These loaded potato wedges are the ULTIMATE party snack. Super crispy wedges are topped with a spicy, cheesy sauce and lots of fresh Asian-style toppings for a flavor-packed bite every time.
I am officially obsessed with these wedges. I’m not sure what’s not to love here. A spicy, gochujang-laced cheesy bechamel sauce, crispy bacon, pickled chili, fresh cilantro, scallions and crunchy sesame seeds make for the best combination of toppings I bet you’ll love just as much as I do.
The magic here is in the contrasts – the fresh ingredients and the pickled chili cut through the rich cheesiness of the sauce so it never FEELS rich – and the incredibly crispy wedges are the perfect vessel for all the lovely toppings.
These are an amazing party snack for any occasion really – game day, casual drinks or a full-blown party – or enjoy as a side on a fakeaway night in (pairing them with sticky pulled pork sliders is an excellent combination).
- Potatoes. I’m using Maris piper, but you could use Russet, Agria, Yukon gold or any fluffy potato labeled as being ‘good for roasting’. Waxy potato varieties (like Charlotte or King Edward) won’t get quite as crispy in the oven.
- Cheesy spicy bechamel. You’ll need plain flour, milk (ideally whole milk though semi-skimmed will work fine), butter, cheese (I like to use a strong cheddar) and gochujang paste. Gochujang is a fermented Korean chili paste and it’s UTTERLY delicious. You’ll find it in the Asian food aisle of your supermarket and you can also pick it up from Amazon. If you can’t find it, you could use harissa paste or sriracha.
- Prosciutto. I love the crispy, salty shards you get when you throw prosciutto into the oven – but you can leave this off if you’re after a vegetarian version, or use streaky bacon.
- Scallions, coriander and green chili. These provide a fresh contrast to the cheesy sauce, but you can play around with them. Use flat-leaf parsley, mint or basil or leave out the chili (or use red chili). You’ll also need a little rice vinegar (or use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar) to quickly pickle the chili. You can also use pickled jalapenos.
How to make them
Chop your potatoes into chunky wedges, then get in a large pot with salt and cover them with cold water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil, then simmer until they can be pierced easily with a fork. Drain them, then toss them with polenta.
Transfer them to an oven tray or dish with pre-heated oil, then bake until they look golden and sound super crispy when you tap them with a knife.
Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the flour and mix to combine into a paste (roux). Mix to cook out the raw flour for a few minutes, then pour in the milk and stir until it thickens. Add the gochujang paste and the cheese, then whisk to combine them into a smooth, creamy sauce. Set aside.
PREP AHEAD: You can make the cheesy gochujang bechamel in advance, then just heat it on the stovetop or microwave. It will keep well for 5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Pile the wedges onto a serving platter, then pour over most of the cheesy spicy sauce. Top with the bacon, spring onions, coriander, sesame seeds and pickled chilies, then serve immediately with the rest of the cheesy sauce on the side for dipping.
Got a question?
I like using Maris piper, Agria, Russet, Yukon gold or any floury potatoes – you want to stay away from waxy potatoes (like Charlotte) because they won’t get as fluffy in the middle.
Yes! To make this even easier, use frozen wedges and just make the toppings.
You could use chopped bacon – just fry it for a couple of minutes in a pan on the stovetop or grill it in the oven for about 10 minutes. You could also leave it off entirely for a vegetarian version.
There are a couple of possible reasons for this. First, you want to make sure that your wedges are on a single layer in your oven dish. This is going to allow air to circulate them in the oven, crisping them up. If you pile them all on top of each other, the moisture will be trapped in layers with the potatoes, and they’ll steam and go soggy this way. Second, make sure you’re using HOT oil for cooking your wedges. I like to preheat the oil in an oven dish while the potatoes are parboiling. That way, as soon as the wedges hit the oil, the crust will immediately start crisping up in the oil, giving it a head start.
Wedges are a wonderful side to so many things! I love serving them with grilled meat (try my grilled miso chicken, sticky gochujang chicken or lamb koftas), fish (my miso salmon or maple glazed salmon are delicious), alongside pizzas, pulled pork sliders, or hot honey fried chicken sandwiches for a proper fakeaway style feast, or as part of a spread with salads (my grilled chicken caesar salad, broccoli crunch salad, green goddess salad or crunchy Asian salad are great options). It’s also fabulous as part of a game-day spread.
