For months, I’ve had a delicious new obsession. Oven Baked Oil-Free Potato Wedges are my favorite plant-based side dish! This easy recipe is the perfect addition to your next plant-based meal.
These Oil-Free Potato Wedges are pretty much like eating fries! Making Potato Wedges is easier than making fries though, especially when you use small red new potatoes.
I’ve always enjoyed eating small red new potatoes because they are easier to wash than other potatoes. For instance, russet potatoes have thick skin that require a lot of scrubbing.
The biggest benefit of using the small red new potatoes is their thin skin that most people don’t really notice. One of my kids is a bit on the picky side and doesn’t like the skin. The other doesn’t mind it at all.
Making Oil-Free Potato Wedges
Oil-Free Potato Wedges are easy to make, too! You can customize them based on what you have but all you really need are potatoes and spices of your choice. At minimum, I use salt and pepper but I prefer to add onion and garlic powder.
One of my complaints about making oil-free fries in the oven is that they don’t always get crisp. I struggle getting them the same size. Some burn while others are still too raw. I try to flip them at the right time but I struggle at getting them to cook evenly.
The way I cut the small red new potatoes solves this problem. It is important to find potatoes that are on the small side. Sometimes we get grocery delivery and they give us the larger red new potatoes that are about the size of a lemon and they are a bit trickier to cut, but still work.
How to Cut Your Potato Wedges
Your cut will depend on the size of your red new potatoes.
If your potatoes are the size of a grape, don’t cut them, leave them whole. If they are the size of a lime, cut them in half, then cut three wedges in each half, creating six wedges. If they are larger than a lime, cut them in fourths, then cut each of the fourths in half, creating eight wedges. These aren’t hard and fast rules, do what seems right to you. It’s important that all the wedges are of similar size and thickness so they all cook uniformly.
You want to keep the curved part of the potato intact. You’ll arrange each wedge on a cookie sheet covered in parchment or a silicone baking mat. By placing the potatoes with the peel side down and the freshly cut side up, you can avoid having to flip them over in the oven. They will cook evenly.
This also leaves the freshly cut side ready for a sprinkle of seasonings if you want a short cut. You can easily sprinkle salt, pepper, and any other seasoning straight onto the potatoes wedges on the cookie sheet.
The potato wedges will be better covered if you put them in a bowl and sprinkle the seasonings on them and mix them up, but I’ve done it both ways and they both work.
If you pour the seasonings into the wedges on the cookie sheet, you’ll smell the seasonings as they cook. Toward the end they might start smelling burnt and the spices on the cookie sheet will burn but the spices on the potatoes will be perfect.
Once the potato wedges are cut and the spices are applied, it’s time to bake. Like I said, you don’t have to flip these wedges! You do need to preheat your oven to 400 degrees. After moving into this house over the summer, I learned that our oven thermostat was off. We are just renting so it wasn’t worth a service call but I did buy an inexpensive oven thermometer. It’s important that the oven is completely preheated before putting the potato wedges in.
These need to bake for 40 minutes. That gives me time to make just about anything else!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Additional Time5 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Ingredients
- 8-10 small red new potatoes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- onion powder, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Wash your small red new potatoes.
- Cut them into wedges as describe in the post. They need to be uniform size to cook evenly.
- If seasoning them in a bowl, put the potato wedges in a bowl and generously sprinkle seasonings on tip. Stir them with your hands to distribute the seasoning. Then place them on the cookie sheet with the cut side up (as pictured above).
- If seasoning them on the cookie sheet, place the potato wedges with the cut side up (as pictured above) on a piece of parchment on a cookie sheet. Generously sprinkle salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder on the wedges.
- Place the cookie sheet in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Allow the potato wedges to cool for about 5 minutes before eating.
Notes
The potato wedges can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator. They need to be reheated in the oven or an air fryer. They don't microwave well.
See notes in the blog post for tips on cutting the wedges.
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FAQs
Toss your Fries into a large bowl, sprinkle with any Seasonings and Salt you desire, and stir well. Place the Seasoned Fries onto a baking tray lined with a Silicone Mat, making sure they do not touch. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Serve as desired.
Why are my potato wedges not crispy? ›
Wedges should be about 1/2″ thick. If they are cut too thick, they won't crisp up properly. Soak potatoes: Place potatoes in a bowl of cold water with about 2 cups of ice cubes. Let them stand for 30 min then pat dry thoroughly with paper towels or a tea towel.
