Name: The BEST Way To Reheat Wedges
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 11 min
Ingredients: 1 portion potato wedges; 1 spray oil

Table of Contents

Have you cooked too many wedges, and you’re not sure if you can keep and reheat them tomorrow?

Generally speaking, potato wedges don’t have a reputation for reheating well.

All too often, you end up with soggy, sad, or dry potatoes lacking their former luster.

To avoid this happening to you, I’ve experimented with four different reheating methods to determine which one works best for restoring wedges’ golden crunchy outsides and soft, fluffy insides.

I’ve also looked at the best ways to store, freeze and thaw wedges so that none of your spuds go to waste.

In a rush? Here’s the short answer.

The best way to reheat wedges is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) while you lightly oil a sheet pan. Spread the wedges out on the pan and toss to cover them with oil. Heat the wedges for 5-10 minutes, turning halfway so both sides crisp up. You can also use an air fryer.

A note on my experiment

Recently, I was struck by a sudden craving for wedges and decided to prepare some for dinner. I was a little overzealous and ended up with quite a few leftovers. Not one to let food go uneaten, I decided to store them overnight in the fridge.

The following day, I tried four different reheating techniques to restore them to their delicious crispy state.

These methods include:

Reheating wedges in the oven (an excellent option)
Reheating wedges in an air fryer (my favorite method)
Reheating wedges in a skillet (good results but less convenient)
Reheating wedges in the microwave (resulted in soggy wedges)

I found the air fryer worked best and restored the wedges’ crispiness evenly while keeping them tender on the inside.

The oven gave very similar results to the air fryer but took slightly longer.

The skillet method crisped the wedges up wonderfully but was a fair amount of effort.

The microwave method was the most disappointing. The wedges still tasted good, but they were pretty soggy and lost a lot of their signature texture.

Reheating wedges in the oven

Reheat wedges in a pre-warmed 400°F (200°C) oven. Lightly oil a sheet pan and toss your wedges to lightly coat them. Place the wedges in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, turning them once halfway. As an optional step, microwave your wedges for 10 seconds first to soften them up inside.

Reheating wedges in the oven is a popular option because it’s super easy and restores most of the wedges’ original crispiness. However, too long in the oven can dry the wedges out.

How to reheat wedges in the oven

Place your wedges in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften (optional step – see notes below).
Set your oven to 400°F (200°C).
Prepare a sheet pan with a light layer of oil.
Toss your wedges in the oil to coat them or spray them with cooking spray.
Place wedges in the oven for 3-5 minutes.
Turn them for an even crisp.
Put wedges back in the oven for a further 3-5 minutes.
Serve immediately.

The wedges will become crispier the longer you leave them in the oven, but consequently, they also dry out more.

The optional microwaving step reduces how long the wedges need to spend in the oven and therefore helps to keep them moist.

The microwave softens and heats the inside of the wedges, so all the oven needs to do is crisp up the outside.

I definitely recommend using the microwave first if you have big chunky wedges that will take a while to heat through in the oven.

A note on seasoning: if you want to add extra seasoning to the wedges, do so a minute to two before the end or as soon as you take them out of the oven. This way, you don’t risk the seasoning burning in the oven.

My verdict

I found this method did a great job restoring the taste of my wedges and most of their crispiness.

Their inner texture was very slightly drier than before, but this was no longer noticeable once I added some sauce to the plate!

Overall, it’s a great, easy, and reliable method for reheating wedges. The only method I liked more was the air fryer (but not everyone has one).

The oven is also the most convenient way to reheat larger quantities of wedges.

Reheating wedges in an air fryer

To reheat wedges in an air fryer, first prepare them by spraying them all over but lightly with oil. Arrange the wedges in the air fryer basket in a single layer and make sure they’re not touching. Then, set your air fryer to 380°F (190°C) and warm your wedges up for 3 to 5 minutes.

The air fryer is the perfect device for reheating small batches of wedges. It produces crispy skins and a light, fluffy inside. It’s also fast and convenient, with minimal fuss or cleanup.

How to reheat wedges in an air fryer

Lightly coat your wedges with an oil spray.
Set your air fryer to 380°F (190°C).
Place the wedges in the air fryer for 3 to 5 minutes, spreading them out so they don’t touch.
Remove wedges from the air fryer and serve immediately.

You don’t want to overcrowd the air fryer with too many wedges. If the wedges are touching each other, or you pile them on top of each other, they won’t come out crispy.

If you’ve got lots of wedges to reheat, you’ll have to do them in several batches or use a method more suited to large quantities, such as the oven.

Always keep an eye on the time while you’re heating the wedges so you don’t accidentally overcook them.

My verdict

The air fryer was my favorite method because it gave my wedges the same even, all-over crispness they had when I first prepared them.

Because it’s such a quick method, the wedges were still lovely and moist inside too.

Granted, not everyone has an air fryer, so this won’t be a viable option for everyone. Oven reheating works well as a close second.

Reheating wedges in a skillet

Heat up enough oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed pan to coat its surface. Then, place the wedges in the pan and fry them. After a minute or so, turn your wedges over to crisp them up on both sides. Remove from the pan and place in a dish lined with paper towel to remove any excess oil. Serve hot.

This method is excellent for keeping wedges crispy. It’s not the healthiest method but produces proper crunchy, fluffy wedges.

