Red Skin Potato Fries Recipe

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Red Skin Potato Fries are a healthy and delicious snack, appetizer or side dish. Or you might even choose to make them the main event. They’re tasty enough to do that. Just sprinkle them with bacon bits, green onion trimmings and shredded cheddar cheese. We’ve used a baked recipe to keep them nice and healthy.

Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.
Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.

What You’ll Need

redskin potatoes
olive oil
sea salt
fresh rosemary (optional)

Equipment

large baking pan
parchment paper

Hand-Cut French Fries

Hand cut French fries are a tasty reality. They say authentic all the way around. Leave the skins on these delicious hand-sliced, thin potato pieces and you’ve got yourself a wonderful side or great snack. Or even enjoy these fries as the main event. We’ve been known to do that from time to time.

What’s the Difference Between Fries and Wedges?

The difference between fries and wedges is all in the size and thickness of the slice. If we’re talking about French fries, think of the thin slices of potatoes that you love to get in fast food places. They’re thin and they fry quickly.

Wedges are larger and thicker potato pieces, like the ones often served in sit down restaurants. They are created by slicing the potato lengthwise just like French fries, but they take longer to cook. They are very comparable to steak fries that you would order at a steakhouse.

What Do I Need To Make Crispy Potato Wedges?

To make crispy potato wedges you need two main things, time and cooking oil. Cooking wedges takes a bit more time and patience because of their thickness, so you need to have plenty of time as a factor. The other valuable item involved is cooking oil. You can use canola oil, vegetable oil or peanut oil. Make sure to toss the wedges in a bowl with the oil covering them thoroughly before baking.

Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.
Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.

What are Red Potatoes Called?

If you’re shopping for red potatoes, you might not find them listed as that. They are sometimes also referred to as new potatoes because of their size or even red bliss potatoes.

Red Skin Fries and Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce: Alternative for Ketchup

Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce is a delicious alternative to ketchup, if you like garlic. To make this, you’ll need a whole garlic bulb. Remove the outer layers of skin off the garlic, then slice off the tops of the cloves. Roast it drizzled in a bit of olive oil and wrapped in foil. Bake it in the oven for 400F degrees for about 30 minutes. Blend the roasted garlic bulb with ¼ cup of olive oil. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and blend well. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Sauce For French Fries

We think French fries on their own are quite wonderful. However, if you want to pick them up a notch, you need to choose just the right sauce that fits your mood. Here are some possibilities:

Ketchup
Thousand Island
Ranch
Mustard
Honey
Hot Sauce
Barbecue Sauce
Duck Sauce
Milkshake
Steak Sauce
Malt Vinegar
Hummus
Melted Cheese
Buffalo Sauce
Mayo
Gravy
Marinara
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe works because it has been tested until perfected. Using red skinned potatoes and cutting and cooking them as recommended provides optimal results that will cause you to want to come back for more. Slicing the potatoes thin and uniform will allow them to cook evenly and quickly. They will have a slightly crisp outside and a deliciously soft inside.

Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.
Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.

Oven Baked Red Potato Fries

We chose to oven bake these red skin potato fries for simplicity and to make them more healthy than they would be if they were deep fried. Oven baked red potato fries are really delicious and most likely so good that you won’t miss the grease.

How To Make The Perfect Oven Baked Fries

Assuming you like your oven baked fries perfectly golden and with a slightly crispy outside, we will help you achieve those goals with this recipe. The aspect of achieving the crispy outside and perfect golden color can be created using olive oil and heat. It is important to drizzle the potatoes with olive oil before they cook. This helps them to turn golden and crispy.

The other aspect of achieving these two goals – golden and crispy comes from the heat. It is important to use high heat such as the 425 degrees that the recipe calls for. Making sure you use a spatula to turn the potatoes a time or two while they cook also helps to keep them from getting too brown and too crispy. You don’t want them to burn.

Seasonings

In this recipe we simply use sea salt and fresh rosemary leaves as seasoning, since we like to keep the flavor somewhat simplistic. However, you could substitute in whatever seasoning(s) you prefer. For example, garlic or onion salt might be preferred. Or seasonings such as paprika, Italian blends, seasoning salts and literally anything that you like on a potato.

Serving Ideas

Red skin potato fries can be served as a side dish with a good handmade burger or your favorite hot sandwich. They are also great for a mid-day or evening snack. Why not have them for breakfast too? And if you’re like us, you’ll probably choose to make them the main event from time to time. We think they’re that good!

