Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Spread out the potato wedges evenly onto a baking sheet and cover with olive oil. Mix to ensure they are evenly coated.
- Lightly dust the potatoes with garlic salt.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 12 minutes. Flip the potatoes, add parmesan cheese to the top and cook for an additional 13 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. Top with parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Notes
- Cut uniform wedges — Uneven cuts mean some fries overcook while others stay raw in the center. Aim for wedges about ¾ to 1 inch thick at the widest point.
- Don't crowd the pan — Give the wedges space. If they overlap, steam can't escape and you get soft fries instead of crispy ones. Use two pans if you need to.
- Flip at the halfway mark — The 12-minute flip is not optional. Both cut faces need direct contact with the hot pan to build a proper crust.
- Use freshly grated parmesan — Pre-shredded parmesan has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting cleanly. Block parmesan grated fine gives you a cohesive, slightly crispy coating.
- Add smoked paprika for actual smoke — The word "smoky" in the title earns its place if you mix 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika in with the garlic salt before seasoning. Deeper color, light smokiness, no extra work.
- Rest two minutes before plating — Straight from pan to plate while still steaming softens the edges. Two minutes lets the crust set.
- These pair naturally with anything off the grill — a thick ribeye, a smash burger, or spatchcocked chicken. The parmesan-garlic crust has enough character to hold up next to heavy proteins without getting lost.
- For a standalone snack or appetizer, set them out with sriracha aioli or a blue cheese dip on the side. The garlic salt is bold enough that you want something creamy or acidic alongside — not another salty sauce.
- Want to push them further? Top with crispy bacon lardons, a thin drizzle of sour cream, and sliced chives after they come out of the oven. It turns a side dish into the reason people crowd the kitchen counter before dinner's on the table.
- These fries are at their best straight off the pan. The crust is crispiest within the first 20–30 minutes of baking — as they cool, steam from the interior begins to soften the edges.
- Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, spread them on a baking sheet and run them in a 375°F oven for 8–10 minutes until the outside crisps back up. Avoid the microwave — it turns the crust soft and the potato interior gummy.
- Don't try to freeze these. Russet potatoes have high water content, and the texture falls apart after freezing and thawing. No amount of reheating recovers the crust.