Jo Jo Potato Wedges
Baked Jo Jo potatoes are versatile, tasty and just addicting. They are dredged in panko, Parmesan, spices, and then baked to crispy goodness.
So technically these potatoes are oven-baked, meaning they could be made any time of the year and might even be more suited for the fall or winter, but I have to include them in my last-week-of-summer-showdown because we ate them several times throughout the summer with everything from these grilled burgers to this rosemary-buttermilk chicken.
Jo Jo Potatoes are versatile, tasty and downright addicting.
Think of a starchy potato wedge dredged in panko, Parmesan and a myriad of simple spices. That little potato wedge is then baked (not fried!) to crispy goodness leaving a crunchy shell encasing a fluffy, creamy middle.
Dipped in ranch and ketchup (yes, at the same time), my historically potato-hating kids actually came around and ate these babies. Not just ate them…asked for seconds. That’s a miracle for which I have Jo Jo, whoever the heck that is, to thank.
I happen to be a potato-lover, myself, and shall not confess whether I had seconds…or thirds…or, well, you get the picture. These potatoes are deeeelicious. That’s all I have to say about that.
One Year Ago: Colorado Creme
Two Years Ago: Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps
Three Years Ago: Sweet Heat Louisiana Chili
Jo Jo Potato Wedges
Ingredients
- 3 medium russet potatoes, about 1 1/2 pounds total, scrubbed
- 5 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- ⅔ cup panko bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rimmed baking sheet on a rack in the middle position. While the sheet is preheating, cut each potato lengthwise into 6 wedges. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave the potatoes until the edges of the potatoes are translucent but the centers remain firm, about 4-5 minutes, shaking the bowl to redistribute halfway through without removing the plastic wrap. When the potatoes are finished, carefully remove the plastic and drain the potatoes well. Return the potatoes to the bowl, add 3 tablespoons oil, and gently lift and stir (careful not to break the potatoes apart), until the potatoes are coated with a starchy film, about 1 minutes. This will help the coating adhere to the potatoes.
- In a shallow pie plate or similar-size dish, combine the panko, Parmesan, paprika, dry mustard, salt, garlic powder, thyme and cayenne. Dredge 1/4 of the potatoes in the panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Transfer the potatoes to a large plate or platter and repeat with the remaining potatoes in shifts. Let the potatoes sit in a single layer for 15 minutes after coating.
- Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and brush with the remaining oil. Arrange the potatoes, cut side down, in a single layer. Bake, flipping the potatoes halfway, until the potatoes are cooked through and are crisp and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Serve.
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Recipe Source: from Cook’s Country April/May 2011
Mel- we don’t have a microwave. Any way we can make these without it?
Sure, you could cook the potatoes in a bit of water in a pan until the edges are translucent and then drain well.
Perfect with burgers or really anything grilled. DEFINITELY a new favorite potato side! We dipped in sour cream or ranch.
Is there a way to make ahead and warm up…would they be the same???
I’m sure they’d still have great flavor warmed up, but I definitely think the texture is best served hot and fresh.
I cursed my way through this recipe “that’s so weird” why preheat the sheet…microwave the potatoes…stir until a starchy film forms…press the mix into the potatoes. it all seemed so odd.
But, they turned out great, so yay! 5 stars! 🙂
I’m an Ohio girl and just made these to take to a bbq where we had gourmet burgers. They were an absolute hit! I doubled the recipe and increased the oven time by a bit to get them cooked well all the way through. Sour cream is a great dipper, but you could also do ranch or stir some hot sauce into sour cream to create a fun sauce.
Try serving them with sour cream. It is delicious, although buttermilk ranch dressing is one of my favorites for french fries. Definitely going to try these for our next fish fry.
I just made these using Yukon Golds (unskinned) and omitted the flour portion of the recipe (we are gluten free). Well, the outcome was spectacular! Yay, thank you for sharing and Merry Christmas Mel!
Made these last week and they were GREAT! Hubby devoured them! Thanks thanks and thanks!
Melissa – I’ve never tried them with yellow potatoes but it’s worth a try, I’d say. The flesh of a yellow potato is different than a russet so the texture will probably be a little creamier than if using a russet potato.
Think these would work with yellow/golden potatoes? Thanks!!
Thanks for your quick response! We loved these potatoes. It’s amazing how the outside is crispy and the inside is creamy! Keep up the great work! 🙂
I’m making these right now, I can’t wait to eat them! One question though- how much salt do you use in the breading? It says salt, but doesn’t give an amount. Thanks!
Michelle- well, that’s annoying – sorry for the omission! It’s 1/2 teaspoon.
So good! Thanks for the new side dish idea, I was getting tired of rice at every meal.
These were delicious! I seriously don’t know if I will ever make oven fries any other way. Thanks for sharing!
I made these yesterday, they were delicious and easy peasy!
These look great. I am going to include them in my Friday Finds tomorrow. I want to make them soon. Thanks for sharing.
great spice selection, although that’s not the only thing going for these beauties. jo jo potatoes is just fun to say! 🙂
I’ll have to try this! My almost two year old is named Josiah, and we call him Jo Jo most of the time, so my 6 & 4 year olds will love the name! 🙂
The recipe looks really good too!
I also have kids that for some strange reason do not like potatoes, while I could, of course, live off of them until I doubled in size. I will have to try these and see if I can’t convert them. On another note, my brother in law is Joe and my kids call him Jojo so he will definitely be getting some teasing along the lines of “Potato Head” now. BWAHAHA! We’re in Florida and never in my life have I ever heard that term for a potato wedge.
Where I live, in Montana, our local small store makes JoJo’s with a batter……they are the best ever!!!
I LOVE Jo Jo Potatoes! I particularly like the ones from Safeway. I’m going to have to try making them at home now, thank you for the recipe!
As the self-proclaimed Duchess of Spud (my mom holds the title of Queen of Tater) I’m always looking for new potato recipes. I love oven baked fries so I’ll definitely give these a try in the hope that I can convince my tater hating sons to love the mighty spud!!
How can your kids not like potatoes!?! Glad to hear you found one that they finally do like! I will be making these soon since I am always trying to add new side dishes to the regular rotation.
I googled jojos and found in Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jojos
In some regions of the United States, potato wedges are known as jojos. This term originated in Ohio and is also used in the Pacific Northwest, Iowa, Minnesota, Texas,and other areas. Jojos are potato wedges fried in the same vat as chicken and usually eaten plain alongside fried chicken, cole slaw, and baked beans.[2] A variation in spelling and pronunciation is mojos, particularly in Western Canada, the Western United States and Canada’s Yukon. [3]
This jo jo recipe looks so good; I have to try it tonight. I love potatoes!
These sound amazing! Wonder if they would work with sweet potatoes….since thats what I have sitting in my pantry right now. 😀
Growing up, I had never even heard of Jo Jo’s. As an adult, I moved about 180 miles East (in the same state, mind you), and every type of potato wedge is called a Jo Jo. No idea where it came from!
Oh my gosh! I totally needed a potato side dish tonight for my sloppy joes. I will be making these! Thanks a million!
I make something very similar. They are so delicious. Then again, I could live on potatoes and ketchup!
Googled Jo Jo. No real explanation as to where the name comes from.
This is similar to a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen that we tried out earlier in the summer. We no longer have a microwave. In any case this recipe called for blanching the taters for maybe 5 minutes. We were very pleased with the results and I can see exactly why your turned out so well.
These look so delicious, Mel! I am a potato lover-I could eat them at every meal! My family will love these!