How to Make Potato Wedges - Recipes, Tips, Oven-Baked, Crispy

Crispy Potato wedges are deep-fried or oven-baked, chunky slices of potatoes that are seasoned with pepper, salt and various dried herbs and spices. Wedges are a popular party and bar food and make excellent side dish for grilled steak and chicken. They are also a fabulous snack food and kids love them.

Potato wedges baked in the oven rather than being deep fried give you all the goodness, texture, crispy skin and flavor of potatoes without all the fat of deep-fried potato wedges. You an experiment with all sorts of potato varieties - russet, yellow, white, red skinned, blue and purple. All of them make good potato wedges, but some are better than other. Chose varieties that bake well. You can also make delicious wedges using sweet potatoes. You can add also all sort of flavors, rubs dried herbs and spices to give them your own unique flavor and color. Leave the skins on because most of the nutrients in potatoes are near the skin and the skins provide extra color and textures. See the variety of recipes below and learn the secrets of making crispy skinned wedges at home from scratch.

Potato wedges are a deligfht when prepared and cooked properly. See how to make them here. — Potato wedges are a delight when prepared and cooked properly. See how to make them here. Source: Public Domain

What Are the Secrets for Making Crispy-Skinned Wedges

The jury is still out on how to make sure your wedges are crisp every time. It depends on the temperature of your oven, how you handle the potatoes, and how much oil you want to use. Here are a few ideas to try:

Make sure that you don't cut them too thin or thick. Rinse the wedges in cold water to remove the starch on the outside, and dry thoroughly.
Coat wedges with a little olive oil in a baking pan. Spread the potato wedges out as a single layer. Sprinkle with salt, herbs and spices and other seasonings. Put under the broiler in the oven for 7 - 10 minutes, or until the potatoes have a browned and have crispy skin. Flip the wedges over and cook the other side (about an extra 5 minutes.
Coating the wedges in olive or grape seed oil. Mix superfine breadcrumbs salt, pepper and various seasonings in a plastic bag, add the wedges and mix thoroughly. Then bake them in a single layer in a cast iron frying pan or on a very dark colored cookie sheet in an oven preheated hot oven at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 15-20 mins (depending on size of the wedges).
Many claim the secret to a good crispy wedges is to par-boil them first. Boiling the potatoes for a few minutes first, and then finishing them off in the oven, makes sure you get a light fluffy inside, and a perfectly crispy outside layer.
Bake the whole, washed and brushed potatoes with the skin on, at 390 degrees C (200 degrees C) for about 60 minutes until soft inside. Cut the hot potatoes into chunky wedges, drizzle with olive oil, and place on the hot baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and dried herbs and spices such as rosemary. Return to the oven and roast until crispy.
Cook the wedges on a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet. This means that they can be cooked faster without flipping as the air in the oven circulates around the wedges.

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Potato Wedges Recipes (including Sweet Potatoes)

Indicative Nutritional Analysis (depends on oil):

One serving (12 wedges) equals 134 calories, 4 g protein, 3 g fiber, 27 g carbohydrate, 74 mg sodium, 0 cholesterol and 4 g fat (0 saturated fat).

Par-boiled Method

2 Large Potatoes cleaned, peeled and cut into thick wedges about 1/4 inch thick
Salt and Pepper - To Taste
1-2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder

Add the potato wedges to large pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer vigorously for 2-4 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and wait until this temperature is reached
Remove the potatoes, drain and rinse with cold water several times to cool. Dry to remove excess water.
Mix the cooled potato wedges with the other ingredients in a bowl.
Place the wedges onto a sheet of parchment paper coated with cooking spray in a shallow pan.
Lightly spray the potatoes with baking cooking spray and season with salt and pepper.
Bake the wedges for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Flip the wedges over, about midway through cooking time.

Method using Eggs to Coat the Wedges

6 medium-sized unpeeled baking potatoes, scrubbed so that the skin can be left on
1 1/2 cups general purpose flour
Cooking oil spray, or olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Slice the potatoes into wedges, rinse in cold water to remove the starch and dry with a cloth or paper towel. Set aside.
Preheat the oven hot, about 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Combine flour, paprika, seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder and ground black pepper in a freezer bag and shake vigorously to mix the ingredients.
Dip the potato wedges in beaten egg, swipe off on the side of the bowl. Transfer 5 to 10 wedges at a time to the freezer bag and shake until the wedges are evenly coated.
Place the coated wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes and then flip over and bake the other side for another 5 minutes and check that the wedges are golden brown and crisp.
Remove from the oven and cool

Spicy Wedges Recipe

6-8 medium potatoes
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Optional extras
cayenne pepper
paprika
grated Parmesan cheese
chives
dried parsley

Wash and scrub potatoes (or by clean brushed potatoes) and rinse under cold water. Pat dry.
Cut potatoes into wedges (about 5-8 wedges from each potato).
Using a large mixing bowl, toss the potatoes in the oil to coat them. Or, put the potato wedges and oil into a large plastic bag and shake vigorously to coat.
Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add the potatoes and toss to coat.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Spread the wedges out to form a single layer on a lightly greased or sprayed baking sheet.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until potatoes are brown and crisp.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Potato Wedges - Recipe 1

2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 large tubers)
2 Tablespoons of olive oil, canola or other vegetable oil
1-2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
1-2 Tablespoon of dried herbs and spices
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 445 degrees F (230 degrees C)
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into wedges.
Add the wedges to a large bowl, sprinke with oil and coat thoroughly.
Sprinkle with sugar, salt, dried herbs and spices of your choice.
Add the wedges to a baking sheet and spread out in a single layer.
Bake for a total of 25-30 minutes, flipping the wedges after 12-15 minutes, until they are well browned.
Cool for 5 minutes before serving hot.

Sweet Potato Wedges - Recipe 2

2 sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Juice of one lime
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 455 degrees F (235 degrees C).
Wash, peel and dry the sweet potatoes and slice into rounds half an inch thick (1 cm). Then cut the rounds into finger-shaped pieces. Toss the potatoes in a bowl with the chili powder, oil, garlic powder and salt.
Spread the wedge out as a single layer on a baking sheet and roast, stirring and flipping every 10-15 minutes, until brown and crisp, (about 25 to 35 minutes).
Remove from the oven, cool a little and serve.