One of my favorite YouTube subscribers, “Mean Gene” (who actually isn’t mean in the slightest), requested that I find the original recipe for Shakey’s Mojo Potatoes so, of course, I had to oblige. And I am so glad that I did!
I scoured the internet to find the original recipe, because I wanted to give him the authentic experience. I was interested to discover that, of the 500 Shakey’s worldwide, only about 60 or so are in the US. It seems the chain is far more popular in Asia, the Middle East, India and Australia. I was able to find the authentic recipe from a Shakey’s in China, but to not much surprise, the Chinese recipe is quite different from the American version. It largely has to do with accommodating the tastes of the region, but also supply availability.
Alas, I found the American recipe and technique for the Mojo potatoes from a kitchen cook that worked at Shakey’s for several years in the 1990’s, and here it is!
Perfectly seasoned, lightly battered and fried little pieces of heaven! Shakey’s claims that their Mojo Potatoes “crush fries, hands down”. They may be right.
For more fun Bar & Grill recipes, try Friday’s Loaded Potato Skins and Chili’s Southwestern Eggrolls.
Ingredients
- 4 Idaho potatoes
- 1 cup chicken fry mix (Louisiana works well)
- ¼ cup Lawry’s Seasoning Salt
- Canola oil for frying
Instructions
Mix, well, the chicken fry mix and Lawry’s seasoning salt.
On a mandolin slicer, slice the raw potatoes to 1/8” inch thickness, leave the skins on.
Between slicing each potato, coat each slice with the seasoned mix, making sure to fully coat both sides. It is best to coat the potatoes between slicing so that the potatoes do not turn brown from oxidation. Lay the potatoes in a single layer on parchment paper. Use extra paper between layers. Let the potatoes sit for 1 hour at room temperature. The slices are ready when the moisture form the potato has blended with the powder mix to form a pinkish slurry.
In a wok or large sauté pan, heat 1” of the canola oil to 375 degrees. Fry the potatoes in batches so to not overcrowd the oil. Fry each batch for about 5-6 minutes until the potatoes are a nice golden-brown color. Do not over fry, as you don’t want the potatoes to become crispy like chips.
Serve with Fleming’s Tomahawk Steak or TGI Friday’s Jack Daniel’s Chicken and enjoy!
FULL VIDEO TUTORIAL
