Homemade Crispy Potato Wedges
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Homemade Crispy Potato Wedges are on constant rotation in our house. They taste so much fresher than store bought and they are seasoned to perfection. They are easy to make in the oven but even quicker to make in the air-fryer. I’ll give you tips for both methods and plenty of advice on how to achieve the crispiest wedges in town. No soaking and no extra flour needed so they are naturally gluten-free.
I love a good shortcut in my kitchen, after all, I have four children so it’s mandatory if we’re all getting fed in reasonable time. But frozen potato wedges ain’t it.
Luke, my husband, owns the potato preparation in our house. There is a reason we call them “Luke’s Wedges’ or ‘Luke’s Chips.’ He nailed these homemade potato wedges to perfection. Weeeelllll, almost. I might have slipped him the jar of my homemade everyday seasoning which takes these Crispy Wedges to dream dinner territory.
Our preferred way to make these will be the oven as we can make more and we’re a large family. But I have to say, I was convinced to buy an airfryer and this nifty device does mean I can get the wedges on the table even quicker.
We’ll go through:
- Oven vs. air-fryer method.
- The easy way to get these wedges well-seasoned.
- Tips to make sure your wedges are ultra-crispy.
- How to prep-ahead so you can cut down on mid-week dinner chaos.
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Potato Wedges
- Perfectly seasoned with my Homemade Everyday Seasoning. So easy to grab if you already have some made up for quick and easy wedge preparation.
- No pre-soaking necessary for the potatoes.
- The par-boil, steam dry and tossing of the potatoes to roughen up the edges pre-bake leads to the crispiest wedges.
- Oven-method and air-fryer method given.
Best Potatoes For Crispy Wedges
Having tested numerous potatoes I can concur that my personal favourite was Maris Piper. It did give the fluffiest and crunchiest result. However, don’t worry if you can’t get hold of them. We have three big name local supermarkets near us and I have to say that it can be hit and miss which potatoes are available. Here’s what you’ll get with other varieties (and all are delicious!!).
Maris Piper. These are the go-to floury potato which are great all-rounders and work for mash, chips, wedges, roasties. That’s because of their high starch content which means it has a more dry fluffy texture that breaks down easily when cooked.
King Edward. Another floury potato.This is the most traditional British potato variety. They produce well-rounded potato wedges. Not quite as dry and fluffy as Maris Pipers but they are probably what you grew up eating and they work very well.
Generic White Potatoes. These are the cheapest big bags of potatoes for about 2kg that you can buy in most supermarkets. They vary on the variety so check the origin labels as to what you are actually buying. In one week the same bag was labelled ‘Osprey’ and another ‘Estima’. These will either be medium floury potatoes or even semi-waxy and will give decent results.
Desiree. These are my husband’s favourites to use so he’ll always choose to use these. They are not as fluffy as Maris Pipers as they are a semi-waxy potato. They don’t have as much starch as the other white potatoes but they have a good firm texture and are more creamy than fluffy when cooked. You will need to bash them up a bit more for those crispy edges.
Ingredients Needed
Potatoes. If Maris Pipers are available and suit your budget then these are my most recommended variety. However, another good white floury potato like a King Edward will work perfectly well here too.
Kosher salt. I use this everyday cooking salt for seasoning during the cooking process. Here I add it to the potatoes during their par-boil. It’s less harsh than table salt but is basically the salt I keep in all the time. It’s not easy to buy in the supermarkets and I order mine online in big 1 kilo boxes.
Olive oil. It doesn’t have the highest smoking point it’s true but I like the flavour it gives and it helps to make perfect wedges. You can use vegetable oil if you prefer.
Everyday seasoning. This is kind of a cheat for you as it’s my Homemade Everyday Seasoning which I make up into jars for consistent use in my kitchen. I use it to season everything from chicken breasts to these wedges. It’s a mix of paprika, coriander, garlic, mustard powder and salt and pepper which is perfectly balanced. It will take you 5 minutes to mix it up and then you have some for lots of future wedges too.
Why Par-Boil the Potatoes?
This step is critical in created fluffy, crunchy wedges that are well-seasoned.