Serve them in a bowl with a side of dip. Try placing them on a platter with a variety of dips. Eat them fair-style out of a paper cup, or enjoy them on a plate alone. However you choose to serve these red skin potato fries, you can’t go wrong.

Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.
Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.

Recipe Variations

As is usually true with any good recipe, there’s more than one way to make it. That is true with this recipe too. Red skin potato fries don’t have to be made with red skin potatoes. They can be made with different kinds of potatoes and there are so many good choices out there.

Also, they don’t have to be thin sliced French fry style. They could be thick sliced and made into wedges or sliced round to be made into chips. The type of cut is really a fun part of the creativity. And the sky’s the limit!

The other aspect of our recipe that can be changed is how the potato fries are cooked. We chose to bake ours in the oven. But you might choose to deep fry them in oil or fry them in a frying pan on the stove top. Have access to an air fryer? That’s another great option. Or if you’re wanting to enjoy the great outdoors, grilling them might even fit your fancy.

Fried Red Potato Wedges Recipe

To make potato wedges, you’ll want to slice the potato pieces in thick chunks. If your red skin potatoes are on the small side, we recommend you slice them in half lengthwise, then slice them in half again lengthwise. Depending on the thickness of the potato at this point, you might consider slicing it in half again. Repeat for each of the potato sections. Next, you can apply your seasonings to the potatoes and prepare them to be fried.

How To Fry Potatoes

Heat cooking oil (canola, vegetable oil or peanut oil) in a saucepan to 350 degrees F. Be careful to maintain the temperature of the oil as it heats and during the cooking process so that it does not exceed 350F. When the temperature rises beyond 350F, there is a greater likelihood for a grease fire. Cook the potatoes, turning regularly until tender. Remove from grease and sprinkle with any additional seasonings.

Oven Baked Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges

Why not add some garlic salt and parmesan cheese to your oven baked potato wedges? Fresh minced garlic works well too. Just cut the potato wedges as desired, drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with garlic salt and parmesan cheese. You can use grated parmesan cheese or shredded parmesan cheese. Bake as directed. Oven baked garlic parmesan potato wedges are another wonderful way to enjoy potato fries.                                                                                                                       

Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.
Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.

The Best Way to Cook Red Potatoes Is No Longer a Mystery

You might agree with us that the best way to cook red potatoes is no longer a mystery. You can bake them as fries, fry them as fries, or even air fry or grill them. We think red potatoes are quite delicious and nutritious too.

Tips and Tricks

1. Oil Coverage.

Make sure you use good cooking oil coverage for the potato pieces. This will allow them to reach a golden-brown stage and will give them a slightly crisp outside.

2. Thickness of the cut

Thick potato wedges will cook need to cook longer to achieve a soft doneness. Whereas a thin cut potato fry will cook more quickly and will reach a more crispy texture more rapidly. Choose the thickness of the cut based on your desired cook time and outcome.

3. Consistency of size.

We recommend using a consistent potato cut of size and thickness. This will allow your potatoes to achieve being done about the same time. If you use mismatched sizes and thickness, the smaller thin pieces will be done before the larger thick pieces.

4. Spacing.

Make sure there is an adequate amount of space around potato pieces when placing them on the baking sheet. This will allow air to circulate and they will cook evenly. Make sure the potatoes are only a single layer deep for nice even cooking.

5. Seasonings.

Top with your favorite seasonings before baking to achieve the desired flavor.

How To Store Leftovers

Leftover red skin potato fries can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They can be stored in an airtight container or zipped bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Which Fryer Do You Recommend?

Actually, you don’t need to have a fryer to cook delicious red skin potato fries at all. You don’t have to have an air fryer or a deep fryer. You can simply use regular kitchen tools such as a baking sheet to bake the fries. Or if you prefer to deep fry them you can use a saucepan with cooking oil heated to 350F degrees. Pan frying them on the stovetop is also a great possibility.

Why Do You Double Fry The Wedges?

If you’re choosing to do a thick potato wedge like a steak fry, then you’ll likely want to double fry the wedges. Meaning, you should pre-cook them in a frying pan on the stovetop or place them on a baking sheet and cook them in the oven first. After pre-cooking, you can take them out and deep fry them in cooking oil at 350F in a saucepan on the stovetop.

There’s nothing worse than biting into a potato that’s not completely cooked, and double frying the wedges will keep that from happening. If you choose to deep fry them completely, bypassing the double fry, you should know that it will take a long time to do so. Choosing to double fry the wedges will guarantee a nice soft wedge that has a crispy outside.

I Don’t Have a Deep Fryer, Is There An Alternative Cooking Method?

