The best roasted potato wedges (2 ways!)

These roasted potato wedges are crispy, well-seasoned, and baked to perfection. If you have a craving for French fries but want something healthier that comes together in no time, these oven-baked potato wedges are the perfect solution! I couldn’t decide on the best seasoning for them so I included two different versions: spicy seasoning and parmesan lemon parsley seasoning that is also more kid-friendly.

Ingredients:

 Best potatoes for roasted potato wedges

There are 3 main types of potatoes:

• starchy/mealy (like Russets, Idaho) – they are high in starch and low in moisture, they don’t hold their shape very well, but are fluffy on the inside, they are great for mashing, baking, and boiling
• all-purpose (mixed potato type, like Yukon Gold)
• waxy (like fingerling potatoes, red potatoes, white potatoes, or new potatoes) are low in starch and high in moisture, hold their shape well after cooking, have firm flesh, and are great for potato salad and roasting

So what is the best potato type for potato wedges? The answer is: it depends!

I tested all types of potatoes for this recipe and we liked waxy or all-purpose potatoes best. They are super crunchy and have nice firm flesh, that I love. If you prefer fluffy/plushy insides and crispy outsides, choose mealy potatoes. Both potato types will be crunchy on the outside!

Do I need to peel potatoes for potato wedges?

You can also choose whether you would like them skinless or skin on. I personally prefer them with skin on, but this is really a personal preference. Baked potato skins are crunchy and super delicious, just make sure to brush your potatoes thoroughly!

Seasoning for potato wedges

I included two types of seasoning for these roasted potato wedges because I simply couldn’t decide which one is best. Sometimes we prefer nicely spiced, hot potato wedges (although they are not overly spicy!) and sometimes we go in a different direction by seasoning them with parsley, parmesan, and lemon. The second seasoning is more kid-friendly, our daughter won’t touch anything that is just a little bit spicy, but she absolutely adores these cheesy parmesan wedges.

For spicy potato wedges, you’ll need: garlic powder, paprika, oregano, chili powder (for those not in the US: this is not pure ground chili but a spice mix!), salt, and pepper. If you’ve made my homemade fajita seasoning, you could use that instead, it’s very similar!

For the cheesy potatoes, you’ll need:

• parmesan cheese (make sure to grate the cheese yourself and do not use pre-grated cheese, the substances added to this cheese that prevent it from clumping may burn in the oven, also the flavor of freshly grated cheese is much better)
• lemon zest – for a nice, refreshing flavor
• parsley – fresh or dried parsley, I prefer to use dried parsley as it doesn’t burn easily

Don’t add more parmesan cheese as it will slide off of the potatoes and burn on the baking sheet. You could add a little bit more cheese under the potatoes – be sure to add it on the side that is facing the baking sheet which will create a crusty bottom.

If you want a lot of parmesan on your potatoes, you can either:

• sprinkle them with more cheese 5 minutes before the end of baking time, or
• make parmesan-crusted potatoes: add the grated parmesan at the bottom of a baking dish, top with potato halves (it’s best to use small potatoes), and bake this way. All the cheese should be covered with potatoes. This way the cheese won’t burn and the potatoes will have nice, crusty cheesy bottoms.

Other seasoning ideas – you can also season your potato wedges with:

• Curry powder
• Cajun seasoning
• Garlic powder + fresh rosemary (finely chopped) + paprika powder

How to cut potatoes into wedges

STEP 1: First you want to place the potato on its side and slice it in half lengthwise using a large knife (see photo 1).

STEP 2: Then place the cut side of the potato down on the cutting board and cut into (photos 2+3):

• 2 parts (if your potatoes are small)
• 3 parts (if your potatoes are medium-sized): cut your potato halves in thirds, lengthwise, on a 60 degree angle, from the outside of the potato to the center line where it hits the cutting board
• 4 parts (for large potatoes): cut each potato half in half, and then again in half until you have 4 even-sized wedges.

