Grilled Potato Wedge Fries with Roasted Garlic Aioli

Grilled Potato Wedge Fries with Roasted Garlic Aioli. No burger is complete without a side of fries, so whip these easy grilled, seasoned wedges up for your next barbecue. The aioli, made from grill-roasted garlic, is just as addictive as the fries!

The first time I made grilled fries for the blog, just over 5 years ago, I started my post talking about how blown away I was at the revelation that I not only like, but genuinely adore a great burger. Burgers, not fries. I know. I'm getting there though. 

I spent 23 years actively avoiding burgers at restaurants, fast food joints, and barbecues. They never appealed to me. I let everyone know that I'd never eaten a burger-- at least not at an age where I'd be able to remember it-- and that I didn't ever plan to. I was one of those people. 

Still, my friends insisted that I couldn't have a food blog without a burger recipe, and I reluctantly agreed. Long story short, I realized that I had been a burger-lover in denial all along. It figures.

That newfound appreciation quickly teetered toward obsession, if I'm being honest. But whenever I ordered a burger at a restaurant, my all-time favorite indulgence wasn't the juicy beef patty with melted cheese, crunchy bacon, crisp veggies, and fluffy buns. Nope, my weakness was (and still is) french fries. 

I told you I'd get there.

Sweet potato, Idaho, thick cut, steak cut, shoe string, seasoned, waffle... I'll take all of them. Way, way too much of all of them, please. What can I say? I'm powerless to the french fry, and many of my diets have met their ends at the greasy hands of my potato frenemy. When I go out to a restaurant, I even eat my fries first because they don't taste as good reheated, and I bring the actual meal home for leftovers. True story. You can't waste fries.
 
So one thing that has really bothered me throughout the years is the absence of french fries at barbecues. What better side dish could there be for a burger or hot dogs? Sure, I love fresh corn, and macaroni salad is great, but let's tack french fries on the must-have-for-BBQ-success list, please. I feel like this is a cause we all can get behind.

Luckily, I've realized that making fries at a barbecue can actually be really easy. Maybe not the deep-fried, thin-cut variety; but certainly some thick wedges that are tossed in oil and cooked over the flame so they crisp up on the outside and have that fluffy, french fry interior. Perfection.

Back to that thick wedge bit: the first time I made grilled fries, I cut them into thin sticks and cooked them in a cast iron skillet over the grill, but I've found that grilling wedges directly on the grates actually gives a better-textured final product. And, of course, it's easier! All I have to do is halve skin-on russet potatoes a few times (until I get to a wedge thickness I like), throw 'em in a big bowl, toss them with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt, and then grill them for 8 minutes on each side, or until they're cooked through. They're great as-is at that point, but tossing the Grilled Potato Wedge Fries with more salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and chili powder really takes them to the next level. 

Before I do all that, though, I start the Roasted Garlic Aioli. Sounds fancy, right? It's actually super easy. I chop off the top of a head of garlic to expose the cloves, drizzle the top with olive oil, wrap the garlic in foil, and then grill it until it's soft. In the meantime, I prep everything for the actual Grilled Potato Wedge Fries, so there's no time lost. It only takes a few extra minutes of effort to roast the garlic, and maaaan, it is so great when you squeeze that sweet, buttery garlic into a bowl with some mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika. It's honestly the ultimate fry dip. Ketchup ain't got nothin' on Roasted Garlic Aioli. 

Nothin'.

All together, the Grilled Potato Wedge Fries with Roasted Garlic Aioli are almost too good not to serve up as a side dish all summer long. Try these once and join the "barbecues need fries" movement. Or, you know, just quietly enjoy them, if you can.  

Grilled Potato Wedge Fries with Roasted Garlic Aioli

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• Author: Morgan
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 3-4 servings 1x

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Description

These fries are grilled to the perfect texture and then seasoned with simple spices that make them out of this world. They are also healthier and easier to make than traditional fries and are perfect for any BBQ!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 head garlic
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 3 russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 teaspoons paprika or smoked paprika, divided
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Fresh herbs, to serve

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Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Cut the top off of the head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place the garlic head on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle the exposed cloves of garlic with about a teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and wrap in the foil. Grill until tender and browned, about 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, slice the potatoes into wedges and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and season with salt. Toss to coat.
3. In a small bowl, mix together half of the paprika, and the cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt, as desired. Set aside.
4. Grill the potato wedges until cooked through and grill-marked, about 8-10 minutes per side. Toss the grilled potato wedge fries with the spices. 
5. Before serving, squeeze the roasted garlic into a medium-sized bowl with the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and remaining paprika. Mix well and serve the roasted garlic aioli and grilled wedge fries with fresh herbs. 

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins