Crispy Baked Potato Wedges

A great potato wedge is a study in contrasts: a fluffy, steaming middle wrapped in a crust that shatters. These get there in a plain home oven — no deep fryer, no pot of oil — using three habits that matter more than any seasoning: a short soak that pulls surface starch away, a genuinely hot pan, and wedges cut so every piece has two flat faces to crisp against the metal.

The seasoning is the one our kitchen keeps returning to — smoked paprika, garlic and a little Parmesan worked into the oil so it clings — but the method underneath is a template. Once you trust it, ranch seasoning, Cajun spice and plain sea salt all take their turn, the same way our Crispy Roasted Chickpeas rotate their blends over one reliable base technique.

Serve them where fries would go and watch them get promoted: alongside burgers, next to our Air Fryer Garlic Parmesan Wings on game day, or as the snack itself with something cool and tangy to dunk them in. They are at their absolute peak in the first ten minutes out of the oven, so call people to the table before you pull the tray.

The soak is short and it matters

Cut potatoes release surface starch, and that starch glues wedges to the pan and steams their crusts soft. Thirty minutes in cold water — or fifteen in warm, on a busy night — rinses the starch away and seasons the interior slightly if you salt the water. What matters just as much is what follows: drain the wedges and dry them thoroughly, in a towel, piece by piece if you have the patience. Water left on the surface is steam waiting to happen, and steam is the enemy of every crisp edge in this recipe.

Cut for two flat faces

Shape decides texture. Halve each potato lengthwise, then cut each half into three or four long wedges, and every piece ends up with two flat cut faces and one skin side. The flat faces make full contact with the hot oiled pan and fry-crisp in a way a rounded side never can. Try to keep the wedges close in thickness — a batch of twins cooks evenly, while one fat wedge in a pan of thin ones is still raw in the middle when the rest are done.

Ingredients

• 2 lb russet potatoes, about 4 medium (900 g)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (45 ml)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g), plus more for the soaking water
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (3 g)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (3 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (1.5 g)
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan (11 g), optional
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (4 g), to serve
• Ketchup, ranch or garlic aioli, for serving

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Cut and soak the wedges. Scrub the potatoes well and leave the skins on. Halve each potato lengthwise, then cut each half into 3 or 4 long wedges so every piece has two flat faces. Put the wedges in a large bowl, cover with cold water and a pinch of salt, and soak for 30 minutes (15 minutes in warm water works in a hurry).
2. Heat the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) with a large rimmed baking sheet inside it. A preheated pan is one of the quiet secrets of oven fries — the wedges start crisping on contact instead of slowly warming up in their own steam.
3. Dry and season. Drain the wedges and dry them very thoroughly with a clean towel. Toss them in a dry bowl with the olive oil until every face is glossy, then sprinkle over the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder and Parmesan, if using, and toss again until evenly coated and rusty-red.
4. Arrange cut-side down. Carefully spread the wedges over the hot baking sheet in a single layer, as many as possible sitting on a flat cut face, with a little space between pieces. Crowding is the other great enemy of crispness — use two pans rather than stacking.
5. Bake and flip once. Bake for 20 minutes without disturbing them, until the undersides are deep golden and release easily from the pan. Flip each wedge onto its other flat face and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more, until crisp and bronzed all over and fluffy in the middle when squeezed gently.
6. Serve immediately. Tip the wedges onto a warm plate, shower with parsley and a final pinch of salt, and serve at once with ketchup, ranch or garlic aioli for dunking. Wedges wait for no one — their crust is at its loudest in the first ten minutes.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

Wedges are at their best fresh, but leftovers keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat them spread out on a baking sheet in a 425°F (218°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or in the air fryer at 400°F (200°C) for 4 to 5 minutes, until the crust crisps again — the microwave returns them soft. Cooked wedges do not freeze well, but raw cut wedges can be soaked, dried and frozen on a tray, then oiled, seasoned and baked from frozen with 10 extra minutes. Nutrition figures are estimates from standard ingredient data and vary with brands and substitutions.

Crispy Baked Potato Wedges

★★★★★★★★★★ FryDaily kitchen score 4.9/5 — our own editorial rating from testing, not reader reviews.

Fluffy middles, shattering edges, smoky paprika — oven wedges that out-crisp the fried kind.

Yield: 4 servings  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep10 minutes

Cook35 minutes

Total45 minutes

Servings4 servings

Calories210 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 lb russet potatoes, about 4 medium (900 g)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (45 ml)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g), plus more for the soaking water
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (3 g)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (3 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (1.5 g)
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan (11 g), optional
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (4 g), to serve
• Ketchup, ranch or garlic aioli, for serving

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Cut and soak the wedges. Scrub the potatoes well and leave the skins on. Halve each potato lengthwise, then cut each half into 3 or 4 long wedges so every piece has two flat faces. Put the wedges in a large bowl, cover with cold water and a pinch of salt, and soak for 30 minutes (15 minutes in warm water works in a hurry).
2. Heat the oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) with a large rimmed baking sheet inside it. A preheated pan is one of the quiet secrets of oven fries — the wedges start crisping on contact instead of slowly warming up in their own steam.
3. Dry and season. Drain the wedges and dry them very thoroughly with a clean towel. Toss them in a dry bowl with the olive oil until every face is glossy, then sprinkle over the salt, smoked paprika, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder and Parmesan, if using, and toss again until evenly coated and rusty-red.
4. Arrange cut-side down. Carefully spread the wedges over the hot baking sheet in a single layer, as many as possible sitting on a flat cut face, with a little space between pieces. Crowding is the other great enemy of crispness — use two pans rather than stacking.
5. Bake and flip once. Bake for 20 minutes without disturbing them, until the undersides are deep golden and release easily from the pan. Flip each wedge onto its other flat face and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more, until crisp and bronzed all over and fluffy in the middle when squeezed gently.
6. Serve immediately. Tip the wedges onto a warm plate, shower with parsley and a final pinch of salt, and serve at once with ketchup, ranch or garlic aioli for dunking. Wedges wait for no one — their crust is at its loudest in the first ten minutes.

Calories: 210 kcalProtein: 4 gCarbohydrates: 32 gFat: 8 gSaturated fat: 1 gSodium: 590 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 1 g

Tested in the FryDaily kitchen, October 2026. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

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