Easy Crispy Mojo Potatoes - Shakey's Copycat

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Mojo Potatoes are amazingly crispy and crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. Mojos were made famous some years ago by Shakey’s Pizza. They are a snap to make and are perfect for a game day appetizer, a potato snack, a side dish or any time when you’re craving deliciousness.

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Shakey’s Released Its Recipe for Mojo Potatoes
Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need
Making the Mojo Potatoes
Serving the Crispy Mojo Potatoes
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Amazing Potato Recipes
Recipe

Shakey’s Released Its Recipe for Mojo Potatoes

Shakey’s Japan released the recipe for its famous potatoes on March 15, 2020 via its Twitter account.

When I saw the recipe, I knew that I had to try it. I followed the recipe using a store-bought fried chicken breading mix. The Shakey’s recipe called for microwaving the sliced potatoes before coating them, and then tossing the microwaved potatoes in the breading mix.

I thought that the Mojos were all right, but not outstanding. First, I thought that the coating was on the thin side. I also thought that the potatoes lacked flavor. However the lack of flavor could have been because of the coating mix that I used. Finally, I thought that microwaving the potatoes was an unnecessary step.

Therefore, I repeated the experiment a few times before producing what I and the Master Taste Tester felt was the perfect homemade version of Shakey’s Mojo Potatoes!

Ingredients: Here’s What You’ll Need

Some people will dip the potatoes in batter before frying them. My preference, and the way that Shakey’s made them is to coat them in fried chicken breading. You can purchase the fried chicken coating at the grocery store. However, I prefer to make my own.

Types of Potatoes: I like to use unpeeled russet potatoes cut into ¼-inch slices. The starchy content of the russet potato produces the perfect tender interior of the Mojos. I’ve tried Yukon gold potatoes, but I didn’t think they turned out quite as well.

The Fried Chicken Breading Mix: In addition to flour, I add cornstarch to the breading mix. The reason is that cornstarch enhances the crispiness of the fried coating.

The Seasonings: Salt is probably the most important seasoning to add to the breading mix. I consistently use Kosher salt in all of my cooking. Beyond salt, you can use your favorite combination of spices. I like to use paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme, and black pepper.

How to Get the Coating to Stick: I’ve tried different wet ingredients to help the dry coating to stick to the potato – milk only, egg and milk and egg white and milk. While all of these worked, my favorite is the combination of an egg white and some milk. I didn’t think that the coating was quite as crispy when I used a whole egg with the milk. The coating didn’t stick quite as well with just the milk.

Making the Mojo Potatoes

Making these delicious Mojo Potatoes is easy. Let me show you how in the following steps:

Making the Breading Mix: I used a gallon Ziploc bag to combine the fried chicken breading mix – all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme, and black pepper.

Once all of the ingredients had been added, I closed the bag and gave it a good shake to ensure that everything was well combined.

Making the Wet Dip: I whisked the egg white and milk together in a separate small bowl.

Preparing the Potatoes: First, I scrubbed the potatoes really well. Next, I cut both ends off the unpeeled potatoes and discarded the ends. Then, I cut the potatoes into ¼-inch slices using a sharp knife. I’ve found that ¼-inch is the perfect size.

Coating the Potatoes: I double-dipped the potatoes in the breading mix to achieve the crispy, crunchy coating.

First, while the potato slices were still damp, I added five or six slices to the breading mix in the Ziploc bag and gave the bag a shake.

I removed the potatoes from the and placed them in a single layer on a piece of parchment paper. I repeated this with the remaining potatoes.

Next, I dipped five or six of the coated potato slices in the egg white/milk mixture and returned them to the Ziploc bag with the breading mix. I gave the bag a good shake to coat the potatoes.

Then, I returned the double-coated potatoes to the parchment paper. I repeated this with the remaining potatoes.

Coated potatoes for copycat Shakey's mojo potatoes.

Frying the Copycat Mojo Potatoes: I heated about 2 cups of peanut oil in a large frying pan over medium heat to medium-high heat to 350°F. This was enough oil to deep fry the potatoes.

Once the oil reached temperature, I added about 10 of the coated potatoes to the skillet. I wanted to ensure I didn’t over-crowd the potatoes in the pan.

I fried the potatoes on each side for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown.

When the potatoes were done, I removed them from the pan and placed them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain. While they were still hot, I sprinkled some salt on them. Then, I repeated the process with the remaining potatoes.

Serving the Crispy Mojo Potatoes

I like to serve these amazing Mojo Potatoes with ketchup, Ranch dressing or sour cream. They’re equally amazing on their own.

However they are served, the crispy, crunchy Mojo Potatoes are awesome. Yum!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use store-bought fried chicken breading mix rather than making my own?

You can certainly skip a step and use store-bought fried chicken breading mix rather than making your own. However, I like to control the amount and types of spices that go into the breading mix.

How important is adding cornstarch to the breading mix?

One of the ingredients that I use in my breading mix is cornstarch. You might think that cornstarch is an odd ingredient. However, it significantly enhances the crispiness of the potatoes.

Can I use regular table salt in place of Kosher salt?

I use Kosher salt in just about all of my recipes. You could also use regular table salt. However, you should reduce the amount of table salt slightly.

What about using Yukon Gold potatoes?

Russet potatoes work best with this recipe because of their starchy content. Therefore, I would not recommend using Yukon Gold potatoes.

Do I have to use peanut oil for frying the potatoes.

I like to use peanut oil for my frying because of its higher smoking point. However, feel free to also use vegetable oil or canola oil in place of the peanut oil. I wouldn’t however use olive oil.

Could I slice the potatoes thinner than ¼-inch?

I’ve found that ¼-inch is the perfect size for the Mojos. Any thinner and they become like potato chips. Any thicker and they lose some of their amazing crunchiness.

What’s the difference between Mojos and Jojos?

Both Mojos and Jojos are breaded and fried. The difference is really in the shape. Mojos are made with sliced potatoes while Jojos are made with potato wedges.

Other Amazing Potato Recipes

I think that potatoes are my absolute favorite food. If you like potatoes as much as I do, you should check out these other amazing potato recipes:

If you liked the recipe for Crispy Mojo Potatoes, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. I’d love to know how you liked it!

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