You could use harissa paste, sriracha or another hot sauce in place of the gochujang. Just taste whatever you use before adding it to make sure it’s not too spicy!
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Crispy Spicy Loaded Potato Wedges
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
These loaded potato wedges are the ULTIMATE party snack or option for a better-than-takeout night in. Super crispy wedges are topped with a spicy, cheesy sauce and lots of fresh Asian-style toppings for a flavor-packed bite every time.
Ingredients
For the wedges –
- 2.2lbs/1kg potatoes (Maris piper, Agria, Yukon gold are great)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 cup light olive oil/sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon polenta
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
For the spicy cheesy bechamel sauce –
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups cheese (I like to use a strong cheddar or gruyere)
- 2 tablespoons gochujang paste
For the loaded toppings –
- 4 slices bacon (use streaky/American bacon)
- 3 scallions
- 1 green chili (or use 1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves (or use flat-leaf parsley)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Par-boil the wedges. Get your oven heating to 490F/250C fan and pop the ¼ cup of oil into a large oven tray or dish and place it in the oven to heat up. Chop the potatoes into chunky wedges – I like to chop them in half, then chop each half into about 3 rough wedges. Transfer them into a large pot and cover them with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt into the water then place over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the wedges for 5 minutes, until they can be pierced with a fork.
- Cook the wedges. Drain the water from the wedges using a colander, then transfer the wedges back into the now-dry pan. Scatter over 1 tablespoon of polenta and give the pot a good shake so that the wedges are coated. Carefully remove the tray from the oven and pour the wedges onto the tray. The hot oil will splatter so be careful! Pop into the oven for 30 – 35 minutes, until they’re looking golden and crispy all over.
- Make the cheesy spicy béchamel. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons of flour, whisking to combine into a paste (roux) and keep whisking to cook out the raw flour for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat to low and slowly pour in the milk, whisking as you go. It’ll thicken, then thin as you keep whisking. Keep stirring as it thickens up and starts bubbling. It should end up like a very thick gravy. Add the gochujang paste, salt and cheese, stirring as it melts into the sauce. Taste, and add a little more salt if you think it tastes a bit bland (this will depend on how salty your cheese is). Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Prepare the rest of the toppings. Chop 2 of your scallions finely, then slice the other 1 thinly lengthways and pop into a glass of water (this will make them curl up!) Slice your green chili into thin rounds, then add to a small bowl with a tablespoon of rice vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Give it a little mix and set it aside to pickle. Cook your bacon on the stove-top over medium-high heat until super crispy – about five minutes.
- Garnish and serve. Pile the wedges onto a serving platter, then drizzle over the spicy cheesy sauce. Finish with the scallions, cilantro, pickled green chili, crispy bacon and sesame seeds. Arrange the curly spring onions all over, and serve!
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES: Make sure you’re using a fluffy potato variety like Maris piper, Agria or Yukon gold here for the ultimate fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside wedge. Or to make things even easier, you could use frozen wedges.
SUBSTITUTIONS: If you can’t find polenta, just use flour to dust the wedges in before cooking in the oven. Swap out the cilantro for flat-leaf parsley or mint, and skip the green chilli if you’re worried about it being too spicy. If you can’t find gochujang, use sriracha or another hot sauce (taste it before you use it – if it’s SUPER hot, reduce the quantity you add to the cheesy sauce).
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: These wedges are best served right after cooking and topping for maximum crunch – but you can prepare the elements in advance: The cheesy gochujang bechamel will keep well for 5 days in the fridge, and you can chop all the fresh toppings 3 days in advance. The crispy prosciutto shards will keep well for a week stored in the fridge. You can par-boil and toss the wedges in polenta earlier in the day before you cook them, they’ll be fine sitting at room temperature until you’re ready.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with pulled pork sliders, hot honey fried chicken sandwiches, grilled chicken or salmon, honey harissa glazed halloumi, grilled chicken caesar salad or enjoy just by itself!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: fakeaways
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10 wedges
- Calories: 499
- Sugar: 10.4g
- Fat: 36g
- Saturated Fat: 17.2g
- Carbohydrates: 24.5g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 20.8g
- Cholesterol: 66mg
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