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

FAQs

Why are my potato wedges not crispy? ›

The Secret to Crispy Potato Wedges

Potatoes have a fair amount of starch in them which can give them a gummy texture. Soaking the potato wedges draws out the starch, making the finished product extra crispy.

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.

If you're pressed for time, the slightly sticky, cut potatoes should be soaked for a minimum of 15 minutes. However, a longer soak time may allow more starch to be removed. So, if you can prep the fries ahead of time, a few hours of soaking can help make them even crispier.

Cooking potatoes twice—once in water, and a second time in hot oil—is hands-down the best way to achieve extra-crispy potatoes at home.

Add a little olive oil to a skillet over medium-low. Cut the potatoes in half and put the cut sides in the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for three to four minutes. Once heated, remove the lid and flip the potatoes, heating on all sides, so the skin gets crispy.

The starches inside the potatoes dont help crisp. They convert to sugar and promote browning. If you leave the starch in them, they will turn very dark brown before they crisp up. To get them crispy you have to leach out as much starch as you can, and double fry them.

Keep potatoes crisp in a warm oven if you're serving them in 1-2 hours. If there is a slight wait before everyone eats, don't cover the crispy potatoes—this traps steam which will make the potatoes soggy. Just keep them in the oven, but turn the temperature to the lowest setting.

Chefs put salt on the outside of their baked potatoes

The reason for doing this is pretty scientific. When you put salt on the outside of a potato, it helps moisture come to its surface and evaporate, which makes the inside of the potato even fluffier. It also helps to crisp up the skin, giving it extra crunch.

Is it better to bake a potato at 350 or 400? ›

We recommend baking potatoes at 400 degrees F for about an hour. Smaller spuds might take a little less time, while larger baking potatoes over 1 pound might take a little more.

A: This sure sounds a lot like potatoes that have been stored too long, in too cold of an environment before cooking. When potatoes are held below 41°F for too long a period, the starches convert to sugar and it changes the cooking chemistry.

The bottom line

Each serving is high in carbs and calories but low in important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. Consuming high amounts regularly may increase your blood sugar levels and be associated with adverse effects on heart health.

Cornstarch

Often used as a thickener, an anticaking agent, and a gluten-free baking staple, cornstarch is one of the best substitutes for potato starch when you're in a pinch. You can use cornstarch in place of potato starch in a 1:1 ratio. This works especially well in soups, sauces, and gravies.

Potato starch has a lower gelatinization temperature than cornstarch, meaning it can thicken liquids faster when exposed to heat. If not fully cooked, cornstarch tends to leave behind residual, well, starchiness, whereas potato starch gives sauces a glossier, silkier texture.

Roasted potatoes can become soggy if the water content in the potato isn't fully cooked. Different potatoes have different water content percentages. Also, be mindful of the oil. Potatoes can react like sponges; too much oil can make your potatoes appear to be soggy.

One of my biggest tips to crispy delicious potatoes is to try to get all the excess liquid out of the potatoes before seasoning them. This will ensure the potatoes cook nice and even. If you skip this step, you are likely to end up with soggy potatoes. It's the same thing with making fries in the oven.

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.

Fries have a very high starch content. When they are cooked at high temperatures, they absorb moisture which gives them their signature crispy exterior. When they are left out to cool, the starches secrete moisture, which eventually makes the fries' crust soggy.