How to Make Peruvian Papas Rellenas (You Must Try)
Do you love carbs? I definitely do! Any time of the day will do just fine for me! Haha! Anyway, one thing I love about Peruvian papas rellenas is that they’re not too difficult to make. Oh, and they’re SO delicious, too! You can eat it as a main meal, side dish, appetizer, or snack. You choose! Anyway, what I have for you today are several recipes for how to make papas rellenas Peruvian-style that I KNOW you’ll enjoy! Keep reading to learn more!
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What Are Papas Rellenas?
The literal translation of papas rellenas is “stuffed potatoes”. In Spanish, Peruvian stuffed potatoes are called “papas rellenas peruanas”.
They’re basically fried mashed potatoes stuffed with ground beef.
Also, they’re very popular Peruvian street food. However, MANY families like to make them at home.
I mean… how doesn’t love Peruvian recipes with ground beef, am I right? I know there are some who don’t, but there are SO many people who love these South American foods!
Actually, Puerto Ricans and Cubans have their own stuffed potato recipes. In Puerto Rico, they have something similar called rellena de papa. However, we’re focusing on the Peruvian versions right now.
Anyway, as I mentioned above, these stuffed potatoes from Peru are normally stuffed with ground beef. However, as I always say, each family has its own unique recipe.
That means some families may use ground beef, others may use ground turkey, or maybe even cheese. The main idea is to take a potato and stuff it with some kind of protein or vegetables.
Oh, you’re wondering how they do that?
Well, keep reading to find out!
Ingredients for Peruvian Papas Rellenas
These are some of the most basic ingredients required by many Peruvian papas rellenas recipes. However, keep in mind that each family has its own unique family recipe for how to make their Peruvian stuffed potatoes dish:
- Yellow potato (Yukon works great)
- Ground meat
- Boiled egg
- Raisins
- Green olives or Peruvian black olives
- Onion
- Garlic
- Aji amarillo pepper paste (or aji panca pepper paste)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Vegetable oil
- All-purpose flour
How to Make Peruvian Papas Rellenas
Although each family makes them differently, these are the basic steps for making some amazing Peruvian stuffed potatoes.
- In a saucepan, add some cooking oil and cook the onions and garlic.
- Add some hot pepper paste (ají amarillo or ají panca).
- Stir.
- Next, add the ground meat, salt, and pepper.
- Cook the ground meat.
- Add chopped hard-boiled eggs, raisins, and sliced olives.
- Stir.
- Peel the potatoes with a potato peeler.
- Chop the potatoes into smaller chunks.
- Boil the potatoes in a saucepan until they are fully cooked.
- Mash the cooled potatoes with your hands until there are no lumps.
- Take a chunk of the newly formed potato dough and flatten it with your hands.
- With a spoon, add some of the ground meat mixtures to the center of the potato dough.
- Close the potato dough and form it into the shape of an oval.
- In a bowl, add the eggs and mix.
- Pour some all-purpose flour into a second bowl.
- Roll the potato dough ball into the flour.
- Then, roll the dough into the eggs.
- Make sure the ball is covered in flour and shake off the excess.
- Next, fry the potato balls in a pan or pot with hot oil (turning them every now and then) until they turn a golden color.
- Drain the potato balls onto paper towels to drain the excess oil.
- Serve, eat, and enjoy!
Papas Rellenas Recipe #1
Ok, so I understand that some of you, like me, need a visual when it comes to how to cook certain recipes.
For this reason, the first recipe for papas rellenas from Peru that I have to share with you is a YouTube video recipe by Eating with Andy.
By the way, you’ll love this video because she does such an EXCELLENT job of THOROUGHLY explaining everything.
AND… she offers great, GREAT tips and substitutions for ingredients that you may not have.
You NEED to watch it if you want a thorough explanation of what are papas rellenas and how to make Peruvian style papas rellenas.
Oh, and don’t forget to pay attention to how to make the salsa criolla, which is a common side dish for this delicious and super easy Peruvian dish recipe.
