Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
Thick skin-on sweet potato wedges cut into sixths, dusted with cornstarch and roasted at 425 degrees until the flat faces are deep bronze and the spine is soft and creamy.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Wedges
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes about 3 medium, scrubbed, skin on
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for finishing
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
To Finish
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, optional
Instructions
Cut and Soak
- Scrub the sweet potatoes and trim a thin slice off each end. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, cut each half lengthwise again, then split the two fattest quarters once more, for 6 wedges per potato about 1 inch thick at the spine.
- Cover the wedges with cold water and soak 20 minutes.
- Drain and dry the wedges thoroughly with towels. Every cut face should feel matte, not slick.
Season and Roast
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss the dry wedges with the cornstarch in a large bowl until a faint pale film coats every surface with no wet clumps.
- Add the olive oil and toss again, then add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne and toss until the color is even.
- Arrange the wedges on a bare metal sheet pan with one flat face against the metal and at least half an inch of space between them. Do not line the pan.
- Roast 20 minutes, flip each wedge onto its other flat face, and roast 10 to 12 minutes more, until both faces are deep bronze and a knife slides into the spine with no resistance.
- Salt again immediately, scatter over the parsley if using, and serve hot.
Notes
- Dry them hard: The drying step matters more than the soak. Water on the surface has to evaporate before browning can start.
- Starch before oil: Dust the dry wedges with cornstarch first, then add the oil. The reverse order gives you gummy patches.
- No parchment: A bare metal pan gives the down face a hard sear. Parchment and foil insulate and trap steam.
- Space them out: Wedges that touch steam each other. Use two pans if one is crowded.
- Air fryer: Same prep, 380 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes in a single layer, shaking once. Work in batches.
- Storage: 4 days refrigerated. Reheat on a wire rack at 425 degrees F for 8 minutes to bring the crisp back.