I love potatoes. Sweet potatoes, fingerling potatoes, Japanese yams, purple potatoes, baked, fried, steamed, mashed, they’re all acceptable in my book. If I find a new method of preparing the tubers, I’m going to try it. These Cajun spiced potato wedges are a perfect example of me trying to spice up regular potato wedges, increasing the flavors tenfold. Potato wedges are delicious when fried but these are baked to save on those calories. Perfect as a side to any meal, including Memorial Day BBQs this weekend!
Serves 6 as a side dish
1 hrTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick wedges
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 6 tbsp water
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 12 garlic cloves
- 3 red onions, quartered
- 4 bay leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Fill a medium pot with water. Season with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potato wedges and par-cook for 3 minutes. Drain.
- Whisk together 3 tbsp lemon juice with tomato paste, seasonings (cayenne - black pepper), olive oil and water. Toss with potato wedges. Spread in an even layer on baking sheet with quartered lemon, garlic, red onion and bay leaves. Roast for 40-45 minutes, turning the potatoes midway through cooking. Remove from oven and serve hot.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
Preparing potatoes does take longer than preparing green beans, corn, or other vegetables, but the majority of the time is spent waiting on them cooking, freeing up your hands for other dishes.
The first step is choosing the potato. I recommend russet potatoes in this recipe since they have a high starch content, meaning they will produce the crispiest crust. Yukon gold potatoes are a second choice if russet potatoes are not available.
Whenever you are roasting or pan-frying potatoes, it’s important to par-cook them first by steaming or boiling. This allows the potatoes to get that crispy exterior when it is finishing cooking. Even when making french fries, you first par-cook them in a lower temperature oil than finish by frying at a higher temperature. The same method applies when roasting.
Make sure to spread out the wedges in an even layer on a sheet pan. Overcrowding the pan and stacking the potato wedges on one another creates steam while roasting and won’t result in the best potatoes.
Make sure to flip the potatoes at least once while cooking to coat them with the spices and to get all of the edges crisp. An hour later and these babies are ready to be devoured!
These Cajun spiced potato wedges are without a doubt, the most flavorful potato wedges I’ve ever had. Make sure to prepare a large batch because you’ll be wanting seconds!
Looking for someone to come to your house and prepare these dishes for you? It is possible! If you are in Los Angeles and looking for a private chef, please feel free to contact me. For more information, visit Private Kitchen Los Angeles.