Ingredients for Peruvian Papa Rellena Recipe from Video Above
In case you missed it, here are some of the main ingredients for the recipe in the video above:
- Starchy potatoes
- Salt & pepper
- Eggs
- Beef
- Vegetable oil
- Red onions
- Garlic cloves
- Cumin
- Yellow chili paste (ají amarillo)
- Ají panca paste (or smoked paprika)
- Sultanas or raisins
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Peruvian olives (or kalamata olives)
- Plain flour
- Lime juice
- Olive oil
- Coriander
Feel free to check out her YouTube channel for the exact measurements and step-by-step instructions.
Recipe for Papas Rellenas From Peru #2
What I find unique about this Peruvian family recipe is that she tells you how to fix a common mistake many newbies make when trying to keep their potatoes from falling apart.
In other words, they write from the perspective of someone who has learned AND MASTERED the technique you need to make perfect stuffed potatoes.
Also, what I like about this recipe is that she uses rocoto paste, which is another kind of popular hot pepper condiment used in Peruvian cooking.
I highly recommend you check it out for yourself!
Related Articles:
- How To Make Peruvian Green Spaghetti
- Peruvian Aji Amarillo Recipes (You Must Try)
- How To Make Peruvian Empanadas (You’ll Love)
- Authentic Peruvian Quinoa Recipes
Recipe from Peru for Papas Rellenas #3
Ok, so I am SUPER excited to show you this recipe by we are mitú because although the dialog is in Spanish, the captions are in English and they do a GREAT, GREAT job of showing you exactly what to do STEP-BY-STEP.
They make it SO easy to follow their recipe!
For your convenience, here are some of the ingredients that this YouTuber uses in their Peruvian papa rellena recipe:
- 2 lbs of potatoes
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 lb of ground beef
- 2 red onions
- 3 garlic cloves
- ½ cup of raisins
- 2 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 TBSP of Aji Panca paste
- Salt
- White pepper
- 6 Peruvian olives
- Vegetable oil
And now for the video:
Recipe for Peru’s Papas Rellenas #4
Ok, now for another written recipe that you can print out.
The recipe is pretty much exactly the same as the ones above. However, the one difference is that she uses eggplant instead of meat.
So, you’ll still get the authentic flavors of the classic Peruvian papas rellenas dish.
What I like about this page is that they offer TONS of super useful information about Peruvian cuisine and about the stuffed potatoes in particular. AND they offer step-by-step progress photos, too.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out the recipe video they have on their page, too!
FYI, this recipe makes about 10 servings and takes around an hour to make.
Check it out!
What to Serve With Peruvian Papas Rellenas
Peruvian papas rellenas go well with any of the following foods, sauces, or drinks.
- Salsa criolla (consisting of pickled onions)
- White rice
- Ketchup
- Chicha Morada (Peruvian purple corn drink)
- Inca Kola (Peruvian soft drink)
Frequently Asked Questions for Peruvian Papas Rellenas
Here are some FAQs and answers related to stuffed potatoes from Peru recipes.
Where did Papa Rellena come from?
Papas rellenas originated in Peru. However, there are different versions of this super popular Latin American food in countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.
Can you freeze Papa Rellena?
Yes, you can freeze papas rellenas. When you’re ready to eat them, take them out of the freezer and let them thaw. Then, bake them in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until they are fully warmed.
What are Papas Rellenas made of?
These are some of the most common ingredients in Peruvian papas rellenas:
- Potatoes
- Salt & pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Ground beef
- Red onions
- Garlic
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Raisins
- Olives
- Hot pepper paste
- Frying oil
Final Thoughts
I seriously hope you consider making one of these delicious Peruvian stuffed potato recipes. This potato dish is one of the most common Peruvian potato recipes. Luckily, there are actually MANY potato recipes in Peru, since it’s a VERY common staple there.
What are your thoughts on Peruvian stuffed potatoes? Have you ever had them? Please let me know in the comments below!
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