How do you make potato wedges crispy again? ›
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.
Why are my homemade wedges soggy? ›
Right amount of oil.
Too much and it actually makes them soggy. Too little and the seasoning doesn't stick on the wedges and the wedges stick to the baking tray.
How do you cook in the oven without oil? ›
Oil-Free: If you're looking to roast completely oil-free, your friend will be steaming or boiling your ingredients prior to roasting (see photo below), which adds moisture on the front end of cooking, and also cooks your ingredients mostly or all the way through so they won't get dried out over-baking in the oven.
How do you bake without cooking oil? ›
Whole-fat Greek yogurt is a great swap for oil in baked goods. It's creamy and rich, and adds a nice texture to pound cakes, cookies, and Blueberry Muffins, plus a bit of extra protein. Due to its thickness, you'll want to add a bit more yogurt to the recipe than the amount of oil called for. Start with a 1:1.25 ratio.
Why won't my potatoes crisp in the oven? ›
If you over-crowded the pan so that there isn't enough space for the potatoes to rest on the pan without touching each other, it will prevent the water from evaporating and making the potatoes crispy.
Does soaking potatoes in water make them crispier? ›
Soaking the sliced potatoes in water helps to draw out some of the starch from the middle of the potato, resulting in a sturdier, crispier French fry.
Why are my potatoes not getting crispy in the oven? ›
If roasted potatoes lack their crunchy sheen, overcrowding is usually the culprit. Just as overcrowding bacon or mushrooms in a saucepan causes disappointingly mushy results, placing potatoes too close to each other on a baking sheet will prevent them from crisping while they roast.
Why does vinegar make potatoes crispy? ›
The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying. Additionally, the vinegar can contribute to a golden-brown color on the exterior of the fries.
After closely inspecting the brand of frozen French fries I often buy, I realized that they are coated in a blend of starches to help crisp them up. So, I decided to give the method a shot with roasted potatoes. And it turns out, coating the potatoes with cornstarch is the secret to super crispy roasted potatoes!
Why are my potato wedges chewy? ›
Here's the secret to making ultra crispy potato wedges: Soak your raw potato wedges in hot water for 10 minutes before baking. This step releases some of the starch in the potatoes and lets them absorb moisture, which leads to crisp outsides and moist interiors.
How to make the best wedges? ›
Spread the wedges out on a large baking sheet or two smaller ones. Toss with the oil and 1 tsp salt (preferably sea salt) and spread out so that they aren't overlapping. Roast for 30 mins, turning halfway until golden and crisp.
How to avoid soggy potato wedges? ›
Bake or fry in small batches: Cooking the potato wedges in small batches will help to ensure that they cook evenly. and don't become soggy. Flip the wedges during cooking: Halfway through cooking, flip it over. It ensures that both sides are crispy and evenly cooked.
Do you have to parboil wedges? ›
Be generous with the oil, that's what makes them crispy! You can make this recipe without parboiling the potatoes first, but without that fluffy par-boiled exterior they'll take longer to cook and won't be as nice at all.
Why don't my fries get crispy in the oven? ›
Keep the oven shut as much as possible to reach cooking temperature faster. Use a perforated sheet tray. This helps hot air circulate more easily among the fries, increasing crispness. Don't thaw your fries before baking.
Is there a way to fry without oil? ›
For example, if you want to prepare crispy vegetables with little or no fat, you can use a hot air fryer, a pan with non-stick coating or simply choose to fry the vegetables with a little water instead of fat or oil.
Can you cook frozen fries in a pan without oil? ›
Yes, you can use frozen fries to cook without oil on the stove. Simply follow the instructions on the packaging for cooking times and temperatures. It is important to spread the frozen fries in a single layer on the pan and cook them, flipping occasionally, to ensure even and crispy results.
What can you use to fry if you have no oil? ›
So, if you're stuck without this ingredient, here's some alternatives:
- Butter and margarine. Butter and margarine are glorious for adding flavour, richness and colour to meals so a great swap for oil. ...
- Ghee. ...
- Vegetable shortening. ...
- Bacon grease. ...
- Schmaltz. ...
- Mashed bananas and apple sauce. ...
- Tahini. ...
- Sunday roast fat.
