Is TikTok's Viral "Potato Chips × Fried Egg × Shrimp" Salad Actually Good? Ryuji Recreates It to Find Out

The dish reportedly comes from a video by a restaurant overseas. Ryuji sized up the method as "just make shrimp ajillo and toss it with potato chips along with fried eggs," and expected it to be quite easy. The potato chips are Calbee's. As for the flavor, Ryuji said, "I think it's probably lightly salted. It's an overseas video, so I can't really tell."

The ingredients are 120g of frozen peeled shrimp, eggs, dried red chili, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 bag of potato chips (55g). Ryuji originally planned on 2 eggs, but once the chips were in the bowl, they looked like more than expected. Wanting to use up the whole bag, Ryuji increased the eggs to 3 and added a bit more shrimp. The 2 cloves of garlic came to about 20g. These cloves were on the large side, so if yours are small, about 3 cloves is a good guide.

The frozen shrimp are thawed in water with "about the saltiness of seawater," made by dissolving 1 teaspoon of salt in 200cc of water. According to Ryuji, this makes them plump and springy. Because the shrimp were already peeled, they thawed quickly, and they had already been deveined. This step was done while rice was cooking in the rice cooker.

The guest predicted the finished dish might be "like a crispy potato salad," and also said, "It seems like it'll turn back into potatoes." Ryuji replied, "I don't think it'll turn back into potatoes, but it might come out crispy," and was hopeful: "I have a feeling this is probably good."

Watching the original restaurant video, the guest pointed out that it used a lot of oil and that by the end everything was soggy. Saying that "Japanese people don't like oil all that much," Ryuji decided to use less. There's no need to make a full-fledged ajillo; something closer to a stir-fry is enough, in Ryuji's view.

As in the original video, the eggs are fried with crispy bottoms. A little extra oil helps. Ryuji explained that this style of frying is common overseas, and that frying them until they're about as crisp as bacon gives them crunch. Since the original video mixed in soft-cooked eggs, the yolks are kept runny. The Teflon on the pan used for filming was worn, but Ryuji said it probably wouldn't affect the taste.

The fried eggs aren't salted, because everything gets mixed together later. Once cooked, the eggs went straight onto the bowl of potato chips.

A little olive oil is added to the oil left over from frying the eggs, and the sliced garlic and dried red chili are sautéed. Ryuji added a generous amount of chili, being a fan of chili peppers. The shrimp go in next and are stir-fried over medium-high heat. Ryuji described the idea as "like putting garlic shrimp into potatoes."

The shrimp themselves aren't seasoned, because thawing them in salt water already gave them some saltiness. If you use shrimp that haven't been thawed in brine, such as shell-on whiteleg shrimp, it's best to season them lightly with salt and pepper. Peeled shrimp change color once cooked through, so stir-fry them until they reach that point.

The stir-fried shrimp are poured, oil and all, over the chips and fried eggs, and everything is mixed so it's well coated. It ended up looking "like a salad." Before tasting, Ryuji predicted it would "probably have no flavor," but after a bite changed that verdict to "really good." With the garlic and chili in it, it's delicious enough on its own, according to Ryuji. The eggs and the shrimp oil bring it together, and it feels close to "potato salad"—a toasty, fragrant potato salad at that.

Still, as is, it didn't look very appealing on the plate. So Ryuji scattered on some scallions and sprinkled paprika powder. Looking at the finished dish, Ryuji said, "It looks like something from a restaurant," and the guest even remarked, "Isn't this better than that restaurant's?" The dish was named "Potato Salad with Fried Eggs, Shrimp, and Potato Chips," and Ryuji added that the seasoning is "kind of my style, though."

After making it, Ryuji realized it resembles a fried egg salad from Thailand. In that case, cilantro and lime would probably go well with it too.

The texture was "like something made with dried potatoes." Potato chips alone would be junk food, but Ryuji said the eggs and shrimp make it heartier and more satisfying, and that it works as "a perfectly normal side dish."

Saying that acidity suits it, Ryuji also tried changing up the flavor by adding Majisco. If you don't have Majisco, Tabasco works too. The added heat went over well, and Ryuji said that if you add salt, an umami-rich salt such as Aji-Shio is also a good choice. As the guest kept eating, they remarked that the chips had "turned back into potatoes."

The staff tasted it as well. One comment was that it was "like potato salad made with french fries," and in another moment Ryuji teased a staff member whose expression didn't match their words when they said, "It's delicious."

Ideas for variations included mixing it with rice to make something like a pilaf, and using bacon. Everyone agreed that the shrimp had "no fishy smell at all." Looking back, Ryuji thought slicing the garlic instead of mincing it, and browning it well, may have been what made the difference.

Ryuji and the guest think this dish will catch on in Japan as well. It sits somewhere between a snack to go with drinks and a side dish. Ryuji said that adding torn lettuce would make it into a true salad and it would still be plenty delicious. When Ryuji rated it "a definite yes," the guest responded, "More than a definite yes—it's a big hit" and "It works as a real recipe." After the test, this social-media sensation wrapped up with high marks from both of them.