How to make spicy potato wedges step by step

STEP 1: First you will preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

STEP 2: Next, line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

STEP 3: Make sure to wash the potatoes and clean thoroughly with a brush.

STEP 4: Cut potatoes into wedges (photo 1) and add to a large bowl.

STEP 5: In a small bowl, combine olive oil with spices (photo 2).

STEP 6: Toss potatoes with spices until wedges are evenly coated (photo 3+4).

It’s important to combine the spices with olive oil first in a small bowl and not just sprinkle it over potatoes. This way all the potatoes are evenly spiced.

STEP 7: (photo 5) Lay the potato wedges spaced out on a baking tray with the cut-side down (without overcrowding them).

STEP 8: Roast the wedges for 30 minutes or until crunchy and golden.

There is no parchment paper on this photo because my sheet pan is non-stick! If your pan in not non-stick, use parchment paper to ensure that your potato wedges won’t stick to it!

Lemon, parmesan, and parsley potatoes

STEP 1: First, preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

STEP 2: Next, line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

STEP 3: Make sure to wash the potatoes and clean thoroughly with a brush.

STEP 4: Cut potatoes into wedges and add to a large bowl.

STEP 5: Combine olive oil with spices and parmesan. Leftover cheese in the bowl should be applied on this side of the wedge that will be facing baking sheet, otherwise it will slide off of the potatoes while roasting and burn on the baking sheet.

STEP 6: Toss potato wedges with spices until well covered.

STEP 7: Lay the wedges spaced out on a baking tray (do not overcrowd) being sure to place them cut-side down.

STEP 8: Roast the wedges for 30 minutes or until crunchy and golden.

Top tips

• The best potato type for these wedges really depends on your own preferences, there’s no right or wrong. Choose russet potatoes if you like fluffy soft insides, and waxy potatoes if you like firm potato wedges (my preference!).
• If you like you can soak the potatoes in water for about 30 minutes. Many websites swear they’re more crunchy after being soaked. I have tried this, both with cold water and hot water, and just couldn’t notice any difference and I’ve tried soaked and not-soaked potatoes side by side! There was no difference for me, regardless of whether the potatoes were waxy or mealy. If you choose to soak the potatoes, you need to pat them dry with paper towels so that the spices can adhere to them and so they come out crispy – there’s a lot of work involved!
• Bake your potatoes at a high temperature – they will come out super crunchy.
• It is best to buy even-sized potatoes or cut into even thicknesses (small potatoes into 4 wedges, medium into 6 wedges, and large into 8 wedges). This way the wedges will bake more evenly, otherwise, some wedges may be burned while others may be undercooked.
• Combine the spices with olive oil in a bowl before tossing them with the potatoes – this way all your potato wedges will be evenly spiced.
• Combine the potatoes with spices in a bowl then put them on the baking sheet, otherwise, the spices will burn on the baking sheet.
• Don’t overcrowd the potatoes on the baking sheet otherwise they will steam instead of roast. I roasted mine on two pans.

What to serve them with

• Condiments: You will want to have some of your favorite condiments such as ketchup, aioli, honey mustard, yum yum sauce, bang bang sauce, or even hot sauce (like peri peri sauce) to add a dash of extra flavor.
• You can serve these potato wedges as a side dish with:
  • Breaded chicken cutlets
  • Chicken fritters
  • roast chicken
  • steak
  • Mayo parmesan chicken
  • sunny-side-up eggs for a quick and simple vegetarian dinner!

Storage and reheating

• These wedges do taste best freshly made so it’s best if you make an appropriate amount to start.
• If you do have leftover wedges, you can reheat them at 400°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes or until warm.
• If you should choose to freeze them, you will want to roast them, let them cool, freeze in a single layer, transfer to bags or containers and to reheat, bake from frozen at 350°F (180°C) until warm, approximately 20-25 minutes.

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!