Can cooked potato wedges be frozen?

Potato wedges are one of those foods that, during the cooking or ordering process, my grandmother would say “your eyes are bigger than your stomach”. They look and smell so delicious that your mind encourages you to cook or buy a much larger portion than you could possibly eat. Even when you’re full to the brim, you still have leftovers.

And of course, the next logical question that flits through your mind is whether or not you can freeze cooked potato wedges. Of course you can! The technique will vary depending on how they were originally cooked, so we’ll walk you through the best practices for freezing cooked, homemade or store-bought potato wedges, and previously frozen.

fresh vs. Frozen: Cooked potato wedges

The main difference between freezing fresh or previously frozen cooked potato wedges is how they will turn out when you are ready to eat them.

Fresh, homemade potato wedges have been cooked once and then theoretically frozen. Pre-frozen potato wedges have gone through one of two common processes before being frozen in the first place:

1. They have been air or water blanched to protect their quality, in which case they are very similar to fresh homemade potato wedges
2. They were previously blanched and fried

If the latter is true, then your potato wedges have been cooked, frozen, and cooked again. You can refreeze them, but you’ll have to be very strategic about reheating them when it’s time to enjoy them, because each time they reheat they’ll become drier, chewier, and less flavorful.

How to make homemade potato wedges

Potato wedges are so easy and inexpensive to make, it almost doesn’t make sense to buy the pre-frozen versions.

Start by preheating the oven to 450 F and washing a few large, fresh potatoes. Cut them lengthwise in half, then cut each half lengthwise again. Angle the knife at 45 degrees and cut each quarter into 3 individual pieces.

Boil the potatoes for 5 minutes and then drain and dry them.

Mix the pieces with a little oil, salt and any seasoning you like. Some suggestions are

• Garlic pepper (you can get it on Amazon)
• Smoked paprika or paprika
• Cayenne pepper
• Rosemary
• Onion powder (like this one)
• Thyme

Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with foil or parchment paper (there’s no better parchment paper than this one on Amazon). Depending on the thickness of the wedges, they will take 20-30 minutes to cook, but you will need to flip them at least once.

After 20 minutes, keep a close eye on them. Potato wedges that are crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside will tell you they’re done by turning a nice golden color. When cooked on the outside, they should easily peel off the foil or kitchen paper without sticking and have a nice shine from the oil.

Freeze homemade potato wedges

Once cooked, eat as many as you like and place the rest in a single layer on a cooling rack and wait until they are at room temperature.

With the cooling rack positioned inside a cookie sheet or on top of a large cutting board for stability, transfer the wedges as is to the freezer. You first need to freeze them individually, which takes about 30 minutes.

When they are well frozen, you can remove them from the freezer and transfer them to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag or an airtight Tupperware container. You must remove as much air as possible.

You can also create a foil packet for them by rolling out a large sheet of foil, placing your frozen potato wedges individually in the center, and folding the foil around them.

This has some advantages.  Firstly, with the aluminum foil you can squeeze it around the potatoes to prevent air from getting into the package, protecting the freshness of the wedges. Second, when you’re ready to heat them up to eat, you can simply open the package and leave the foil to line a cookie sheet.

It’s always a good idea to label the bag, container, or foil with the cooking and freezing dates. For the sake of freshness, hopefully it’s the same date. They will stay fresh in your freezer for up to 3 months.

How to freeze previously frozen potato wedges

The rule of thumb for any previously frozen food is to never refreeze it without cooking it first . If you bought a large bag of frozen potato wedges and accidentally left them on the counter, allowing the entire bag to thaw, you should cook the entire bag before refreezing it.

Once cooked, you can put them back in the freezer following the same procedure as for the previous home fries. It’s a good idea to write on the bag that they were previously frozen and cooked , so you don’t forget to try to cook them according to the original instructions on your favorite frozen potato wedges.

How to reheat frozen potato wedges

Frozen potato wedges are perfectly easy to make, as you take them straight out of the freezer and into the oven.

Since they have already been cooked once, they only need to be heated.  The way you do this will vary slightly depending on whether the wedges were made at home or pre-frozen.

It’s also important to pay attention to whether or not the wedges had any seasoning when they were first cooked, which goes for both homemade and previously frozen potatoes.

Most seasonings won’t affect reheating, but if there was any cheese, like Parmesan, or fresh herbs, you’ll need to be extra careful to make sure the wedges don’t burn.

If they have seasonings that could burn before the wedges get hot in the center, consider microwaving them first for 1-2 minutes, then finish heating them in the oven.  The potato wedges won’t be crispy in the microwave, but pre-heating them means they don’t have to spend as long in the oven to get fully heated, protecting the toppings from burning.

If they have been made with only dry spices, it is better not to start in the microwave.

Homemade Potato Wedges

Heating up homemade frozen potato wedges is pretty easy. Just transfer the frozen pieces to a baking tray lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. If you have an oil spray, you can spray them lightly to get them nice and crisp again, but you don’t need much.

Pop them in the preheated oven at 450F.  Flip at 5 minutes and keep an eye on them. 10 minutes should be enough, but if they appear to be browning and burning, remove them as soon as possible.

Pre-frozen potato wedges

Reheating previously frozen, cooked, and then refrozen potato wedges may require a bit more finesse to make sure they don’t dry out or become chewy.

For best results, wrap the still frozen potato wedges in aluminum foil and place in a preheated 425F oven . Leave them covered in the foil for 5 minutes, then unwrap them, spreading them out in a single layer on the foil-lined tray.

By leaving them covered, you’ll help maintain the moisture level so they don’t dry out from overcooking, but will still heat up nicely. If you have an oil spray, you can lightly spray them down one side. After 3 minutes, flip them over and lightly spray the other side.

Take them out after another 3 minutes and they should be ready to enjoy again.

Related questions

Can cooked French fries be frozen?

Yes, cooked French fries can be frozen, but their freezing will depend on how long they have been left at room temperature.

For best results, don’t freeze them hot, but don’t let them sit on the counter too long either, as bacteria will grow quickly.  Freeze the fries within 2 hours of cooking, and they should last up to a year in the freezer.

Can raw potatoes be frozen?

Potatoes have a high water content, which can alter their texture if they are frozen raw. They can also turn black when thawed, which is very unappealing in a meal.

To avoid both of these problems, the best thing to do is cut them into wedges, chips, or chunks as needed, then blanch them for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, followed by an immediate ice bath. Then you can freeze them and they will preserve their flavor, color and texture very well.

How are French fries preserved?

There are several ways to preserve French fries. If you have an unopened bag of chips, you can freeze them as is for 3 months or even longer.

When you go to eat them, let them thaw first on the counter for a few hours. If your bag or container is open, transfer the leftover fries to an airtight Ziploc freezer bag, then freeze.