They are only boiled for a short time but this means the starch starts to gelatinise and loosen so the inside is still firm enough to hold shape but the outside becomes more tender.
The step of tossing them after the par-boil that creates the roughed up edges that lead to crunchy wedges. These edges also catch the oil so they turn beautifully golden.
Once par-boiled you must leave the wedges to steam dry in the colander for a few minutes which lets the excess moisture escape – another key to crispness.
How To Make Homemade Crispy Potato Wedges
Prepare the potatoes: Peel and cut into wedges.
Parboil: Add wedges to a large pan of cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Drain immediately and cover with a tea towel for 5 minutes to steam-dry.
Season. Sprinkle over your everyday seasoning and toss gently to coat.
Oven Method
Pre-heat a large roasting tray with the olive oil inside for 5 minutes. Tip the wedges into the hot oiled tray and turn gently to coat.
Roast for 40 minutes before turning and then roasting for a final 10 minutes.
Air Fryer Method
Once the potatoes are coated with the everyday seasoning then either drizzle or spray the olive oil so that the potatoes are evenly coated. You don’t need as much oil than if you are frying – 1½ tablespoons is enough.
Place the potatoes into the airfryer basket/s. I have made all the potato wedges in a singular basket before but I don’t recommend it as they didn’t get as crispy. I have a Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone Air Fryer (9.5L) and I split the 1kg of potato wedges between both baskets – so using both zones. If you just have 1 basket then you might like to cook your wedges in two batches so they are super crispy.
- Choose Air Fryer function
- Select 190C temperature.
- Select 20 minutes cooking time.
- Press to start.
- Remove basket/s halfway through cooking and toss the potatoes so they cook evenly.
Expert Tips
Cut each wedge into roughly the same size for even cooking:
- Medium potatoes → cut into 6 wedges
- Large potatoes → cut into 8 wedges
When you are tossing the wedges in the seasoning the potatoes are still quite fragile. Rough edges are good for crispiness but be gentle as otherwise they’ll fall apart.
I understand many air fryer recipes advocate that you can cook potato wedges directly after cutting the potatoes. I will always recommend that you par-boil the potatoes first. It gives a much fluffier and more even result. Plus the seasoning will stick to the potatoes better.
Make sure you are using a big enough oven tray as the potatoes need to be spaced apart to crisp.
The same goes for the air fryer – split the full amount between two baskets (or cook in batches)
If you are making these wedges in the oven you may have to be a little more gentle when you are potato turning as they take a bit longer to crisp and firm than if you are air frying (when I just shake the basket). Use a flat cooking spatula to turn the potatoes in the oven.
Sprinkle the cooked potato wedges with flaky sea salt and some fresh thyme or rosemary.
Making Ahead
You can cut the potato wedges up to 24 hours before cooking. Make sure to store submerged in a large bowl of cold water with a pinch of salt, then cover and chill.
When you are ready to cook the wedges make sure to drain and pat dry thoroughly so there is no excess moisture on the potatoes.
Re-heating Leftovers
I would only really recommend re-heating leftover Potato Wedges, rather than you making them completely ahead of time and re-heating for their first serving. They don’t taste quite as good as fresh and they are a little drier but they are nice enough and will be a little crispier.
Potato Wedges are best re-heated in either the oven or the air-fryer. You don’t need to add any extra oil.
Oven. Pre-heat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan assisted / gas mark 6 / 400°F. Lay the wedges out in a single layer and roast for 10-15 minutes.
Air-fryer. Cook at 190°C for 5 minutes on the air-frying function.
Freezing
If you want to freeze potato wedges for eating at a later date then freeze after par-boiling:
- Allow the potatoes to cool completely in the colander (or sieve) which you drained them in. Then toss in the seasoning.
- Lay them out in a single layer on a lined baking sheet (you may need two) and place in the freezer to flash freeze for 6-8 hours.
- Remove the potatoes from the baking tray and put in an airtight container or ziplock bag for easy storing.
- You can store the par-boiled potatoes for up to 2 months in the freezer.
- You should cook the par-boiled potato wedges straight from the freezer for the best texture.
Oven. Follow the instructions for cooking as per the original recipe but add 10 minutes to the cooking time.
