When you are craving french fries, these crispy oven-baked potato wedges make an easy and healthy side dish. Your family will never guess that these ‘fries’ are actually good for them.
There’s nothing like a crisp, salty, greasy french fry to satisfy a craving for salt or fat. Granted, they’re delicious. They’re also not something I or my family can eat very often.
Intellectually, I know that I need to eat well to stay healthy, but emotionally, I still crave that familiar, salty flavor. That’s how this recipe originated.
Baking the potatoes in the oven with just a small amount of heart-healthy olive oil and spices provide the bit of fat, the salt, and the crunch of traditional fries, but you can feel good about eating and serving them.
HOW DO I MAKE THIS EASY AND HEALTHY SIDE DISH?
Don’t you love it when a recipe is truly easy? I do too. This one absolutely qualifies.
Scrub and cut potatoes into wedges. Soak them in hot water, drain, and dry well. Toss with olive oil and spices. Then bake. Yep, they’re just that easy.
TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- Use russet potatoes. I like using organic since we aren’t going to peel them. Look for firm, unwrinkled potatoes. Don’t buy them if they are soft to the touch, have eyes or green spots on them.
- Be sure to soak them in very hot water. The water should be almost boiling. This is an extra step, but it removes some of the starch, which will make them more crispy on the outside and super fluffy on the inside.
- Dry the potatoes completely before tossing in the oil and spices. You don’t want any moisture to steam the potatoes. You want the crunchy outside.
- Lay the potatoes in a single layer and toss them at least once while baking.
- Finally, let the potatoes get good and golden brown before taking them out of the oven. The more golden and carmelized the edges, the more these wedges will taste like they’ve been fried.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS DISH
- Go vegetarian and serve the potatoes with this recipe for Zucchini and Red Pepper Frittata.
- I like to serve these with a cup of Homestyle Beef Chili. Yes, I dip them into the chili. It’s amazing.
- A Philly Cheesesteak Hoagie or a Classic Patty Melt is perfect alongside these crispy oven-baked potato wedges.
- Just looking for something to dip them into? This recipe for Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno sauce is an unexpected condiment. It’s also delicious!
TOOLS USED IN MAKING THIS RECIPE
- J.A Henckels International Classic Starter Knife Set, 3-Piece – good knives make food prep easier…and safer.
- Extra Thick Flexible Plastic Kitchen Cutting Board Mats Set, Set of 6 Colored Mats With Food Icons & Easy-Grip Handles, Non-Porous, Dishwasher – different colors for different foods. No more onion flavored fruit. It’ a good thing.
- AirBake Nonstick 2 Pack Cookie Sheet Set – These baking sheets are insulated, helping the bottom of your baked goods get perfectly browned, but not too brown.
- AmazonBasics Silicone Baking Mat Sheet, Set of 2 – Why pay for the fancy French name? These are amazing…and inexpensive.
- Hygienic Solid Heat-Resistant Flexible Silicone Spatula, Black
CRISPY OVEN BAKED POTATO WEDGES
This easy and healthy side dish will satisfy any french fry craving you may have. Potato wedges that are crispy and salty on the outside and fluffy on the inside will make you question if they are truly healthy. Spoiler alert: they are!
- Author: Eats By The Beach
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 pounds Russet potatoes (about 4 medium), scrubbed clean
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat mat and set aside.
Fill a large mixing bowl with very hot water and set aside.
Quarter each potato lengthwise and then halve each quarter so that you have 8 wedges. Try to make them as uniform in size as possible.
Place the cut potatoes into the hot water. Soak them for 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towels.
Lay the potato wedges on the prepared pan. Drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and rosemary.
Toss the potatoes until all sides are evenly coated with the oil and spices.
Arrange the wedges in a single layer and bake for 30 minutes.
Carefully flip the wedges using a spatula and return to the oven for another 30 minutes.
The potatoes are done when they are golden brown and fork-tender.
Serve hot.
Keywords: easy and healthy side dish, side dish recipe, potato recipe, healthy side dish