d like for this recipe. Vegetable, olive, avocado, sunflower, etc.
- Paprika – this recipe calls for regular paprika, but for some extra flavor, try using smoked paprika instead.
- Seasonings – speaking of seasonings, feel free to use a combination of your favorites, and/or adjust the seasoning amounts to your tastes.
- Garlic – to save some time, feel free to use pre-minced jarred garlic, or a squeeze of garlic paste (we love Gourmet Garden brand). You’ll want about 2 Tbsp.
- Air fryer – while I haven’t tested this recipe in my air fryer, I’m certain it can be done. I can’t speak to the exact baking time and temperature, but if you experiment, I’d love to know how it turns out!
FAQ’s
They definitely can. We prefer the texture and consistency of Russet potatoes, and that’s what this recipe was designed for. If you’d like to use other potatoes, the baking time may be a little different, so you’ll need to do some experimenting.
Adding starch to the outside of the potatoes gets them super crispy during the baking process. It’s all very scientific, but if you’d like more details, Cook’s Illustrated has a great article about it.
Making wedge fries ahead of time
For the best texture, I don’t recommend making these potato wedges completely ahead of time.
However, you can definitely prep ahead of time.
How to prep ahead for this recipe:
- Cheese – if you’re using fresh Parmesan, it can be grated/shredded and stored in the refrigerator.
- Garlic – the garlic can be minced and stored in the refrigerator.
- Seasonings – all seasonings can be measured and stored at room temperature.
Storage
Leftover potato wedges should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 2-3 days.
More Potato Side Dish Recipes:
My Favorite Sheet Pan!
I’ve had many of these baking sheets for years and they hold up so well! Plus, as a bonus, this one includes an oven-safe cooling/baking rack.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 5 large russet potatoes washed and dried
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Instructions
Prepare
- After washing and drying the potatoes, slice one potato in half lengthwise. Then slice each half into 4 equally sized wedges. Repeat with all potatoes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
Mix potatoes
- Add potato wedges to a large mixing bowl, then add vegetable oil and garlic. Stir to combine.
- Add Parmesan, cornstarch, black pepper, salt, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, and minced cilantro. Stir to combine. ** I find the best way to really mix the seasonings into the potatoes is to use your hands. **
Bake
- Spread the potato wedges evenly onto prepared baking sheets. Make sure you leave space in between each wedge so the hot air can circulate. ** I had the best results when placing the potatoes skin side down, with the point facing upwards. **
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Keep the baking sheets in the oven, and change the temperature to 375°F. Continue baking another 40 minutes, or until as crispy and golden brown as you'd like.
Serve
- Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce!
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Chef Tips
- This recipe should yield about 40 potato wedges, which I’ve estimated could serve approximately 8 people. As always, feel free to divide the wedges into whichever size serving you’d like.
For even crispier potato wedges:
- Once the potatoes have been sliced into wedges, add them to a bowl with cold water and soak them for about 30-45 minutes.
- Then drain the water, and pat the potato wedges super dry, and continue with the recipe.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
kathy pregmon says
Hi,
I’m going to make these potatoes for 40 people. Someone told me they’re delicious so I thought I’d make them. Can I make them a day or 2 ahead and then reheat them in the oven at the church where the dinner is being held? I also was wondering about how many pounds of potatoes I would need. The recipe just says ‘5 large russet potatoes’ but not how much they weigh.
Thank you so much.
The Chunky Chef says
This isn’t a recipe that can really be made ahead of time and still have the same crispy texture. I do have ways to prep ahead listed in the post above the recipe though. I don’t specify a weight for these potatoes, as it doesn’t really need to be that precise. An average large russet potato would be between 7-13ish oz. So the exact amount would depend on what else is being served, how hungry your guests are, and if they’re potato lovers. This recipe serves 8 as written, so you would need to 5x the recipe for 40.
jack says
I like/use all your spice mix, but how about if I use a pinch of greek oregano instead of cilantro…..since I have this amazing dry oregano that comes on a plane with greek friends that bring olive oil from their orchards too…….does life get any better?,,,,best of season chunky, you’ve got my vote!!
The Chunky Chef says
I think that would be delicious! How awesome that your friends bring that back for you 🙂
Dana Schlecker says
These are amazing! It doesn’t matter who I serve these to everyone rants and raves about how good they are. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Christine Espinoza says
These are addicting and great!!!
JackSmith says
is the minced cilantro the cilantro i have that is mccormicks cilantro leaves in a jar?
The Chunky Chef says
This recipe calls for fresh minced cilantro, not dried herbs.
Kathleen says
These were outstanding! I did leave out the cilantro as my husband dislikes it.
Great texture and the flavor is delicious.
Daniel Doaner says
Made these last night they were awesome
Amanda Wilson says
These are by far, the best baked potato wedge I have ever made, and I have made a few. As stated in your notes, I soaked the wedges for about 3 hours and followed the recipe exactly, except adding a bit of fresh Parmesan as well. Not only did they have the best flavor, but they were the perfect amount of crispiness on the outside, and fluffiness on the inside. My husband said they were gourmet and to only make these. Thank you for another amazing recipe!