Baked Potato Wedges are perfectly seasoned bites of fluffy pub-style steak fries to compliment most any meal.
Let’s talk desert island staple type foods, shall we? As in, if you could only eat one food on a desert island for the rest of your life, what would it be? I know that if I could eat only one vegetable for the rest of my life, it would be potatoes. I love potatoes in any form, be it the picnic staple dill potato salad, layered with other summer veggies and cheese in a potato and vegetable gratin, sliced thin and smothered in cheese and bacon as in these steak potato rounds, or a in a soothing cream of potato soup when I’m a little under the weather, potatoes are the ultimate in versatile comfort food. Generations of cultures around the world have relied on potatoes as a dietary staple because they are versatile, very filling, and store well for long periods of time. The naturally nutritious “apples of the earth” is delicious in many forms, but I tend to err on the side of simple preparation most of the time.
With grilling season in full swing, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes–the ever-simple, skin-on potato wedges. Baked Potato Wedges are perfectly seasoned bites of fluffy pub-style steak fries that compliment just about any meal. Heck, if I’m being honest, sometimes I nestle a soft fried egg on top and Baked Potato Wedges are the meal. A runny yolk oozing down those fries that are just soft enough to stay together but remain ridiculously fluffy on the inside? Yeah. One bite of that beautiful sight is the stuff to make your eyes roll back in your head in the very best way. When potato wedges are good, they are exactly that good. When they’re bad? Run. Don’t walk. Those things are bland and greasy messes that are an abomination to all that is wonderful about potatoes.
So what differentiates a good potato wedge from a why-even-bother potato wedge?
One of the secrets is to leave the skin-on the potatoes, and cut them to a proper wedge. Not only does the skin of a potato harbor the vast majority of nutrients, it also helps the wedges hold their shape in the oven. Which brings me to the next secret: bake the wedges, don’t fry them! While frying crisps the outside of the wedges, the insides take much longer to fully cook, resulting in a crisp-yet-shriveled exterior and a greasy interior to the fries. Just. Don’t. Also be sure to cut wedges in a proper thickness–about 1/2-inch wide at the base and tapering to just shy of a point on top.
Perhaps the most important secret to making Baked Potato Wedges is proper seasoning. Since wedges bake longer than oven fries, I prefer to marinate them in a really great seasoning so that a ribbon of flavor bakes into the potato, much like a smoke ring permeates good barbecue. To achieve this, I shake a little seasoning into a large zippered bag with olive oil to make a marinade. Then I toss the potato wedges into the bag, seal it, shake to coat, and let it rest while the oven preheats. As far as seasonings go, I’d like to say that I mix a super secret blend of spices of my own creation but the vast majority of the time, I reach for a ready made seasoning blend like Stubb’s.
This may sound a bit odd, but I really like Stubb’s All Natural Spice Rub for Chicken on my Baked Potato Wedges. Sure, the rub does wonderful things to chicken, but the blend of sea salt, paprika, honey, and black pepper infuses the potatoes with a deeply comforting flavor that I’ve come to crave.
Y’all have heard of Stubb’s right? Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q is based in Austin, Texas so you know they know barbecue. Stubb’s has a full line of all natural barbecue sauces, spice rubs, and marinades that are free artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners, including high fructose corn syrup. HFCS is one of the first things that I eliminated from our diets when reading labels became a necessity for our family. I prefer the real deal when it comes to sugar and ingredients in my food. Stubb’s is my go to brand when is comes to barbecue sauce and spice rubs. They aren’t paying me to say it. It’s just the truth.
Once the potatoes are well seasoned, simply bake in the oven for half an hour, flipping them over after about fifteen minutes. Just prior to serving, sprinkle Baked Potato Wedges with a good and melty cheese like Cotija or Monterrey Jack. Serve immediately with a side of barbecue sauce and alongside…well, anything!
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 6
Baked Potato Wedges are perfectly seasoned bites of fluffy pub-style steak fries that compliment most any meal.
10 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
40 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 large (2 lbs.) russet potatoes
- 4 tsp. light olive oil
- 3 tsp. Stubb’s All Natural Spice Rub for Chicken
- 1 Tbs. grated Cotija cheese (or another mild melty cheese such as Monterrey Jack)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed half sheet pan with non-stick aluminum foil; briefly set it aside.
- Place the oil and seasoning into a gallon sized zippered storage bag. Seal the bag and shake to blend the seasoning into the oil.
- Scrub the skin of the potatoes to remove any residual dirt. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, and then cut each half lengthwise into 4 large wedges. Add the potato wedges to the bag of seasoning. Seal the bag and shake to coat the wedges well. Allow the wedges to marinate until the oven has finished preheated.
- Once the oven is up to temperature, scatter the seasoned potato wedges onto the prepared pan, ensuring a bit of room around each wedge to cook evenly without crowding. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Flip the wedges over and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes or until wedges are just barely beginning to brown and cooked through. Remove wedges from the oven.
- Sprinkle baked potato wedges with cheese before serving.
The kind folks at Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q sent me some barbecue sauce and spice rubs because I’m a fan and I love ’em. I am not being financially compensated in any way. This is not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.
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