Air fryer. Follow the instructions for cooking as per the original recipe but add 5 minutes to the cooking time.
FAQs
The best way to ensure that potato wedges crisp up in the oven is to par-boil them before roasting. After you have par-boiled them then toss them in the colander where the edges will roughen up slightly which will ensure the crispy edges.
If you are cooking them in an oven then a pre-heated oven is key as well as pre-heating the roasting tin with the oil.
To make the perfect potato wedge first peel the potato then halve lengthways. Place the cut side down on the board then for a medium potato you can cut the halved potato into three triangular wedge shapes, by slicing at two 45 degree angles towards the centre. You might like to cut each half of a larger potato into four triangular wedges.
It's easy to make homemade potato wedges gluten-free. You don't need to add any extra flour or crisping agent as you can achieve that crunchy exterior just by how you cook the potatoes. These wedges are coated in a naturally gluten-free blend of spices and seasoning for flavour.
Seasoning Variations
If you want to mix things up a bit then there are a variety of ways you can season your Potato Wedges instead of the everyday seasoning:
Classic salt and rosemary. Use 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and scatter over a couple of sprigs of fresh rosemary.
Garlic. I recommend garlic powder here - 2 teaspoons will give you a good flavour. Plus 1 teaspoon fine sea salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Curried. Add a tablespoon of your favourite curry powder instead of the everyday seasoning. I love a deep roasted flavour here. Add ½ teaspoon fine sea salt here too.
Serving Suggestions
There is nothing like a good dollop of a homemade condiment to dip your wedges into. I usually serve one of these up alongside our wedges (no matter what the whole dinner is)
- Green Tomato Ketchup
- Plum BBQ Sauce (my personal choice!)
- Brown Sauce
Of course I have four children so at least one of them will also request a big bottle of Heinz ketchup too - you can't knock a classic!
More Gluten-Free Potato Recipes You’ll Love
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
- Cream Baked Roast Potatoes
- Crispy Homemade Oven Chips
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Homemade Crispy Potato Wedges
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 40 g olive oil - oven or 1 ½ tablespoons air-fryer
- 1 tablespoon everyday seasoning - seasoning blend recipe
Instructions
- If you are cooking in the oven then pre-heat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan assisted / gas mark 6 / 400°F.
- Peel and cut your potatoes into wedges. Slice the potatoes in half lengthways, then into thirds lengthways (for medium potatoes) or fourths (for larger ones). Each potato should yield either 6 or 8 wedges.
- Place the wedged potatoes in a big pan of cold water and salt. Bring to boil over a medium-high temperature. As soon as it’s boiling, simmer the potatoes and set the timer for 5 minutes.
- Once the 5 minutes is up then drain the potatoes immediately into a colander. Place a tea towel over the top and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Oven-Baked
- Pour the olive oil into a large roasting tray and place into the oven for 5 minutes for the oil to heat.
- Scatter the everyday seasoning evenly over the potatoes and lightly toss the potatoes so they are coated, they want to be a little rough around the edges but not falling apart so if it looks like they are a little fragile then don’t toss and instead scatter the seasoning over the potatoes once they are in the oven.
- Once the oil is hot, pull the roasting tray from the oven and tip in the potatoes, turning them gently to coat in the oil.
- Place the potatoes into the oven and roast for 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, turn the potatoes then place back in the oven for a final 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve hot with some flaky sea salt.
Air-Fryer
- Sprinkle the potato wedges with the everyday seasoning.
- Once seasoned, drizzle or spray 1½ tablespoons olive oil until evenly coated.
- Place the wedges into the air fryer basket(s) in a single layer.
- For the Ninja Foodi MAX Dual Zone (9.5L), divide the potatoes between both baskets. If your air fryer has one smaller basket then cook in two batches for crispier results.
- Select the Air Fryer Function.
- Set temperature to 190°C.
- Set timer for 20 minutes.
- Press start.
- Toss the wedges halfway through cooking by removing the basket (s) and shaking or turning the wedges for even crisping.
Notes
- I recommend using floury potatoes for this recipe like Maris Pipers or King Edwards.
- This recipe uses my Homemade Seasoning Blend which is a mix of paprika, coriander, garlic, mustard powder, salt and pepper.
