Potato wedges are a delicious snack enjoyed with sauces or salt. They can be eaten hot or cold, but hot potato wedges are irresistible. You could sometimes be in a hurry and need something quick, and luckily, have some leftover potato wedges in the fridge.
But how do you reheat potato wedges perfectly so they don’t get soggy? Should you microwave or bake the wedges? Or perhaps use the oven? How do you get them tasting as fresh and crunchy as they were cooked for the first time, even after some time has passed? This article will answer these questions, and the answers might SURPRISE you!
So read on to get enlightened!
What are potato wedges?
Everyone loves potatoes. And with the various ways they can be enjoyed, you bet no meal gets bland with an addition of this delicious tuber. You can roast, mash or even add them in stews. As a snack, the potatoes are cut into thin slices/wedges that are then deep-fried till they get a light brown color.
So potato wedges are irregularly shaped potato slices fried or baked to perfection. They are prevalent in fast food joints and can be spiked with spices like pepper and paprika to bring out the best taste.
Potato wedges are rich in potassium, iron, and calcium. Other than that, they are a great source of fiber, a reason why you feel fuller for extended periods after eating them.
Can you reheat potato wedges?
Yes! You can reheat potato wedges.
You probably have heard the hype that fried foods do not reheat well. This hype could not be further from the truth since a slight mistake in the process could give you soggy or even drier fries. However, with some reheating techniques discussed below, you end up with better-tasting potato wedges.
1. Reheating potato wedges using an oven
Reheating potato wedges in an oven gives your wedges a crispy exterior and a fresh look.
Steps:
- Preheat your oven to 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet in the oven.
- Sprinkle some oil(vegetable or olive) onto your wedges and salt to taste.
- Spread your potato wedges onto the aluminum foil.
- Leave the wedges to heat for 10 minutes while turning them in the first half cooking time.
- Keep reheating till you achieve well-crisped potato wedges.
- Serve and enjoy.
Placing your wedges on aluminum foil helps regain the potato’s freshness even if they have gone for days in storage.
2. Reheating potato wedges on a stovetop
This method is simple. All you need to do is add some oil in a pot, place it on your stovetop, add your wedges, and warm them up while flipping in between the process.
Steps:
- Light your stove to medium heat and place your pot or skillet over it.
- Pour some olive or vegetable oil into the pan to heat.
- Upon heating to the required temperature, add your wedges into the pot.
- Cover the pan and allow the wedges to heat till they are hot enough.Flip the wedges to the other sideand let it heat till they get a golden color.
- Remove them from your pan while draining excess oil on a slotted spoon.
- Take a serving platter and line it with a paper towel. The paper towel helps absorb excess oil.
- Serve and enjoy the now warm or hot wedges.
Covering your pot when heating allows heat to build up and warm up the wedges thoroughly and protects them from drying out. You should avoid adding any seasonings in the wedges in the skillet, as they might end up sticking together.
3. Reheat potato wedges using a microwave
A microwave is an efficient appliance for reheating your potato wedges, especially when you are in a rush. It’s, however, not the best method as the wedges get soggy quickly. So here is how you reheat potato wedges in a microwave.
Steps:
- Arrange your potato wedges in a microwavable dish in a single layer. Ensure that they fit nicely onto the dish and that none are sticking out on the sides.
- Place the dish into the microwave and reheat the wedges for 60 seconds on high heat setting.
- Remove the dish from the microwave and flip the wedges over, then return the dish and heat for another 60 seconds.
- Note that microwaves are different. Some are strong, and others are weak. If you are working with a powerful microwave, you should reheat the wedges for 30seconds.
- Once they warm, remove them and serve immediately.
Do not cover the dish you will be used with anything to prevent the wedges from getting soggy.
4. Reheat potato wedges using an air-fryer
An air fryer is a healthy way to reheat your potato wedges, not to mention how convenient it is. Air frying is also less messy as no oil pools form on your counter surfaces. Air fryers circulate hot air around the wedges gives evenly warmed potato wedges.
Steps:
- Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees.
- Add your potato wedges into the basket and cook for up to 3 minutes or until the wedges start getting crispy.
- Serve and enjoy!
If you want to end up with crispy wedges, keep checking them now and then to ensure they don’t burn.
5. Reheat potato wedges using a toaster oven
Do you love your wedges really crunchy? Then reheating your leftover potato wedges in a toaster oven will restore that crunchiness. They also will regain that same look they were when fresh. Here is how to reheat your wedges in a toaster oven.
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 4500F
- Take a baking sheet9oven safe) and place an aluminum foil onto it.
- Sprinkle some oil and salt onto the baking sheet.
- Arrange the wedges onto the baking sheet and wrap them.
- Place the wedges on the baking sheet in the toaster oven.
- Leave them to reheatfor 10 minutes and flip them after 5 minutes to prevent burning.
