Jojo Potatoes

Jojo Potatoes are wedges of thickly sliced potatoes coated in a special seasoning blend and then fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. I have given this classic dish a healthy make-over and instead of deep-fried, these Jojo potatoes are oven-baked–but every bit as delicious!

Jojo potatoes are a Northeast Ohio’s specialty. It was a dish sold at every local deli and typically accompanied fried chicken and served with a side of Spanish Rice.  I grew up eating these seasoned potato wedges, and now that I live too far from my childhood home, it was time to recreate this dish at home. 

Jojo potatoes are simply potato wedges coated in a seasoned flour and then deep-fried. They are crisp on the outside and soft and creamy, in the center. And downright HEAVENLY!

It was a dish I was always excited to eat as a child and one I still crave 30 years later.

And thanks to this simple recipe, I can have one of my childhood favorites at home–and it is MUCH healthier than the classic!

After experimenting many times, I discovered the secret to replicating the deep-fried texture of Jojo potatoes WITHOUT all the excess fat that comes with frying.

How to Make Jojo Potatoes

The trick to this recipe is to cook the potatoes FIRST before cutting into wedges and oven frying. This step allows the center of the potato to become creamy and super soft, just like deep-fried potatoes wedges.

You have two options to do this–either par-boil the potatoes or bake the potatoes. I prefer to use my recipe for Instant Pot Baked Potatoes to speed up the process of making Jojos at home.

Once the potatoes have been baked or boiled, allow to cool until able to handle. And then cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then each half into fourths–creating eight potato wedges per potato.

Then it is time to coat the potatoes with the seasoning blend that gives them the flavor reminiscent of Jojo potatoes.

Place flour and homemade seasoned salt into a gallon-size storage bag. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Using a ziploc bag makes it easy to toss the potatoes in the seasoned flour for an even coating–not to mention quick clean-up!

And I bet you are asking yourself, how is the flour going to stick to the potatoes without an egg wash? Because the potatoes have been parboiled, the coating is able to easily stick to the starch that the potatoes have developed from being cooked.

Remove the potatoes from the seasoning mixture, being sure to shake off excess flour. Spread evenly onto a greased baking sheet, being careful to not overcrowd the potatoes, so they can evenly brown.

Bake at 425 degrees, flipping half-way. By baking the potato wedges at a high temperature, the outside of the potato is able to get crisp quickly, and since the potatoes have been parboiled the inside of the potato cooks up perfectly.

More Perfect Potato Recipes

• Oven Baked Fries
• Grilled French Fries
• Buffalo Crispy Smashed Potatoes
• Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
• Perfect Mashed Potatoes

Whether trying to replicate Jojo Potatoes at home, or just in search of a great family side-dish, these Oven Fried Potato Wedges are a great recipe to try! Give them a try with Oven Baked Chicken Tenders–and if you are from Northeast Ohio, don’t forget the Spanish Rice. 

Jojo Potatoes

Wedges of thickly sliced potatoes are coated with a special seasoning blend and then oven-baked to be crispy on the outside but perfectly tender on the inside.

5 from 17 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 104kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 large russet potatoes scrubbed
• ▢ 2 tablespoons flour
• ▢ 1 tablespoon seasoned salt
• ▢ 3 teaspoons canola oil or nonstick spray*

Instructions

• Place potatoes in a large pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Alternatively, bake the potatoes until fork tender.
• Once fork tender, remove potatoes from the water or oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Slice potatoes into 6-8 wedges each.
• Mix together the flour and seasonings in a large gallon size bag. Add the potatoes and lightly toss until potatoes are coated.
• Grease a baking sheet with 1 teaspoon oil or spray with nonstick spray.
• Remove potatoes from seasoning mix, shaking/brushing off the excess flour--DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP or your potatoes will taste like flour!
• Spread out the potatoes onto the baking sheet. Toss with remaining oil or spray well with nonstick spray. 
• Bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until wedges are crisp and golden brown.
  

Notes

• Russet potatoes are best for potato wedges.
• I do NOT peel the potatoes first, you can if you like, but JoJo potatoes have the skin left on.
• This is one time I prefer using an oil mister or non-stick spray to grease the baking sheet and to lightly spray potatoes. However, you can toss with a bit of canola oil. Don't use olive oil, as the flavor will over-power the fries.
• In place of seasoned salt, you can use, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1 teaspoon onion powder.
• If you find that your potatoes are dry and the breading will adhere, dip in beaten eggs or milk before breading. 

Nutrition

Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Sodium: 403mg | Potassium: 594mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 16.2mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 4.9mg

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This post was originally published in 2015 but was updated in 2020 with new pictures.