Actually, I don’t own a deep fryer either. Cooking red skin potato fries works great in the oven, in a frying pan on the stovetop, deep fried on the stove top, on the grill, or in an air fryer. Don’t feel defeated if you don’t have a deep fryer. There are still many great solutions to achieving the perfect tasting red skin potato fries.

Air Fryer Potato Wedges

If you have an air fryer, this might be the solution to achieving perfectly crisp golden potato fries. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F. Then place the potato wedges in a large bowl. Add oil and seasonings. Place the wedges in the basket of the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes. Flip wedges with tongs and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Seriously Amazing Air Fryer French Fries

You can make seriously amazing air fryer French fries in a very similar manner to air fryer potato wedges. Just slice the potatoes thinner and cook them for a shorter amount of time. Is your mouth watering yet?

Air Fryer Garlic Rosemary Potatoes

Another twist to cooking potatoes, whether it be wedges, fries or potato chunks chopped to your heart’s content is to add garlic and rosemary as seasoning. This should be done right before the potatoes are cooked to allow the seasoning flavors to meld into the potatoes. You can also use minced fresh garlic and fresh rosemary leaves if you have access to them.

Best Potatoes for French Fries

The best potatoes to use for French fries is a matter of personal preference. But Russet potatoes, also known as Idaho potatoes have been deemed one of the best. This is because of their perfect texture, shape, great nutritional aspects. However, in this recipe we’ve chosen to focus on the use of red skin potatoes as fries because they’re moist. But, as we’ve mentioned red skins can be traded out for any potato that you prefer.  

Notes For Crispy Fries

It’s just a plain fact that some potatoes make crispier fries than others. The secret to crispy fries is the use of oil and choosing a potato that has a good starch-moisture ratio. If you use a more waxy potato, it will likely result in more soggy fries. High starch potatoes make crispy fries. But if the starch gets too high, it can also produce hard and crunchy fries.

Cut in Uniform Pieces

Cutting your red skin potato fries, or whatever type of potato you choose to use, into uniform pieces is lovely visually, and it also allows all of them to cook evenly for an equal amount of time and all finish cooking at the same time.

Soak Your Fries

Soaking your fries in water before cooking them allows the starch to be maximized and helps to optimize the outcome of achieving great fries. If you soak them in water for about 30 minutes, that should be sufficient. Soaking them too long can make them waterlogged and squishy.

Drying Them

Lay the fries out on a clean kitchen towel and pat them dry with another towel or a paper towel before cooking them. It’s not necessary for them to be as dry as a bone before they’re cooked, but getting rid of most of the moisture will help the cooking process to work more efficiently.

Do Not Overcrowd

Making sure that there’s plenty of room on the baking sheet for all of the fries is important. If they’re too crowded, they will not cook well. It’s possible that some fries will be done, but others end up still crunchy. This can be avoided by making sure the space is not overcrowded.

What are Red Potatoes Good For?

Red potatoes are known for their nutritious value. They are a bit more moist and softer than a Russet potato. That’s what made them our perfect choice for red skin potato fries.

How to Clean Red Potatoes Without a Brush

If you have a soft wire kitchen brush, that is most likely one of the preferred ways to clean potatoes before baking them. It easily removes the dirt and debris from the potato. However, if you need to clean them without a brush, try using a scrub pad normally made for scouring kitchen pots. Rubbing them with a dishcloth under running cool water might also do the trick.

Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.
Red Skin Potato Fries. Photo by CookThink.

How to Make Red Skin Potato Fries

Red skin potato fries can be whipped up in about 10 minutes. We’re choosing to bake them so provide a healthy alternative, but you can fry them if you prefer. The baked version also provides a crispy outcome if oil is applied. And we think they are just as tasty.

Ingredients:

4 redskin potatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves

Directions:

1. Wash red skin potatoes thoroughly in cool water to remove any dirt or debris. Pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Using a sharp kitchen knife, cut the potatoes into thin, skinny slices lengthwise.

3. Place the potato pieces on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place potatoes in a single layer, being careful not to crowd them too closely together on the baking sheet.

4. Drizzle potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Sprinkle fresh rosemary leaves over the potatoes to add a bit of flavor.

5. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping potatoes as needed. Bake until potatoes are tender. Serve hot and enjoy!

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Sarah
Sarah is known for her extra fancy yeast breads, melt in your mouth pies, and everything salads. She has won awards as a home cook, and is passionate about helping others feel smarter in the kitchen. Sarah is the cooking genius of the sister duo.

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