- Serve while hot and enjoy with your favorite sauce!
Tips for reheating potato wedges
Do you want to enjoy perfectly hot potato wedges? Then familiarize yourself with these valuable reheating tips.
- Avoid leaving the potato wedges sitting around for too long if they are not eaten in the next few hours.
- Leave frozen wedges to thaw for 15 minutes before placing them in the oven.
- If you eat the wedges in a few days, store them in the refrigerator.
- Leaving potato wedges sitting around for long can cause bacterial contamination.
- Place the wedges in an aluminum baking sheet to bring back their freshness.
- If you had frozen the wedges, then it is wise to allow them to heat thoroughly before turning them so that they don’t turn mushy.
Best ways to reheat potato wedges
Reheating your potato wedges in the above methods is easy. The methods are also quite common, but some outshine others. For instance, reheating wedges in the oven is one method that gives delicious wedges.
However, there will be a need to observe extra caution when reheating them to not burn. So you will need to keep checking the wedges from time to time. So no matter the circumstance, do not leave the wedges unattended.
The potato wedges should be placed on aluminum foil and sprinkled with oil to restore their freshness. It is also necessary not to leave the wedges in the open if you are not eating them immediately. Bacteria can easily find a safe harboring haven in them, which could harm your health upon consumption.
How to store potato wedges
If you will not be eating your potato wedges right away, it is best to store them safely in the refrigerator or the freezer. You should refrigerate them cold in an air-tight container, then line them with parchment paper. That way, they can last for up to 4 days. If stored in the freezer, you can consume them even after 5-6 months.
So, how do you appropriately store your wedges so they don’t spoil?
- Refrigerator
- Allow the wedges to cool off.
- Wrap the potato wedges in plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Add the wrapped wedges in a properly sealed container.
- Secure the container with a lid.
- Place the container in the refrigerator.
- The wedge can last or up to 5 days.
- Freezer
Freezing potato wedges is quite simple. First, you will have to freeze each wedge by laying it on a baking sheet and freezing it for two hours before transferring them to a Ziploc bag.
Steps
- Lay your cold potato wedges on a baking sheet, ensuring that none lays onto the other, and place them in the freezer for 2 hours.
- After that, retrieve the now frozen potato wedges from the freezer and add them to a freezer bag.
- Ensure that there will be close to no air trapped in the bag.
- Toss back the bag into the freezer.
Freezing individual wedges prevents them from sticking to each other.
Can you freeze cooked potato wedges? If so, how?
Yes! You can freeze cooked potato wedges.
The wedges can stay in the freezer for several months, but they may not taste as good as the fresh ones. So it’s best if you eat them within a few days.
Steps:
- The first step is placing a wire rack onto a stable surface.
- Place a cookie sheet onto the wire rack.
- Arrange your potato wedges onto the cookie sheet on a single layer, ensuring none lays onto another.
- You can then transfer the wedges to a rack in the freezer and leave them to freeze for half an hour.
- After they freeze fully, retrieve them from the freezer and add them to a freezer-safe bag.
- Seal the bag and toss it in the freezer.
- The wedges last from 3 to 6months in the freezer.
Freezing your wedges beforehand prevents them from sticking together in the freezer bag.
Related:
- How to reheat garlic bread
- How to reheat gnocchi step by step
- How to reheat crawfish
- How to reheat churros
Frequently asked questions(FAQS)
Can you eat leftover potato wedges?
Yes, you can eat leftover potato wedges as long as they are safe. If the wedges have been left for long at room temperature, it is better to discard them because bacteria thrive rapidly at room temperatures(400F-1400F). Consuming the contaminated wedges could lead to bacterial infections.
Wedges ordered from fast-food joints sealed in a container should be consumed in less than 2 hours as the temperature and humidity accelerate.
Also, different oils have different smoking points, and in cases where you order out, you might not know the oil used in frying the wedges.
How long to deep fry frozen potato wedges?
Potato wedges should be deep-fried for 3 to 4 minutes till they attain a light golden color.
Steps:
- Preheat your oil to 1800C
- Pour the wedges onto a fryer basket.
- Lower the basket into your hot oil.Shake the basket as the wedges cook after 30 seconds.
- Fry till they get a golden color.
- Remove the basket and shake it to remove excess oil.
Are baked potato wedges healthy?
Some baked potato wedges have a slightly high-fat content, which is unhealthy, especially when consumed excessively. However, if consumed moderately, they pose no health risk. Wedges fried with heart-friendly are healthy.
How long to bake potato wedges at 350
Baking potato wedges at 350 takes an hour to get that crispy wedge with fluffy insides.
Conclusion
Now that you understand how to reheat potato wedges, you can enjoy them any time you want. You can decide which method reheats best with the different ways to reheat them. Whether you choose to use the oven, microwave, stovetop, or air fryer, your potato wedges will still be delicious. Enjoy!
