This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Knowing how to cut potatoes quickly and efficiently will be a boon to your kitchen life. Knife skills really are everything. For instance, why buy frozen fries when it is easy and healthier to grab a sharp knife and cut up your own? And, no matter the use, slicing your own potatoes means you can always keep their iron and fiber-rich skin!
Okay, they are carb-rich and high glycemic food, but if you avoid frying or smothering in high-fat dairy, the naked potato (especially skin included) offers a ton of nutrition. This Live Science article exhaustively outlines the benefits including nice amounts of vitamin C, iron and potassium (more than bananas!).
How to clean a potato
- First, all potatoes need to be washed, even if you are peeling and slicing, you don’t want to introduce surface dirt or contaminants with a peeler or knife. This is for russet potatoes or any tuber, even if they’re organic.
- Rinse under cold running water. Use a vegetable brush, paper towel, or clean dishcloth to gently scrub away dirt.
- Don’t scrub too hard and remove the skin if you want to eat it!
How to cut up a potato
The potato’s ubiquitousness in a variety of recipes means there are different cuts for different uses. Check out these four popular cuts below:
- Wedges for oven fries
- Slices for potato gratins
- Sticks for smaller fries or the first step in cubes
- Cubes for everything from soups and stews to potato salads.
Potato wedges
- Using a sharp knife, slice the potato in half.
- Place the cut side down on the cutting board and slice again in half lengthwise.
- Cut each quarter in half again for 8 wedges. If your potato is supersized, you may want to halve these wedges again.
Potato slices
- With your sharp knife, start at the root of the potato and carefully slice to your desired thickness.
- Continue until you reach the other end of the potato.
Potato sticks
- Again, with a sharp knife, make a thin slice lengthwise so the potato sits flat on the cutting board.
- Slice the potato lengthwise to your desired thickness.
- Stack the slices together, flip the stack over so the cut side is down, and cut lengthwise to make sticks.
Potato cubes
- First, cut potato sticks.
- Now make perpendicular cuts all across to create the dices.
How to store cut potatoes
If you’re wondering how to keep cut potatoes from turning brown, here’s the best advice for storing them: place in water! Then store them in the fridge for best freshness.
Recipes with potatoes
- Air Fryer Potatoes
- Lebanese Spicy Potatoes (Batata Harra)
- Garlic Roasted Potatoes
- Oven Baked French Fries
- Mediterranean Potato Salad
- Crispy Fried Potato Slices
- Potatoes Au Gratin
- Aloo Gobi – Potatoes & Cauliflower
- Melting Potatoes
- Scalloped Potatoes
Frequently asked questions
No. Not without blanching first. If you are up for it, you can blanch, and flash freeze on sheets, then bag. The test kitchens at EatingWell spell out the procedure well.
Good question! Experts agree that after an hour you should refrigerate those soaking spuds. They can hang out in the fridge for about 24 hours. After that, they will begin to degrade.
If you are using a large potato that’s too tough to cut, you can microwave the potato for 1-2 minutes, depending on its size. That will make it much easier to cut without cooking the potato.
Nothing disappears faster from kids’ plates than food in “fry” form, and cutting your own oven fries means even if you forgo fast food, kids will never feel fry deprived. With a sharp knife and these methods, you can make quick and healthy work of a bag of potatoes for oven fries, potato salad, and more.
For more cutting tutorials:
- How to Cut a Mango
- How to Cut a Kiwi Properly
- How to Properly Cut a Pineapple
- How to Cut Up a Watermelon
- How to Cut a Melon Up
- How to Cup up a Tomato
- How to Cut a Kiwi
- How to Cut an Orange
If you’ve found this cooking resource for How to Cut Potatoes helpful or if you’ve tried any recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience with this technique. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
preorder MY book
The Feel Good Foodie Cookbook is now available everywhere books are sold!
Amazon Barnes & Noble Books A Million Hudson Booksellers BookshopSCHULER Books (SIGNED)
How to Cut Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 large russet potato
Instructions
- Wash and dry potatoes before starting. Peel the potatoes, if desired.
Cut the potato in desired shape:
- Potato Wedges: Using a sharp knife, cut the potato in half lengthwise. Place the cut side down on the cutting board and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each quarter in half again, and you should have 8 wedges.
- Potato Slices: Using a sharp knife, start at the root of the potato and carefully make slices to your desired thickness. Continue until you reach the other end of the potato.
- Potato Sticks: Using a sharp knife, make a thin slice lengthwise so the potato sits flat on the cutting board. Slice the potato lengthwise to your desired thickness. Stack the slices together and cut lengthwise to make sticks.
- Potato Cubes: Start by cutting potato sticks, then make perpendicular cuts all across to create the dices.
- Place the cut potatoes in cool water until ready to cook to prevent discoloration.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Finally I managed to cut potatoes into wedges instead of my shapeless potatoes sticks, thnx for documenting those how to ones they are definitely so handy.
I’m so glad to hear that this helped! You’re so welcome!!