Crispy Baked Potato Wedges Recipe | Cook It Real Good (2024)

FAQs

Why are my potato wedges not crispy? ›

Note: If possible, soak sliced potato wedges in cold water for at least 20 minutes (or even overnight). It's a way to rid them of excess starch. Starch makes things crumbly and soft. Removing starch by soaking and rinsing is a great way to yield the crispiest possible result.

Spread the wedges out on a large baking sheet or two smaller ones. Toss with the oil and 1 tsp salt (preferably sea salt) and spread out so that they aren't overlapping. Roast for 30 mins, turning halfway until golden and crisp.

If you're reheating potato wedges that have been stored in the fridge, place them on a baking tray into a very HOT oven and cook until they crisp up again.

If you oil them up early, the skins may not turn crispy. The salt, too, can run off the potatoes in the heat. Instead, do a quick oil baste after the potatoes reach 205°F: Remove the pan from the oven. Brush with olive oil (or bacon grease if you have it) and a hefty sprinkle of kosher salt.

When the corn starch comes into contact with the hot oil, it forms a barrier that traps moisture within the potato while also developing a crunchy crust. This results in fries that are both tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, mimicking the texture of fries you might find in restaurants.

Soaking the sliced potatoes in water helps to draw out some of the starch from the middle of the potato, resulting in a sturdier, crispier French fry.

Right amount of oil.

Too much and it actually makes them soggy. Too little and the seasoning doesn't stick on the wedges and the wedges stick to the baking tray.

Lightly coat your leftover baked potatoes with cooking spray or olive oil. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Leave space around them to allow the air to circulate. Air fry your potatoes for 10 to 15 minutes, until they're browned and heated throughout.

Soggy fries have usually either been cooked in oil that isn't hot enough, or were cooked in too large a batch, overcrowding the pan and reducing the heat. The secret to getting tasty French fries that are crisp on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside is to fry them twice.

Potato baking temperatures range from 350˚ to 450˚F. The sweet spot seems to be at 400˚F, a temperature that cooks the potato all the way through and crisps the skin without singeing it. That said, you don't need to strictly adhere to a certain temperature every time you bake a potato.

Should I salt potatoes before baking? ›

Why is it common to salt the exterior of a baked potato? A: Chefs started doing this years ago to allow the salt to absorb or draw out the moisture of the potato while baking, which results in a dry, fluffy potato. They used to do something similar with prime rib, sometimes baking it over rock salt.

Adding oil to potatoes before baking is perfectly fine, just a personal preference. Without oil the Idaho russet skin bakes up crispy, with oil the skin will carry a lot of the flavor of the oil so some people have a preference for using olive oil or peanut oil.

Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy. Try placing oil in a spray bottle or using an aerosol to apply the oil to the potatoes. Lastly, ensure that the potatoes are dry before you add the oil.

If they are still not crispy you might have skipped a step or you might not have let them cool down sufficiently. Make sure to cool them in a single even layer and also make sure that the oil has the right temperature. Or maybe you've used the wrong potatoes to make them.