June 11, 2012

Crunchy Potato Wedges . . . better than that fried chicken joint!

I just found the perfect recipe for Better than KFC's Crunchy Potato Wedges and I couldn't wait one second longer to share them with all of you!  

I was going to be healthy and make Oven Baked Steak Fries, then I turned on an episode of Cook's Country and they are the ones that had to go and bring out a box of KFC Potato Wedges and claim their recipe is even BETTER.  Don't they know that I LOVE those potato wedges.  

You see . . . I used to live on those wedges in highschool (along with bread and cinnamon sticks).  I had a very balanced diet.  I would go there and order a box of potato wedges and eat that for dinner.  They were/are the best fried potato around.  So, how do you expect me to resist a recipe that claims to be better?  

Well . . . . they turned out sooooooo good!  The outside was super crunchy (thanks to the double coating) and that spice mixture really tasted like the real deal while the potato inside was perfectly cooked (thanks to microwaving them first).  I was so impressed with this recipe and they definitely rival the real thing.

If you click on this link you can watch the episode where they made these!
Crunchy Potato Wedges
1 1/2 Lbs. russet potatoes (about 3 large)
4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. cayenne (I only used a pinch)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 quarts vegetable or peanut oil

Wash and dry the potatoes.  Cut each potato in half lengthwise, then each half in half, then each quarter in half, making 8 wedges per potato.  Place wedges in a large glass bowl.  Combine kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and cayenne.  Add 4 teaspoons of the spice mixture along with 1/4 cup of vegetable oil to the potatoes and toss to coat each potato evenly.  Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 7-9 minutes (I did 7) until the potatoes are tender, tossing the potatoes occasionally to ensure even cooking.  Using oven mitts, carefully remove hot bowl from microwave and discard plastic wrap.  Turn out potatoes onto a baking sheet and allow to set for 10 minutes, so the potatoes can firm up.  

Combine flour and cornstarch in a medium sized dish and combine the buttermilk and baking soda in another medium sized dish.  Heat vegetable oil in a large dutch oven to 340 degrees.  Take half of the potatoes and toss in the dry ingredients, then wet, then dry again, making sure to shake off any excess flour.  Add to hot oil and cook for 4 - 6 minutes or until golden brown.  Using tongs, remove to a paper-towel lined plate and sprinkle with a little spice mixture.  Repeat with remaining potatoes.

Jenn's Notes:  Make sure to shake off the excess flour or your coating will be very thick.  I didn't do a very good job of that and ended up with a pretty thick coating, but they were still amazing.  I recommend cooking the potatoes in three or four batches rather than two.  My first batch, I added half and it lowered my oil temperature a huge amount, so it took longer than 4-6 minutes to cook.  The next few batches, I added less potatoes and they cooked a lot more evenly.  These turned out so good, even for someone that doesn't know how to deep-fry very well!  They were great plain and dipped in ranch dressing (just how I used to eat them)! 

16 comments:

  1. Those look like the right kinda crunch! Yum!

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  2. Oh yes these do look amazing... Is it bad that I want to make them at 8:30 in the morning??? lol I will for sure be making these yummmmmm

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  3. They look delicious! I try to limit how often I fry food, but sometimes you've got to make an exeption!

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  4. Loving these potato wedges. They look so yummy! Thanks for sharing on our "Strut Your Stuff Saturday". Hope you come back next week. -The Sisters

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  5. Pinning these too! You're making me hungry girl! Thanks so much for sharing at Mom On Timeout!

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  6. Made these for dinner tonight and I am pretty sure that I gained five lbs lol So so so good. We all loved them

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    1. That's how I felt after I ate them too, because I couldn't stop eating them! - Jenn

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  7. I made these today for my son. I couldn't believe what a disaster the kitchen was afterwards and it took a long time to clean up (I don't normally fry foods) but these were restaurant quality. A little ranch dressing and ketchup and I felt like I was at a nice restaurant. Yum. Oh, and I didn't have 3 quarts of oil so I made due with 1 quart and they came out fine.

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  8. I read through your intier recipe and no where did I find an ingredient that would give it a crunch such as bread crumbs. However, I will keep an open mind and try it.

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  9. Hi Jenn! I had to stop by and give you a big High-5 for this recipe. I just recently had the notion to make potato wedges at home and naively didn't research thinking that wedges magically browned in the oven with a little oil (haha). I made this last night and when my husband saw them on the table, he said Mmmmmmmm. When he took his first bite he said, wow you nailed it! It made me feel wonderful so much gratitude to you for sharing!!

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  10. Omg I honestly can't believe how good these are i didn't have onion powder so I used a little bit of fresh grated also didn't have butter milk just used 2% and I skipped the corn starch and just used gluten free Robin hood all purpose blend DELICIOUS!! Thanks!! :)

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