This oven baked 3-ingredients steakhouse potato chips recipe comes straight from my uncle, who used to run a tiny corner tavern outside Chicago. He’d slide out pans of these thick, golden, salty wedges to go alongside cheap beer and grilled sausages, and they were always the first thing to disappear. The beauty is in their simplicity: just russet potatoes, a neutral oil, and coarse salt. Baked hot on a foil-lined sheet, they crisp up at the edges and stay fluffy inside, giving you that classic steakhouse-style potato in chip form without any fuss or deep-frying.
Serve these steakhouse potato chips piled high straight from the foil-lined sheet pan while they’re still hot and crackly. They’re perfect next to grilled steak, burgers, or roasted chicken, and they’re sturdy enough to scoop up sour cream, horseradish sauce, or a simple ketchup-mayo blend. I also like to put the pan in the center of the table as a casual appetizer with cold beer or a bold red wine, letting everyone grab a few wedges as they pass by.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredients Steakhouse Potato ChipsServings: 4
Ingredients
2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed (skins on)
3 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable oil)
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, plus more to taste
Directions
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, shiny side up, and lightly grease the foil with a little of the oil to help prevent sticking.
Slice the potatoes into thick steakhouse-style wedges: cut each potato in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 3 to 4 long wedges, depending on the size of the potato. You want sturdy, thick wedges rather than thin fries so they crisp on the edges and stay soft inside.
Pat the potato wedges very dry with clean kitchen towels or paper towels. Removing surface moisture is key to getting them to crisp up instead of steam.
In a large bowl, toss the potato wedges with the remaining oil until every surface is lightly coated. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the coarse salt and toss again so the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Spread the potato wedges out on the prepared foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer, cut sides down when possible, making sure they are not crowded or overlapping. Good spacing helps them brown and crisp instead of turning soggy.
Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes without moving them. This initial undisturbed time allows the bottoms to develop a golden crust.
After 20 minutes, carefully flip each wedge with a spatula or tongs so a different cut side is in contact with the foil. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until the wedges are deeply golden with browned edges and feel crisp when tapped.
Remove the pan from the oven and immediately sprinkle the hot wedges with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (or more to taste). Let them sit on the foil-lined sheet for 3 to 5 minutes to firm up slightly, then serve straight from the pan or transfer to a warm platter.
Variations & Tips
For a tavern-style pepper kick, add freshly ground black pepper to the potatoes along with the initial salt before baking. If you want a steakhouse herb twist but still keep the spirit of the three-ingredient recipe, you can infuse the oil ahead of time by gently warming it with a smashed garlic clove or a sprig of rosemary, then discarding the solids before tossing with the potatoes (the infused oil technically remains a single ingredient in the bowl). For extra-crisp edges, preheat the oiled, foil-lined sheet pan in the oven for 5 minutes before adding the wedges—this mimics the hot griddle surface my uncle used in the tavern. You can also cut the wedges slightly thinner for more crunch, just start checking them a few minutes earlier. Leftovers re-crisp well: spread on a foil-lined sheet and bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 8 to 10 minutes until hot and crunchy again.