How to reheat wedges in a skillet

In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat up enough oil or butter to cover its base.
Place your wedges in the pan and fry for roughly one minute or so.
Turn your wedges and fry for a further one minute.
Once golden, remove them from the pan to a dish lined with a paper towel.
Serve immediately.

The one annoying thing about the skillet is that you can’t rest the wedges’ skin side down in the pan. This means they won’t crisp up all over properly.

One way to solve this would be to use more oil and shallow or deep fry the wedges, but you’ll add a whole lot of extra calories this way! Plus a lot of clean-up.

My verdict

Of all the methods I tried, this one involved the most effort and required careful monitoring.

Nevertheless, the result was delicious and true to the wedges’ original texture and taste.

The skin not crisping up wasn’t really an issue for me because the crunchiness of the two slanted sides more than made up for it!

Reheating wedges in the microwave

Arrange the wedges on a microwave-safe dish so they’re not touching or overlapping. Heat the wedges for 60 seconds in the microwave before checking them. Add another 30 seconds if needed. The wedges will come out soggy, so be prepared for this.

The microwave method is convenient and accessible, but I don’t recommend using it unless it’s an emergency and you have no other option. The wedges will still taste nice, but they can become quite soggy.

How to reheat wedges in the microwave

Place your wedges on a microwave-safe dish, arranging them so they’re not touching.
Heat wedges for 60 seconds before checking on them.
Heat for 30 seconds more if needed.
Remove from microwave and allow to stand for 1 minute before serving.

It’s best to heat small batches in the microwave to ensure even heating. I would do one portion at a time.

During my experiment, I also tested covering the wedges with a damp paper towel.

The idea was that the damp towel would create steam and help re-moisturize the inside of the wedges.

It worked, and the wedges definitely had a slightly fluffier inside, but the skin suffered and came out extra soggy.

For me, the extra fluffiness wasn’t worth it so I recommend just heating them uncovered.

My verdict

Of all the methods I tried, microwaving my wedges proved to be the most disappointing.

The wedges had decent inner textures and were still tasty, but their skins were seriously lacking in the crisp department. Limp and soggy is how I would describe them.

How to store wedges

Store leftover wedges as soon as they’ve cooled down. To preserve leftover wedges in the fridge, seal them in an airtight container lined with paper towels and consume them within 3 to 4 days. Wedges can also be frozen and stored in freezer bags for up to 6 months.

Keeping your wedges refrigerated in a shallow container lined with a paper towel will remove excess moisture and give them a better chance of crisping up when you reheat them.

If possible, try to avoid your wedges touching too much so that they don’t clump and stick together.

Your wedges should be room temperature before you seal them up in their container but ensure you don’t leave them standing out for more than two hours after cooking them.

Hot wedges will lead to condensation in the container, which is never a good thing.

Can you freeze wedges?

To store your wedges in the freezer, first freeze them individually by laying your wedges out on a baking sheet and freezing them for an hour or two. Once they’re hard to the touch, transfer the wedges to a heavy-duty freezer bag. The wedges will last for up to 6 months in the freezer.

How to freeze wedges

Once wedges have cooled, lay them out, not touching, on a pan sheet.
Place in the freezer for an hour or two.
Remove from the freezer and place individually frozen wedges in a heavy-duty freezer bag.
Remove as much air from the freezer bag as possible.
Return your wedges to the freezer to enjoy them at a later stage.

The pre-freezing makes sure the wedges don’t stick together in the freezer bag so that you can take out a handful at a time.

To remove air from your freezer bag, you can squeeze it out with your hands, or (my go-to method) you can suck it out with a straw.

If you have a vacuum sealer, this is even better. Flash freeze the wedges first so they don’t get squashed in the sealing process.

Vacuum sealed wedges will last for much longer in the freezer than human-sealed wedges because there’s zero risk of freezer burn.

How to thaw wedges

You can thaw frozen cooked potato wedges by leaving them out on the counter for an hour or two before reheating. Alternatively, leave them in the fridge for a few hours to thaw. Pat your wedges down with a dry paper towel to remove any excess moisture before you proceed with warming them up.

If the wedges are wet when you go to reheat them, they won’t crisp up as well as they should.

Once defrosted, don’t refreeze them a second time as they will not keep well, will lose their moisture, and can start to pose a health hazard.

How to reheat frozen wedges

Reheating wedges from frozen produces great results. Place them on a baking sheet, coat lightly with oil, and bake for 20 minutes in a 450°F (230°C) oven. Flip the wedges halfway through heating. To reduce cooking time, nuke the wedges in the microwave for 60 seconds before putting them in the oven.

Twenty minutes is an estimation. Large wedges will need longer and smaller wedges not as long. Check on your wedges occasionally to judge how they’re doing.

If you have an air fryer, you can use this instead.

Heat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) and heat the frozen wedges for 10 to 15 minutes. Arrange the wedges in the air fryer basket so they’re not touching or they won’t crisp up.

How long do wedges last?

If you have too many wedges and want to store them for later, use the guidelines below to keep them as fresh as possible.

Room Temperature: Do not leave wedges out at room temperature for longer than two hours. They can quickly become playgrounds for bacteria and should be stored as soon as possible.
Refrigerated: When sealed correctly in an airtight container, wedges can last for 3 to 4 days.
Frozen: Wedges that are first frozen individually and then placed in freezer bags with most of the air removed can last up to 6 months in the freezer.